UFC 190 culminated with another dominating performance by UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey, but she wasn’t the only standout on Saturday night. Some fighters showed that they still have gas left in the tank, while others made big leaps into title discussions. In any case, these proposed matchups are the ideal next steps for fighters who emerged victorious in Rio:
Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate 3
Rousey destroyed another opponent, and make no mistake about it, until she faces Cris “Cyborg” Justino, it’s likely that this will not only be the anticipated outcome of each of her remaining UFC fights, but the way the fights turn out. That’s not a knock on #1 contender Miesha Tate, but just a recognition that she isn’t on Rousey’s level.
Tate has already shown not only a penchant for putting on exciting and dramatic fights, but a degree of toughness that suggests she’d likely survive beyond the 34-second mark of Bethe Correa‘s faceplant misadventure. That said, even though her recent win over Jessica Eye at UFC on FOX 16 was quite impressive, smart money should go towards Tate not making it out of the first round, because the Rowdy One is just that good, regardless of the opposition the UFC puts in front of her.
Rousey vs. Tate 3 is currently being discussed as a possible co-main event for the Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor card in late 2015 or early 2016, which should take place at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas, and that’s a good fit.
Mauricio Rua vs. Rampage Jackson 2
In a back and forth fight, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was able to outlast “Lil Nog,” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, to earn himself a unanimous decision win in the card’s co-main event. Unless Shogun chooses to drop down to 185 for a rubber match with Lyoto Machida, the best matchup for him is a light heavyweight matchup with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, who was brutally knocked out in PRIDE in 2005 during Rua’s ascent to the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.
Since then, Shogun has only managed a mediocre 14-9 record, and even though he was able to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, he has lost six of his last ten fights, four by finish. If Rampage brings his A game, a Shogun fight is entirely winnable. It’s unlikely that Shogun will be part of any kind of title picture anytime soon, but he can have entertaining fights, and a fight against “Rampage” Jackson would be at the top of the list.
Stefan Struve vs. Antonio Silva
Both Stefan Struve and “Bigfoot” Silva were able to procure wins at UFC 190, but Bigfoot’s was much more impressive, as he was able to finish Soa Palalei with strikes in the second round. Stefan Struve likely ended the career of “Big Nog,” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, with his unanimous decision win, but there are still questions about whether “The Skyscraper” can contend with the heavyweight division’s elite. A fight with Silva should settle that question.
Struve tends to finish fights or be finished himself. Those fights tend to be pretty entertaining, but to get into the title picture, Struve will need to go beyond being an action fighter and defeat someone perceived to be better. If he can defeat “Bigfoot” Silva, that should prepare him for bigger and better things. If he cannot (particularly if he is finished), his career might be over. That’s high stakes.
Claudia Gadelha vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Joanna Jedrzejczyk had a very close fight with Claudia Gadelha the first time they fought, as “Joanna Champion” escaped with a split decision win at UFC on Fox 13. Since then, her victories have been pretty decisive, as the UFC Strawweight Champion ran through both Carla Esparza and Jessica Penne. Gedalha was able to dispatch Jessica Aguilar easier than one would expect, and it remains to be seen whether that means she’s ready to wear 115-pound gold in the UFC.
Having fought on UFC Fight Pass last, it is important that Joanna Jedrzejczyk get a shot to fight in front of a bigger audience, so Gadelha-Jedrzejczyk should be prominently featured on Fox. A main event would be ideal, but the important thing is giving them the exposure they need, so even a co-main ent will represent a big step up.
Demian Maia vs. Gunnar Nelson
Demian Maia, for all of his excellence during his UFC career, has been criminally overlooked. Even in the face of his dismantling of Neil Magny on the preliminary card, most observers haven’t been eager to accept him as a bona fide contender.
Gunnar Nelson might have lost to Rick Story at UFC Fight Night 53, but he’s still an intriguing prospect. However, Maia is ready to test his ground game against the welterweight division’s elite, and Nelson is ready to do the same. This should be an intriguing treat for BJJ fans, one that could main event a European or Braziliian UFC Fight Night card
Even though it seemed like a one-fight card, UFC 190 did its part to seem like an MMA event throughout. There was a good amount of excitement, and it was obviously capped off with Rousey being Rousey, but other fighters wanted to be given the ability to shine as well. Now that they have fresh wins under their respective belts, these winning fighters should be able to move on to bigger and better things in the sport.
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UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia took place on August 1, 2015 at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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