(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for UFC 243’s winning fighters?)
After every event, fans wonder whom the losing fighters will be matched up with next.
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 243’s most notable fighters.
Those fighters include Robert Whittaker (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC), who suffered a second-round knockout loss to Israel Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-1 UFC) to lose the middleweight title in the main event at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, as well as Al Iaquinta (14-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC), Tai Tuivasa (10-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) and Zarah Fairn (6-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC).
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Zarah Fairn
Should fight: UFC newcomer
Why they should fight: It was most certainly not a UFC debut to remember for Fairn, who was completely overwhelmed on the mat by Megan Anderson en route to a first-round submission loss.
Fairn is already somewhat of a winner in the fact she was even signed to the UFC as women’s featherweight. Her first chance went poorly, but hopefully she’ll get another one and be part of a growing weight class.
The UFC could do a better job expanding, too, by signing more fighters at 145 pounds. The few others who are on the UFC roster such as Felicia Spencer might be a little much for Fairn right now, but perhaps they could ink someone who would give her a competitive fight.
Tai Tuivasa
Should fight:
Todd Duffee
Why they should fight: The surprising fall of Tuivasa from undefeated prospect to struggling heavyweight continued when he suffered his third-straight loss in a submission defeat to Serghei Spivac.
It looked as though Tuivasa was on track in the opening seconds, but before long he couldn’t stop a single takedown, was bloodied up and found himself in a fight-ending submission. He’s now in a difficult position in his career, and it’s hard to gauge what’s next.
At only 26, it’s hard to imagine the UFC parting ways with Tuivasa. Win or lose he tends to have good fights, and he has solid popularity and is a key piece of the Australian market. The fight with Spivac was seen as a big step back to help him rebound, and now that he’s lost, an even bigger step back might be required.
Before Tuivasa thinks about fighting again, a proper amount of time off should be taken to give himself a mental and physical overhaul. Once he’s ready to go, an unranked opponent like Duffee (9-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) could be a good matchup for him.
Al Iaquinta
Should fight: Anthony Pettis
Why they should fight: It was another rough go for Iaquinta against Dan Hooker. He was largely picked apart over the course of three rounds in a unanimous decision, and now Iaquinta has lost three of four dating back to when he fought Khabib Nurmagomedov on short notice in April 2018.
Iaquinta is as tough as them come and is not going to be a pushover for anyone in the lightweight division. He still belongs near the top fighting big names, and Pettis (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) is a former UFC champion who still carries big name value despite some rough times of his own in recent years.
After spending his previous two fights at welterweight, it appears Pettis on his way back down to 155 pounds. He’s been pushing for a fight with Diego Sanchez, but that matchup has little appeal. A clash with Iaquinta would be much more compelling, but the stakes would certainly be high because the loser would likely be dismissed as a title contender for quite some time.
Robert Whittaker
Should fight: Kelvin Gastelum
Why they should fight:
Watch the video above to see why Whittaker should fight Gastelum (15-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC), whether he wins or loses against Darren Till at UFC 244.
