UFC 170 gave fight fans a number of finishes to “make up for” the recent string of decisions that have prompted criticism of events staged by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The athletes that walked out of the Octagon with additional wins on their ledgers will need to look ahead to keep the momentum rolling in 2014. These are fight suggestions for the winners from the event:
While Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann ruled the main card of UFC 170, there was another women’s matchup on the docket that was also worth watching. Jessica Eye and Alexis Davis fought on the Fox Sports 1 preliminary card, in a bout that was intended to create a number one contender and line her up for a title shot sometime in 2014.
Davis was able to pull out a controversial, split decision win over Eye once the fight was over. While some may not agree with the call, the fact remains that Davis was able to get her hand raised to extend her win streak to five straight bouts. Davis is a very experienced fighter who has been in the sport for seven years. She has a very diversified attack, but she would still be the underdog going into a bout with Rousey. While Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino is close but still not a UFC fighter at this time, and Cat Zingano has still not recovered from her injury, this is the best bout to go with until those things change.
Rousey vs. Davis could work as a co-main event in the third quarter of 2014.
While Daniel Cormier may be considered a true threat to Jon Jones’s light heavyweight reign, the fact remains that he should have to earn his title shot. Ryan “Darth” Bader has served as a tough gatekeeper at 205. He should once again be used in such a fashion, and be matched against another powerful wrestler in Cormier.
Bader has shown that he will step up and fight in a manner that creates an exciting fight, even when he’s the underdog. When matched against the upper echelon of fighters that the UFC can offer, he often “goes out on his shield,” but he’s still able to test how far a fighter is meant to go in the division. He has the potential to drag Cormier into the deeper waters of a fight to see just how prepared to compete as a light heavyweight the former Olympian is.
Daniel Cormier vs. Ryan Bader should be used as a main event of a Fox card during the second quarter of the year.
Rory MacDonald vs. the winner of Dong Hyun Kim vs. John Hathaway
Rory MacDonald had to stave off the dangerous position of being mounted by Demian Maia in the first round of their welterweight bout to come from behind and patiently pick apart his Brazilian opponent across the next ten minutes. MacDonald isn’t far out of title contention at welterweight, but he should have to take one to two more victories before he can get a shot at the belt. The winner of Dong Hyun Kim vs. John Hathaway at UFC Fight Night 37 would present an interesting challenge for the Canadian at this point in time.
Kim and Hathaway are two fighters that use grappling-based styles to control their opponents. Hathaway has put together a quiet 7-1 UFC record, but still doesn’t get much recognition when talking about the 170-pound division. Kim was in a similar position until he put Erick Silva‘s lights out at UFC Fight Night 29 this past October.
MacDonald vs. the Kim-Hathaway winner should be booked for a UFC card that is set in either England or South Korea to capitalize on the appeal of the winner in his home country.
Mike Pyle vs. Stephen Thompson
Mike Pyle and Stephen Thompson both looked very good during their fights at UFC 170. Pyle is considered to be in the better position of the two, and has gone on record to say that his win over T.J. Waldburger makes him a top ten fighter in the UFC. At 38 years of age, he has to put together a run towards a title in 2014 quickly. Being placed into a bout against a clear-cut striker in Thompson wouldn’t necessarily help him do that, but it would allow him to build his resume and put on an exciting fight, as he’s done so many times in the past.
Pyle and Thompson both faltered against Matt Brown during Brown’s six-fight win streak. Pyle has struggled against the top tier of the weight class on other occasions as well. However, this bout would be an opportunity for both fighters to capture the attention of fans, because neither is known for being “boring” in any fashion.
Stephen Thompson vs. Mike Pyle could be a main card fight for a Fox Sports 1 show during the second quarter of 2014.
UFC 170 delivered a good amount of action, as opposed to some of the other events that the UFC have put forth this year. These suggestions for the fighters that were able to get their hands raised reflect where their respective careers should go next, as they look forward to bigger and better fights throughout the remainder of 2014.
**********
UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann took place on February 22, 2014 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 170 was.
