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Kingdom MMA look at what’s next for the winners of UFC FN36?
by Sam Heard @SamHeard_
Lyoto Machida
Next fight: Winner of Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC 173)
Now 2-0 at Middleweight against a pair of the most dangerous fighter on the UFC roster, it would be a bold statement to suggest that Machida isn’t deserving of the next pop at the 185-lbs belt.His speed and technical striking advantage over former Strikeforce LHW champion Gegard Mousasi were plain to see, meriting him a one-sided decision victory after five rounds. It’s worth mentioning that against virtually any other opponent Machida’s performance probably would’ve earned the stoppage – Gegard ate several huge kicks directly to the jaw which would’ve been more than enough to drop most other middleweights (and indeed smaller African elephants).
Though he hobbled after his victory, this could well work to his advantage in his pursuit of being given the next title shot. Weidman and Belfort won’t be throwing down until May 24th which means either way Machida will be forced to wait and his foot injury will prevent him being given a match-up before then.
Ronaldo Souza
Next fight: Winner of Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Boetsch (UFC 173)
There’s no denying that Souza fell behind Machida in the race to secure the next no1 contender spot.While he was mostly untroubled against Francis Carmont, I can’t help but think he should’ve been able to secure the submission victory from the dangerous ground positions he managed to take against the Frenchman. Going into Saturday’s fight, three of Carmont’s seven career loses had come via submission so expecting someone with Jacare’s BJJ credentials to submit a fighter having taken their back multiple times isn’t a big ask.
I find the UFC’s matching of Rockhold – who looked awesome in his last appearance – against middle-of-the-line Boetsch pretty strange. If, as most fans are expecting, Rockhold beats Boetsch, Joe Silva should arrange the rematch of Rockhold and Jacare, the winner potentially being next in line after Machida.
Erick Silva
Next fight: Brandon Thatch
Silva’s match up went according to the script as he immediately blasted through heavy-underdog Takenori Sako on Saturday night.Silva can be a tricky fighter to matchmaker for. He looks like a world-beater against lower-level UFC welterweights but as soon as he takes a step-up in competition, he finds his momentum crushed by another loss (admittedly in the loss to Dong Hyun Kim he had been dominating until the KO). I believe that if Silva actually manages to amass a few consecutive UFC wins he could be a real contender in the 170-lbs division.
A clash with the massively-hyped prospect Brandon Thatch – who had stopped all 10 of his last opponents in the very first round – would be an amazing match up. Both fighters have similar offence-based styles so seeing the two in the octagon would surely be exciting from the start. A win for either of them against the other would more than likely buy their place into the division’s top ten rankings.
Nicholas Musoke
Next fight: Winner of Thiago Alves vs. Seth Baczynski (UFC on Fox 11)
Picking up the win on Saturday in front of a hostile Brazilian crowd (and in spite of a horrific looking groin shot in round three), Swedish Nicholas Musoke looked highly impressive.A fight with the winner of Thiago Alves and Seth Baczynski makes a lot of sense. Alves hasn’t fought for the last two years and cannot expect to jump back to the top of the Welterweight division where he once resided. Assuming he wins against Baczynski, a fight against the impressive Nicholas Musoke would be perfect in his quest to re-establish his status in the division.
Charles Oliveira
Next fight: Felipe Arantes
Charles Oliveira finds himself in a state of limbo, comfortably dealing with opponents outside of the Featherweight division’s top-ten but then stumbling against the likes of Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson. He made a difficult opponent in Andy Ogle look second-rate, eventually submitting him in the third round.Only just coming off his two fight skid, it’s too soon to give Oliveira another top-ranked opponent. Instead, he should be given the opportunity to garner some consecutive wins against respected opponents like Ogle so he can build some momentum and self-confidence.
A perfect opponent for his next fight would be Felipe Arantes who, like Oliveira, was victorious on Saturday against Maximo Blanco. Arantes would be given a hike in competition and the chance to put himself on the map while Oliveira would confirm his talent by acquiring another UFC win.
