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.
Cub Swanson
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 44, Cub Swanson defeated Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision for his sixth-straight victory in the UFC. It was a great performance by Swanson and at this point it’s hard to deny him getting a title shot in the UFC featherweight division.
For his next bout, Swanson should face the winner of the UFC 176 main event between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes. Swanson has done everything in his power to earn a rematch against either one of those fighters, and while he did lose to both in WEC, he’s improved a ton since coming to the UFC. I think that a rematch against Aldo or Mendes would be a very intriguing, awesome fight.
Fight to make: Swanson vs. the winner of Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes 2
Kelvin Gastelum
In the co-main event, Kelvin Gastelum defeated Nico Musoke via unanimous decision. Gastelum, the TUF 17 winner, showed terrific striking in this bout and improved to 4-0 overall in the UFC with the victory. Therefore, he deserves a step up in competition.
For his next fight, I’d like to see Gastelum take on Mike Pyle. I think Pyle is one of the most underrated 170-pounders in the world, and if Gastelum can beat him in impressive fashion it would show that he’s ready for fighters in the top 10 in the following bout – that is, as long as he makes weight that time.
Fight to make: Gastelum vs. Mike Pyle
Cezar Ferreira
In a middleweight bout, Cezar Ferreira defeated Andrew Craig via unanimous decision. It was a great win by Ferreira, who now moves to 4-1 in the UFC overall, and I expect him to get a top-15 opponent in his next outing.
For his next match, a fight against Thales Leites makes sense. Leites has been on a three-fight win streak since making it back to the UFC, and a fight against Ferreira would make for some awesome Brazilian-on-Brazilian violence.
Fight to make: Ferreira vs. Thales Leites
Ricardo Lamas
In a featherweight fight, Ricardo Lamas defeated Hacran Dias via unanimous decision. This fight was a grind and could have gone either way on the judges’ scorecards, but Lamas gets the win and keeps his spot in the top 10 of the division.
For his next bout, I’d like to see Lamas take on the winner of UFC on FOX 12’s Clay Guida vs. Dennis Bermudez. I think both opponents make a lot of sense for Lamas, and I think both fights would be very exciting for the fans.
Fight to make: Lamas vs. the winner of Clay Guida vs. Dennis Bermudez
Clint Hester
In a middleweight match, Clint Hester was able to win a very close, albeit controversial, decision over Antonio Braga Neto. This was a very close fight, but the judges sided with Hester due to his striking, and he now has a four-fight win streak in the UFC.
Despite the win, though, I’m still not sold on Hester, and I think the UFC should bring him along slowly. For his next fight, Hester should fight the winner of UFC 176’s Derek Brunson vs. Lorenz Larkin. I think Hester vs. either of those guys would make for a good matchup, and I’d like to see it go down.
Fight to make: Hester vs. winner of Derek Brunson vs. Lorenz Larkin
Joe Ellenberger
In the opening main card bout, Joe Ellenberger was able to survive an early barrage of strikes from James Moontasri to win a controversial split decision on the judges’ scorecards. It was a questionable decision for sure, but at the end of the day Ellenberger won and moves up the ladder at 155 lbs.
Another fighter who is coming off a recent win is Jon Tuck, who recently defeated Jake Lindsey via third-round submission. I think a fight between Ellenberger and Tuck makes a lot of sense based on where both are in the division, and I think it’d be an exciting fight, so I hope the UFC books it.
Fight to make: Ellenberger vs. Jon Tuck
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UFC Fight Night 44: Swanson vs. Stephens took place on June 28, 2014 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 44 was.
