· Who’s Next? UFC 127 Edition
While Canada is one of the world’s meccas of MMA, there is no doubt that the UFC has found another regular home Down Under, as UFC 127 became the second consecutive successful show for the organization in Australia. It’s pretty safe to say that we can pencil in an event for the promotion in Australia every February, and officials also hinted at a stadium show in the near future.
But, the fights were the story at UFC 127, including a No. 1 contender’s match ending in a draw and Michael Bisping’s tirade after his bout with Jorge Rivera. Matchmaker Joe Silva will be busy over the next few days as he sorts it all out, but we’re always here to help.
B.J. Penn vs. Jon Fitch II
Nobody likes to see a draw in a fight that could have been made five rounds going in, so the best thing to do is to line them up again for rounds four and five—and six if needed. Ironically, this could be the best thing to happen to the UFC, as the winner of this fight was guaranteed a title shot, despite the fact that the current champion Georges St-Pierre will most likely move up to middleweight to take on Anderson Silva if he beats Jake Shields in April. Re-doing Penn vs. Fitch would give the UFC some time to sort out the welterweight situation, and it could even serve as part of a mini-tournament if GSP does win and move up to 185.
Michael Bisping vs. Chael Sonnen
Bisping still isn’t ready to face Anderson Silva, but he is ready to finally face a legitimate top ten opponent. Chael Sonnen’s manager has already hinted that the former No. 1 contender has asked to face Bisping, and the UFC would be crazy to not make this fight. The war of words that would ensue between two of the sport’s best trash talkers could even sell as the main event of a card held in the U.K. Bisping would have to prove that he could fend off Sonnen’s wrestling to take this fight, something that U.K. fighters have had trouble doing in recent memory.
Dennis Siver vs. Jim Miller/Kamal Shalorus winner
Siver eliminated George Sotiropoulos from immediate lightweight title contention, but he threw himself into a crowded mix with the likes of Anthony Pettis, Clay Guida, Melvin Guillard, Jim Miller, and Gray Maynard. Matching Siver up with the winner of UFC 128’s Jim Miller/Kamal Shalorus bout could propel the winner of that fight into a title shot. Siver showed excellent takedown defense and boxing against Sotiropoulos, but it would be interesting to see if he can stay on his feet against a wrestler the caliber of Miller or Shalorus.
Kyle Noke vs. Nick Ring
Looking for an intriguing bout to make part of an international main card? Look no further than Noke vs. Ring, a matchup of two middleweights who both won at UFC 127. Another one of the best parts of this matchup is that both fighters are also well known in the United States after competing on “The Ultimate Fighter 11.”
Armchair matchmaker:
- Jorge Rivera vs. Alan Belcher
- George Sotiropoulos vs. Melvin Guillard
- Brian Ebersole vs. Dong Hyun Kim
- Chris Lytle vs. Mike Swick
- Chris Camozzi vs. Alexandrew Ferreira
- Ross Pearson vs. Tiequan Zhang
- Spencer Fisher vs. Takanori Gomi
- Alexander Gustaffson vs. Stephan Bonnar
- James Te Huna vs. Brandon Vera
- Riki Fukuda vs. Court McGee
Cut List: Chris Tuchscherer is just 1-3 in the UFC, and his KO loss to Mark Hunt could leave him looking for a job. Jason Reinhard and Tom Blackledge were both submitted in the first round, and while both could conceivably receive another shot, they’re both in jeopardy.
