There were a ton of fights over the weekend, so we’re skipping the standard long intro and jumping right into offering up future match-ups for the weekend’s winners.
Here we go.
Carla Esparza vs Joanna Jedrzejcyzk
Esparza looked fantastic in beating Rose Namajunas to become the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion on Friday night. She was the top seed heading into the competition, methodically worked her way into the championship finals and proceeded to steamroll the far-more-hyped, somehow favoured Namajunas to claim the title.
Jedrzejczyk picked up a split decision win over Claudia Gadelha on Saturday in a bout that lots of people scored for the Brazilian. Regardless of where you stand on the outcome of that bout, most people expected that contest to produce Esparza’s first title challenger, so it only makes sense to stick to the script.
Junior dos Santos vs Alistair Overeem
“Cigano” came away from Saturday night looking comparable to when he fought Cain Velasquez, only this time he emerged victorious, edging out Stipe Miocic in what was a classic heavyweight battle.
Earlier in the evening, Overeem picked up a first-round knockout win over the returning Stefan Struve, taking his time with “The Skyscraper” on the ground before finding an opening and putting him to sleep.
With dos Santos needed time to let his wounds heal and Overeem suggesting that he’d like a little time off after fighting twice in four months, it seems like the timing is right to make this oft-discussed matchup a reality. In addition to having history, Overeem is the kind of somewhat chin-y opponent dos Santos needs to face at this point because another drawn out brawl would be hard to sit through at this point.
Charles Oliveira vs Ricardo Lamas
I called for this one after Lamas beat Dennis Bermudez in Mexico City and stand by it today following Oliveira’s win over Jeremy Stephens.
“Do Bronx” is a very promising talent, but he needs to figure out his issues with weight cutting before he gets a real push. That being said, you can’t just keep having him fight guys in the lower third of the Top 15. He needs a step up and Lamas serves as a really great litmus test for the young Brazilian.
As for Lamas, it gives him another opportunity to turn aside a Top 10 talent in his quest to remain in the thick of the title chase in the featherweight division.
Rafael dos Anjos vs Anthony Pettis (for the UFC lightweight title)
With Khabib Nurmagomedov sidelined until the spring and Pettis wanting to stay active/make up for lost time, it looks like dos Anjos is going to jump ahead of the injured Dagestani fighter that previously beat him to challenge for the belt.
This will be a very entertaining fight and the truth of the matter is that dos Anjos has shown so much growth and development since debuting with back-to-back losses that it’s impossible to just dismiss him as a threat to “Showtime.” He’s become extremely well rounded and won’t shrink in the spotlight next to Pettis.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go knock on wood and throw some salt over my shoulder in hopes of helping Pettis ward off any injuries between now and whenever this fight is going to take place.
Matt Mitrione vs Oleksiy Oliynyk
The former football player knocked out Gabriel Gonzaga in quick fashion Saturday night to pick up the biggest win over his career, but his ceiling has already been somewhat established, so rushing him up the ladder too far right now wouldn’t make a lot of sense.
Oliynyk has won two straight since entering the UFC, subbing out Anthony Hamilton and putting Jared Rosholt to sleep to climb to the fringes of contention.
The winner moves into some bigger opportunities in the shallow heavyweight ranks and the loser remains situated in the lower third of the Top 15 where they can serve as a gatekeeper.
K.J. Noons vs Daron Cruickshank
Once Cruickshank has recovered from the torn tear duct he suffered after Noons accidentally poked him in the eye not once, but twice on Friday night, the UFC should give “The Detroit Superstar” another chance to launch punches and kicks at the former Elite XC and Strikeforce title contender.
Yancy Medeiros vs Danny Castillo/Paul Felder winner
Medeiros is an underrated lightweight coming off consecutive first-round stoppage wins. Thus far, his two losses have come against Rustam Khabilov and Jim Miller, the latter of those two being a short notice fight.
Personally, I think he needs a step up, but not one that automatically halts the momentum he’s built right now.
Castillo and Felder throw down next month in Las Vegas and my guess is that “Last Call” will emerge with the win, which makes him an ideal candidate for facing the Cesar Gracie Fight Team member in the future.
These are the type of solid fights that don’t get a lot of recognition, but become part of the fabric of really great events. Having a scrap like this kick off a pay-per-view or in the middle of a strong television lineup would be great.
Jessica Penne vs Tecia Torres
Both women won on Friday’s TUF 20 Finale fight card – Penne edging out Canadian Randa Markos in the “bronze medal matchup” while Torres dominated Angela Magana – and they stand as the No. 3 and No. 5-ranked fighters in the inaugural strawweight division rankings.
Will new champ Carla Esparza likely headed into a bout with Joanna Jedrzejczyk, this fight could – in theory – determine who is next in line following that bout. Torres is unbeaten as a pro and needs a step up in competition and Penne fits that bill, bringing a solid ground game and veteran savvy into the Octagon against the American Top Team product.