The UFC put on two shows back-to-back as it continued to stretch its brand across the planet. And although 44 competitors stepped into the Octagon, only half of that number were able to find a way to get their hands raised. Looking at some of the fighters who lost this past weekend, here are some bouts that should be made to continue the growth of their respective careers:
Mark Munoz found himself submitted for the first time in his career when Gegard Mousassi stopped him in the main event of their main event bout Saturday at UFC Fight Night 41. Munoz was once considered a top prospect at middleweight, but injuries and defeats have quickly changed that. Now, he is shuffled back towards the bottom of the 185-pound ladder.
Enter Lorenz Larkin. Larkin is another competitor who had pundits excited about his skill set. But even though he has looked fantastic in some moments, he has struggled mightily since being brought over from Strikeforce. Munoz would be one of the stiffest challenges he’s had to date, but he has shown the tools to get the job done.
Mark Munoz vs. Lorenz Larkin should be used as the “main event” of a preliminary card on Fox Sports 1 before a UFC PPV.
Fabio Maldonado vs. the loser of Ryan Bader vs. Rafael Cavalcante
Fabio Maldonado is on the path to becoming a MMA folk hero for the type of battles he puts on every time he steps into the Octagon. And even though he was stopped quickly by Stipe Miocic in the main event of the TUF Brazil 3 Finale, he’s still going to be a fan favorite heading into his next fight. With a three-fight winning streak at 205, he’s making a late surge in his career. Matching him against either Ryan Bader or Rafael Cavalcante would be the best next step for him.
Cavalcante and Bader have both shown a penchant for standing in the cage and throwing punches back and forth. This is the exact type of fight that UFC matchmakers should look to book for Maldonado going forward. Bader does have the wrestling ability to grind out a win, but his recent fights have displayed a different type of competitor. “Feijao” and Bader are scheduled to meet at UFC 174 this month, and the loser of that bout should be the next to face Maldonado.
Maldonado vs. the loser of Cavalcante vs. Bader should be used as a main card bout for a UFC on Fox event.
Luke Barnatt vs. Derek Brunson
Luke Barnatt is considered one of the top prospects coming out of England and has so far done a strong job of living up to the hype. Before losing to Sean Strickland, he was on a three-fight UFC winning streak. While some believe he had done enough to defeat Strickland and capture a fourth straight win, the judges didn’t feel the same way. Now Barnatt has to rebound from the first loss of his professional career.
As for Derek Brunson, he has shown flashes of the abilities needed to become an interesting competitor at middleweight, but lapses in judgment have cost him recent fights. Many felt he was winning his fight against Yoel Romero at UFC Fight Night 35 before he gassed out and got finished in the third round. Regardless, Brunson is in need of a win to end his current skid.
Luke Barnatt vs. Derek Brunson should be used as a main card fight on a UFC Fight Night event held in England.
Francis Carmont vs. Tim Boetsch
Francis Carmont and Tim Boetsch are two individuals who have been on very similar career paths as of late. They were rising up the middleweight ranks very quickly before taking on a number of losses. Carmont has been defeated in his last two fights, while Boetsch has lost three of his last four.
Carmont and Boetsch have very different styles, which has the potential to create an exciting or boring fight, depending on which fighter would control the pace. Either way, both competitors are in grave need of a victory to escape becoming victims of the UFC “Pink Slip Derby.”
Francis Carmont vs. Tim Boetsch would be best served as a preliminary fight for a UFC event on Fox.
Rony Jason vs. Andre Fili
Rony Jason may soon find himself described as “overrated,” as the Brazilian has failed to live up to the hype that followed him earlier in his carreer. After following up a questionable stoppage win over Steven Siler with a split decision loss to Robbie Peralta, his current UFC record is 4-2. He seems to struggle against American competition, however, so testing him against Andre Fili would help determine if he should be in the promotion.
Andre Fili has presented himself as an exciting fighter out of the Team Alpha Male camp. Matching him against Jason would place two very active featherweights against each other in the Octagon.
Rony Jason should face Andre Fili on a UFC Fight Night card here in the United States to give Jason additional exposure to the fans outside of his home country.
The UFC is dead set on becoming a global entity. This past weekend the promotion gave fight fans two events back-to-back n different parts of the world. While that will be a bigger story than some of the smaller names that fought on these cards, there is still a value in properly booking these athletes going forward. These suggestions would do so, and help strengthen the resumes of the athletes that were unable to get wins this past Saturday.
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UFC Fight Night 41: Munoz vs. Mousasi took place on May 31, 2014 at the O2 World Berlin in Berlin, Germany.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 41 was.
UFC Fight Night: Miocic vs. Maldonado (formerly The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 Finale: Miocic vs. Maldonado, The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 Finale: Dos Santos vs. Miocic, UFC Fight Night: Sonnen vs. Silva) is due to take place on May 31, 2014 at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Click the stars to rate how good you think TUF Brazil 3 Finale was.
