UFC on Fox 8 is now over and has left us with a few answers and a few questions. Among those questions are potential matchups that some winners and losers of the card should have next. We’ve written some potential matchups here.
Melvin Guillard vs. Anthony Njokuani
Both fighters have had mixed success in the UFC as of late, but both are coming off wins. Guillard looked fantastic in his KO victory over Mac Danzig tonight, while Njokuani’s last win was a KO over Roger Bowling back in April.
The stand-up game is where both fighters shine and a fight between the two will either look like Ellenberger vs. MacDonald or Cerrone vs. Guillard. There’s only one way to find out.
With the potential for the fight to be a barnburner, it would be a good main card fight on a UFC on Fuel TV card, or a final prelim fight on another future fight card.
Robbie Lawler vs. Winner of Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann
Lawler made it two KO victories in a row in his return to the UFC. While Bobby Voelker was not a top tier fighter, Lawler beat the 34-fight veteran in a way few fighters have before him.
He has put himself on the fringes of the top 10 and a fight against an established top ten fighter is in order. Condit and Kampmann have had their own setbacks as of late, but the winner of their fight will still be considered one of the best in the division.
Like Lawler, both fighters know how to please the fans, making a matchup against the winner of the upcoming fight a potentially entertaining one.
Jake Ellenberger vs. Mike Pierce
The fact Ellenberger is a top level welterweight will be overshadowed by the boring nature of his fight against MacDonald. However, Ellenberger has finished Jake Shields, Nate Marquardt and Mike Pyle, and has beaten Diego Sanchez, Pat Healy and Rick Story, which shows he’s still a force in the division.
Mike Pierce, on the other hand, has won four straight, with his last win being a KO of David Mitchell at UFC 162 earlier this month. Like Ellenberger, he is powerful, explosive and has a solid wrestling base, which would make a matchup between the two very interesting.
For Ellenberger, it would be a chance to get back on the win column with a victory against a tough fighter. For Pierce, it’s another chance to crack the top ten following previous setbacks against Koscheck and Johny Hendricks.
Rory MacDonald vs. Demian Maia
MacDonald certainly justified his hype with the victory over Ellenberger, but the lacklustre way in which he did it will not get him a title shot in his next fight. The win should put him against a top five fighter, however, making a fight with Maia an appealing one.
Originally slated to fight Josh Koscheck at UFC 163, Maia is now without a fight after Koscheck pulled out with an injury. That means a fight between him and MacDonald can be made as early as late-October.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez
Benavidez has a matchup against Jussier Formiga at UFC on Fox Sports 1: 3 in September, but if he is victorious, a rematch against the flyweight champ needs to happen. The Team Alpha Male fighter came just short of winning the flyweight title when he lost via split decision to Mighty Mouse at UFC 152.
He has won two straight since then in dominant performances against Ian ‘Uncle Creepy’ McCall and Darren Uyenoyama. A win against Formiga would make it three straight wins against solid flyweights. That, combined with his previous split decision loss, would make a rematch against Mighty Mouse one to make.
