Matches to Make After UFC on ABC 4
Lev PisarskyMay 13, 2023
UFC on ABC 4 was headlined by an old-school striker versus grappler matchup in the heavyweight division. On one side was Brazilian grappler Jailton Almeida, who began his Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure at light heavyweight. He has gone 4-0 in the UFC, all finishes, yet had never thrown a single standing punch. All of his fights had gone exactly the same way; Almeida throws a front kick to the head or two, shoots in quickly, uses it to grapple against the cage, gets the takedown, hits a mat return or two if necessary, then moves to mount and either pounds his opponent out, or, if they give up the back, quickly locks in a rear-naked choke. It's a flowchart, yet no opponent had been able to stop it.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik, meanwhile, is a Suriname striker who avoids every form of grappling like the plague. A ranked contender for the past few years, his recent fortunes have been more mixed. He has gone 2-3 since the start of 2021; losing a clear decision to Ciryl Gane, knocking out Augusto Sakai at the end of the first round, being dominated by Curtis Blaydes' wrestling for 15 minutes, getting knocked out by Alexander Volkov in a little over 2 minutes, and lastly, needing just 23 seconds to record a knockout of his own against Chris Daukaus.
As in the early UFCs, the grappler won, and in this case, easily. Almeida got the takedown seconds into the fight, with Rozenstruik clumsily retreating straight back instead of angling off. On top, Almeida calmly got to half-guard, then his beloved mount, and as he started raining ground-and-pound, Rozenstruik gave up his back and yet again, Almeida sunk in a rear-naked choke. Just like his last four UFC outings.
In the co-main, former title challenger Anthony Smith returned to face Johnny Walker. Smith had his three-fight winning streak, all stoppages, against Devin Clark, Jimmy Crute, and Ryan Spann snapped last year when Magomed Ankalaev stopped him with ground-and-pound in the second round. Walker, meanwhile, was riding a two-fight winning streak after having previously lost 4 of 5, having recorded a rare submission triumph over Ion Cutelaba followed by a knockout of Paul Craig. Both men engaged in a full-blooded, all-out war for all 15 minutes. However, it was the Brazilian who got the better of it, repeatedly battering and frequently hurting Smith, nearly knocking him out in the first and third stanzas. He garnered a clear unanimous decision.
In other significant action, Ian Garry proved he is a major talent at welterweight as the 25 year-old needed only half a round to demolish tough ranked veteran Daniel Rodriguez with a gorgeous head kick and follow-up punches. He is now 5-0 in the UFC, including three knockouts.
With the event over, the following matchups suggest themselves:
It's clear that in order for a fighter to have a chance against Almeida, they need to be a good grappler. However, Almeida has yet to face anyone close to that level. Thus, why not No. 8 Serghei Spivac, himself an excellent grappler? This will tell us a lot about both men, as 28 year-old Spivac is also on the rise, having won three in a row by stoppage, including decimating Derrick Lewis in his first main event in February of this year. This will also give us a chance to see Almeida's striking, as well as how far Spivac has come in that area. This may not be a thrilling fight, but it's a highly intriguing one that will tell us a lot about both each prospect.
Rakic is currently ranked No. 4 and hasn't fought since losing due to a leg injury to former champion Jan Blachowicz last year. A perfect fight back would be against Walker, who just defeated No. 5 ranked Anthony Smith (a fighter Rakic clearly beat, too.) The loser will still be a Top 10 UFC light heavyweight, while the winner could be very close to a title shot. Additionally, this could be a spectacular showdown. The 6' 5” Rakic is one of the most dynamic strikers at light heavyweight, with perhaps the very best kicks in the entire division. That includes a cannon of a head kick, which he used to retire Jimi Manuwa in 47 seconds of the first round. The 6' 5” Walker is also an electrifying striker, and both Rakic and Walker are willing to throw caution to the wind to make for an amazing showdown. As further proof of this, consider that both Rakic and Walker have spinning backfist knockouts on their records.
Yeah, I know Garry called out Neil Magny. However, he may not be aware that Magny is already scheduled to face Philip Rowe next month. Rather than waiting and hoping Magny is victorious, how about meeting a foe who has a similar ranking and defeated Magny in early 2020? No. 12 ranked Chiesa will be a great test of Garry's grappling capabilities. In case he loses, it's no big deal, as Garry is only 25 and has plenty of time to improve. If he wins, it's a sign that he is ready to be a serious welterweight title contender and can face anyone. It could also be a fun affair, as Chiesa's grappling is anything but boring, constantly going for submissions and improving position, while Garry will have a large striking edge and could wreck his opponent at any time.