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.
Diego Brandao
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 46, Diego Brandao showed he is not close to being a contender, as he was brutally TKO’d in the first round by Conor McGregor. It was Brandao’s second-straight loss – both by knockout – and at this point, the former TUF champ is on thin ice with the UFC.
I expect the promotion to keep him around for one more fight, though, and Joe Silva will likely match him up with another striker. A good opponent would be Alex White, who is also coming off a knockout loss, but who is also an exciting fighter. White vs. Brandao is a solid prelim fight, and the UFC would be wise to book it for an upcoming Brazil card.
Fight to make: Brandao vs. Alex White
Zak Cummings
Although he was more competitive than many expected, Zak Cummings was submitted in the second round by Gunnar Nelson in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 46 to snap his two-fight winning streak inside the Octagon.
Despite the loss, though, I still believe Cummings is a good fighter, and the UFC should keep him around. Another fighter who lost his last fight but I still believe in is Alexander Yakovlev, who lost to Demian Maia a few months back. I believe Cummings vs. Yakovlev would be a fun fight stylistically, and it’s a fair fight for both considering where they rank in the division.
Fight to make: Cummings vs. Alexander Yakovlev
Brad Pickett
He was one win away from getting a flyweight title shot, but Brad Pickett just didn’t have what it took to beat Ian McCall, as he lost a clear-cut decision on the judges’ scorecards. Pickett stated after the bout that he will be moving back up to 135 lbs for his next fight, and I believe it’s the correct decision, as he doesn’t look good at all at 125 lbs.
For his return to bantamweight, a matchup with Alex Caceres would be fun, exciting, and in contention for “Fight of the Night” on whatever card it’s placed on. Both these guys always bring it, and a fight between them would be nothing but entertaining for the fans, so I hope the UFC books it.
Fight to make: Pickett vs. Alex Caceres
Naoyuki Kotani
In a lightweight bout, Naoyuki Kotani was completely overmatched by Norman Parke, as the Japanese fighter was steamrolled right out of the gate, eventually losing via second-round TKO. It is the third loss in the UFC for Kotani over two stints, but the UFC will likely give him one more fight.
A fair matchup for Kotani is Charlie Brenneman, who also has an awful UFC record. This would be a good fight to help sort out which one of these fighters is still UFC caliber, and which doesn’t deserve his job in the Octagon any longer.
Fight to make: Kotani vs. Charlie Brenneman
Mike King
And in what was the “Fight of the Night” at UFC Fight Night 46, Mike King lost via second-round submission to Cathal Pendred after the Irishman completed one of the best comebacks in UFC history. King did look fantastic in round one, but he gassed hard in the second and lost his UFC debut.
I expect the UFC to give King one more fight in the Octagon, and a good opponent for him is Tor Troeng, who lost to Trevor Smith on the preliminary card as well. Troeng vs. King would be a battle of former TUF fighters who are exciting to watch, and it works as a prelim for the upcoming card in Sweden later this fall.
Fight to make: King vs. Tor Troeng
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UFC Fight Night 46: McGregor vs. Brandao (formerly UFC Fight Night 46: McGregor vs. Miller) took place on July 19, 2014 at The O2 in Dublin, Ireland.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 46 was.
