(ALSO SEE: What to make of Alexander Gustafsson’s retirement at UFC Stockholm?)
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+ 11’s most noteworthy winning fighters.
Those winners include Anthony Smith (32-14 MMA, 8-4 UFC), who sent Alexander Gustafsson (18-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) into retirement with a fourth-round submission victory in the light heavyweight headliner at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, as well as Aleksander Rakic (12-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), Makwan Amirkhani (15-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Lina Lansberg (9-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC).
Lina Lansberg
Should fight: Macy Chiasson
Why they should fight: Lansberg put on what was easily the most complete performance of her UFC career when she dismantled and dominated former Invicta FC champion Tonya Evinger over the course of three rounds.
Competing on home soil, Lansberg showed up with a big-game effort to hand Evinger a one-sided unanimous decision loss. The Swede has had ups and downs inside the octagon, but beating Evinger is no joke and also particularly meaningful in a thin weight class like women’s bantamweight.
Lansberg called for a rematch with Aspen Ladd after her win, but Ladd is booked to fight Germaine de Randamie next month so it’s not an option. A more realistic fight would be against Chiasson (5-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who is one of the key rising stars in the weight class. Both are close to each other in the UFC’s rankings, and the winner of the matchup would likely break into the top 15 of the weight class.
Makwan Amirkhani
Should fight: Jeremy Stephens
Why they should fight: Amirkhani returned from a more than yearlong layoff to score a solid win over former two-division Cage Warriors titleholder Chris Fishgold. It took a bit of struggle, but “Mr. Finland” ultimately found his way into a second-round submission victory.
After the win, Amirkhani said he finally feels like he’s prepared to fight the very best in the world in the featherweight division. He said he wants to expand his horizons by fighting on a UFC card in the United States for the first time, ideally against a ranked opponent. Given he’s won five of six in the octagon, that request seems reasonable.
Stephens (28-16 MMA, 15-15 UFC) is famous for taking on almost any bout offered to him, and the longtime octagon veteran would surely be willing to give Amirkhani his big opportunity with a fight. “Lil’ Heathen” is on a two-fight slide against top competition, so perhaps a matchup with someone on a lower rung like Amirkhani is just what he needs to rebound.
Aleksander Rakic
Should fight: Volkan Oezdemir
Why they should fight: The hype behind Rakic took a big leap forwarded with a highlight-reel knockout of Jimi Manuwa that’s going to hold up in UFC lore for years to come. 47 seconds and one devastating head kick was all it took for Rakic to get his 12th consecutive win, and now it’s time to find out of he’s the real deal.
Although Rakic did the best with his situation, beating a 39-year-old version of Manuwa who is now on a four-fight skid still leaves room for questions. Hopefully those can be answered in the form of a matchup with a top 10 light heavyweight, and Oezdemir (15-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is the best available option for Rakic.
Oezdemir was supposed to fight on the same card with Rakic but his scheduled contest with Ilir Latifi was pulled on two days’ notice when Latifi got injured. He’s surely motivated to get a new fight, and the former UFC title challenger would be the perfect gauge of Rakic’s talent.
Anthony Smith
Should fight: Luke Rockhold
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Smith should fight Rockhold (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) next.
For complete coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 11, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
