As the dust settles on this past weekend’s ‘UFC On Fuel TV 5’ event we look at what might come next for the big winners on the card.
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Stefan Struve:
Things are definitely looking up for Struve after his latest victory putting him four-fights unbeaten in the division. Combined with a total 9-3 record in the UFC to date a the age of just 24 that was enough for Dana White to state that the Dutch fighter is one of the top 10 heavyweights in the division.
That means big fights are ahead for him, and post-fight yesterday evening he made it clear he’d like to face Fabricio Werdum next, and I’d settle for that.
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Dan Hardy:
With two wins under his belt Hardy has exorcized the demons of his four-fight losing streak and can now start to claw his way back up the welterweight division rankings.
He’d like the idea of a fight with Matt Hughes, but Dana White doesn’t. Personally I think a fun fight would be Hardy Vs Matt Brown who’s had a similar return to form after a bad run of defeats.
If they are looking for a slightly higher profile bout for Hardy then Thiago Alves would fit the bill and would be a real challenge for the UK fighter.
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Brad Pickett:
Pickett really put himself on the map last night with a stunning uppercut KO victory and afterwards Dana White gave him a further boost by declaring that he’s a fan of the all-action British fighter.
Pickett has the potential to be a genuine star in the bantamweight division and is someone who’s likely to be pushed into potential title contention sooner rather than later. As such I think they may look to line him up with the hard-hitting Michael McDonald next up, and that’s a potential barnburner.
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Matt Wiman:
Wiman shocked a lot of people last night with his submission over Paul Sass and with only one loss in his last six fights he’s a handful for anybody in the ultra-competitive lightweight division.
I don’t think the UFC will put him in against a top contender next, but he should get a solid opponent and I think someone like Joe Lauzon, another dependable mid-level lightweight talent would make for a good scrap.
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John Hathaway:
Hathaway extended his unbeaten run to three fights, but it was a somewhat lackluster showing from him last night, and indeed Dana White singled his bout with John Maguire as the worst of the night.
That’s not what he was hoping for and could slow his progress up the welterweight ladder a little. That means he might have to forgo a bigger name opponent and so I’d put him in with Seth Baczynski who’s currently on a four-fight unbeaten stretch in the Octagon.
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Che Mills:
Mills appeared to be in the ascendency prior to Duane Ludwig’s knee injury, but he didn’t get a whole lot of time to really make a statement in this fight and he’ll no doubt be eager to get back into the Octagon as soon as possible.
Kyle Noke also finished a fight in short order in September and so that should be an easy fight to arrange.
