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.
Gegard Mousasi
In the main event of the UFC Fight Night 50, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza dominated Gegard Mousasi with his grappling and stopped him in the third round with a tight-as-hell guillotine choke. The loss dropped Mousasi to 2-2 overall in the UFC, and it’s clear he has to make strides in his wrestling if he ever wants to compete for a title, because between this loss and his loss to Lyoto Machida, he has shown holes in his takedown defence.
I hope Mousasi can work on his wrestling, and when he comes back, I hope he fights the loser of the upcoming middleweight bout at UFC 178 between Tim Kennedy and Yoel Romero. That fight will make sense because it will pair two top-15 fighters coming off losses, and it will also show us if Mousasi has shored up his TDD or not, because Kennedy and Romero are both strong wrestlers.
Fight to make: Gegard Mousasi vs. the loser of Tim Kennedy vs. Yoel Romero
Alistair Overeem
In the co-main event, Alistair Overeem dropped to a disappointing 2-3 overall in the UFC, as he was brutally KO’d for the third time in his five fights inside the Octagon, this time courtesy of Ben Rothwell‘s heavy hands. Overeem showed some decent striking early on in the fight, but once again his chin let him down, as he was knocked out for the ninth time in his MMA career — more times than any other fighter on the roster.
With a big price tag, and with seemingly no title aspirations on the horizon, the UFC could very well cut Overeem, because it’s clear he’s not worth his payday and won’t ever fight for the UFC belt. However, should they keep him in the fold, there are still some fun matchups for him to have. One good one would be against Brendan Schaub, who, like Overeem, is a strong fighter with a weak jaw. This would be a solid fight between two guys struggling to maintain their spots in the heavyweight top 15, and it would show us who still has something left in the tank, and who shouldn’t be in the UFC anymore.
Fight to make: Alistair Overeem vs. Brendan Schaub
Derrick Lewis
In a main card heavyweight bout, Derrick Lewis saw his seven-fight unbeaten streak snapped in just 21 seconds, as Matt Mitrione smashed his face with punches and put him out cold early in their fight. It was a disappointing outing for Lewis, but more than anything, the fight shows just how underrated Mitrione is, not how bad Lewis is. And at just 29 years old, he definitely has time to turn things around and get his UFC career back on track.
For his next fight, Lewis can basically fight any mid-ranked heavyweight coming off a loss, or heck, even one coming off a win considering how shallow the division is. Early in his career, Lewis fought Shawn Jordan and lost a controversial decision (he knocked out Jordan with seconds to go in the final round, but the referee said the bell had already rung). Lewis and Jordan are both kind of at the same spot in the division, and with both men having recent losses to Mitrione on their respective records, a rematch between them makes sense.
Fight to make: Derrick Lewis vs. Shawn Jordan
Michael Chiesa
In the opening main card bout, Michael Chiesa showed he’s not yet ready to take the next step in his career, as he was thoroughly outstruck by Joe Lauzon on the feet en route to a second-round doctor stoppage due to a nasty cut over Chiesa’s right eye. Chiesa is now 4-2 overall in the UFC, and while it’s a solid record, he’ll have to earn his way back up to a top-15 opponent with a few more victories.
Another fighter who is coming off of a TKO loss but who still has potential in the division is Ramsey Nijem, who is 5-4 in the UFC overall. Nijem is a solid fighter, but like Chiesa has flaws in his game. I think this is a good matchup and a winnable fight for both men, each of whom have a clear path to victory here. I actually really like this matchup, and I feel it has Fight of the Night potential for sure.
Fight to make: Michael Chiesa vs. Ramsey Nijem
Justin Scoggins
In the featured bout of the prelims, Justin Scoggins dropped his second-straight fight at 125 pounds, this time losing due to a second-round guillotine choke by John Moraga. Scoggins was easily winning the fight up until the point of the submission, but it’s a moot point, because at the end of the day he lost the fight, and on his record it now says he’s lost back-to-back fights, a troubling sign for a very promising prospect.
Fortunately for Scoggins, he’s only 22 years old, so he has lots of time to turn things around. And the UFC has the opportunity to build him back up by putting him against a fading veteran in his next fight. I think that should be Darren Uyenoyama, who, like Moraga, is a skilled grappler who could cause Scoggins problems on the mat. But it’s a much more winnable fight for Scoggins, and if he can win in devastating fashion, he would quickly rebuild his confidence. With both fighters 2-2 in the UFC, and with both riding two fight losing streaks, this fight makes a lot of sense to book.
Fight to make: Justin Scoggins vs. Darren Uyenoyama
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UFC Fight Night 50: Jacare vs. Mousasi took place on September 5, 2014 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 50 was.
Pretty sure Uyenoyama either retired or was cut but I agree Scoggins needs a step down in competition and LOVE the idea of the "Glass Chin" bout