Some MMA fans spent their 2015 Valentine’s Day watching UFC Fight Night 60, and while there wasn’t a slew of big names in competition, there is still some direction for the UFC to take with the winners and losers at the end of the night. These fight suggestions will continue moving forward the careers of some of the men who were unable to get victories in Broomfield, Colorado.
Brandon Thatch vs. the loser of Ben Saunders vs. Erick Silva
Brandon Thatch’s defeat at the hands of Benson Henderson has turned him into a bit of a question mark in the welterweight division. This is his first defeat in years, and he has struggled with injuries in the past. If he is to become the top contender that many expected him to be, he should take a fight against Ben Saunders or Erick Silva.
Saunders and Silva are due to square off on March 21 at UFC Fight Night 62. Either man would present an interesting challenge to Thatch, as both have very aggressive striking styles. An intriguing point to consider would be whether Thatch could deal with their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu abilities. Either way the Saunders-Silva matchup goes, fans should expect some violence to occur when the loser of this bout enters the Octagon against Thatch.
Brandon Thatch against either Erick Silva or Ben Saunders would work as a main card opener for a UFC event on Fox.
Tim Elliott vs. Scott Jorgensen
The UFC’s flyweight division is still working itself out, as new challengers pop up at a moment’s notice. Demetrious Johnson reigns supreme and continues to beat back opponents. Yet the bottom part of the division also deserves some attention, as there are exciting fighters at 125 pounds that haven’t found a way to reach success. Tim Elliott and Scott Jorgensen are both on the cusp of losing their roster spots due to recent struggles. A “loser leaves town” style fight would decide who deserves to be in the organization.
Elliott and Jorgensen are both highly active fighters who do not stop moving when they’re in the Octagon. Elliott is very unconventional, while Jorgensen sticks to his wrestling and grappling. This fight wouldn’t have major divisional implications, but it would still be an entertaining fight which would sort out the lower part of the weight class.
Elliott vs. Jorgensen would be a preliminary fight which would air on either Fight Pass or Fox Sports 1.
Kiichi Kunimoto vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Kiichi Kunimoto was on a strong run in the UFC before he ran into the ever-improving Neil Magny. While he was unable to get the win, he should not fall too far back in the eyes of UFC matchmakers. His next fight should come against Dong Hyun Kim in an effort to continue building Asian fighters in that market.
Kunimoto and Kim are effective fighters that could become fringe contenders at 170 pounds. The UFC can continue to develop them by having them compete against each other on a UFC card in an Asian country. Kunimoto vs. Kim should be used as a main event for said event sometime in 2015.
UFC Fight Night 60 was a card that didn’t feature big name talent, but still had some interesting talking points. Now that the show is over, the UFC could benefit by booking these fights for the athletes that did not get wins. As the UFC continues to provide more fights to the public, it remains important to book contests that can hold the interest of fans.
**********
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.
