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.
Anthony Johnson
The main event of UFC on FOX 14 produced a shocking upset, as Anthony Johnson overcame the odds to knock out heavy favorite Alexander Gustafsson in brutal fashion in the first round. Johnson is now 3-0 since returning to the UFC as a light heavyweight, and he has a nine-fight win streak. At this point, it’s title shot or bust, and I fully expect Johnson to take on UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones sometime this summer.
Johnson vs. Jones is a great matchup, and while the champ will obviously be favored, Johnson certainly has a puncher’s chance. Defeating a guy like Gustafsson in such brutal fashion proves that Johnson is an elite fighter at 205 lbs, and while I’m picking Jones, I think Johnson has a chance to win this fight, so I won’t underestimate him like I did against Gustafsson.
Fight to make: Anthony Johnson vs. Jon Jones
Gegard Mousasi
In the co-main event of UFC on FOX 14, Gegard Mousasi knocked out Dan Henderson in the first round for one of the biggest wins of his career to date. Mousasi is now 3-2 overall in the UFC since coming over from Strikeforce, and since his losses were to elite fighters in Lyoto Machida and Ronaldo Souza, he will continue to get top-10 opposition for the foreseeable future.
For his next fight, Mousasi should fight the winner of the UFC 183 bout between Tim Boetsch and Thales Leites. Most of the other top middleweights in the division are already booked for fights, so Mousasi would be better served fighting someone like Boetsch or Leites to stay busy while the rest of the elite fighters in the division knock each other off and create the next title contender.
Fight to make: Gegard Mousasi vs. winner of Tim Boetsch vs. Thales Leites
Ryan Bader
The light heavyweight bout between Ryan Bader and Phil Davis proved to be a dud, but at the end of 15 minutes Bader got his hand raised by split decision for his fourth-straight victory, and despite the bout being boring, he will get a step up in competition after taking out a top-five fighter in Davis.
The light heavyweight division is shallow, and there aren’t many matchups out there that make sense for Bader, but I think a fight with Rashad Evans works. Evans has two straight wins and is one of the few guys in the division on a win streak, so I think when he’s healthy again it makes sense to throw him in there with Bader so we can see who the better man is.
Fight to make: Ryan Bader vs. Rashad Evans
Sam Sicilia
In the featherweight bout that kicked off the main card, Sam Sicilia took it to Akira Corassani, scoring his fourth win in the UFC and third by knockout with a first-round TKO on the Swede. Sicilia needed the win to save his career, and while he did get the victory on the big stage of FOX, it’s not like beating Corassani should move him much further up the ladder, as he’s only 4-4 overall in the promotion since his stint on TUF 15.
For his next fight, I’d like Sicilia to fight someone on the come-up, and I think that should be Clay Collard, who is 1-1 overall in the UFC. I think Collard vs. Sicilia would be an action-packed fight between two featherweights who love to stand and bang, and I think at the end of 15 minutes or less, the fans would come out as the winners, as I just can’t see this fight being boring.
Fight to make: Sam Sicilia vs. Clay Collard
Albert Tumenov
An exciting welterweight bout between Albert Tumenov and Nico Musoke capped off the preliminary card. It was a back-and-forth fight for 15 minutes, but after a tough first round that Musoke took with his kicks, Tumenov was the more effective striker in the second and third rounds, and was able to get the judges’ decision for his third win in the UFC.
For his next fight, Tumenov should fight veteran Kenny Robertson, who knocked out Sultan Aliev on the prelims for his third-straight win in the Octagon. I think Robertson would be the perfect next test for Tumenov, and for Robertson it would be a huge opportunity to fight an up-and-coming contender, so this is a fight that makes sense, and I’d like to see the UFC book it.
Fight to make: Albert Tumenov vs. Kenny Robertson
**********
UFC on Fox 14: Gustafsson vs. Johnson took place on January 24, 2015 at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC on Fox 14 was.
