UFC Vegas 64 ended up one thing of an odd occasion. Plenty of finishes, some high quality motion, however a severe feeling that the occasion lacked actual stakes, even with a possible strawweight title shot on the road. That stated, after a pair tepid rounds Amanda Lemos made a robust assertion in the principle occasion. Neil Magny battled again from adversity to close the welterweight gates on Daniel Rodriguez. And Grant Dawson made his personal bid for a UFC rating with a dominant exhibiting over Mark Madsen.
So, is there any purpose Lemos doesn’t get the following crack at strawweight gold? Is Gilbert Burns gonna need something to do with Neil Magny? And is the Nevada fee gonna be looking at Darrick Minner’s loss to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke?
To reply these questions—and never so much else—I’ll be utilizing the basic Silva/Shelby struggle reserving methodology from the UFC of years previous. Meaning pitting winners in opposition to winners, losers in opposition to losers, and equally tenured expertise up in opposition to each other. Hopefully, by following that mannequin, a number of of those bout concepts will truly make it off the web page and into the Octagon. Now, let’s get to the fights!
AMANDA LEMOS
In a division in want of contemporary title challengers, Amanda Lemos seems like the real article. Marina Rodriguez is probably not unbeatable within the Octagon, however up till this struggle she’d been unstoppable. Lemos didn’t push the motion a lot, however stayed affected person in her energy counter-punching model. The second Rodriguez gave her possibilities to land she made her pictures rely. Clearly, the worst factor that might occur for her could be for Weili Zhang to beat Carla Esparza. Not as a result of Esparza could be prone to get an on the spot rematch, however as a result of Zhang’s a number of losses to Rose Namajunas would give the Whittman-trained expertise an apparent angle to steal one other fast probability at gold. Nonetheless, Lemos is the contemporary struggle regardless of who has the belt come November 13, a title shot must be hers for the taking. If that may’t occur, then eliminator bouts with Namajunas or the Esparza/Zhang loser would even be prime fights.
MARINA RODRIGUEZ
It’s onerous accountable Marina Rodriguez an excessive amount of for preventing the best way she did in opposition to Amanda Lemos. In any case, as soon as she began to essentially press the motion and cease preventing tentative, Lemos hit her so onerous that the ref felt like he needed to cease the struggle. Was Rodriguez actually harm so dangerous she couldn’t proceed? That’s up for debate, however there’s no query she was in a nasty place and issues have been solely prone to worsen had the struggle gone on.
It’s a tough halt to the Brazilian’s rise and hopes for prime contender standing. And given the variety of prime 10 fighters she’s already confronted, it places her in type of a tough spot for the fast future as properly. Would Rose Namajunas be serious about a Rodriguez struggle? If Weili Zhang doesn’t beat Carla Esparza, is {that a} reserving she may get? If Emily Ducote beats Angela Hill, that’s not a horrible struggle to make both. On condition that Namajunas is the girl with no reserving proper now, that’s the avenue I’ll take, however which may be the type of struggle that Lemos will get as an alternative. Marina Rodriguez vs. Rose Namajunas is considered one of only a few smart bookings for Rodriguez proper now.
NEIL MAGNY
A forwards and backwards thriller that noticed each males have a number of success, however over the lengthy haul Magny’s suffocating clinch and prime sport snagged him one other UFC victory. Rodriguez discovered nice success marching Magny down and trying to harm him with larger pictures in equal exchanges, however he acquired caught up just a bit too usually clinching with the taller man and it clearly began to hit his fuel tank. When Magny acquired the takedown within the third, he pressured Rodriguez into the submission and his twentieth UFC win.
After the bout, Magny referred to as for a struggle with Gilbert Burns. I’ve no downside with it, if Burns isn’t going to struggle Jorge Masvidal, however Magny’s latest loss to Rakhmonov actually places a damper on his hopes to streak to title competition. Perhaps bouts with Sean Brady or Vicente Luque as an alternative? Hell he may even struggle Belal Muhammad since each males appear sure to should struggle each final welterweight on the planet earlier than they see gold. Simply because I don’t suppose the Burns struggle will occur, I’ll say Brady vs. Magny is the struggle to make. Good wrestlers and grapplers have been Magny’s poison for too lengthy for him to skip different males with that sport within the prime 15. Brady vs. Magny seems like a check Magny nonetheless must go to get to gold.
TAGIR ULANBEKOV
After his struggle, Tagir Ulanbekov had some particular thanks to provide. Notably, a shoutout to teammate Umar Nurmagomedov—who had his personal latest win over Nate Maness—and who Ulanbekov credited for laying out the gameplan he wanted to win. It was one hell of a gameplan too, with the previous Sambo champ hitting the short single leg and catching a critically brutal guillotine as Maness tried to scramble again to his ft. A incredible win for the Dagestani to bounce again after a tough loss to Tim Elliott.
That ought to set him up properly for one more check on the decrease finish of the flyweight prime 15. David Dvorak, Sumudaerji, Manel Kape, or the winner of Jimmy Flick vs. Jeff Molina would all be actually robust bouts. Of these, the struggle with Kape looks like probably the most fascinating check, given the Angolan-born fighter’s unimaginable top-end athleticism and pretty sluggish tempo. Can Ulanbekov compete with one of many division’s greatest athletes? Can Kape create sufficient offense to maintain Ulanbekov from stealing rounds off him? Ulanbekov vs. Kape is the appropriate struggle to seek out out if the AKA expertise is prepared for the elite.
GRANT DAWSON
As anticipated, standing at vary Mark Madsen’s energy gave him an enormous early edge in opposition to Grant Dawson. Sadly for the Olympian, his lack of a nuanced grappling sport grew to become a good larger edge for his opponent in a rush. As soon as Dawson discovered methods to chase Madsen to the mat, he was in a position to scramble his technique to again takes and even simply easy prime management for lengthy stretches, sporting Madsen out badly within the course of. The end result was a late sub win for ‘KGD’ and a callout after the bout for former interim light-weight champ Tony Ferguson.
Ferguson most lately jumped as much as welterweight, and even when he hadn’t, I’ll be sincere, I’ve no need to see that struggle. Bouts in opposition to Gregor Gillespie (if he’s not simply retired now), Jalin Turner, Mateusz Gamrot, or the loser of Arman Tsarukyan vs. Damir Ismagulov all seem to be way more fascinating concepts to me. Of these, the Turner struggle seems like probably the most smart proper now, and prefer it’d be a real check for Turner in addition to a step ahead for Dawson. Dawson vs. Turner is a good way to see if Dawson can preserve his run up the light-weight division.
MIRANDA MAVERICK
It wasn’t probably the most thrilling struggle of Miranda Maverick’s profession, however she did precisely what she was presupposed to do over an opponent she was set to have a significant benefit over. Shanna Younger’s wrestling and grappling video games have been main holes in her skillset for some time. As soon as Maverick discovered her approach into clinches she hauled the ‘Shanimal’ to the mat with ease and schooled her to the ultimate bell. After the win, Maverick referred to as for a bout with Molly McCann. A struggle she’s needed for some time now. Sadly for her, McCann is already booked, and that struggle with Erin Blanchfield doesn’t really feel like one she’s very prone to win. That doesn’t imply the UFC couldn’t nonetheless roll with McCann vs. Maverick as a winner/loser matchup, but it surely doesn’t really feel like a obligatory struggle.
It’s too dangerous Casey O’Neill remains to be rehabbing, as a result of that’d be a terrific struggle. As an alternative, how a few reserving in opposition to Priscila Cachoeira. The Brazilian struggled onerous early in her profession, however has been making massive strides these days as a fearsome energy puncher. A great probability for Maverick to concentrate on her placing protection, and an opportunity for ‘Zombie Woman’ to indicate if she’s made any enhancements to her grappling. Cachoeira vs. Maverick looks like a great way for each ladies to maintain working towards a spot within the prime 15.
MARIO BAUTISTA
A completely one-sided shitkicking from Mario Bautista, who began troubling Benito Lopez proper out of the gate with low kicks and physique punching earlier than transferring on to a simple takedown and utter domination on the mats in service of the primary spherical submission. He’s had a pair onerous setbacks in his UFC profession to date, however Bautista actually seems like he’s turned a nook. His placing was layered and properly focused and his grappling sport appeared unbelievably clean. Fights in opposition to Adrian Yanez, Heili Alateng, Taylor Lapilus, or Raoni Barcelos would all be good potentialities. Realistically, Bautista may be a variety of enjoyable in opposition to nearly anybody from the sides of the highest 15 on down. I’ll go forward and say the UFC ought to e book him in opposition to Adrian Yanez. It’d be a step up for Yanez given his previous competitors and an all-action bout. Yanez vs. Bautista could be a ton of enjoyable for nevertheless lengthy it lasts.
POLYANA VIANA
Polyana Viana’s time within the UFC hasn’t been straightforward. She’s an aggressive, excessive motion fighter who likes to create chaos any time she will be able to. When it really works, she’s an exhilarating struggle finisher. When it doesn’t, she’s often the one getting completed. I’m undecided that her struggle in opposition to Jinh Yu Frey gave us any new perception on that dynamic, but it surely completely strengthened that the appropriate fights make her a hell of a variety of enjoyable to look at. So let’s throw her in in opposition to one other enjoyable fighter who likes to push the tempo. That would imply bouts with Jessica Penne or Piera Rodriguez. I’d have cherished to see her in opposition to Elise Reed or Loma Lookboonmee as properly, however they simply acquired booked in opposition to each other. So with the remaining choices on the desk, I’ll go together with Jessica Penne. Penne’s knack for guard grappling and upright stalking placing sport make this one thing of a mirror match. Is Viana expert sufficient to beat the previous Invicta champ at her personal sport? Can Penne nonetheless grasp with the younger expertise at 115? Penne vs. Viana looks like it’d assure a end.
OTHER BOUTS: Daniel Rodriguez vs. Max Griffin, Shayilan Nuerdanbieke vs. Luis Saldana, Darrick Minner vs. Chase Hooper, Nate Maness vs. Ode Osbourne, Mark Madsen vs. Joel Alvarez, Shanna Younger vs. Hannah Goldy, Benito Lopez vs. John Castaneda, Jinh Yu Frey vs. Diana Belbita, Johnny Munoz vs. Mana Martinez, Liudvik Sholinian vs. Joshua Weems, Jake Hadley vs. Victor Altamirano, Carlos Candelario vs. Carlos Mota, Tamires Vidal vs. Chelsea Chandler, Ramona Pascual vs. Julija Stoliarenko
