UFC on FOX 13 produced both a strange and fun night of fights, and with all the action now behind us, let’s take a look at a few potential match-ups for some of the competitors of the evening… HEAVYWEIGHT EDITION Gabriel Gonzaga vs Mark Hunt I think this would be an excellent heavyweight match-up between two veterans of the sport. With both men suffering recent knockout losses, I think this would be the ideal next move for both as they look to bounce back into the win column. I think this would be a great fight, for however long it lasts, and considering the fact that they are amongst the biggest finishers in the division, it would be safe to assume that this one would not go the three round distance. Hunt would be a threat with his knockout power, and Gonzaga would be a threat on the mat, but also very capable of ending the fight on the feet. Hunt last faced Fabricio Werdum for the UFC interim heavyweight title in the main event of last month’s UFC 180 in Mexico City. After starting off strong and looking to be in control of the fight, he got caught with an unexpected flying knee by Werdum and went down for the TKO defeat, snapping a two fight unbeaten streak. Seeing a similar fate was Gonzaga at this past Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 13 in Phoenix, where he was defeated by Matt Mitrione via first round TKO. After a little rest, both veteran heavyweights will be looking to bounce back into the win column. I think Gonzaga vs Hunt is a potential match-up that makes a world of sense and I would like to see it on a future fight card. Junior dos Santos vs Alistair Overeem This is a heavyweight match-up that has long been talked about, having previously been booked then canceled due to injuries, but I think this is the right to again pair these two up. They are not fans of each other and have a history of threatening to knock the other out, and it would be nice to see this one beef finally settled inside the Octagon. They both competed at this past Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 13 in Phoenix, with dos Santos defeating Stipe Miocic via unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards after five hard fought rounds in the main event of the evening, and Overeem defeating fellow Dutchman Stefan Struve via first round TKO in a featured main card bout. “Cigano” took a lot of damage in his 25 minute war with Miocic and Overeem wants to take some time off, so with “The Reem” getting some rest and dos Santos healing up, I think this would be a great fight to book as a co-main event of a future Pay Per View card. Matt Mitrione vs Travis Browne Browne bounced back into the win column with a first round TKO victory over The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 veteran Brendan Schaub at last week’s UFC 181 and he will be looking to make it two in a row inside the Octagon in what he hopes will be a quick turnaround, as he has his sights set on UFC gold. There are people who think Browne should face dos Santos next, but Browne escaped his fight with no injuries and want to get back into action as soon as possible, while dos Santos needs quite some time away from the cage to recover from his five round war with Stipe Miocic. With the Brazilian unable to fill that bill, I think Mitrione makes the perfect fit, as he is coming off a first round knockout victory over Gabriel Gonzaga at this past Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 13 in Phoenix and now rides an impressive three fight winning streak with all three wins coming by way of knockout in the very first round of action. I think Browne vs Mitrione would be a tremendous match-up between arguably two of the most athletic heavyweights in the division. I think this would be an excellent match-up and one fight fans would look forward for from the moment it gets announced. Regardless of how long it lasts, I have no doubt that these big boys will deliver, so I hope to see this scrap booked on a future fight card. Stefan Struve vs Jared Rosholt I think this is a solid match-up as the next move for both of these heavyweights who each suffered recent knockout losses, with Struve dropping a first round TKO to Alistiar Overeem at this past Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 13 in Phoenix and Rosholt being knocked out in the first round of his bout with Alexei Olynyik less than a month ago. I think this would be a good fight for both men, as well as a good challenge. In an attempt to get back into the win column, I believe they will leave it all in the cage. It would be interesting to see how Rosholt’s wrestling fairs against a fighter the size of Struve, and it would also be interesting to see the Dutchman test Rosholt’s submission defense. On the feet, it could be anybody’s fight, so it would also be interesting to see them test each other’s chins, which have both been suspect in the past. Regardless of the outcome, I think this would be an entertaining fight in the UFC’s heavyweight division. I think this would be one of the fewer Jared Rosholt fights that are almost guaranteed to not be boring, as even if he finds success controlling Struve with his wrestling, I think the Dutchman will be giving him trouble the entire time. This is another heavyweight contest I would love to see booked for a future fight card, after they both serve their post-knockout medical suspensions.
