Matchmaker Monday following UFC Brasilia – What’s next?
The crowd was going wild on Saturday at UFC Brasilia …oh wait…there was nobody in attendance.
Kudos to the UFC for putting on the event, while everyone else was cancelling sporting events due to the coronavirus. The best part about the UFC not canceling was all eyes were on the mixed martial arts on Saturday.
For everyone that tuned in Saturday, they got to witness a great fight card and watched Charles Oliveira continue to look impressive at lightweight. Let’s find out what’s next for some of the fighters from this past weekends UFC Brasilia fight night on this Matchmaker Monday.
Charles Olivera
Result: defeated Kevin Lee by third-round submission
Next: Paul Felder
Olivera is a roll at lightweight. This win over Lee improves him to 8-1 at 155 pounds. Do you recall who he lost too? It was Paul Felder.
Not only does this fight make sense from a rankings stand point, but I’m sure Olivera would like to avenge his only loss in the division. If he were to get a win over Felder, then he’ll be in line for a huge fight in the UFC’s deepest division.
The only thing that would prevent this fight would be the amount of time Felder will be out after his war with Dan Hooker.
Kevin Lee
Result: lost to Charles Oliveira by third-round submission
Next: Anthony Pettis
Bad weekend for Lee. First he misses weight and then he loses to Olivera. The loss killed all the momentum that he gained in November.
I like Lee’s next fight to be against Pettis for a few reasons. They’re both big names so they can headline a fight night, or be on the undercard of a pay per view. They’re also both coming off losses. The thing I like most about this fight, is that it can take place at either lightweight or welterweight.
Gilbert Burns
Result: defeated Demian Maia by first-round TKO
Next: Loser of Tyron Woodley and Leon Edwards (if that fight happens)
Huge victory for Burns and now he’s in the mix of things at 170-pounds. He wants Covington badly, but so does everyone because he’s the money fight at welterweight.
There’s a lot of possible options at welterweight right now and I’m not sure if Burns as put himself into a possible to get one of the big name studs.
If he’s going to get a big name I see it being the loser of Woodley and Edwards. Only problem is that fight is now off due to the coronavirus and it’s uncertain what’s happening with the fighters on that card now that their event was cancelled.
