While UFC on Fox 27 didn’t exactly bring the house down in terms of quality, there were some big and important wins throughout the night.
In the main event, Jacare Souza stopped Derek Brunson for the second time in the first round as a big head kick spelt the beginning of the end for Brunson.
Elsewhere there were significant wins for the likes of Andre Fili, Gregor Gillespie and Drew Dober on the main card while Bobby Green and Mirsad Bektic drew plaudits for their respective victories on the preliminary undercard.
As is customary, we’ll take over matchmaking duties from Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard in the aftermath of a UFC event so here are five fights to make after UFC on Fox 27:
Jacare Souza vs Chris Weidman
Normality was resumed for Jacare Souza in the main event of UFC on Fox 27 as the Brazilian thundered a kick off the dome of Derek Brunson to return to the win column.
Jacare is a special fighter to have been one of the very best in the middleweight division for so long and the 25th victory of his career showed no signs that he is slowing down.
With the top three men in the division tied up through either injury or scheduled bouts, there’s not much else that makes sense than a bout with former champion Chris Weidman in springtime.
Andre Fili vs Zabit Magomedsharipov
While not everyone agreed with Andre Fili being the beneficiary of a split-decision win over Dennis Bermudez, Fili displayed a smart use of his reach against his smaller opponent and some well-timed takedowns for good measure.
With a win over the #12 ranked Bermudez, Fili will probably have a number next to his name when the UFC’s rankings are next updated.
As a result of that much-vaulted ranking, Fili will have a target on his back and what better way to introduce Fili to the harsh nature of the featherweight division than tossing him into the path of Zabit Magomedsharipov.
Gregor Gillespie vs Nik Lentz
While Khabib Nurmagomedov may be known as the best ‘smashing machine’ in the UFC, Gregor Gillespie is slowly making his own case.
Showcasing his destructive ground and pound against Jordan Rinaldi, Gillespie extended his unbeaten record to 11-0 and duly celebrated with a trademark fishing trip.
Gillespie is one of many standout prospects at 155 lbs and there’s no need to rush ‘The Gift’ in his fighting career.
A bout with Nik Lentz who scored the biggest win of his career against Will Brooks would be an interesting stylistic match-up.
Bobby Green vs Islam Makhachev
While Bobby Green may have asked to be some kind of gatekeeper to Nate Diaz, Green’s win over Erik Koch isn’t enough to warrant a fight with the likes of Eddie Alvarez or Kevin Lee.
With his last two outings being particularly impressive and exciting affairs, however, Green does deserve a step-up in competition but not to the lofty heights of the top 15 in the most talent stacked division.
Instead, a bout with another fighter who is looking upwards would be more appropriate and there’s no better option than Islam Makhachev, hot on the heels of a big KO over veteran Gleison Tibau
Mirsad Bektic vs Gabriel Benitez
Mirsad Bektic managed to return to winning ways on Saturday night as the Bosnian featherweight switched off Godofredo Pepey with a vicious body shot in the first round.
Bektic has been tipped by many to become a UFC champion in the future and the 26-year-old has certainly shown the skills that those lofty ambitions are well within his grasp.
While the ranked contenders in the 145 lbs division aren’t exactly locked up with scheduling issues, taking a slower build with Bektic would allow him to continue to develop his talents.
A match-up with Gabriel Benitez who last knocked off Jason Knight would keep Bektic busy.