The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was in Nashville, TN for the fourth time in promotional history last Saturday (April 22, 2017) with UFC Fight Night 108: Swanson vs. Lobov. It was an entertaining night of action that saw six of 13 bouts end inside the distance, and with the scraps now in our rear view, let’s take a look at some potential matchups featuring a few of the competitors…
Mike Perry vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
“Platinum” Mike Perry defeated Jake Ellenberger via come-from-behind knockout in the second round of their main card bout after being outclassed in the first. The victory puts him back in the win column following the first official loss of his pro career, which came via unanimous decision against Alan Jouban this past December at UFC on FOX 23 in Sacramento. There are several good potential opponents for Perry’s next outing, such as Gunnar Nelson and Kamaru Usman, but the fight I think would produce most fireworks is Perry versus Ponzinibbio. The Argentinian is coming off a unanimous-decision victory against Nordine Taleb for UFC Fight Night 105 a couple months ago and currently enjoys a four-fight winning streak inside the Octagon. I think Perry versus Ponzinibbio would be a “Fight of the Night” contender regardless of the card it is on. Speaking of which, I think it would be a solid fit to kick off the main card for August’s UFC 214 in Anaheim, CA.
John Dodson vs. Iuri Alcantara
Dodson took a narrow unanimous decision call over veteran Eddie Wineland this past weekend and finds himself back in the win column at 135 pounds after dropping a unanimous decision to John Lineker. For his next outing inside the Octagon, I would like to see him take on Brazilian veteran Alcantara, who is coming off a big come-from-behind second-round kneebar submission of Luke Sanders and currently rides a two-fight winning streak in the UFC. I think Dodson versus Alcantara makes for a solid matchup in the UFC’s bantamweight division, and I believe it is a pairing that makes sense for both fighters. I think this potential 135-pound contest would be a solid fit for the main card to July’s TUF 25 Finale in Las Vegas.
Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Moreno versus Pantoja would be a rematch of a bout the pair shared on the last season of The Ultimate Fighter, in which Moreno was winning until getting caught in a submission. Pantoja came out on top on the reality television series, but it is the Mexican who has made more of an impact so far inside the Octagon, going 3-0 in the UFC with two finishes. Despite the Brazilian being victorious in their initial meeting, he is ranked 14th in the UFC’s 125-pound division while Moreno is above him at 10th. I think this is a matchup that makes a lot of sense for both fighters, especially considering how close and entertaining their first battle was. This potential flyweight scrap would make a solid addition on either of the aforementioned TUF 25 Finale in July in Vegas or August’s UFC 214 in Anaheim.
