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 Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN+ 29 event in Jacksonville, 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 …
Brian Kelleher
Wants to fight: Sean O'Malley
The callout: “He thinks I’m nobody, he thinks if he beats me it means nothing. But look, I’m knocking guys out, undefeated guys. I’m fighting tough guys – whoever they put in front of me. He should do the same. If he’s not afraid, he’ll take the fight.”
The reality: If you’re Brian Kelleher and you want to make an impact in the division, calling out Sean O’Malley certainly won’t hurt. But I suspect that the UFC may have O’Malley on a different path as they look to move him up the rankings for his next fight. O’Malley told MMA Junkie recently that he’s in no rush to get to the top of the sport, though he also said if he performs the way he thinks he will, he’ll be fast-tracked anyway. The matchup could deliver a fast-paced, exciting clash, but I suspect “The Suga Show” could find himself up against a ranked opponent for his next outing.
Next up: A Brazilian lightweight targets a former champion
Thiago Moises
Wants to fight: Anthony Pettis
The callout: “I think mine and Anthony Pettis’ games match up really well for me. I think I’m stronger than him, I know my grappling is better than his and I have all the tools to beat him.”
The reality: Thiago Moises is shooting his shot but, unfortunately for the Brazilian, he’s unlikely to get his wish. Moises targeted a bout with “Showtime” Pettis, but the truth of the situation is that the matchup simply makes no sense for “Showtime” right now.
Pettis said he intends to return to 155 pounds, but he’ll be looking for big-name matchups at this stage in his career, and while Moises undoubtedly poses a threat at lightweight, it’s a matchup with little upside for the former UFC lightweight champion.
Next up: “The Doberman” targets “The Irish Dragon”
Drew Dober
Wants to fight: Paul Felder
The callout: “I want to see another striker! I’m here to bleed and die for everyone else. Me and Justin Gaethje, we kill each other. So I would love to fight guys like Paul Felder and all those top strikers in the Top 10 division at lightweight.”
The reality: “I don’t want to talk business, but that’s a great callout.” They’re not my words, but the words of the man who just got called out. And if Felder’s down, then that makes the callout a viable one.
Dober’s exciting, stand-up fighting style has seen him pick up back-to-back bonus-winning performances against touted prospects Nasrat Haqparast and Alexander Hernandez as he has hit a rich vein of form. He’s won six of his last seven, with some solid names among them, and just finished the No. 15 guy in the official UFC rankings. More highly-ranked opposition should surely follow.
If Felder fancies throwing down with “The Doberman,” save me a seat at cageside. I’m in.
And finally, “Big Ben” offers himself up for a big fight.
Ben Rothwell
Wants to fight: Aleksei Oleinik
The callout: “Well, in all due respect. Mr. Oleinik. You beat the Werdum. So I know you asked for a big fight. They call me ‘Big Ben,’ so there you go, brother. Big fight, let’s do it.”
The reality: You’ll do well to find two more battle-hardened, gritty heavyweights in the sport than Ben Rothwell and Oleinik, so why not match them up and see who’s best equipped to move up to face the top contenders?
Incredibly for a man who just made the 50th walk of his career, Rothwell would be the less-experienced man in the cage against “The Boa Constrictor,” who has a staggering 73 fights to his name. But both men want to push themselves into the title conversation at heavyweight, and a clash between the pair, perhaps in late-summer or early-fall, would push one of them one big step closer.
