UFC 193 came and went, producing one of the most shocking nights in mixed martial arts history. The night of shock and awe is now in our rear-view, and with that in mind, let’s take a look at some potential match-ups featuring some of the competitors from the evening… Ryan Benoit vs Paddy Holohan I think this would be a very entertaining fight in the UFC’s flyweight division. Both fighters are coming off losses and will be desperately looking to get back into he win column. Benoit was submitted by rear naked choke in the first round against Ben Nguyen at last night’s UFC 193 in Australia, and Holohan suffered a second round submission last month against Louis Smolka. Stylistically, I think these 125-pounders will put on a fun scrap, for however long it lasts. I think this potential bout would be a solid fit for either the preliminary card of February’s UFC Fight Night 83 in London or March’s UFC Fight Night 84 in Australia. Ben Nguyen vs Sergio Pettis Nguyen defeated Benoit, who defeaed Pettis in his previous fight. Since that bout, Pettis has gone on to win a unanimous decision over veteran Chris Cariaso and is looking to make it two in a row at 125-pounds. I think a pairing of Nguyen and Pettis would be a fantastic one, and even though Nguyen beat a guy who beat Pettis, I would guess Pettis would still be heavily favored in this potential flyweight scrap. Regardless of the outcome, I think these two would produce an entertaining war if pitted against each other inside the Octagon. I think this would be a real barn burner in the UFC’s flyweight division and it is a fight I would be happy to see booked for a future fight card. I think it would be a great fit for the main card of the aforementioned UFC Fight Night 84 in Australia, which was announced yesterday by Dana White at the post-fight press conference for Melbourne’s UFC 193. Stefan Struve vs Bigfoot Silva This is a heavyweight fight between two veterans not many would be interested in seeing, but it is in fact a fight that makes a lot of sense. They are name fighters whose flames are starting to die down, which is a shame to say about Struve, considering he is only 27 years of age. Both big men suffered defeats on the main card of last night’s UFC 193 in Australia, where Bigfoot was knocked out by Mark Hunt in the first round and Struve dropped a unanimous decision to Jared Roshot. They were coming off recent wins and hoping to string together two, but sadly came up short. Even though I wouldn’t be thrilled about it, I think this potential heavyweight scrap would be a good fit for the main card of March’s UFC 196 in Silva’s native Brazil. Robert Whittaker vs Derek Brunson I think this would make for an excellent match-up in the UFC’s middleweight division and would certainly be a scrap I would not dare miss. Both fighters have been incredible and showing constant improvement, so in an effort to continue climbing the UFC’s 185-pound latter, I would like to see them pitted against each other. Not only do I think this fight would produce fireworks, but I think it is pairing that makes a world of sense. Whittaker just took a unanimous decision over Uriah Hall last night and now enjoys a five fight winning streak, including four wins at 185-pounds. Brunson rides a three fight winning streak, last scoring a first round TKO of Sam Alvey three months ago. Both middleweights are making noise in the division and I think this is the perfect time to put them against each other inside the Octagon. I think this scrap would be a great fit as the co-main event for the aforementioned UFC Fight Night 84 in Brisbane, Australia.
