The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) made it’s inaugral trip to Glasgow, Scotland, UK this past Saturday for UFC Fight Night 72: Bisping vs Leites. With the solid night of scraps now behind us, let’s take a some potential match-ups featuring a few of the competitors from the Scotish evening… Joe Duffy vs Leandro Silva The Irishman is now 2-0 inside the Octagon with a pair of first round finishes and I think an opponent who makes sense for his next outing would be Silva, who currently enjoys a three fight undefeated streak. I think this is a pairing that makes sense for 155-pounders and I see it as a step up in competition for both fighters. I could see this scrap being booked for the UFC’s upcoming trip to Ireland this October. Paddy Holohan vs Ryan Benoit Holohan just made it two in a row with a unanimous decision win over Vaughan Lee at this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 72 in Glasgow and he too will be hoping to get on the UFC’s upcoming Ireland card this October. An opponent who would make for a good match-up against him, in my opinion, is Ryan Benoit, given he has healed up from the injuries suffered in his last bout, where he defeated Sergio Pettis via second round knockout in a big upset. I think Holohan vs Benoit would make for an incredibly entertaining fight in the UFC’s flyweight division and I for one would not date miss it, as it would be a true ‘Fight of the Night’ contender. Jimmie Rivera vs Thomas de Almeida Rivera made his long-awaited UFC debut at this past Saturday’s UFC FIght Night 72 in Glasgow, where he knocked out Marcus Brimage in the very first round of action to extend his winning streak to 15. I think a great fight and a step-up in competition for him for his next outing would be to pair him up with de Almeida, who is undefeated at 20-0; most recently having knocked out Brad Pickett with a flying knee in the second round of their bout at UFC 189 earlier this month. He is now 3-0 in the UFC, and while Rivera is not a big name, I think he would be a step up in competition for de Almeida, as well, and I think the two would put on a very entertaining show for the fans. Regardless of the outcome to this contest, I think it will be one that leaves fight fans satisfied. I think this should be the fight that kicks off the main card for October’s UFC 192 in Houston. Stevie Ray vs Jon Tuck Ray defeated Leonardo Mafra via knockout in the first round of action on the main card of this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 72 in Glasgow. It was the promotion’s inaugral trip to Scotland and the hometown hero came through with flying colors, despite heading into the bout with injuries. The Scot is now 2-0 in the UFC with two TKO finishes and I think a match-up that makes sense as a next move for him is one with Tuck, who most recently returned to the win column with a first round rear naked choke submission win over Tae Hyun Bang. I think Ray vs Tuck would be a solid pairing in the UFC’s lightweight division and could see it contending for the evening’s ‘Fight of the Night’ honors, regardless of the card it is placed on. If healed in time from his injuries, this is another fight that would fit well on the upcoming fight night card in Ireland this October.
