Following a two-week break after the monumental UFC 257, UFC Fight Night 184 came along with a stark reminder of what the fight game is like as two legendary figures were put out to pasture from their respective title scene.
Starting with the co-main event, sure-fire future UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar was on the receiving end of one the cleanest flying knees you’ll see as Cory Sandhagen made quick work of the former lightweight champ.
No less than three-quarters of an hour later and it was Alistair Overeem’s turn to be face down on the mat.
Looking to continue what will surely be his final push for a UFC title, the rangy and destructive Alexander Volkov would routinely break the guard of his Dutch adversary as a final left hand allowed referee Jason Herzog to make a smart intervention.
With a main card that also saw the high ranking Beneil Dariush and Alexandre Pantoja best Diego Ferreira and Manel Kape respectively on the scorecards, UFC Fight Night 184 was a solid welcome back to what will be a weekly offering of events for the foreseeable future.
As a hearty bonus to the weekly run of events, ‘Five Fights to Make’ has also returned so here are some suggestions for the UFC matchmakers to pencil in:
Alexander Volkov vs. Rozenstruik / Gane Winner
Despite picking up arguably the biggest win of his career thus far, Alexander Volkov is another victim of the UFC heavyweight division’s log jam of contenders.
With a heavyweight title fight set for March and then what looks to be a #1 contender decider between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis to play out later this month – and that’s still without Jon Jones to factor in – ‘Drago’ Volkov will likely have to sit on the sidelines for a little while longer.
Fortunately however, there is a fight that looks to be perfectly lined up for Volkov’s next outing.
With Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane set to clash soon, the winner should be paired with the mammoth Russian and help to clear out the contenders.
Cory Sandhagen vs. Yan / Sterling Winner
Recording back-to-back highlight reel KO’s, Cory Sandhagen has bounced back spectacularly from his first UFC setback.
Demolishing Marlon Moraes and now Frankie Edgar with devastating strikes, Sandhagen has to be the next man up when it comes to the bantamweight title.
As Petr Yan prepares to take on Aljamain Sterling, the winner should then pivot their focus onto Cory Sandhagen.
Clay Guida vs. Brad Riddell
Rolling back the years with an energetic performance, Clay Guida showcased his full skillset against Michael Johnson with heavy punches and some takedowns to boot.
Following his win over ‘The Menace’, Guida called out any up-and-comers in the UFC’s lightweight division and there is one that would benefit massively from a fight with Guida.
With Brad Riddell being a sublime striker who has yet to face a serious takedown threat, a Riddell – Guida bout would be a strong litmus test for Riddell and make for a well-known feather to his cap should he emerge victorious.
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Alex Perez
Defeating the debuting Manel Kape through sheer output, Alexandre Pantoja made sure he would retain his top five position in the flyweight division.
With fights already in the books for Pantoja against three of those current top-five and one of those missing already lined up for a fight, a bout with Alex Perez would be the smart call to make.
With Perez hoping to bounce back into the win column after a failed title bid, Perez vs. Pantoja would keep the immediate title dream alive for the winner.
Beneil Dariush vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Extending his current winning streak to six, the 31-year old Beneil Dariush has found his form in the lightweight division.
Defeating Diego Ferreira for the second time in his career, Dariush has broken out of his gatekeeping role to the top 15 at 155 lbs as the Iranian-born American has defeated a top 10 ranked foe.
As for what’s next, Dariush deserves a big name and a fight with the former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos would do just that.
With Dos Anjos’ lone victory since a return to 155 lbs coming against a very late noticed Paul Felder, a fight with Dariush would give a much clearer position of where both men stack up in the top 10.