Matches to Make After UFC Fight Night 212

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+

Advertisement

UFC Fight Night 212 was headlined by an important contender's fight in the women's flyweight division between Alexa Grasso and Viviane Araujo. Unfortunately, partly due to Askar Askarov versus Brandon Royval being canceled and partly due to this being a typically weak, modern-day Ultimate Fighting Championship card, this was the only match of note, so I will be concentrating on it.

Coming into Saturday’s main event, Araujo was 3-1 in her last four fights at flyweight, including a nice domination of Andrea Lee despite being a slight underdog. However, her record could easily be a perfect 4-0, as most thought she deserved the win against perennial elite 125-pounder Katlyn Chookagian. Araujo is an immensely skilled fighter whose only flaw is her cardio, one that has betrayed her in past fights, but has been improving.

Grasso, meanwhile, was a perfect 3-0 since moving to flyweight from strawweight, with her last fight there being a very close fight against current 115-pound queen Carla Esparza, one that Grasso might have won if she had been a little more aggressive in Round 3 after hurting her. Grasso is notably undersized at flyweight, but that hasn't stopped her from easily defeating Ji Yeon Kim and Maycee Barber, then scoring a nice first-round submission over Joanne Wood, showing her growth from a striker to well-rounded martial artist.

Grasso improved to a perfect 4-0, outpointing Araujo on the feet while minimizing the impact of the Brazilian's takedowns, defending well from the bottom and then easily getting back up. It was more competitive than the 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 scorecards may have conveyed, but it was unquestionably a victory for Grasso.

In the co-main event, skilled and underrated Jonathan Martinez, possessing some of the nicest kicks in MMA, faced venerable longtime contender Cub Swanson. Martinez nearly knocked out Swanson at the end of the first round, and then continued the punishment in Round 2 before recording a rare leg kick stoppage, as Swanson was unable to even stand back up.

Here are some interesting match-ups that can be made in the aftermath of “UFC Vegas 62”:

Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko

Taila Santos had a razor-close fight against the reigning flyweight queen Shevchenko—my pick for the greatest female fighter ever—but I'm not a fan of immediate rematches, and among remaining contenders, Grasso has the best argument for a title shot. Keep in mind that Santos got her own title shot after a first-round submission of Joanne Wood and Grasso not only duplicated that feat, but had an even more impressive victory by defeating Araujo. Will Grasso test the legendary Shevchenko, who has seven title defenses? I believe she might, thanks to her speed, solid striking, and increasing skill in defending off her back and getting back up.

Viviane Araujo vs. Jessica Andrade

Turning 36 in late November and with this loss to Grasso, Araujo may be unlikely to get a title shot at flyweight. However, she would stay in the mix with a battle against former 115 pound champion and flyweight title challenger Jessica Andrade. It would be a furious three-round contest between two women who can both strike and grapple at a high level, and certainly keeps the winner in the conversation of top contenders at 125 pounds.

Jonathan Martinez vs. Adrian Yanez

Talk about a barnburner. This would not only be a potential fight of the night, but a fight of the year. Both are exceptional, dynamic, 28-year-old strikers on hot streaks, with Yanez a perfect 5-0 in the UFC and Martinez having won four in a row. It would be a tremendous spectacle watching Yanez's superlative boxing take on Martinez's phenomenal kicks. Additionally, the winner might crack the outside of UFC's top 10-12 bantamweights and set themselves up for even bigger fights in the future.