Winner: Nate Diaz
Who does he have to face next: ….
After his win over Ferguson, Diaz stated that he would be taking a break from MMA once his UFC contract was up. He will now turn his attention to his own fight promotion, which he hopes to build over the next few years. He said he’d be back in the Octagon down the road, but there’s no point in assuming he will because it could be years before the Stockton slugger returns…if ever.
Winner: Khamzat Chimaev
Who should he face next: Colby Covington After Chimaev picked up his sixth straight victory inside the Octagon by eliminating Kevin Holland, he will now need to win at least one more fight before winning the title. That’s because “Borz” missed weight, badly, for his scheduled fight against Diaz, causing the promotion to move several pieces to save the event. If he had fought and beaten Diaz, he would have been the next shot at the title. Instead, a fight against Covington seems to be in order. Covington is the No. 2 ranked fighter in the division and is coming off a dominant win over Jorge Masvidal. With Chimaev ranked No. 3, the fight makes sense. With a win, Chimaev can get his next title shot (assuming he makes weight). For Colby, it’s his chance to take out the Smesh Express on his way to another title run.
Winner: Irene Aldana
Who to face next: Julianna Pena
Aldana earned her second straight victory after scoring one of the most unique knockouts in recent memory, crippling Macy Chiasson with a kick to the liver that left her unable to continue. Aldana is currently ranked No. 4 in the Women’s Bantamweight division and has a win over the No. 2 ranked fighter, Ketlen Vieira. At No. 3 sits Holly Holm who defeated Aldana but is coming off a loss to Vieira. Pena wants a third fight against Amanda Nunes, but I just don’t see her getting it. After all, she lost the title in her first defense and was completely surprised by “Laionia” in the rematch, so a third fight is not warranted. I think a fight against Aldana makes more sense.
Winner: Daniel Rodriguez
Who should he face next: Kevin Holland
Call me crazy, but I still want to see this fight. The two were ready to throw down at this event before all the changes took place. And the fact that I don’t think Rodriguez did enough to get the win against Li Jingliang only adds to my preference to see them match up again (for a third time). Holland didn’t look good against Chimaev, but in his defense he has none other than Gilbert Burns.
Winner: Johnny Walker
Who should he face next: Paul Craig Walker snapped his two-fight losing streak with an impressive first-round victory against Ion Cutelaba. Next up for the towering Brazilian, a fight against Craig could be on the horizon. Craig is coming off a tough loss to Volkan Oezdemir, losing to “No Time” last summer in London, England. While I don’t usually like to pair losing fighters with winners, this makes sense because Craig is ranked No. 9 while Walker is ranked No. 13. A win over Craig moves Walker closer to the Top 10 and builds momentum of moving forward. For full results and coverage of UFC 279 click here.
