(Also see: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Stephen Thompson?)
After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next.
And with another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC on ESPN+ 6’s most noteworthy winning fighters.
Those winners include Anthony Pettis (22-8 MMA, 9-7 UFC), who pulled off a stunning knockout of Stephen Thompson (14-4-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) in Saturday’s headliner at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., as well as Curtis Blaydes (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), Jussier Formiga (23-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC), Maycee Barber (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Randa Markos (9-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC).
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Randa Markos
Should fight: Tecia Torres
Why they should fight: The results from Markos have been inconsistent, at best, in recent years, but she may very well have turned a corner with her first-round submission of Angela Hill, which marked her first stoppage win inside the octagon.
Over the past year, Markos has teamed up with a sports phycologist and added new dynamics to her training to help her meet her potential. She came out on fire against Hill, finishing the strawweight fight with an armbar in the opening frame to secure a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus.
Markos said post-fight that she would love a quick turnaround and fight on the UFC’s card in her native Canada on May 4, and if the promotion can find a willing dance partner, there’s no reason why not. Markos has already fought many of the notable names at 115 pounds, but she has yet to encounter Torres (10-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) in an official UFC setting. Markos did beat “The Tiny Tornado” in an exhibition contest on Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” but that was a lifetime ago at this point.
Torres is currently sitting on three consecutive losses after dropping a decision to Weili Zhang at UFC 235 earlier this month, and taking a step down the rankings against Markos could give her a chance to right the ship. And for Markos, it could elevate her status.
Maycee Barber
Should fight: Gillian Robertson
Why they should fight: She was forced to overcome some early adversity, but Barber remained undefeated in her young MMA career when she caught J.J. Aldrich with some powerful strikes that led to a second-round TKO finish in their women’s flyweight matchup.
Barber has expressed some major goals for her career, the most prominent of which is to break Jon Jones’ record for youngest champion in UFC history. She’s got more than two years to pull that off, and if she continues to develop at her current rate, it doesn’t exactly seem like a preposterous idea.
There are still many challenges ahead and ways Barber needs to prove herself, though, and a fight with Robertson (6-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) would likely help answer some more questions. Barber just beat a striking-based fighter, now it’s time to see what happens when someone tries to push her on the ground. Robertson has the most submission wins in women’s 125-pound history and is another young name in the division looking to make a mark.
Could this potential matchup be a title fight a few years down the line? Perhaps. But the timing also feels right to book it now.
Jussier Formiga
Should fight: Joseph Benavidez
Why they should fight: A gutsy effort against a previously unbeaten opponent in Deiveson Figueiredo put Formiga in position for a No. 1 contender fight in the flyweight division.
Following his unanimous decision win over Figueiredo, Formiga said he wants the next shot at 125-pound champ Henry Cejudo. That’s not happening, though, because Cejudo is apparently moving up to fight Marlon Moraes for the recently vacated bantamweight belt. The promotion has a plan, though, because UFC President Dana White said he has plans to book Formiga against Benavidez (27-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) on the same card as that title fight to decide who fights next for the belt at flyweight.
If the promotion insists on putting Cejudo in a fight that’s not a defense of his title next time out, then this plan is as good as any. Both Benavidez and Formiga deserve the opportunity to fight for UFC gold, but this title eliminator will ensure only one guy gets the opportunity.
Curtis Blaydes
Should fight: Stipe Miocic
Why they should fight:After a rough outing against Francis Ngannou in his previous bout, Blaydes moved forward as needed when he controlled an overmatched Justin Willis for three rounds to win a unanimous decision and get back on track in the heavyweight division.
It wasn’t a thrilling performance, but it was what had to happen for Blaydes to reenter relevance once again in the weight class and position himself for another big fight, which he may very well get at this point.
The heavyweight title will remain at a standstill until champ Daniel Cormier finally get his desired matchup with Brock Lesnar, leaving the other contenders to fight each other. Blaydes mentioned matchups with Miocic (18-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC), Junior Dos Santos and Derrick Lewis post-fight, all of which would benefit his career.
Lewis is set to get knee surgery, though, and could be out of action for most of the year. Dos Santos has mentioned Ngannou as an opponent of interest, and that’s a logical matchup. That leaves Miocic, who is the fight to make. The former titleholder has not fought since losing the belt to Cormier in July and his hopes for a rematch are looking increasingly unlikely. Miocic needs to do something to avoid becoming a forgotten man in the championship picture, and beating Blaydes would do the trick.
Anthony Pettis
Should fight: Winner of Rafael dos Anjos vs. Kevin Lee at UFC on ESPN+ 9
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Pettis should fight the winner of dos Anjos (28-11 MMA, 17-9 UFC) vs. Lee (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) at UFC on ESPN+ 9 following his knockout of Thompson.
For complete coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 6, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
