UFC Fight Night 39 was held in Abu Dhabi on Friday, and while it didn’t feature many bouts with title implications, they still helped to advance the careers of the fighters who had their hands raised. And for the fighters who were able to win their bouts, there are some captivating matchups that should be booked next. These suggestions would help build momentum for these athletes:
Roy Nelson vs. Mark Hunt
Roy Nelson is currently ranked outside of the top ten of the UFC’s heavyweight division. But it’s the fact that he’s built a reputation as an entertaining personality that provides his true value to the UFC, ans ensures that the promotion will keep him around. With that in mind, he could be matched against Mark Hunt in a fight that would capture fan attention, which is always the goal for matchmaking.
The UFC is working on a matchup between Hunt and Alistair Overeem, but if that planned fight falls apart, Nelson would be a suitable candidate for his next opponent. Hunt and Nelson are both heavy hitters who have the ability to end fights with just one blow. Since that type of excitement is what captivates the mainstream fan, this is the type of fight that could be a co-main event of an upcoming card on the Fox network.
Clay Guida vs. the winner of Dustin Poirier vs. Akira Corassani
Clay Guida looked very good in his win over Japanesse standout Tatsuya Kawajiri in the co-main event. Guida has struggled as of late, but this win could be very important for turning around his fortunes at featherweight. His next fight should come against the winner of Dustin Poirier vs. Akira Corassani.
Poirier and Corassani are due to meet in less than a week, at the Ultimate Fighter: Nations Finale. Albeit by different methods, both of these fighters have been able to put together their own winning streaks. Pairing the winner with Guida would either help him continue his run, or push “The Carpenter” towards the forefront of the division.
Guida vs. either Poirier or Corassani would work as a main card bout of a UFC event featured on Fox.
Ryan LaFlare vs. Dong Hyun Kim
The 11-0 Ryan LaFlare continues to look like an improved fighter every time he steps into the cage. His current UFC streak has been pushed to four straight wins. He isn’t recognized as a top name in the welterweight division, but if he keeps this pace, he will be able to change that by the end of the year. Placing him into a matchup against Dong Hyun Kim would be the correct move for the UFC, as well as for both fighters.
Kim is on his own four-fight streak, and looks to re-enter the welterweight title “mix” as a more exciting fighter. Doing so has caused fans to begin to pay closer attention to him instead of labeling him as a boring fighter. Pushing the pace could help push LaFlare out of his own comfort zone to see if he’s ready to face the upper echelon of the weight class. A win would help solidify the standings of both competitors in a division that is welcoming new faces and challengers.
Kim vs. LaFlare could work as an opening bout for a UFC PPV main card.
Jared Rosholt vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Since entering the UFC, Jared Rosholt has been a prospect that many have been watching in the heavyweight division. Due to the lack of stars in the weight class, there is a lot of attention being paid to what Rosholt does at this point in his career. After his most recent win, he’s now 2-0 in the Octagon, and should now look to face opponents who are of a higher quality.
Gabriel Gonzaga was once a top contender in the division, but is now no more than a gatekeeper used to push other members of the division higher in the rankings. This would be the first true test that Roshalt has faced while under Zuffa employ, and a win over Gonzaga would help give the executives behind the scenes the opportunity to create even more high quality matchups.
UFC Fight Night 39 was another example of the way the Ultimate Fighting Championship is using these smaller cards to build up fighters that fans can enjoy while also helping to establish longstanding fighters of prominence. These fight suggestions would help the promotion continue to build its roster into names that more mainstream fans will appreciate.
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UFC Fight Night 39: Nogueira vs. Nelson took place on April 11, 2014 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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