UFC on Fox 13 will go down as one of the most bizarre events in recent memory. A cancelled fight, a self-KO, a retirement, an injury tapout, a punch well after the bell, a punch while an opponent was complaining to the ref, this card certainly had everything that you otherwise seldom see in any UFC event. The headlining act between Junior dos Santos and Stipe Miocic was as good a fight as you could witness between high-level heavyweights, with JDS edging out a close and debatable unanimous decision. Rafael dos Anjos also impressed with his destruction of Nate Diaz’s legs in the co-main event.
It’s time once again to look at what is in store for all of the main card fighters from last night’s show. I can assure you that unlike my other “Fights to Make” pieces, I cannot shoehorn Jorge Masvidal into the conversation for the umpteenth time.
Junior dos Santos. I don’t believe JDS won that fight and even if he did, he is clearly not the fighter who was destroying high-level opposition for years. He was almost deliberately reducing himself to just boxing, and his defense, which was never excellent to begin with, has been exposed badly in recent fights. I don’t want to see him in a title shot of any sort, whether it’d be vs. Cain or Werdum. Put him in against Ben Rothwell.
Stipe Miocic. It wasn’t a win, but you have to be impressed with Miocic’s chin and the clear improvements in his game. This was the best performance of his career and he’s clearly deserving of his top 5 ranking. Even though it’s winner vs. loser matchmaking, I’d love to see Miocic take on Travis Browne.
Rafael dos Anjos. First off, Khabib Nurmagomedov is scary good. Because that’s the only man since 2012 to defeat RDA. Dos Anjos schooled Nate Diaz from start to finish and continues his sensational run of form. Dana White says that Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t healthy in time for Anthony Pettis’ next title defense (whenever that may be), so RDA gets the next shot. My work has been done for me.
Nate Diaz. I honestly don’t even want to bother giving him an opponent, because he could be cut, he could retire, the UFC could freeze his contract, etc. Basically I’m not sure we’ll see Nate Diaz in another UFC fight. But for the sake of this post, he can be booked versus Michael Johnson.
Alistair Overeem. It was an easy win for Overeem, but let’s put his UFC career in perspective. Brock Lesnar was coming off a 1+ year layoff and retired after Overeem beat him. Frank Mir is currently on a four-fight skid, and Stefan Struve has had his health issues and hasn’t won since 2012. Until I see otherwise, he’s not a legitimate title contender. This is very much dependent on how long Overeem is willing to wait for another fight, but let’s get the rematch with Mark Hunt going.
Stefan Struve. Really didn’t see the point in THIS fight being Struve’s comeback with his serious health issues and 1+ year layoff. It must have been to get Overeem a win or draw up some interest in Holland. In the end, another KO loss for Struve, and you have to wonder how much longer he can continue to get destroyed at such a young age. If the UFC wants to give him a substantially lower level of opponent (and they should), I suggest Anthony Hamilton.
Matt Mitrione. Mitrione has built up a nice highlight reel since that rather embarrassing loss to Brendan Schaub last year. He clearly needs a step up in competition of some sort, but heavyweight is so thin that it’s hard to book him appropriately. If Josh Barnett ever returns to fighting, that would be an intriguing bout.
Gabriel Gonzaga. As soon as I saw “striker Gonzaga” appear I figured he was on borrowed time against a fast and athletic man with KO power. And soon enough he was on the floor and out of the fight. I like Gonzaga and have enjoyed most of his fights in the UFC, but he’s really not a top 15 fighter anymore no matter what the rankings say. Walt Harris in a loser-gets-cut bout could be his next chapter.
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