The UFC’s final card before the manic build-up to UFC 200 has concluded and has left a lot of movement at the top end of their divisions.
Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson controlled the pace and distance for five rounds against Rory MacDonald en route to a unanimous decision victory. Thompson has got to be the new number one contender at 170 lbs with this latest victory and has extended his winning streak to seven.
In the co-main event, Donald Cerrone continued his new-found form at welterweight as he dropped Patrick Cote three times before securing the TKO victory in the third round.
Elsewhere there were big wins for Joe Soto and Krzysztof Jotko on the preliminary card while Joanne Calderwood and Steve Bosse won in exciting fights on the main card.
With the latest UFC Fight Night card in the books, it’s time to play matchmaker and so here’s five fights for the UFC to make:
Stephen Thompson vs Robbie Lawler/Tyron Woodley winner
Stephen Thompson probably should have got the next crack at Robbie Lawler’s welterweight title but there is surely no question of who is next in line now.
With comfortable back to back wins over two fighters who gave Robbie Lawler real trouble, ‘Wonderboy’ could very well be the next 170 lbs champion.
He’ll have to wait for the main event of UFC 201 to conclude before he knows his next match-up but he can be confident that he won’t be overlooked as the next challenger for either Lawler or Woodley’s title.
Donald Cerrone vs Gunnar Nelson
In what could easily be considered his best ever performance, Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone dominated Patrick Cote in his second welterweight bout at UFC Fight Night 89.
Cerrone stated that he doesn’t care whether his next bout is at 155 lbs or 170 lbs but with the nature of his victory, a continued run at welterweight makes the most sense and a step up in competition in Gunnar Nelson would be a welcoming sight.
Joanne Calderwood vs Carla Esparza
‘JoJo’ Calderwood finally showed her true potential under the UFC banner as she recorded a third round TKO victory over Valerie Letourneau.
Another bout at the unconfirmed flyweight weight class would be ideal with such an excellent performance but if a return to strawweight is needed, a fight against fellow TUF 20 alum and former strawweight champion Carla Esparza would test both women.
Rory MacDonald vs Rick Story
This potential bout is dependent on a new UFC deal and whether MacDonald feels compensated for the quality of fights and fighters that he has faced in recent bouts as he enters free agency.
If he were to re-sign with the UFC though, it’s best that MacDonald takes a step back from constantly facing the murderer’s row at the top of the UFC’s welterweight rankings and faces someone looking for the next step in their career like Rick Story.
If MacDonald does end up signing for Bellator however, a title fight with Andrey Koreshkov is salivating just to think about.
Misha Cirkunov vs Tom Lawlor
Another fight for Misha Cirkunov, another stoppage finish to his name.
Cirkunov is a real rising prospect in a light-heavyweight division lacking new blood and a step up in quality is needed for the Latvian-born fighter.
A bout with Tom Lawlor would be a real challenge for Cirkunov and a chance to see where he stacks up in a shallow division.