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.
Jimi Manuwa
In UFC Fight Night 37’s main event, Jimi Manuwa was demolished with a knee and punches by Alexander Gustafsson. It was the first loss of Manuwa’s career, and there’s really no telling where he goes from here now, as he’s 34 years old and coming off a devastating knockout.
I think James Te Huna would make a great opponent for Manuwa, but he is rumoured to be dropping to 185. So that doesn’t leave much choice for Manuwa, as the light heavyweight division is thin. One fight that I guess makes sense is the loser of Shogun vs. Dan Henderson 2, which takes place later this month at UFC Fight Night 38. The loser of that fight will be on his last legs with the promotion, and the UFC could help build Manuwa back up by giving him a shot at a win over an established name.
Fight to make: Manuwa vs. loser of Shogun vs. Hendo 2
Melvin Guillard
In the co-main event, Melvin Guillard put on a huge stinker of a performance as he ran away from Michael Johnson for three rounds and lost a clear-cut decision. Guillard is now 2-5 with 1 No Contest over his last eight fights, and it’s possible the UFC could cut him, but I’d rather they give him one more fight.
Guillard’s original opponent for the card was supposed to be Ross Pearson, who pulled out with an injury. I still think it makes sense to match these two strikers up for their rematch – their first fight ended in a NC – and put an end to their little rivalry once and for all.
Fight to make: Guillard vs. Ross Pearson
Neil Seery
In a flyweight bout, Neil Seery was game, but he just didn’t have the wrestling skills to deal with Brad Pickett, as he ended up losing a hard-fought unanimous decision. However, Seery did better than most thought, especially on the feet, and he will for sure get another fight in the Octagon.
A nice second opponent in the UFC for Seery is Ryan Benoit, who won Fight of the Night in his only UFC appearance against Josh Sampo, a loss at the TUF 18 Finale. Both these fighters have flaws in their wrestling, but I think a fight between Seery and Benoit would be a fun little scrap on the feet, and the UFC should really consider matching these two up for a potential FOTN candidate.
Fight to make: Seery vs. Ryan Benoit
Omari Akhmedov
In a welterweight bout, Omari Akhmedov was soundly defeated via first-round submission by ground ace Gunnar Nelson. It was a very bad welterweight debut by Akhmedov, and the UFC needs to match him up against a striker his next time out because it’s obvious his ground game has serious holes in it.
Another striker with holes in his ground game is Siyar Bahadurzada, and I think he makes a great opponent for Akhmedov in his next fight. This would be a very fun matchup between two powerful strikers, and at this point, it would probably help determine who has a future in the UFC and who does not.
Fight to make: Akhmedov vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
Mats Nilsson
In a middleweight bout, Mats Nilsson was unsuccessful in his UFC debut, as he was TKO’d by Luke Barnatt in the first round. It was a poor performance by Nilsson, who was stopped by strikes for the first time in his career, and hopefully he looks better in his next outing.
I think a fair second UFC bout for Nilsson is a fight against Tom Watson, another Englishman. Unlike Barnatt, who is 3-0 in the Octagon and emerging as a contender, Watson is 1-3 overall and is on the verge of being cut. But he deserves another shot to stick around, so let’s see him take on Nilsson. If nothing else, it would be a fun fight for a European Fight Night card.
Fight to make: Nilsson vs. Tom Watson
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UFC Fight Night 37: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa took place on March 8, 2014 at the O2 Arena in London, England.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 37 was.
