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.
Benson Henderson
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 60, Benson Henderson defeated Brandon Thatch via fourth-round submission, snatching a huge victory on short notice in his UFC welterweight debut. The former UFC Lightweight Champion Henderson looked amazing in this fight against a rising contender, and it’s a win that automatically makes him a contender in the stacked UFC welterweight division.
For his next fight, Henderson can fight a myriad of contenders in the division, but I think a guy that makes a lot of sense is Carlos Condit. Condit is coming back after a long layoff, and since he’s ranked in the top 10 of the division, he needs to fight a legit fighter in his return, but not someone like Johny Hendricks or Rory MacDonald. A guy like Henderson, though, makes so much sense, and a fight between these two studs could easily headline an upcoming Fight Night card.
Fight to make: Benson Henderson vs. Carlos Condit
Max Holloway
In a featherweight co-main event bout, Max Holloway defeated Cole Miller to earn his fifth-straight win in the UFC. Holloway has been impressive in the UFC, going 8-3 overall since his debut in 2012, and at 23 years of age has the potential to be a top-five fighter if he keeps improving and rounding out his game.
After the fight, UFC commentator Jon Anik told Holloway the UFC already has a match for him lined up against Cub Swanson on the main card at UFC on FOX 15. This is an epic matchup between two of the best strikers in the UFC featherweight division. It’s an opportunity for Holloway to beat a top-10 fighter and prove he’s an elite fighter in the weight class, while for Swanson it’s the chance to rebound from a bad fight against Frankie Edgar and show he’s still a top dog at 145 lbs.
Fight to make: Max Holloway vs. Cub Swanson
Neil Magny
In a welterweight matchup, Neil Magny submitted Kiichi Kunimoto late in the third round for his sixth win in a row in the UFC. Magny has been absolutely impressive over the past year and absolutely deserves a big step up in competition, and only a fight against a top-15 opponent that could really test him makes sense for him next.
A guy that is going to test Magny for sure is Rick Story, who recently defeated Gunnar Nelson in a huge upset. Story is ranked in the top 15 and has fought a who’s who of the best welterweight fighters in the world. I think he makes total sense as Magny’s next opponent, and I think it’d be a great fight for the fans that could serve as the co-main event of an upcoming Fight Night card.
Fight to make: Neil Magny vs. Rick Story
Daniel Kelly
In a middleweight bout, Daniel Kelly defeated Patrick Walsh via decision in one of the worst fights of the year. Neither guy showed good striking in the bout, but Kelly was just a little bit more aggressive and was able to steal a decision win to improve to 2-0 in the UFC and remain undefeated as a pro at 9-0 in his career.
For his next fight, Kelly should fight Thiago Santos, who is 2-2 in the UFC and who is coming off of a nice TKO win over Andy Enz. I think Kelly could test Santos’ ground game, and Santos could test Kelly’s striking, so this fight makes all the sense in the world to do next.
Fight to make: Daniel Kelly vs. Thiago Santos
Kevin Lee
In a lightweight bout, Kevin Lee outstruck and outwrestled Michel Prazeres over the course of three rounds to easily take home a unanimous decision. The win moves Lee to 3-1 overall in the UFC, and there’s no doubt this talented 22-year-old American is someone to keep an eye on in the future.
I’d like to see the UFC build up Lee slowly, and I think Yan Cabral makes sense for his next fight. Cabral is 2-1 in the UFC and is coming off of a nice submission win over Naoyuki Kotani. I think he’d be an interesting stylistic matchup for Lee considering Lee is a wrestler and Cabral is a BJJ fighter, and I’d like to see it on any upcoming Brazil card.
Fight to make: Kevin Lee vs. Yan Cabral
Ray Borg
In a flyweight bout, Ray Borg improved to 2-1 in the UFC with a third-round submission victory over Chris Kaledes. The 23-year-old Borg showed a strong ground game once again in fully dominating the fight from the opening bell up until the time of the stoppage, and he absolutely deserves to fight a ranked fighter in his next bout.
For his next fight, Borg should take a step up and fight a true veteran of the sport in Brad Pickett, a talented fighter who still has a name but is on a decline. If Borg beats Pickett, that would be a huge win on his resume and would help legitimize him as a title threat in the eyes of many. And for Pickett, it’d be the chance to take out a top prospect and show he’s still relevant. Borg is coming off of two wins and Pickett two losses, but I still think this fight makes sense for the UFC to book if Pickett decides to remain in the flyweight division. This could open up the main card of a Fight Night.
Fight to make: Ray Borg vs. Brad Pickett
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UFC Fight Night 60: Henderson vs. Thatch (formerly UFC Fight Night 60: Brown vs. Saffiedine, UFC Fight Night 60: Thatch vs. Thompson) took place on February 14, 2015 at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 60 was.
