(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Jessica Andrade after UFC on ESPN+ 15 title loss?)
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+ 15’s most noteworthy winning fighters.
Those winners include Weili Zhang (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who captured the strawweight title with a 42-second TKO of Jessica Andrade (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) in the main event at Universiade Sports Centre in Shenzhen, as well as Li Jingliang (17-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) and Kai Kara-France (20-7 MMA, 3-0 UFC).
See whom they should fight next inside.
Kai Kara-France
Should fight: Matt Schnell
Why they should fight: Kara-France continued to show his arrival to the UFC was long overdue when he picked up his third consecutive octagon win, this time outworking a game Mark De La Rosa to a unanimous decision.
Kara-France is showing more and more that he could be a real contender in the flyweight division, which is growing more interesting after a well-documented downswing. He’s deserving of a big step up in competition, and while it may not work for his desire to make a quick turnaround at UFC 243 in Australia, it could be worth the wait.
Schnell (13-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is another fighter who is on the rise at 125 pounds. Like Kara-France, he’s looking to break through to the upper tier of the division and get a fight that will position him for a title shot. Given their similar goals, a pairing is logical to see who can take a step closer to the top.
Li Jingliang
Should fight: Michael Chiesa
Why they should fight: Jingliang continued to be flawless on home soil when he snapped the winning streak of Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos with a thrilling third-round TKO. “The Leech” is now 7-1 in his past eight UFC fights, and that record should warrant something big.
At this point Jingliang is the most successful male UFC fighter to come out of China, and with the UFC looking to capitalize on the market, it seems even more likely he will receive a meaningful opportunity.
The upper tier of the welterweight division is something of a chaotic mess, but there should be room for Jingliang to get an opponent with some name value. Chiesa (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) is not ranked at this time, however, he is a winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series and is a well-known commodity to fans. Moreover, Chiesa’s grappling-heavy style presents a contrasting challenge to Jingliang than what he just faced against a striker in dos Santos.
Weili Zhang
Should fight: Tatiana Suarez
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Zhang should fight Suarez next for her first 115-pound title defense.
