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Matchmaker Monday – what’s next after UFC 299?
With UFC 299 in the books and the dust settled in Miami, it’s time to take a look at what’s next for the biggest stars of the card.
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(c) Sean O’Malley (18-1, 1 NC) – UFC bantamweight champion
It was a masterful night at the office for defending champion Sean O’Malley. He made good on his rematch with Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, avenging the lone loss of his career and notching his first successful title defense. Though he called for a superfight in Spain with 145lb kingpin Ilia Topuria, there is a clear contender that has to be next for the belt: Merab Dvalishvili. No matter when or where this takes place, it’s the fight to make.
(#5) Marlon Vera (23-9-1) – bantamweight title challenger
His first title opportunity may have ended in a loss, but Marlon Vera showed incredibly heart at UFC 299. The Ecuadorian remains in the top tier of bantamweight contenders and won’t be too far from another crack at gold. A rebooking of his cancelled bout with former champion Henry Cejudo would make a lot of sense for both men.
(#3) Dustin Poirier (30-8, 1 NC) – former UFC interim lightweight champion
Dustin Poirier entered Miami as an underdog, but he showed that he has plenty of fight left and that he can still hang with the new dogs of the division. His next move is heavily dependent on how the landscape of the division looks in a few months. There are lots of high profile fights on the horizon that could shape the title picture. As of right now, I think that the loser of Charles Oliveira vs Arman Tsarukyan would be my top choice for ‘The Diamond’.
(#12) Benoit Saint-Denis (13-2, 1 NC) – lightweight contender
There is no shame in losing for Benoit Saint-Denis. He looked impressive in the first round against the venerable Poirier, but ultimately lost to the more experienced fighter. I would like to see him take another fight up in the rankings, specifically against Beneil Dariush. I think that this clash between two well-rounded martial artists would be great for progressing the division.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page (22-2) – welterweight contender
What about Michael ‘Venom’ Page, eh? There were doubts over whether or not he could compete with top fifteen welterweights in the UFC, but he should that he was up to the task. There is an obvious pick for Paige’s next fight, and someone should be sacked if it isn’t made: Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson vs Michael ‘Venom’ Page. Book it now.
(#13) Kevin Holland (25-11, 1 NC) – welterweight contender
It wasn’t the best night in the office for Kevin Holland. ‘Trailblazer’ couldn’t figure out the unique style of Page in time, but he remains a top flight welterweight. Finding an opponent, though, is a tough one. I’m going to suggest Neil Magny, who is coming off a big win over Mike Malott in Canada. I’m not completely sold on this, but it’s not a bad fight.
(#11) Jack Della Maddalena (17-2) – welterweight contender
In the waining minutes of the fight, Jack Della Maddalena stamped his card to the top five with a knockout of Gilbert Burns. The Perth native looks poised to succeed and has already called his shot for a title eliminator with Shavkat Rakhmonov. I’m on board for this, and I can’t see why anyone isn’t.
(#4) Gilbert Burns (22-7) – former welterweight title challenger
Gilbert Burns’ return to action may have ended in a loss, but his performance is nothing to be snubbed at. The former title challenger’s next fight isn’t a clear one to map out, but I think Geoff Neal makes sense. They’re both coming off losses to top ranked contenders and it presents an intriguing grappler vs striker matchup.
(#4) Petr Yan (17-5) – former UFC bantamweight champion
Snapping his three fight skid in emphatic fashion, Petr Yan is firmly back in position as one of bantamweight’s best combatants. Though fan interest is high for rematches with Sean O’Malley or Cory Sandhagen, I think that Umar Nurmagomedov is the perfect opponent. There has been a lot of hype around the young Dagestani, but he hasn’t yet found a suitable opponent to prove his standing. Who better than a former champ? With a win, ‘No Mercy’ would steal the buzz around Nurmagomedov.
(#7) Song Yadong (21-8-1, 1 NC) – bantamweight contender
At only 27 years of age, there is still plenty of time for Song Yadong to grow and improve. A hard-fought loss to Petr Yan isn’t the end of the world. In terms of this next matchup, I think that Jonathan Martinez is perfect. They’re both young, dynamic strikers trying to prove that they belong in title discussions.
(#5) Curtis Blaydes (18-4, 1 NC) – heavyweight contender
Every time that Curtis Blaydes is counted out, he manages to turn the clocks back and re-establish himself as one of the best heavyweights on the planet. His stoppage of Jailton Almeida has generated appeal for a rematch with interim champion Tom Aspinall, which I’m all for. Their first meeting ended prematurely and unfortunately, but this is a chance for ‘Razor’ Blaydes to show that it was no fluke.
(#7) Jailton Almeida (20-3) – heavyweight contender
The unbeaten UFC run of Brazil’s Jailton Almeida has come to a close, but it is hardly the end of the road for him. He remains one of the finest grapplers in his division and has plenty of options for opponents. I think that Alexander Volkov, an experienced heavyweight building a streak, would be a good choice; their clashing styles could make for a fun matchup.
(#6) Maycee Barber (14-2) – flyweight contender
It has taken a little bit longer than she had anticipated, but Maycee Barber is at the top of the heap at flyweight. The 25 year old picked up the biggest win of her career against Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299 and is now in position for a title eliminator. I think that the winner of Erin Blanchfield vs Manon Fiorot needs to get a title shot, so I am proposing that Barber take on the loser of the expected trilogy fight between Alexa Grasso vs Valentina Shevchenko.
(#4) Katlyn Cerminara (18-6) – former flyweight title challenger
It wasn’t the ideal outcome for Katlyn Cerminara, but her stock hasn’t fallen from the loss. She is known for being a hard-nosed contender who fights all comers, and she did just that. Natalia Silva is a flyweight on the climb that would benefit from a fight with Cerminara, who herself has made a career of beating rising prospects.
(#6) Mateusz Gamrot (24-2, 1 NC) – lightweight contender
A third win on the trot for Mateusz Gamrot solidified his position in the top six of the lightweight division, but in all honesty, it doesn’t feel like he is any closer to a title shot. His recent run has felt unremarkable, and he needs a big performance or a scrappy contest to generate interest. For this, I would put forward Dan Hooker. The Kiwi called for this fight with Gamrot, and anything with Hooker has my attention, so I’m on board.
(#11) Rafael dos Anjos (32-16) – former UFC lightweight champion
Even at 39 years old, Rafael dos Anjos is well able to hang with the top dogs of 155lbs. His strong opening stanza against Gamrot was impressive, but I don’t think that it warrants another opportunity to fight up the rankings at either lightweight or welterweight. If Carlos Diego Ferreira is ready to return, I think dos Anjos should defend his ranking against him.
Kyler Phillips (12-2) – bantamweight contender
Inactivity has plagued the rise of Kyler Phillips, but he is now in position to take a top fifteen ranking once again. His win over Pedro Munhoz showed that his unorthodox style is to be respected, and I think I have just the right fight for him. Former champion Dominick Cruz still seems eager to return, so why not pit him with a young bantamweight who is just as unique in style? I think this makes a lot of sense for both men.
(#13) Pedro Munhoz (20-9, 2 NC) – bantamweight contender
Pedro Munhoz fights typically go the same way: he shows his toughness and resilience en route to a decision. This was no different. I think he does deserve to stay ranked, but his next opponent is a tricky proposition. I think that Ricky Simon would be a decent shout; they’re both coming off losses, but more than capable of climbing the rankings.
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For more UFC 299 content, stay tuned to Violent Money TV.
Despite being just two weeks removed from his defeat to Alex Pereira in the main event at UFC 300, Jamahal Hill is climbing straight back on the horse and already has his next fight lined up. ‘Sweet Dreams’ is scheduled to face Khalil Roundtree Jr at UFC 303 on June 29th.
The card will be headlined by the long-awaited return of ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor, and Hill has elected to step straight back into fight camp rather than sit on the sidelines and recover from the devastating first round knockout he suffered at the hands of Pereira.
Rountree will be coming into this bout on a five-fight winning streak and has finished seven of his 9 UFC victories by knockout. Sitting at #8 in the UFC’s light heavyweight rankings, Rountree will surely see a victory over a former champion like Hill as a short cut to a title shot.
Given that Hill will likely have received a 60-day medical suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and there are only 77 days separating UFCs 300 and 303, there are certainly questions to be raised about the decision of Hill and his team to take this fight.
Hill explained in an interview with The Schmo that he sees the proximity of the two fights being a positive for his physical preparations, and that he is focused on avenging the loss to Pereira:
“I’m already in good shape” he explained. “I’m feeling good, heading into another camp just makes sense, I get to go into a camp in shape instead of going into camp off a layoff so I think that’ll be a huge plus and will help me go out and put on the performance I need to against Khalil Rountree to put myself back in position to get that Alex Pereira fight back.
“It’s about getting back to that fight, I want to fight Alex again just because of the narrative surrounding it ”
Hill originally won the 205lb title after defeating Pereira’s coach Glover Teixeira over five rounds at UFC 283 in January of 2023. He then ruptured his Achilles tendon last July and vacated the belt which Pereira won by beating Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 in November.
After much deliberation, striking veterans Liam Harrison and Seksan Or Kwanmuang have finally found a date for their highly anticipated clash.
The pair will meet in a 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest when ONE Championship returns to the U.S. for ONE 168: Denver on Saturday, 7th September.
The event inside Denver, Colorado’s Ball Arena is already stacking up to be one of the biggest cards of the year for the world’s largest martial arts organization, and the addition of this matchup will only increase the hype among martial arts fans.
Harrison has been on the sidelines for some time now. He suffered a worrying knee injury when he challenged former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama for the gold at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August 2022, and he had to overcome further complications before thinking about a return to action.
The British striking legend will have a chance to shake off the cobwebs before colliding with Seksan, however, as he is scheduled to make his way back to ONE for a battle with Katsuki Kitano at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on 8th June.
“Hitman” will need all the preparation he can get for his match with Seksan. The former Rajadamnern Stadium and WBC Muay Thai World Champion has built a fearsome reputation in ONE Championship over the last 15 months, given that he amassed eight consecutive wins after his debut last January.
Seksan appeared unstoppable in the promotion until he met Japanese star Yutaro Asashi at ONE Friday Fights 58 earlier this month.
After three thrilling rounds of Muay Thai, the Thai veteran fell to a unanimous decision loss, which means he’ll be charged up for a triumphant return to form against Harrison.
And with “Hitman” keen to find his way back to the top in ONE, their clash in Denver on 7th September is all but guaranteed to be a barnburner.
The whirlwind surrounding Ryan Garcia’s victory over Devin Haney last weekend is just beginning to settle down but it seems the controversial boxer is intent on staying in the headlines as he eyes UFC champion, Sean O’Malley.
The bizarre lead up to the fight with Haney was plagued with erratic behaviour on Garcia’s part, rumours of a mental breakdown, signs of alcohol and drug issues, and generally controversial behaviour. Garcia missed weight by 3.2lbs, and appeared to chug a beer on the scales during the weigh ins.
Entering the fight as an underdog, Garcia surprised everybody by dropping Haney three times and emerging victorious by majority decision. After the fight, Garcia insisted he drank and smoked every day in the build up to the fight and still picked up the win. This shocking turn of events has now opened up a variety of possible lucrative match ups for Garcia going forward, and it seems one MMA superstar wants a piece of that action.
The UFC hasn’t sanctioned a boxing crossover bout since Conor McGregor faced Floyd Mayweather back in 2017. ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley has long campaigned for the opportunity to test his striking skills against Garcia, and this week on his podcast The Timbo Sugar Show, he insisted that the UFC have already given him the green light to seek out some opportunities in the boxing ring:
“A boxing fight’s possible for sure. I’m not there yet. I’ve still got to become bigger. Two more f*cking sick performances, then we’re talking about being able to do it.
O’Malley continued: “They told me ‘You can do a boxing fight, 100 percent, if it makes us enough money’. The option is there, it just has to be able to make enough money. But Ryan being a f*cking freak like that, you need two A-sides to make a f*cking Floyd v Conor fight”.
Ryan Garcia tweeted an image of himself and O’Malley this week with the caption: “RAINBOW CACA BRAIN. WANTS TO BOX. BE PREPARED TO BLEED RAINBOW”
RAINBOW CACA BRAIN
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) April 22, 2024
WANTS TO BOX
BE PREPARED TO BLEED RAINBOW pic.twitter.com/GGrvV7ZSCH
Sean O’Malley became the UFC’s bantamweight champion when he knocked out Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 last August. He then defended the belt and avenged the only loss on his record when he dominated Marlon Vera over five rounds at UFC 299 in March.
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