5 Fights to book following UFC 272
UFC 272 was an eventful night of fights for the promotion and added some more excitement to the welterweight division. Most of the attention was on who would win the grudge match between former teammates and friends Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal. Covington earned a unanimous decision over Masvidal to remain the top contender in the division.
In the co-main event, Rafael dos Anjos defeated Renato Moicano by unanimous decision to extend his winning streak to two-fights. It was a great performance, especially considering it was a short-notice bout. The former lightweight champion was scheduled to fight Rafael Fiziev, but he tested positive for COVID-19. And so, Moicano stepped in for a 160lb catchweight bout.
Based on the outcome, there are many interesting matchups that can be booked. The welterweight division has an exciting addition in Kevin Holland, while Bryce Mitchell may have emerged as a future featherweight contender. This list will look at five fights to book following UFC 272.
#5) Kevin Holland vs. former UFC title challenger Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson
Kevin Holland made quite a statement with his TKO win over Alex Oliveira at UFC 272. He came into the fight winless in his last three bouts and needed an impressive win to get back on track.
Holland has competed at 170lbs in the past, but now seems fully committed to a permanent move to welterweight. If the promotion was to fast-track 'Trailblazer' into title contention, they could match him up with Stephen Thompson. The former title challenger is currently on a two-fight losing skid. During this latest setback, he has lost back-to-back unanimous decisions to Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns.
Like Holland's previous two losses at middleweight, a common theme in 'Wonderboy's losses was the wrestling and grappling of his opponents. Both have high-level striking, so it would certainly be a fight that stays standing.