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.
Mark Hunt
In the main event of UFC 180, Mark Hunt came close to knocking out Fabricio Werdum twice, but ultimately he was knocked out himself, as he was dropp
ed by a flying knee in the second round and stopped with a barrage of punches on the ground. Hunt took the fight on short notice and actually looked really good until he gassed, and even with the loss remains one of the top contenders for the UFC heavyweight title.
For his next fight Hunt should fight another highly-ranked fighter, and I’d like for that to be the winner of UFC 181‘s Travis Browne vs. Brendan Schaub. The winner of that fight will be in the top five, just like Hunt, and I think it’d be very fun. So Hunt vs. Browne or Schaub — it doesn’t matter — please.
Fight to make: Mark Hunt vs. winner of Travis Browne vs. Brendan Schaub
Jake Ellenberger
In a welterweight bout, Jake Ellenberger lost his third-straight UFC fight, this time via submission to Kelvin Gastelum in the first round. Ellenberger has never looked the same since getting knocked out by Martin Kampmann in 2012, going 2-3 since that loss, and at this point, it doesn’t look like he can recapture the form that once had him in title contention.
For his next fight, Ellenberger should fight another top-10-ranked welterweight coming off a loss, and I think Dong Hyun Kim makes sense. Kim was recently knocked out by Tyron Woodley and needs to get back on track. Similarly for Ellenberger, he too desperately needs a win, and beating a guy like Kim would at least make him relevant again, as right now he looks like a lost cause and not the title contender he was just a few years ago.
Fight to make: Jake Ellenberger vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Dennis Bermudez
In a featherweight fight, Dennis Bermudez saw his seven-fight win streak snapped, as he was submitted in the first round by the ever-underrated Ricardo Lamas. Bermudez entered the fight with a ton of hype and some thought he was closing in on a title shot at 145 lbs, but the loss to Lamas means he’ll have to start all over again.
Another fighter who had a lot of hype at one point is Hatsu Hioki, who lost his last fight to Charles Oliveira. Hioki is an exciting fighter whose style is a bad matchup for Bermudez. Even though Hioki has a worse UFC record and is lower in the division, I think stylistically this is a fair fight, and one that I would love to see, as I see it being a very entertaining contest for the fans.
Fight to make: Dennis Bermudez vs. Hatsu Hioki
Chris Heatherly
In a welterweight match, Chris Heatherly was TKO’d in the first round by Augusto Montano. Heatherly was completely outclassed in the fight, and the loss dropped his record to 0-2. He does not look like a UFC-caliber fighter, but he is a gritty guy who will fight anyone, so perhaps the UFC will keep him around for one more fight.
For his next fight, Heatherly should fight another welterweight who is 0-2 in the UFC in a loser leaves town matchup. I think that should be Hernani Perpetuo. I think he and Heatherly would put on a fun, entertaining fight for the fans, and at the end of 15 minutes we’d find out who deserves to stay employed by Zuffa and who doesn’t.
Fight to make: Chris Heatherly vs. Hernani Perpetuo
Leslie Smith
In a women’s bantamweight contest, Leslie Smith was TKO’d by Jessica Eye in round two after her ear burst open and the doctor was forced to stop the fight. Smith, who is tough as nails, wanted to keep fighting, but the doctor ultimately made the right call in stopping the contest. However, for Smith it was a bitter pill to swallow, as it dropped her UFC record to 1-2.
For her next fight, Smith should take a step down in competition and fight a younger fighter who is coming through the ranks. I think that should be Larissa Pacheco, who was submitted by Jessica Andrade in her recent UFC debut. It’s a fair matchup between two female bantamweights at the bottom of the division, and it would be a very exciting fight if and when it goes down.
Fight to make: Leslie Smith vs. Larissa Pacheco
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UFC 180: Werdum vs. Hunt formerly (UFC 180: Velasquez vs. Werdum) took place on November 15, 2014 at Arena Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 180 was.
