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.
Ronda Rousey
In the main event of UFC 184, Ronda Rousey improved to 11-0 in MMA with 11 finishes as she submitted Cat Zingano in just 14 seconds. It was the most impressive win of Rousey’s incredible career to date, and at this point you have to wonder if there’s anyone in the division who can actually give her a challenge. She did call out Holly Holm and Bethe Correia, but neither of those fighters is ready for a title shot as far as I’m concerned.
The only fighter out there who has a shot of beating Rousey is Cris Cyborg, who destroyed Charmaine Tweet over the weekend at Invicta FC 11 . If Cyborg can make 135 lbs, this fight with Rousey is a no-brainer to make, and if the UFC can find a way to make this fight happen, it will be by far the biggest fight in women’s MMA history, and potentially one of the biggest of all time.
Fight to make: Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg
Holly Holm
In the co-main event, Holly Holm struggled to put on a show in her UFC debut, but she did enough to take home a split decision win over Raquel Pennington. While she was able to use her striking to win two rounds and therefore the fight, most expected a finish, and she didn’t get one. Holm was clearly nervous in her UFC debut, and one can only hope the Octagon jitters won’t be there the next time she steps into the cage.
Rousey mentioned Holm as a possible opponent for her next, but I don’t think Holm is ready for Rousey yet. Instead, I’d like to see Holm take on a wrestler to test out her grappling skills, and one that’s available is Miesha Tate. Tate is a stud, and if Holm can get past her, we’ll know she’s legit. And if she can’t get past Tate, then a fight with Rousey would never work out for her anyway. So I say make this fight, test Holm’s wrestling, and if she wins, give her a title shot.
Fight to make: Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate
Jake Ellenberger
In a fight between two fighters riding three-fight losing streaks, Jake Ellenberger was able to earn his first submission in 10 years, a north-south choke over Josh Koscheck. It was an incredible showing by Ellenberger, and despite the three losses he accrued, this highlight-reel win gets him back on the map, and it should earn him another fight against a solid, exciting opponent with a name.
There are many options for Ellenberger’s next opponent, but I think the winner of the upcoming fight between Erick Silva and Ben Saunders makes the most sense. Both those fighters are coming off of wins, and both are very exciting. A fight between Ellenberger and either man would be bananas, especially if it’s Silva, as the UFC could book him against Ellenberger in the co-main or maybe even main event of a Brazilian Fight Night card and be guaranteed a barnburner for the fans to enjoy.
Fight to make: Jake Ellenberger vs. winner of Ben Saunders vs. Erick Silva
Alan Jouban
In a welterweight bout, Alan Jouban moved to 2-1 inside the Octagon with a quick, first-round knockout over Richard Walsh. I really thought this fight would be very competitive, so to see Walsh get knocked out in such devastating fashion was a surprise, but it also showed that Jouban is an extremely dangerous fighter, and he deserves to fight someone better than Walsh his next time out.
I think a good next opponent for Jouban would be Santiago Ponzinibbio, who picked up a huge win over Sean Strickland at UFC Fight Night 61 last week. Ponzinibbio, like Jouban, is 2-1 in the UFC, and like Jouban is a fierce, aggressive striker who is constantly involved in fun fights. I think a fight between these two up-and-coming welterweights would be very exciting for the fans. I hope the UFC books it.
Fight to make: Alan Jouban vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
Tony Ferguson
In the opening main card bout, Tony Ferguson improved to 8-1 in the UFC with a first-round submission win over Gleison Tibau. Ferguson has looked phenomenal ever since winning TUF 13 and with his lone loss in nine Octagon fights coming to the top-10-ranked Michael Johnson, I think it’s fair at this point for the UFC to give Ferguson the opportunity to fight a top-10 opponent.
Most of the top fighters in the division are booked at the moment, but one fighter who is available is Bobby Green. Green is coming off of a decision loss to Edson Barboza, but prior to that picked up a huge win over Josh Thomson to secure his place in the top 10 of the division. But I think Ferguson is a better fighter at this point, and I’d like to see him get a chance to earn a spot in the top 10 by fighting a stud like Green.
Fight to make: Tony Ferguson vs. Bobby Green
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UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano (formerly UFC 184: Weidman vs. Belfort) took place on February 28, 2015 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
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