5 fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2

The UFC put on a special show last night (Sept. 17) to celebrate Mexican Independence Day, and for the most part, it was highly entertaining.

UFC Fight Night: Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2 saw some fighters pick up big wins, so what is likely to be next for them?

In some instances, the path for some of these fighters is clear, while for others, it’s tricky to call what might be next.

Here are five fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2.

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#5. UFC lightweight bout: Daniel Zellhuber vs. Jamie Mullarkey

Daniel Zellhuber picked up a strong win last night [Image Credit: @ufc on Twitter]

Mexican prospect Daniel Zellhuber looked excellent last night, coming through a tricky first round to submit Christos Giagos in the second.

‘The Golden Boy’ stands at 6’1”, giving him a tall, lanky frame for 155 lbs, and while his grappling is ahead of his striking right now, it’s clear that he has a lot of potential.

Zellhuber isn’t ready for a ranked foe, but one potential opponent who could make sense for him is Australia’s Jamie Mullarkey.

A kickboxer by trade, Mullarkey outpointed John Makdessi at UFC 293 last weekend and holds an overall octagon record of 5-4.

He has more experience than Zellhuber and probably has an advantage standing, too, but the Mexican would still expect to beat him, and at this stage of his career, it’s important that he doesn’t take too much of a step forward.

With that in mind, the Australian would make the perfect next foe for him.

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#4. UFC bantamweight bout: Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Da’Mon Blackshear

Raul Rosas Jr needs to be matched carefully going forward [Image Credit: @ufc on Twitter]

Given that he’s just 18 years old, bantamweight prospect Raul Rosas Jr. literally has years to live up to his massive potential.

‘El Nino Problema’ looked excellent in his win over Terrence Mitchell last night, but his loss to Christian Rodriguez still hangs in the memory.

It’s vital, then, that the youngster doesn’t get pushed too far up the ladder before he’s ready. Therefore, matching him with a ranked foe would be insanity.

Instead, Rosas Jr. ought to face someone like Da’Mon Blackshear next.

‘Da Monster’ has more experience than the youngster, and holds two octagon wins to his name, too. However, he’s proven to be beatable in his two octagon losses, and overall, Rosas Jr. has more potential.

This would not be a safe fight for ‘El Nino Problema’ by any means, but it’d also be the slight step up that he needs right now.

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#3. UFC welterweight bout: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Sean Brady

Jack Della Maddalena deserves a top-ten ranked opponent next [Image Credit: @ufc on Twitter]

While his actual performance wasn’t as stirring as some might’ve hoped, Jack Della Maddalena still won big last night.

The Australian welterweight outpointed Kevin Holland over three rounds, taking his overall octagon record to 6-0. There’s every chance that he might crack the top ten next week, and if he doesn’t, he’ll sit just outside it.

It’s time to match Della Maddalena with a top-10-ranked foe, then, and the best match for him is probably No.9 ranked Sean Brady.

Once considered a top prospect in his own right, Brady lost a lot of steam when he fell to Belal Muhammad last year, and he hasn’t fought since.

However, with a stifling grappling style, he could definitely test the young Australian in a way that Holland was unable to last night.

If he could beat Brady, then it’d be hard not to see him as a welterweight title contender, making this a worthwhile bout for Della Maddalena.

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#2. UFC flyweight bout: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot

Will we get a trilogy bout between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko? [Image Credit: @ufc on Twitter]

Given that their epic five-round bout went to a draw last night, the easiest path for the UFC to take would be to make a trilogy match between flyweight title rivals Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.

However, in reality, it’d be a fresher move for the promotion to keep the women apart for now and capitalize on a potential trilogy at some point down the line.

If they go down that route, then there are two other potential title challengers: Manon Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield, and either woman could challenge Grasso for her crown.

The other should probably face Shevchenko, and given she hasn’t been finishing her foes, Fiorot feels the more likely to miss out on the title shot despite her recent win over Rose Namajunas.

Therefore, a clash between ‘The Bullet’ and ‘The Beast’ would be perfect, pitting two expert strikers against one another.

Could Shevchenko bring out her best to stop Fiorot from picking her apart? It’d be a fascinating question to ask, and obviously, the winner could go onto the next title shot. That would make it a worthwhile match for both fighters.

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#1. UFC flyweight title: Alexa Grasso vs. Erin Blanchfield

Erin Blanchfield has earned a flyweight title shot [Image Credit: @blanchfield_mma on Instagram]

If the UFC does indeed move away from the trilogy bout between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko, then the next most deserving contender for the flyweight crown is definitely Erin Blanchfield.

Not only is ‘Cold Blooded’ still unbeaten in the octagon at 6-0 but she’s also steamrolled the majority of her opponents, from Molly McCann to Jessica Andrade.

Could she really beat Grasso, though, with the Mexican coming off two stirring performances against Shevchenko, who is widely recognized as the flyweight GOAT?

In all honesty, it’s difficult to say. After all, Grasso is at the top of her game right now, but it’s also fair to say that it’s hard to doubt Blanchfield given all she’s done thus far.

Overall, this would be a truly fantastic title fight between two of the most outstanding young fighters in the world. It’d also be well worth skipping over the Grasso vs. Shevchenko trilogy fight to make if only to reward Blanchfield’s excellent unbeaten run.

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