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.
Demetrious Johnson
In the main event of UFC 186, Demetrious Johnson made Kyoji Horiguchi tap out at 4:59 of round five to earn the latest submission ever in UFC history, en route to defending the UFC flyweight title for the sixth time in as many tries. Earning the latest stoppage in UFC history is an incredible feat, and it proves once again that Johnson is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.
For his next fight, Johnson should take on the winner of John Dodson vs. Zach Makovsky at UFC 187, particularly if it’s Dodson. The two already put on an amazing Fight of the Night back in 2013, and a rematch between the two is the only fight that makes sense right now for either man, provided of course Dodson gets by Makovsky. And hey, if Makovsky can somehow get a win over Dodson, maybe he’d pose a new challenge to Johnson. Either way, Johnson versus the winner of this match is the only thing that makes sense next.
Fight to make: Demetrious Johnson vs. the John Dodson vs. Zach Makovsky winner
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
In the co-main event, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was able to put aside his legal issues, focus on the goal at hand, and earn a hard-fought decision win over Fabio Maldonado. “Rampage” did not look his best in this fight – at points during the bout he looked like a shot fighter – but he was able to grind it out for 15 minutes against a tough opponent and earn a clear-cut win on the judges’ scorecards.
Despite a mediocre performance, “Rampage” is still a star, and for his next fight he should take on another name fighter. I’m thinking the winner of the upcoming bout between Daniel Cormier and Ryan Bader makes sense, particularly if Cormier wins, as I think a match pitting him against “Rampage” would be huge. And if Bader can beat Cormier, a rematch with Jackson, who he beat back at UFC 144, makes sense. But I’m kind of banking on Cormier winning that fight, and fighting “Rampage” next in what could be a barnburner.
Fight to make: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. the winner of Daniel Cormier vs. Ryan Bader
Michael Bisping
In a middleweight bout, Michael Bisping was able to edge out a close decision over CB Dollaway. Bisping overcame a brutal first round where he was knocked down and nearly finished to come back in the second and third rounds, pouring on the volume and winning a decision. Bisping is still one of the top fighters in the UFC middleweight division, and deserves a high-ranked opponent in his next fight.
After a lot of thinking about it, I think the next opponent for Bisping should be Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Souza is very much deserving of a UFC title shot, but right now he’s behind Luke Rockhold in the title contenders’ line. So instead of sitting on the sidelines, he should fight again, and it makes sense for him to take on Bisping. While Bisping is still highly ranked in the division, he has definitely lost a step, and is definitely beatable at this point of his career. Should Souza finish Bisping in impressive fashion, it would help him build his resume and get his name out there to casuals before his title shot. And if Bisping somehow wins, the UFC has a marketable contender to put in a title fight. It’s a win-win for the UFC, and it makes sense for both men. I really like this fight and hope the UFC books it as the five-round main event of a UFC on FOX card.
Fight to make: Michael Bisping vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza
John Makdessi
In a lightweight fight, John Makdessi proved the doubters wrong, as he brutally finished off UFC newcomer Shane Campbell in the first round with strikes. Makdessi looked amazing in this fight, exhibiting an incredibly powerful boxing attack that Campbell, a kickboxer, could not deal with. Makdessi is now 6-3 in the UFC, and deserves a step up in competition against another veteran of the Octagon.
For his next fight, I’d like to see Makdessi take on Francisco Trinaldo. I just feel like this is an appropriate matchup for both men. For Makdessi, it’s a chance to fight one of the biggest lightweights in the division and show he’s not too small for 155 lbs. For Trinaldo, meanwhile, it’s the chance to show that at 36 he’s still relevant in the lightweight division. Both men have the same record in the UFC at 6-3 and the winner of this fight would earn a top-15 opponent with a victory.
Fight to make: John Makdessi vs. Francisco Trinaldo
Thomas Almeida
In the bantamweight contest that kicked off the main PPV card, Thomas Almeida, as expected, earned a TKO victory over chinny veteran Yves Jabouin. Though Jabouin had much more experience in the UFC entering the fight, it was clear in his recent fights that his chin was finished, and for Almeida, a powerful young striker, winning by first-round KO was not surprising. Still, Almeida did what he needed to do and got the victory in impressive fashion.
It’s time for Almeida, who is 19-0 in MMA with 18 finishes, to fight a true veteran of the sport, and I think a fight against Johnny Eduardo makes a lot of sense. Although Eduardo has been inactive in recent years, he is coming off of a knockout win over Eddie Wineland in his last fight, and is highly ranked in the division. So let’s put the old dog up against the young pup and see where both guys truly stack up at 135 lbs in 2015.
Fight to make: Thomas Almeida vs. Johnny Eduardo
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UFC 186: Johnson vs. Horiguchi (formerly UFC 186: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2) took place on April 25, 2015 at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 186 was.
