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 on ESPN 6 event in Boston, 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.
Brendan Allen
Wants to fight: Eryk Anders
The callout: “Nothing but respect, but I’d love to fight one of my losses, Eryk Anders. You’re a great dude. I have nothing but respect, but business is business. Let’s go back, end of January, beginning of February in the U.S. I’m ready.”
The reality: After earning his way into the UFC through a win on Dana White’s Contender Series, Brendan Allen (13-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) proved incredibly impressive in a gutsy and exciting win over Kevin Holland at UFC on ESPN 6. “All In” is tenacious in his grappling, and he certainly kept the crowd entertained while facing an equally exciting prospect.
Allen’s pre-UFC career is interesting. His three losses to date all came against fighters that made it to the UFC, including Anders (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC), as well as Trevin Giles and Anthony Hernandez. All of these make realistic matchups, though it was Anders who Allen requested when given the moment.
A rematch from the regional scene with real stakes on the line? Why not? Holler at “Ya Boi.”
Next up, let’s check out the main card.
Maycee Barber
Wants to fight: Paige VanZant
The callout: “The only thing I know is that Paige VanZant is waiting for a phone call. Dana, Paige VanZant, I’m giving you a call. Are you going to answer or not?”
The reality: At just 21 years old, Maycee Barber (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is quickly proving she’s more than just hype, and her dream of becoming the youngest UFC champion in promotional history is seeming more and more realistic by the moment. A matchup with a fighter as high-profile as VanZant (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) would bring even more attention to the budding star.
Meanwhile, if you consider the optics from behind the scenes, you’ve got Barber who can’t praise UFC execs enough for the opportunities they provide to her and VanZant, who says she makes more money on Instagram than in the octagon and is hoping to fight out her contract and test free agency. It’s not hard to imagine that UFC brass would want to hand VanZant a stiff test on the way out the door.
Thus far in her short UFC run, Barber has enjoyed a remarkable track record of getting exactly what she wants to help move her career forward. It certainly seems like she’s picked another plausible plan here.
Dominick Reyes
Wants to fight: Jon Jones
The callout: “Hey Jon, I don’t want any party favors, man. I want that belt, baby. Let’s go.”
The reality: If the UFC were purely a meritocracy, I don’t see how you could deny Dominick Reyes (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) his shot at light heavyweight champ Jones (25-1 MMA, 19-1 UFC). Undefeated and coming off his first win in a UFC main event – and via first-round knockout over a former champ, no less – Reyes would seem the logical No. 1 contender at 205 pounds.
Of course, UFC title shots are not given on meritocracy, alone.
There is a key matchup coming up in two weeks, with Corey Anderson and Johnny Walker facing off at UFC 244 in New York. Anderson is the blue-collar grinder who isn’t flashy but works diligently to keep himself at the top of the division. Meanwhile, Walker is the main who seems to produce a viral highlight every time he steps in the cage, and he’s arguably the most marketable of all light heavyweight contenders right now.
Jan Blachowicz is happy to remind you of his Polish power, and Glover Teixeira is trying for one last crack at the belt before he calls it a career, so there are a handful of options on the table. For me, though, Reyes is the right call right now.
