Matches to Make After UFC Fight Night 240
Tyler TreeseApr 06, 2024
The Ultimate Fighting Championship kicked off what will be a historic April with UFC Fight Night 240. While it was an appetizer to the feast fight fans will get next week, the 12-fight card still had plenty for mixed martial arts connoisseurs to enjoy. Middleweight contenders Brendan Allen and Chris Curtis faced off in the main event and the rest of the main card had ramifications in the lightweight and featherweight divisions.
Here are five matches to make following UFC Fight Night 240:
Allen (24-5) kept his impressive win streak intact and improved it to seven straight victories. "All In" was able to use his superior grappling to eke out a split decision win over Curtis (31-11, 1 NC), which avenges a 2021 defeat. The Kill Cliff FC fighter doesn't have to rush at just 28 and can continue steadily rising up the ranks. A smart next step would be Imavov, who is coming off a headlining win over Roman Dolidze. It’d be a great UFC Fight Night main event and one that would lead the winner to even bigger fights down the line.
The co-main event saw Alexander Hernandez and Jackson battle for 15 minutes. Ultimately, the judges preferred the work of Jackson (23-6-1, 1 NC), who was able to outwork his overweight opponent and earn a split decision victory. “The Leech” deserves an interesting matchup next and a fight against last week’s featherweight standout, Landwehr, makes a lot of sense. “The Train” is coming off an impressive TKO over Jamall Emmers and has won four of his last five. With post-fight interviews that are just as memorable as the fights inside the Octagon are, this would be a welcome addition to any Fight Night main card.
Mariscal took a split decision over Morgan Charriere to extend his current win streak to six and stay undefeated inside the UFC. It was a close fight and one that showed that “Machine Gun” doesn’t have any quit in him. Mariscal (16-6) replaced Choi as Charriere’s opponent, and pairing the two featherweights together next would actually make a lot of sense. The South Korean fighter has been up-and-down inside the Octagon but most recently defeated Jarno Errens. Rarely an easy out, “Sting” would help show just how good “Chepe” is.
Bahamondes (15-5) got back into the win column with a thudding head kick knockout of Christos Giagos (20-12). Having won four of his last five fights, “La Jaula” is ready for an even tougher test in his next outing. England’s Diakiese fits that bill perfectly and is more experienced than the 26-year-old. “Bonecrusher” has been a UFC mainstay since 2016 and is coming off a split decision nod over Kaue Fernandes. The Great Britain Top Team product would show where Bahamondes is at and would be a fun prelim for the next card in the United Kingdom or at UFC Noche.
In the main card opener, Campbell (9-2) showed he was a young UFC lightweight worth keeping an eye on after getting his hand raised over Trevor Peek (9-2). At just 28, “The Cannibal” already has an impressive striking game and should begin hitting his prime over the next couple of years. A fight against Levy would make sense as it would provide some name value while also providing a step up in competition. “Lethal” is looking to rebound from a defeat to Mike Davis last month and previously had back-to-bacs over Genaro Valdez and Mike Breeden.