UFC Beijing was exactly the event it was supposed to be. Which is to say that it showcased a lot of quality regional talent in front of hometown fans and it got a few exciting showcase opportunities for some rising stars and some heavyweight top talent badly in need of a win. What it didn’t do, however, was give any momentum to potential new title challengers in the 265 lb division.
So, What does the UFC do with Francis Ngannou and Alistair Overeem? Where does Curtis Blaydes go from here? And will Li Jingliang ever make the jump from regional action talent to top welterweight contender?
To answer all these questions – and more – I’ll be using the classic Joe Silva/Sean Shelby fight booking method from years past. That means pitting winners against winners, losers against losers, and similarly tenured talent against one another. If you’d like to take your own crack at making some must see bouts, leave a comment below starting with, “Go in the back, drink some water, hope I don’t throw up. That was a rough one.” I’ll pick one winner from the responses to join me for the next event.
This week’s winner is BE reader ‘MegaMax’ (aka Max Pappin):
Hey BE, my name is Max Pappin and this will be my third time selecting the fights to make – always a great reprieve from studying for exams. Thanks to Zane for the platform. Without further ado, here are the fights to make from UFC Beijing.
FRANCIS NGANNOU
Max – With his second stoppage victory over Curtis Blaydes, Ngannou reminded everyone of the power he exemplified in his initial title run. This victory also snapped his two fight losing streak and likely establishes him as the number three contender in the division. Having lost to the two men in front of him, Ngannou will likely next be paired with someone ranked below him. While a matchup with the winner of JDS/Tuivasa seems to be the logical next step, I see concern in losing either Ngannou or Tuivasa as a contender in a division in desperate need of them. Instead, I’ll break the winner vs. winner model and pair Ngannou with Alexander Volkov in what will likely be a fun striking affair that pushes one of them back into the title picture.
Zane – There aren’t many top-o-the-division fights that make much sense for Ngannou right now. Lewis? Nobody wants to see that. Miocic? The first one wasn’t that close. Overeem? Same problem, different angle. Volkov, who Ngannou called out? Just coming off a crushing loss, sorry. And Stipe has to be ahead of Ngannou in line for DC, right? That leaves two options. If Junior dos Santos beats Tai Tuivasa next week, make that fight. No question. Ngannou wants it. I’m sure JDS would want it. Easy booking. If Tuivasa wins? Maybe pump those breaks a moment, and instead hook the ‘Predator’ up with Oleksiy Oliynyk instead. It’s a tough fight for the Russo-Ukranian, but Ngannou’s grappling just might be bad enough to shock the world, and the UFC might as well give Oliynyk a chance to make an improbable run. Still, Francis Ngannou vs. Junior Dos Santos (off a win) is clearly the best possible option.
CURTIS BLAYDES
Max – This defeat must truly sting for Blaydes, as he was essentially the most deserving heavyweight for a title shot prior to Ngannou starching him. There are a number of other heavyweight contenders coming off of losses, so Blaydes could easily find himself in the hunt once again. I personally like a matchup with Stipe Miocic because it’ll provide Blaydes with a new problem that he must solve, as his previous three foes were primarily strikers. I have my reservations on the matchup getting made because there is a possibility that Miocic gets a rematch with Champ-Champ Daniel Cormier – if bouts with either Lesnar or Jones don’t pan out. However, I’ll pick with the likelihood of one of those matches being made for Cormier. Blaydes vs Miocic is an intriguing heavyweight bout.
Zane – What a momentum killer for Blaydes. On the cusp of title contention, only to have it ripped from his grasp by the same man who handed him his first pro loss. As long as Ngannou can stay on form, it may take Stipe Miocic regaining the belt to put Blaydes in easy reach of bypassing the Cameroonian. In the meantime, Derrick Lewis and Alexander Volkov both just lost convincingly, and both would make fine fights for Blaydes – if not one another as well. Considering Lewis’ stature as the most recent title contender, that seems like the more prestigious booking. Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis to see who can keep treading water at the top of 265.
ALISTAIR OVEREEM
Max – Overeem was very tactful in his demolition of undefeated prospect Sergey Pavlovich. He utilized great knees to the body from the clinch while against the cage until he was able to secure top position and pound out the victory. Overeem has fought a significant number of the top contenders in the heavyweight division, but a fresh matchup with another hard hitter is readily available. Enter Derrick Lewis. While this once again breaks the model of winner vs winner, it provides both men with an opportunity to jump right back to the front of the line in an extremely shallow heavyweight division. Overeem vs Lewis is a must.
Zane – A powerhouse return to form for Alistair Overeem, right at a time he desperately needed it. He still doesn’t look like the same shockingly quick power-striker he once was, but he looked a lot more prepared to mix it up in the trenches against another huge heavyweight than his last couple fights. I know it’s winner vs. loser, but considering Overeem’s two previous losses, I think Alexander Volkov would be an absolutely perfect next fight right now. The towering Russian still isn’t any kind of great wrestler offensively or defensively and while he’s tough and consistent standing, he rarely puts together the kind of power to stop people cold. That should make for a fascinating, technical fight. And give Overeem a chance to show off his takedown game again. Alistair Overeem vs. Alexander Volkov is a great fight at heavyweight right now.
SONG YADONG
Max – Not even 21 years old and Yadong has strung together three straight wins in three UFC appearances. The UFC will likely want to build Yadong up slowly as his skillset and age indicate that he could eventually be one of the breakout stars for the Chinese market. With that in mind, bouts with either Andre Soukhamthath or Merab Dvalishvili appear to be the next step in the right direction. Since I’m not sure the UFC will want to pit their Chinese prospect against a grinder like Dvalishvili, I’ll choose the bout with Soukhamthath who will likely mix it up with the youngster.
Zane – Morales wasn’t as easy as Yadong’s last two bouts, but the fight still presented a clear-cut decision win for the young prospect out of China. He has all the makings of a future title contender, and bantamweight has no shortage of opportunities to prove as much. If the UFC wants to rush him, Cody Stamann and Alejandro Perez are hanging out around the lower end of the rankings, but both have already proved themselves capable of real hype-killing. Jose Alberto Quinonez is probably the most natural step forward without diving in too deep or taking on another potential top prospect, but I’d watch the hell out of Yadong vs. Ricardo Ramos, Manny Bermudez, Cory Sandhagen, or Ricky Simon. Jose Alberto Quinonez vs. Song Yadong is option A. Ricky Simon is an excellent option B.
LI JINGLIANG
Max – Jingliang has quietly become a force to be reckoned with at 170 pounds, having overcome an early knockdown to dispatch David Zawada with a lead side kick to the body. He has now won six out of his last seven, with his one setback being to Aussie prospect Jake Matthews. A bit of a step up in competition is likely warranted and possible bouts with veterans James Krause or Bryan Barberena fit that bill quite well. However, a matchup with Vicente Luque is one that just cannot be passed up. Both are powerful strikers with sneaky grappling and are similarly placed in the stacked Welterweight division. This match will show us who can make the next leap up the ladder.
Zane – The ‘Leech’ has had a few key losses at a few key junctures that have just perfectly stopped him gaining the kind of hype and recognition you might expect for a KO artist with 8 wins in the stacked welterweight division. Still, he keeps winning, and keeps proving that he’s one of the division’s most entertaining talents to watch. Fights against Sergio Moraes or Court McGee would pit him firmly against another under-the-radar tough out. But, those aren’t action fights. When Elizeu Zaleski returns from injury that fight would be fire. Otherwise James Krause, Jordan Mein, and Michel Prazeres would all make great fights. Instead though, I’ll say pit him up against Vicente Luque. The Brazilian has proved to be a top-class banger and is on a hell of a run. Luque and Jingliang would be sure to put on a nail-biting technical war for as long as it lasted.
WEILI ZHANG
Max – Another Chinese fighter with incredible potential, Weili announced herself as one to keep an eye on. She battered Jessica Aguilar before showing some slick transitions leading to ultimately submitting Aguilar with an armbar. As one of only two women to stop Aguilar, Weili is on the fast track to the top of the division and a bout with JJ Aldrich seems to be a reasonable step up. Both women have demonstrated promise in their winning streaks and the victor could very well become a contender in the strawweight division.
Zane – Weili Zhang is putting proof to concept that some of the prospects the UFC has been picking up over in China in recent years are, in fact, really really good. The 18-1 strawweight may not have had the most thrilling fight with Danielle Taylor in her debut, but confronted with former consensus no. 1 talent Jessica Aguilar, she blew the doors off the seasoned veteran on her way to a bloody first round stoppage. I wouldn’t at all mind seeing her face another prospect like Mackenzie Dern, Livia Renata Souza, or JJ Aldrich next. Even a fight with Cynthia Calvillo may not be too much too soon. Instead, though, I’ll say put her in with Cortney Casey. Casey’s size, power, and aggressive grappling will present an interesting test, while still giving Weili a clear path to win and get ranked. The other fights above would all be great, but it feels like they’ll all come in time. Weili Zhang vs. Cortney Casey gets my vote.
KEVIN HOLLAND
Max – There’s a certain type of swagger that Holland carries that intrigues me. He purposefully chose to stand and trade for the first two rounds with a fighter, in Phillips, whose only chance to win the fight was through striking. In the third round, he came to his senses and took Phillips down and easily out-grappled him before sinking in the choke for the finish. Holland’s use of long range weapons and mid-fight banter make him an interesting watch for the future. I like a matchup between him and fellow Contender Series alum Karl Roberson who utilizes a similar rangy striking game complimented by solid grappling skills.
Zane – Holland has all the tools to be a longtime action fighter at middleweight and he’s quickly become someone worth showing up for, win or lose. There are plenty of quality fights to make, then, at the bottom of 185. If not to test his skills, then just to have a good time and watch things get weird in the cage. Fights against Ian Heinisch, Trevin Giles, Karl Roberson, or Abu Azaitar would all work. But, I’m going to go with another funky fighter who just had a dominant debut, Khalid Murtazaliev. The Dagestani crushed CB Dollaway back in September, but has some severe limitations standing. Holland would have to mind his wrestling, but would have a lot of openings at range. Kevin Holland vs. Khalid Murtazaliev sounds like a good time.
LOUIS SMOLKA
Max – Smolka made a triumphant return to the octagon with a second round armbar over a very game Su Mudaerji. Smolka exhibited a very impressive top game before locking in the fight ending submission, however, he had to fight quite hard to get the fight to that position. With that in mind, I’m curious to see how he will deal with the size of some of the other bantamweights in the future. For now, I believe a steady progression to answering that question is most appropriate. A matchup with fellow former flyweight Mark de la Rosa is the the fight to make as de la Rosa is well versed on the mat and the matchup provides both fighters with more time to better acclimate their bodies to fighting at 135 pounds.
Zane – I enjoy watching Smolka fight, but I’m not sure there’s a lot of to glean from slow-playing him at this point in his career. Even at only 27, ‘Da Last Samurai’ is a 6 year MMA vet with 20 pro bouts, 11 in the UFC. He should be right in the prime of his career. Beating the Su Mudaerjis of the world just doesn’t prove much. There aren’t a lot of fights up the ladder at 135 that look like easy matchups, but there is at least one where I’d be fascinated to see how Smolka could handle the pressure: Rani Yahya. The Brazilian grappler has put together one of the division’s most impressive and under-recognized records, with a style largely predicated on a crushing grappling game. Smolka wouldn’t be the step up that Yahya wants right now, but it seems apparent that that step just isn’t coming. Louis Smolka vs. Rani Yahya is my fight.
OTHER BOUTS: Pavlovich vs. Wieczorek, Morales vs. Kwan Ho, Zawada vs. Meek, Morono vs. Barberena, Song vs. Pedersoli, Yanan vs. Bueno Silva, Mueller vs. Robertson, Coulter vs. Stosic, Yaozong vs. Prachnio, Aguilar vs. Hill, Pingyuan vs. Bermudez, Day vs. Martinez, Xiaonan vs. Aldrich, Kondo vs. Cifers, Phillips vs. Yandiev, Mudaerji vs. Pilarte
culturesink 