5 potential opponents for Adrian Yanez following his latest UFC win
This weekend’s UFC Fight Night event saw a number of excellent finishes. Arguably the best came from bantamweight Adrian Yanez, as he picked up his fifth win in a row by stopping Tony Kelley.
A STATEMENT IN HIS HOME STATE 😤
@yanezmma was determined to get the finish at #UFCAustin https://t.co/XZOB45HOqi
Adrian Yanez is clearly one of the best bantamweight prospects currently fighting in the UFC. At 5-0 he deserves a step up – so who should he face next?
There are a number of potential opponents out there for Yanez. However, the truth is that he should probably only look to fight someone who could provide him with a path into the top fifteen next.
With that in mind, here are five potential opponents for Yanez after his latest win.
#5. Adrian Yanez vs. Raphael Assuncao
He might be a little past his prime now but Raphael Assuncao is still ranked at No.15 in the UFC’s bantamweight division. That means that he could make sense as an opponent for Adrian Yanez.
In many ways, it’s crazy that Assuncao remains ranked in the spot that he’s in. He’s now 39 years old, and you’ve got to rewind back to July 2018 to find his last victory in the octagon – a decision win over Rob Font.
Assuncao letting his hands go and landing on Font in round 2!
#UFC226 https://t.co/fqUhZJM7UG
However, the Brazilian veteran still has dangerous skills. He’s a technically sound striker, even if his chin isn’t what it once was. On the ground, he’s a genuine Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who is capable of submitting most fighters if he can put them on the mat.
Would he be favored to beat Yanez at this point? Probably not, particularly given the latter’s penchant for taking out his opponents with violent strikes. After all, Assuncao has lost his last two bouts by KO.
With that said, he’d probably still represent the toughest test of Yanez’s UFC career thus far. With respect to Davey Grant, he hasn’t fought anyone who has competed at the elite level just yet.
Overall, this would be an excellent fight for the UFC to make in order to break Yanez into the bantamweight rankings. As Assuncao is currently at a loose end with no opponent, it could make a lot of sense.