5 fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez
Last night saw the UFC visit Denver for its latest Fight Night. The event delivered nicely, with many fighters picking up big wins.
What's next for the stars of UFC Fight Night: Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez? As always, there are plenty of options for the promotion's matchmakers, but only time will tell which way they go.
Here are five fights to make following UFC Fight Night: Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez.
#5. UFC middleweight bout: Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cody Brundage
The most controversial incident last night came in the main card opener between Abdul Razak Alhassan and Cody Brundage.
The fight was just 37 seconds long when Alhassan decided to defend a takedown by throwing some heavy elbows at his foe. Unfortunately, a couple of the shots connected to the back of Brundage's head, and were also thrown from an illegal 12-6 angle.
The fight, unsurprisingly, was stopped by ref Dan Miragliotta when it was clear Brundage couldn't continue and was rightly declared a No Contest.
While there was no grudge coming into the fight, it's clear that nothing was settled at all in the octagon last night.
Therefore, the UFC matchmakers would probably be best to just run this one back, probably on another Fight Night later in the year, and hope for a better outcome the second time around.
#4. UFC featherweight bout: Julian Erosa vs. Andre Fili
One fighter who shone last night was featherweight action hero Julian Erosa. 'Juicy J' dispatched Christian Rodriguez in the first round with a slick guillotine choke, and was unfortunate not to receive a $50k bonus for his efforts.
Erosa's record is certainly not outstanding. He's 8-7 in the octagon, and won't be climbing into title contention any time soon.
Despite this, he's also one of the most exciting men to watch, not just at 145 pounds, but in the entire promotion.
Therefore, a good match for him next would be fellow veteran Andre Fili. 'Touchy' always brings an excellent fight, and recently rescued his octagon career with a big win over veteran Cub Swanson.
The chances of an Erosa vs. Fili fight being dull would be remarkably slim. Therefore, the UFC should match them together and let the sparks fly.
#3. UFC bantamweight bout: Montel Jackson vs. Pedro Munhoz
The fighter in action last night who is probably most deserving of a big step up is Montel Jackson.
The bantamweight prospect not only extended his winning run to five bouts in a row, but he also needed just seconds to dispatch Da'Mon Blackshear, earning a $50k bonus in the process.
With an explosive style, 'Quik' has a lot of potential, and he's now scored two knockouts in a row. It's time to push him up towards the top fifteen, so a good match for him could be Pedro Munhoz.
'The Young Punisher' is ranked at No.15 in the division right now, but he's coming off two losses in a row and at the age of 37, appears to be slowing down despite his nickname.
He's still more than capable of turning back the challenge of prospects who aren't quite ready for the elite, though. Therefore, if Jackson were matched with him, we'd find out whether he can sink or swim at the very highest level.
Based on last night, it's a match well worth making.
#2. UFC lightweight bout: Jean Silva vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
Based on his wild victory over Drew Dober on just two weeks' notice, it's likely that the fighter everyone will be talking about after last night is Jean Silva.
'Lord' took the fight to Dober and ended up stopping him after opening up a brutal cut over the right eye of the veteran. It was a crazy showing, especially as he was only moving to 155 pounds for the first time.
Given Silva missed weight for his win over Charles Jourdain two weeks ago, staying at lightweight may well be preferable to him.
Therefore, a good fight for him could be veteran Carlos Diego Ferreira. He turned back the clock with his recent win over another prospect in Mateusz Rebecki, and would definitely test Silva.
If 'Lord' could get past the veteran, then the sky would be the limit for him. It'd be smart for him to take some time before taking a fight like this, but the UFC should definitely look to book it soon.
#1. UFC flyweight bout: Rose Namajunas vs. Maycee Barber
Last night's headline bout saw Rose Namajunas edge closer to title contention at 125 pounds. 'Thug Rose' outpointed the previously unbeaten Tracy Cortez, and while it wasn't her most exciting showing, a win is still a win.
So should the victory net the former strawweight queen a shot at the winner of the upcoming title bout between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko?
It could well do it. After all, 'Thug Rose' is one of the most popular female fighters on the UFC roster, and is also one of the most highly accomplished.
However, her safety-first approach wasn't too great to watch last night. So with Grasso vs. Shevchenko 3 not set to take place until September, she probably ought to fight again in the interim.
The best path for the promotion to take, then, would be to put back together the canceled bout between Namajunas and Maycee Barber.
'The Future' was forced out of this weekend's event with illness, but with any luck, should be ready to fight again soon.
Given Barber's run of six straight wins, she's probably got a claim to a title shot in her own right. She'd also be likely to push 'Thug Rose' hard, probably making for a more impressive fight.
Therefore, the UFC should just put this one back together for a Fight Night headliner in the near future.