UFC Fight Night 50 Aftermath: Where Do They Go From Here?
UFC Fight Night 50 Aftermath: Where Do They Go From Here?
Last night’s UFC Fight Night 50 on Fox was anything short of amazing. What made this even better was the card being stacked with talent and free for the fans. The match makers at UFC have put together great fight night cards over the summer with memorable matches. As we are now in the aftermath, we now ask, where do last night’s competitors go from here? My MMA News breaks down the card from the main event down.
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza not only remains perfect in the UFC (4-0) and continue on a seven-fight winning streak, he got redemption over Gegard Mousasi, when Mousasi won their first match in the Dream promotion back in 2008. Jacare dominated Mousasi in the rematch and showed that he is ready for a title contention (pending no out of the ordinary post fight incidents, like a failed drug test or injury). Ronaldo Souza vs. Chris Weidman/Vitor Belfort winner (middleweight championship)
Gergard Mousasi falls to 2-2 in his UFC employment, but hardly in danger of being released. Mousasi is still a top 10 contender in the UFC and he could easily string together an impressive 3-4 fight win streak and earn a potential title shot in the future. Mousasi is in a very deep and talented middleweight division, and he could face many opponents. Mousasi will most likely face another tough opponent if he wants to remain significant in this (already mentioned) stacked division. Gegard Mousasi vs. loser of Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping
Ben Rothwell pulled off a huge win over a big name in Allistair Overeem. Rothwell now has back-to-back TKO wins in the UFC and added value to his stock. Rothwell could face another heavyweight who emerged victorious in Matt Mitrione, who now has back-to-back knockout victories. Ben Rothwell vs. Matt Mitrione
Alistair Overeem has been on a decline, now losing three of his last four fights in the UFC (all by way of TKO). Even with this disappointing setback for Overeem, his name is still popular and he could be brought back for another shot. He will most likely drop from the top 10 status (was at number seven before last night’s fight). Alistair Overeem vs. Shawn Jordan
Joe Lauzon has won back-to-back and is heating up again. Lauzon is always entertaining and leads the UFC with fight night awards (13 total). Lauzon could fight another winner from tonight’s card like Al Iaquinta. This fight would be a good match up for another Fight Night event. Joe Lauzon vs. Al Iaquinta
Michael Chiesa lost to a very talented opponent, and this should not hurt him in the job safety. Chiesa is very young at 26 and now has a record of 11-2 (4-2 in the UFC). Chiesa will not be in talks of a title shot anytime soon, that doesn’t mean he won’t have the opportunity to build up to a top ranking contender. Chiesa has a high finishing percentage (eight of his 11 wins by submission), which also helps keep him relevant in the eyes of Dana White, who always wants to see his employees go for the finish. Michael Chiesa vs. Ross Pearson
John Moraga improves to 15-3 overall and 4-2 in the UFC with a submission victory over Justin Scoggins. Being in the top five in the flyweight division, it would only make sense to fight another top competitor to keep in the title hunt. Moraga should fight Jussier Formiga, another top contender (#4 overall) who also just won in August. John Moraga vs. Jussier Scroggins
Justin Scoggins has now lost back-to-back after starting his career 11-0. Scoggins is 1-2 in the UFC, another loss may cause a release from the UFC. The young fighter (age 22) still has time on his side to rebound from this slide and stay in the organization. An interesting match up would be against another fighter with a need for a win like Mike Easton. Justin Scoggins vs. Mike Easton
Al Iaquinta bounces back nicely after a TKO loss to Mitch Clarke. Iaquinta is now 9-3 overall, 4-2 in the UFC. A fight against Joe Lauzon (as mentioned earlier) would make sense. Al Iaquinta vs. Joe Lauzon
Rodrigo Damm loses again, dropping to 3-3 in the organization, and could possibly be released by the roster (overall record: 12-8). If Dana White gives him another opportunity, it will most likely be against a new comer, or an up and coming fighter winning fights and building up a streak. Rodrigo Damm vs. Beneil Dariush
Rafael Natal desperately needed this win to avoid a three-fight skid along with a possible release. Natal winning a close split decision win over Chris Cammozi. Natal should fight another newer UFC comer like Chris Dempsey, who made his debut as a late replacement at 205 against Ilir Latifi at UFC in Ireland. Dempsey normally fights at 185, this would be a good fight between both with a full training camp. Rafael Natal vs. Chris Dempsey
Chris Camozzi now loses four straight fights. The UFC usually lets fighters go after so many losses, then again, there is always that last chance on fighters who always give it their all every fight (Dan Hardy comes to mind, losing four straight and then being welcomed back for one last chance). If Camozzi is brought back, it would be nice to see him fight against another pure striker to get a stand up war going. Chris Camozzi vs. Clifford Starks
Chris Beal wins his second UFC bout, now 2-0 in the octagon and still undefeated at 10-0. Beal is still working his way up the bantamweight ranks and has ways to go, with his talents though he can do it. A good test against a tough opponent like George Roop would be good for his resume, if he would win that bout it would be three straight in the UFC and a potential shot against a top 15 guy. Chris Beal vs. George Roop
Tateki Matsuda loses his debut in the UFC and falls to 10-6 overall. Matsuda should get another shot in the UFC and perhaps we could see him in a card overseas. It would be nice to see him against another guy who only had the chance to fight once in the UFC, like Dustin Kimura. Tateki Matsuda vs. Dustin Kimura
Chas Skelly makes it back-to-back wins in the UFC after losing his debut to Mirsad Bektic. “The Scrapper” could gather a third straight victory and attempt to amass a nice win streak in the UFC and move up to main cards. A tough challenge would be against another up and comer in the 8-0 Niklas Backstrom. Chas Skelly vs. Niklas Backstrom
Sean Soriano started 8-0 in his career, and has now lost both fights in the UFC going 0-2. Next fight will be all or nothing and needs a win bad. Sean Soriano vs. Alan Omer