Matches to Make After UFC Fight Night 195

While Norma Dumont’s latest outing was neither aesthetically beautiful nor particularly memorable, results trump all in a results-driven world.

An educated jab, stellar takedown defense and unwavering tactical commitment carried the Brazilian to a unanimous decision over Aspen Ladd in the UFC Fight Night 195 main event, where she inched ever closer to contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s featherweight division on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Dumont swept the scorecards with 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 marks from the cageside judges.

A short-notice substitution for the injured Holly Holm, Ladd was plagued by inactivity and seemingly stuck between phases throughout the 25-minute encounter. Dumont outlanded her by a 113-86 margin in total strikes and connected with nearly twice as many significant strikes (65-33) across five tepid rounds. She also denied all five of Ladd’s attempted takedowns—a development that allowed her to further explore and exploit her advantages on the feet.

In the aftermath of UFC Fight Night “Ladd vs. Dumont,” here are four matches that ought to be made:

Norma Dumont vs. Holly Holm: The 31-year-old Dumont now finds herself on a three-fight winning streak inside the UFC’s shallowest division, where reigning champion Amanda Nunes has operated without peer since she obliterated Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino in December 2018. However, her successful but underwhelming performance against Ladd likely keeps her on the outside looking in when it comes to challenging for the 145-pound crown. Perhaps that leaves room to revisit the pairing with Holm, who wields the kind of name recognition Dumont sorely needs in an opponent. “The Preacher’s Daughter” has not competed since she took a unanimous decision from Irene Aldana in the UFC on ESPN 16 headliner on Oct. 3, 2020.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Parker Porter: Arlovski moved into sole possession of fourth place on the UFC’s all-time wins list and cashed another paycheck in the process, as he laid claim to a unanimous verdict over Carlos Felipe in the three-round heavyweight co-feature. All three judges struck 29-28 scorecards for the ageless Belarussian, who recorded his 21st victory inside the Octagon. Arlovski, 42, handled the Brazilian with relative ease through the first half of the fight, then managed to wade through danger and late fatigue to procure the decision. More crafty than carnivorous at this stage of his remarkable career, the former champion has rattled off four wins in five appearances. Porter last fought at UFC on ESPN 29, where he outpointed Chase Sherman across three rounds on Aug. 21.

Jim Miller vs. Chris Gruetzemacher-Claudio Puelles winner: Miller pumped the brakes on retirement talk and rebounded from back-to-back losses to Vinc Pichel and Joe Solecki with a one-punch knockout of promotional newcomer Erick Gonzalez in the second round of their lightweight showcase. The former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder drew the curtain 14 seconds into Round 2, delivering his first knockout in more than five years. While Miller no longer possesses the skills or the durability needed to deal with top-shelf lightweights, he remains a viable gatekeeper at 155 pounds and a tough out for anyone who fails to pay him proper respect. Gruetzemacher and Puelles will lock horns at UFC on ESPN 31 in December.

Manon Fiorot vs. J.J. Aldrich: A potential primetime player in the making at 125 pounds, Fiorot improved to 3-0 in the UFC with a clear-cut unanimous decision over Mayra Bueno Silva in their three-round flyweight attraction. Scores were 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27. Fiorot, aka “The Beast,” frustrated her Brazilian counterpart with repeated sidekicks to the midsection, multi-punch bursts to the head and a pair of unexpected takedowns. The 31-year-old Frenchwoman landed 43 more significant strikes than Silva and piled up more than four minutes of control time, as she extended her current winning streak to eight fights. Aldrich last appeared on Aug. 28, when she was awarded a unanimous verdict over former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Vanessa Demopoulos at UFC on ESPN 30.