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+ 28 event in Brasilia, 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 preliminary card.
Amanda Ribas
Wants to fight: Paige VanZant
The callout: “I want two weeks to enjoy the victory. And then I want to fight Paige VanZant. We were scheduled, and I still want to face her. If she wants to fight at flyweight, I’m here, waiting.
“But I am ambitious. I would also like to fight the winner of the fight between Carla Esparza and Michelle Waterson. I’m sure it would be a great fight.”
The reality: Will we ever see Paige VanZant in the octagon again? If she does come back, Amanda Ribas is as interesting an opponent as anyone, but she’s just one of a number of UFC fighters who have expressed an interest in welcoming “12 Gauge” back to the octagon. VanZant would likely want the highest-ranked opposition available and, while Ribas is certainly on the up, she might not carry enough upside to convince PVZ to sign the bout agreement. If and when she returns, I’d expect VanZant to face a more established name. As for Ribas, there’s another exciting matchup waiting to be made, with Angela Hill tweeting UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard saying she’d like to face the Brazilian next.
I like the look of that matchup a lot, and far prefer it to a possible bout with VanZant.
Next up: “The Assassin Baby” shoots his shot.
Brandon Moreno
Wants to fight: Deiveson Figueredo or Joseph Benavidez
The callout: “Beating Formiga, who already beat Deiveson, this is the mathematics of mixed martial arts. … Formiga is a great name. He fought the best of the best, won many and very well. Bringing the win today gives me great expectations for a fight against Deiveson Figueiredo.
“I want to wait a while to see what the UFC will decide on the rematch of Figueiredo and Benavidez, but I would love for the next fight to be for the title. But if not, I’m ready to face anyone who makes sense.”
The reality: Brandon Moreno is back on form and back in the mix at the sharp end of the UFC’s flyweight division, and with a win against the UFC’s No. 3-ranked contender, the natural next step is to face the winner of the rebooked title fight between Benavidez and Figueiredo. Of course, with the nature of the sporting world right now, that may well mean a lengthy wait, so he may find himself having to take another fight in the interim. That could mean a rematch with the last man to defeat him, Alexandre Pantoja, or a second meeting with the man he drew with last September at UFC on ESPN+ 17, Askar Askarov. Make no mistake, he’s in the title mix, but timelines and global pandemics may mean it’s a long time before he gets his shot at championship gold.
Next up: A Brazilian veteran targets a “Phenom.”
Francisco Trinaldo
Wants to fight: Kevin Lee
The callout: “I want to fight with the top-ranked athletes in the category. I would love to face Kevin Lee and be able to defeat him.”
The reality: The evergreen Francisco Trinaldo keeps on rolling, and his callout of Kevin Lee might have initially felt like a stretch for the 41-year-old. But following Lee’s submission loss and admission that he has to back to the drawing board, “Massaranduba” might come into the equation when Lee declares himself ready to return. However, it’s a fight that probably won’t be made. Lee, despite his recent patchy form, remains a marketable talent, and one that could dovetail well against an up-and-coming prospect with an outgoing personality. The rematch angle – Lee defeated Trinaldo via second-round submission back in 2017 – gives the matchup a chance, but I suspect Lee will prefer to fight back on U.S. soil, with the UFC matchmakers opting to keep Trinaldo in Brazil, where they can better leverage his popularity at home.
Next up: A featherweight contender eyes big fights in TWO divisions.
Renato Moicano
Wants to fight: Chan Sung Jung or Paul Felder
The callout: “I want to fight the best, I always said that. I would like to do a rematch with ‘The Korean Zombie,’ but I think lightweight is my division. I’d love to face Paul Felder.”
The reality: Renato Moicano put the wheels back on the wagon with a much-needed victory in Brasilia, and now he wants to jump straight back in with the man who defeated him so decisively just two fights ago. “The Korean Zombie” finished Moicano in just 58 seconds last June at UFC on ESPN+ 12, and the 30-year-old wants his rematch straight away. Considering how recently they met, I’m not convinced that matchup makes sense right now. It definitely doesn’t make sense for “The Korean Zombie,” who has his sights set on a title shot, or a title eliminator, for his next bout. So it’s likely Moicano will have to build his way up a little more slowly than he’d like before getting his shot at his nemesis.
Next up: A heavy-handed jiu-jitsu ace targets motormouth contender.
Gilbert Burns
Wants to fight: Colby Covington
The callout: “I believe that I have now entered the top 5 of the category. I want to face Colby Covington. He came to Sao Paulo (and) said a lot of bad things. I was a lightweight at the time, I couldn’t talk about it. But now I am a welterweight and I want to face him anywhere.”
The reality: Colby Covington is becoming something of a regular name in this feature, as fighters start to turn their attention to the trash-talking former interim featherweight champion as a potential next opponent. Michael Chiesa already called for a fight with “Chaos” and now Gilbert Burns has thrown his name into the mix. From a promotional perspective, the “Covington vs. Brazil” angle is one that has not yet been resolved following his “filthy animals” comments, and Burns is clearly keen to represent his country’s half of that equation. It’s likely that Covington will want to bounce straight back into a title eliminator-level matchup on his return, but if he doesn’t, a matchup with Burns would certainly offer some intrigue. The wrestler with cardio for days against the jiu-jitsu ace with knockout power to end a fight in an instant? That’s a sellable proposition, for sure.
