Matches to Make After UFC Austin
Lev PisarskyDec 02, 2023
The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s final 2023 card broadcast fully on “The Mothership” ended up being one of the promotion’s best of any variety. This was not only due to a much higher caliber of matchups but also the furious action of the fights themselves, with many sudden, sensational finishes.
In the UFC on ESPN 52 main event, elite lightweight contenders collided when Beneil Dariush faced Arman Tsarukyan. Since a surprising loss to Mateusz Gamrot in 2022, Tsarukyan had bounced back with emphatic wins over Damir Ismagulov and Joaquim Silva. Dariush, meanwhile, had his 8-fight winning streak, the last a victory over that same Gamrot after he had beaten Tsarukyan, snapped in June of this year when Charles Oliveira knocked him out late in Round 1. Though a tantalizing fight, it was the younger man who prevailed over the veteran, and far faster than anyone could imagine. Not known as a knockout puncher, Tsarukyan caught Dariush with a big right cross and pounded him out in just 64 seconds.
In the co-main, Bobby Green challenged Jalin Turner at lightweight. Green, at 37 years old, was enjoying arguably the greatest success of his career. He had submitted Tony Ferguson before knocking out Grant Dawson in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in just 33 seconds. Turner, meanwhile, had lost two split decisions to a row, the last to Dan Hooker, and was a late replacement for Hooker himself. However, it was the younger Turner who crashed through with a monstrous right hand and then a litany of completely unnecessary ground-and-pound halfway through the first, as referee Kerry Hatley perplexingly let an unconscious Green continue to be battered. Regardless, it's a much-needed win for the 28-year-old contender.
In other action, former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo moved up to bantamweight to face top contender and elite striker Rob Font. This was also his first fight Figueiredo had against someone other than Brandon Moreno in over three years. The Brazilian legend didn't appear concerned, using an excellent mix of striking and grappling to take all three rounds for a clear unanimous decision.
Lastly, Kelvin Gastelum returned to welterweight to face Sean Brady. Gastelum was coming off a big win at middleweight against Chris Curtis while Brady was back for the first time after suffering the first loss of his career over a year ago. Despite this, it was Brady who dominated, repeatedly taking Gastelum down and dominating him on the floor before finishing with a kimura early in the third frame.
Here are four fights I hope will occur in 2024:
A difficult choice, as a solid argument could also be made for the rematch between Tsarukyan and UFC lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev. However, I would rather see fresh matchups in Makhachev facing Justin Gaethje and besides, I think Tsarukyan against recent champion and No. 1 ranked Oliveira is even more intriguing. Both men are superb grapplers who have also developed excellent striking. Oliveira is more well-known in that regard, but Tsarukyan showed his own prowess in an even faster dismantling of Darish. This would be a huge matchup, good enough to be the co-main of a pay-per-view, and the winner would undeniably deserve a title shot.
What is better than two of the best lightweight strikers going at it with Turner, ranked No. 12 before his thunderous knockout of Green, taking on No. 7 ranked Fiziev? There would be electricity during every moment of the fight, not knowing if either man is about to uncork a highlight reel knockout. Will the 6' 3” Turner deliver a fearsome knockout punch or will the masterful Fiziev knock him out with a spinning wheel kick? Beyond the excitement, it's an important fight for both men, with the winner getting back in the mix of top lightweight title contenders.
Yan has one of the most deceiving recent records in all of MMA. He lost his bantamweight title on a split decision to Aljamain Sterling that could have gone either way, then clearly won all three rounds against Sean O'Malley, only to be the victim of a split decision that was Sherdog's 2022 Robbery of the Year. Finally, he dropped a decision to Merab Dvalishvili, the only clear defeat of the bunch. I want to see the No. 5 ranked bantamweight Yan come back in a big fight against a great champion like Figueiredo. Both men are among the best, most dynamic strikers in all of MMA, with genuine knockout power in their fists and even feet. Both men are also excellent grapplers, though Figueiredo may well have the advantage in that regard. Regardless, this is a spectacular showdown that could not only be a fight of the year candidate but one of the best fights of the year. As a bonus, the winner immediately becomes a top bantamweight title contender. Not that this seems to matter with O'Malley as champion, as he is facing a No. 6 Vera coming off a one-sided loss.
Having just turned 31 years old, solidly ranked in the Top 10, and being a phenomenal grappler, Brady deserves another crack at a top contender. I'm curious how he would do against the 37-year-old former title challenger Burns. Would Brady's grappling find success against the Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend, or would he be forced to stand? And if so, how much chance would Brady have against Burns, a fighter who has had plenty of striking success and knockouts in his career? This would be a crowd-pleasing fight, and tell us a lot about Brady. Additionally, it would tell us how much Burns has left, and whether there is one more big fight left in his career.