Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.
So after Saturday’s UFC 237 event in Rio de Janeiro, who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.
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First up, let’s take a look at the night’s prelim winners.
Clay Guida
Wants to fight: Nate Diaz
The callout: “There’s someone that still owes me some money from some hospital bills, and he knows who he is. I meant to say it in the post-fight interview. I’m still getting bills from when Nate Diaz did his little thing from behind when I wasn’t paying attention. So, Nate, it’s been 10 years, man, since I whooped your ass. You’ve had a long time to lick those wounds, man. I know that money’s running out. Do you want to build some stacks? Let’s do it, buddy. Come on. It was a fun fight back then. Let’s do the 10-year reunion, man. No harm, no foul. Let’s go out there, let’s put one on for the sport, dude. We love watching you and your brother fight. You and your brother are two of the most entertaining fighters ever, man. So if you want to get one more in, I’m down.”
The reality: Clay Guida (35-18 MMA, 15-12 UFC) outpointed B.J. Penn over the course of three rounds in a bout that was subjected to much scrutiny in the days ahead of UFC 237, mostly due to the extended losing streak of “The Prodigy.” With the result, Guida now stands at 3-1 in his past four contests and has made it clear he still believes he can compete with the division’s best.
For his next bout, Guida was hoping to book a rematch with Diaz, who he beat via split decision at UFC 94 in January 2009. The two also scuffled backstage at UFC 199 in June 2016 after Guida suffered a knockout loss to Brian Ortega, so there’s certainly a history between the two.
Unfortunately for Guida, he called out Diaz nearly exactly as the UFC announced the perennial lightweight contender was calling an end to his extended layoff and returning to action against Anthony Pettis later this year. Once informed of the booking, the humor of the timing wasn’t lost on Guida.
“Don’t I sound stupid now?” Guida joked. “What are the odds of that?”
So the fight’s definitely not happening now, but Guida doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. And with Diaz finally back in action after nearly three years on the sidelines, “The Carpenter” is hoping that perhaps they will cross paths once again.
“He’s still got the fighting itch, so that’s awesome,” Guida said.
In the meantime, Guida said with his primary target off the table, he’ll just take whatever UFC matchmakers might have in mind.
“Line ’em all up,” Guida said. “We’ll get in there against anybody. We’ve never turned down a fight. We’re not going to start now.”
Ryan Spann
Wants to fight: EA Sports
The callout: “Listen, to be honest, I don’t care who I fight. I’ve been doing this since I was 18 months old. I don’t care who steps in here with me. I don’t care when we step in. Rio has been great. Like, all of this has been cool, but I want to be in that video game.”
The reality: Ryan Spann (16-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is still a fresh face in the UFC with just two appearances, but he traveled to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira’s backyard and scored a vicious knockout over the MMA legend. The 27-year-old Texan now boasts a six-fight winning streak, a run that includes five wins via first-round stoppage – including the 26-second result at Dana White’s Contender Series 10 that got Spann into the UFC.
At 6-foot-5 and with a Superman logo tattooed on his chest, Spann already seems like the kind of create-a-character you might make for yourself anyway, so he’s got that going for him. Add in the fact that he’s quickly proving himself a dangerous fighter in a division that allows for fairly quick runs to the top, and Spann probably deserves a place in the game. If you happen to be a producer at EA Sports, I can assure you that you don’t want Spann making a personal visit with his request.
As for his next fight, Spann remained humble despite his impressive Zuffa run thus far, declining to call anyone out when pressed backstage.
“I am not in position to call anyone out right now, but I hope I caught some people’s attention after today,” Spann said.
I’d say that’s a safe bet.
Next up, let’s check out the main card.
Irene Aldana
Wants to fight: Raquel Pennington
The callout: “I think anyone in the top-5 of the division. I would love to fight Raquel Pennington because I think that would be an interesting fight – or maybe Marion Reneau. I know top-5 is full of big challenges, full of stronger women, so I’m excited for that. I need to get back to the gym right now and start training for that.”
The reality: After a strong start against Bethe Correia, Irene Aldana (10-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) had some struggles in the second frame with her opponent’s awkward but powerful attacks. But Aldana seized control again in the third, flashing her vaunted boxing skills before proving she’s perhaps more well-rounded than previously thought, submitting Correia with a beautiful armbar.
Afterward, Aldana called for a top-5 foe before mentioning both Pennington and Reneau as possible foes. Reneau currently sits at No. 8 in the latest official UFC rankings, with Pennington at No. 4, so “Rocky” is the only one of the two that truly fits Aldana’s wishes. It also happens to be a potentially exciting matchup based on styles.
Pennington is currently mired in a two-fight skid, but she’s always willing to stand and trade with her opponents, and a bout with Aldana would seem sure to please. With the UFC announcing a September date in Mexico City for UFC on ESPN+ 17, perhaps that contest would fit will in a featured slot.
Alexander Volkanovski
Wants to fight: Max Holloway
The callout: “Hey, I’m next in line, 100 percent. I’m the only one who’s undefeated in the top-3 now. I should be ranked No. 1. Let’s set it up, yeah? I wouldn’t mind being on the same card in Australia. That’s be a cracker of a card. Let’s make it happen.”
The reality: With his stifling decision win over Jose Aldo, Alexander Volkanovski (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) now owns an incredible 17-fight winning streak, including seven straight wins in the UFC. His last two wins have seen him down an all-time great in Aldo and a perennial contender in Chad Mendes. In short, Alexander “The Great” has a fantastic case that he is, indeed, the No. 1 contender.
Only one man could stand in his way: Frankie Edgar.
Edgar has been openly campaigning for a title shot, and “The Answer” is well liked by company brass, especially after he willingly gave up a guaranteed shot at the title in early 2018 to instead face Brian Ortega in an effort to bolster UFC 222’s lineup – only to suffer a thunderous loss via knockout. He’s also represented by one of the sport’s most powerful managers in Ali Abdelaziz, so Edgar sneaking to the front of the line for a featherweight title shot isn’t out of the question.
Had Volkanovski been able to score a highlight-reel finish of Aldo, he would most certainly have earned himself a title shot. By going to the cards, he may have opened the door just slightly for Edgar. By merit alone, Volkanovski deserves the shot, but Edgar’s 12-year body of work in the company will certainly earn him some consideration.
Now, if Holloway is ready to defend his title in time for the promotion’s rumored trip to Australia for UFC 243, you can bet Volkanovski will get the call.
Jared Cannonier
Wants to fight: Everyone in Brazil that booed him.
The callout: “I went out there with the intent to not react to the fans, but the booing, I just had to rub it in their faces a little bit. I respect Anderson, I have all the respect in the world for him. But if the fans are not going to respect me, I am not going to respect them.”
The reality: After picking up the biggest win of his career with a first-round TKO over former middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Jared Cannonier (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) was thoroughly booed by the Brazilian crowd. Cannonier was somewhat comedic in his reply, refusing to speak and seeming to hold back some colorful language in an uncomfortably long pause before addressing Jon Anik in his post-fight interview.
Cannonier didn’t deserve the boos. Sure, Silva’s night was ended by an obvious knee injury, but Cannonier didn’t implement any dirty tactics to get the result. He simply kicked at his opponent’s leg repeatedly before one clearly left Silva in such pain that he could not continue. Sure, the Brazilian crowd was disappointed to see a national hero lose in such fashion, but it certainly wasn’t fair to take it out on Cannonier.
It probably wouldn’t be wise for “The Killa Gorilla” to go on a rampage in the Marvelous City, so we’re going to recommend Cannonier pass on any revenge and just head back to the U.S. and continue his assault on the middleweight division.
For complete coverage of UFC 237, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
