UFC 108 delivered a lot of quick and exciting finishes before falling a bit flat in the main event. There are plenty of recaps around, so let’s focus on what’s next.
For Rashad Evans, Rampage Jackson is up next, and I’m told it’s tentatively scheduled for UFC 114 in Las Vegas over Memorial Day weekend. It will be a monster fight, and I think they intend to bring back UFC: Primetime to build it. Whereas many were writing Jackson off just a few weeks ago, there’s a renewed and surging view that Jackson has the tools to finish Rashad. Thiago Silva’s inability to finish Rashad saved the UFC millions of dollars in 2010.
I don’t think Thiago Silva will get hurt too badly as a result of this loss. He made it exciting in the third round, and I think it makes sense to match him up against Rich Franklin in May or June. Another option is a fight with the winner of Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones.
Paul Daley got a huge win tonight, and made himself a pretty big “bad guy” star with his shotgun antics after the fight. Note to fighters that want to make money in this business: don’t apologize for being a lunatic, that is what sells, and if you sell you make money. Dana suggested matching Daley up against Fitch or Koscheck, which would be a very serious test of Daley’s claim that he’s improved his takedown defense since his fight with Jake Shields. Personally, I’d rather see him fight Thiago Alves. That would be pure fireworks and a hell of a fun fight.
The only other fighter really worth discussing coming off of this card is Junior Dos Santos, who put Gilbert Yvel away fairly easily. The next test for him should be the winner of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez, but Dos Santos won’t fight Nogueira. If Cain wins that is the best match possible, but if Nogueira wins perhaps they could match Dos Santos up with his original opponent for UFC 108, Gabriel Gonzaga.