Fight Fixin’ is a fantasy matchmaking article that comes out after every major event and features possible matchups for main card winners and/or losers from the previous event.
Junior dos Santos
In the main event of UFC 166, Junior dos Santos took one of the worst beatings ever witnessed in the Octagon, as Cain Velasquez stopped him in the fifth round to retain the UFC heavyweight championship.
Dos Santos was destroyed by Velasquez in two of their three fights, and he’s not likely to get another crack at the title anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t fun matchups for him out there.
Look for dos Santos to take some time off to heal his body and face, but when he returns I want to see him fight the loser of UFC 168’s Travis Browne vs. Josh Barnett. I think that either man would be an interesting matchup for dos Santos, and man would it be fun to see him get back to his KO of the Night ways, because after that beating he took at UFC 166, I have no idea how he will perform the next time we see him.
Fight to make: dos Santos vs. loser of Travis Browne/Josh Barnett
Roy Nelson
In the co-main event of UFC 166, Roy Nelson took a three-round beating at the hands and feet of Daniel Cormier. It wasn’t a good fight at all for Nelson, and now on a two-fight losing streak, he desperately needs to get back on track with a win in his next outing.
Another heavyweight who needs to get a win is Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who should be returning to the cage in a few months after a submission loss to current #1 contender Fabricio Werdum. I think the fight between Nelson and Nogueira is an even fight between two older fighters with KO power and good submission games, and I think it’s a fight all the fans want to see as well.
Fight to make: Nelson vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Diego Sanchez
In one of the most exciting fights in UFC history, Gilbert Melendez managed to survive after being knocked down in the third round to stave off a late surge by Diego Sanchez and take home a unanimous decision victory in the “Fight of the Night” at UFC 166.
It was an amazing fight, and even though Sanchez lost on the cards, he left the cage a winner in the hearts and minds of every UFC and MMA fan watching the card.
For his next fight, give Sanchez to Benson Henderson, the former champ. After all, Sanchez gave Melendez everything he could handle for a full 15 minutes, so even though Henderson is ranked higher than Sanchez, I still think it makes sense.
And the best thing is that Sanchez would make Henderson, who is known as a point fighter, fight. This is an awesome matchup. Make it happen, UFC.
Fight to make: Sanchez vs. Benson Henderson
Shawn Jordan
Shawn Jordan was quickly climbing the heavyweight ranks until he ran into Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 166, as the former LSU fullback lost via first-round KO, a defeat that significantly drops his stock.
It’s a disappointing loss for Jordan and it shows he isn’t the heavyweight prospect some had hyped him up as. Another fighter who you could say the same thing about it Matt Mitrione, who was recently submitted by Brendan Schaub at UFC 165. I think a fight between a fellow athlete in Jordan makes sense, and it’s one I definitely want to see a fan.
Fight to make: Jordan vs. Matt Mitrione
Darrell Montague
In the opening fight of the night, Darrell Montague was dominated by John Dodson en route to a first-round stoppage loss. Although Montague showed a lot of heart and a good chin, he just didn’t have enough for “The Magician” and lost in his UFC debut.
For his next fight, I’d like to see Montague take on Louis Gaudinot, another fighter ranked in the top 10 who is coming off a loss. It’s a winnable fight for both men, and I hope the UFC puts it together, as it’d be a lot of fun as well.
Fight to make: Montague vs. Louis Gaudinot
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UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos III took place on October 19, 2013 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 166 was.
