UFC Vegas 64 ended up one thing of a wierd occasion. A number of finishes, some high quality motion, however a critical feeling that the occasion lacked actual stakes, even with a possible strawweight title shot on the road. That stated, after a pair tepid rounds Amanda Lemos made a robust assertion in the primary occasion. Neil Magny battled again from adversity to close the welterweight gates on Daniel Rodriguez. And Grant Dawson made his personal bid for a UFC rating with a dominant exhibiting over Mark Madsen.
So, is there any cause Lemos doesn’t get the following crack at strawweight gold? Is Gilbert Burns gonna need something to do with Neil Magny? And is the Nevada fee gonna be looking at Darrick Minner’s loss to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke?
To reply these questions—and never lots else—I’ll be utilizing the basic Silva/Shelby combat reserving methodology from the UFC of years previous. Which means pitting winners towards winners, losers towards losers, and equally tenured expertise up towards each other. Hopefully, by following that mannequin, just a few of those bout concepts will really make it off the web page and into the Octagon. Now, let’s get to the fights!
AMANDA LEMOS
In a division in want of contemporary title challengers, Amanda Lemos appears like the real article. Marina Rodriguez might not be unbeatable within the Octagon, however up till this combat she’d been unstoppable. Lemos didn’t push the motion a lot, however stayed affected person in her energy counter-punching model. The second Rodriguez gave her probabilities to land she made her pictures rely. Clearly, the worst factor that would occur for her can be for Weili Zhang to beat Carla Esparza. Not as a result of Esparza can be more likely to get an instantaneous rematch, however as a result of Zhang’s a number of losses to Rose Namajunas would give the Whittman-trained expertise an apparent angle to steal one other fast likelihood at gold. Nonetheless, Lemos is the contemporary combat irrespective of who has the belt come November 13, a title shot must be hers for the taking. If that may’t occur, then eliminator bouts with Namajunas or the Esparza/Zhang loser would even be prime fights.
MARINA RODRIGUEZ
It’s laborious guilty Marina Rodriguez an excessive amount of for preventing the way in which she did towards Amanda Lemos. In spite of everything, as soon as she began to essentially press the motion and cease preventing tentative, Lemos hit her so laborious that the ref felt like he needed to cease the combat. Was Rodriguez actually harm so dangerous she couldn’t proceed? That’s up for debate, however there’s no query she was in a nasty place and issues have been solely more likely to worsen had the combat gone on.
It’s a tough halt to the Brazilian’s rise and hopes for high contender standing. And given the variety of high 10 fighters she’s already confronted, it places her in sort of a tough spot for the instant future as effectively. Would Rose Namajunas be considering a Rodriguez combat? If Weili Zhang doesn’t beat Carla Esparza, is {that a} reserving she may get? If Emily Ducote beats Angela Hill, that’s not a horrible combat to make both. On condition that Namajunas is the girl with out a reserving proper now, that’s the avenue I’ll take, however which may be the sort of combat that Lemos will get as a substitute. Marina Rodriguez vs. Rose Namajunas is certainly one of just some smart bookings for Rodriguez proper now.
NEIL MAGNY
A backwards and forwards thriller that noticed each males have a lot of success, however over the lengthy haul Magny’s suffocating clinch and high sport snagged him one other UFC victory. Rodriguez discovered nice success marching Magny down and trying to harm him with larger pictures in equal exchanges, however he bought caught up just a bit too typically clinching with the taller man and it clearly began to hit his fuel tank. When Magny bought the takedown within the third, he pressured Rodriguez into the submission and his twentieth UFC win.
After the bout, Magny referred to as for a combat with Gilbert Burns. I’ve no drawback with it, if Burns isn’t going to combat Jorge Masvidal, however Magny’s latest loss to Rakhmonov actually places a damper on his hopes to streak to title rivalry. Perhaps bouts with Sean Brady or Vicente Luque as a substitute? Hell he may even combat Belal Muhammad since each males appear certain to need to combat each final welterweight on the planet earlier than they see gold. Simply because I don’t assume the Burns combat will occur, I’ll say Brady vs. Magny is the combat to make. Good wrestlers and grapplers have been Magny’s poison for too lengthy for him to skip different males with that sport within the high 15. Brady vs. Magny seems like a check Magny nonetheless must cross to get to gold.
TAGIR ULANBEKOV
After his combat, Tagir Ulanbekov had some particular thanks to offer. Notably, a shoutout to teammate Umar Nurmagomedov—who had his personal latest win over Nate Maness—and who Ulanbekov credited for laying out the gameplan he wanted to win. It was one hell of a gameplan too, with the previous Sambo champ hitting the fast single leg and catching a critically brutal guillotine as Maness tried to scramble again to his ft. A improbable win for the Dagestani to bounce again after a tough loss to Tim Elliott.
That ought to set him up properly for an additional check on the decrease finish of the flyweight high 15. David Dvorak, Sumudaerji, Manel Kape, or the winner of Jimmy Flick vs. Jeff Molina would all be actually sturdy bouts. Of these, the combat with Kape looks as if probably the most fascinating check, given the Angolan-born fighter’s unimaginable top-end athleticism and pretty sluggish tempo. Can Ulanbekov compete with one of many division’s finest athletes? Can Kape create sufficient offense to maintain Ulanbekov from stealing rounds off him? Ulanbekov vs. Kape is the appropriate combat to search out out if the AKA expertise is prepared for the elite.
GRANT DAWSON
As anticipated, standing at vary Mark Madsen’s energy gave him a giant early edge towards Grant Dawson. Sadly for the Olympian, his lack of a nuanced grappling sport turned an excellent larger edge for his opponent in a rush. As soon as Dawson discovered methods to chase Madsen to the mat, he was capable of scramble his option to again takes and even simply easy high management for lengthy stretches, carrying Madsen out badly within the course of. The consequence was a late sub win for ‘KGD’ and a callout after the bout for former interim light-weight champ Tony Ferguson.
Ferguson most lately jumped as much as welterweight, and even when he hadn’t, I’ll be sincere, I’ve no want to see that combat. Bouts towards Gregor Gillespie (if he’s not simply retired now), Jalin Turner, Mateusz Gamrot, or the loser of Arman Tsarukyan vs. Damir Ismagulov all look like way more fascinating concepts to me. Of these, the Turner combat seems like probably the most smart proper now, and prefer it’d be a real check for Turner in addition to a step ahead for Dawson. Dawson vs. Turner is an effective way to see if Dawson can preserve his run up the light-weight division.
MIRANDA MAVERICK
It wasn’t probably the most thrilling combat of Miranda Maverick’s profession, however she did precisely what she was purported to do over an opponent she was set to have a serious benefit over. Shanna Younger’s wrestling and grappling video games have been main holes in her skillset for some time. As soon as Maverick discovered her method into clinches she hauled the ‘Shanimal’ to the mat with ease and schooled her to the ultimate bell. After the win, Maverick referred to as for a bout with Molly McCann. A combat she’s wished for some time now. Sadly for her, McCann is already booked, and that combat with Erin Blanchfield doesn’t really feel like one she’s very more likely to win. That doesn’t imply the UFC couldn’t nonetheless roll with McCann vs. Maverick as a winner/loser matchup, but it surely doesn’t really feel like a essential combat.
It’s too dangerous Casey O’Neill continues to be rehabbing, as a result of that’d be an ideal combat. As an alternative, how a couple of reserving towards Priscila Cachoeira. The Brazilian struggled laborious early in her profession, however has been making huge strides recently as a fearsome energy puncher. A superb likelihood for Maverick to give attention to her placing protection, and an opportunity for ‘Zombie Woman’ to indicate if she’s made any enhancements to her grappling. Cachoeira vs. Maverick looks as if a great way for each girls to maintain working towards a spot within the high 15.
MARIO BAUTISTA
A fully one-sided shitkicking from Mario Bautista, who began troubling Benito Lopez proper out of the gate with low kicks and physique punching earlier than transferring on to a straightforward takedown and utter domination on the mats in service of the primary spherical submission. He’s had a pair laborious setbacks in his UFC profession to date, however Bautista actually appears like he’s turned a nook. His placing was layered and effectively focused and his grappling sport appeared unbelievably clean. Fights towards Adrian Yanez, Heili Alateng, Taylor Lapilus, or Raoni Barcelos would all be good potentialities. Realistically, Bautista might be a number of enjoyable towards nearly anybody from the perimeters of the highest 15 on down. I’ll go forward and say the UFC ought to guide him towards Adrian Yanez. It’d be a step up for Yanez given his previous competitors and an all-action bout. Yanez vs. Bautista can be a ton of enjoyable for nonetheless lengthy it lasts.
POLYANA VIANA
Polyana Viana’s time within the UFC hasn’t been simple. She’s an aggressive, excessive motion fighter who likes to create chaos any time she will. When it really works, she’s an exhilarating combat finisher. When it doesn’t, she’s often the one getting completed. I’m undecided that her combat towards Jinh Yu Frey gave us any new perception on that dynamic, but it surely completely bolstered that the appropriate fights make her a hell of a number of enjoyable to look at. So let’s throw her in towards one other enjoyable fighter who likes to push the tempo. That might imply bouts with Jessica Penne or Piera Rodriguez. I’d have cherished to see her towards Elise Reed or Loma Lookboonmee as effectively, however they only bought booked towards each other. So with the remaining choices on the desk, I’ll go together with Jessica Penne. Penne’s knack for guard grappling and upright stalking placing sport make this one thing of a mirror match. Is Viana expert sufficient to beat the previous Invicta champ at her personal sport? Can Penne nonetheless hold with the younger expertise at 115? Penne vs. Viana looks as if it’d assure a end.
OTHER BOUTS: Daniel Rodriguez vs. Max Griffin, Shayilan Nuerdanbieke vs. Luis Saldana, Darrick Minner vs. Chase Hooper, Nate Maness vs. Ode Osbourne, Mark Madsen vs. Joel Alvarez, Shanna Younger vs. Hannah Goldy, Benito Lopez vs. John Castaneda, Jinh Yu Frey vs. Diana Belbita, Johnny Munoz vs. Mana Martinez, Liudvik Sholinian vs. Joshua Weems, Jake Hadley vs. Victor Altamirano, Carlos Candelario vs. Carlos Mota, Tamires Vidal vs. Chelsea Chandler, Ramona Pascual vs. Julija Stoliarenko
