As the ink dries on the pages written in Miami on Saturday night, we engage in the task of matchmaking for the fighters on the main card who unfortunately didn’t get their hands raised. Let’s delve into potential matchups for these athletes seeking redemption.
Yadong Song
The opening fight of the main card was everything that fans expected when the matchup was first announced. In the opening frame, Song proved to be the sharper fighter, catching Yan with clean hooks and shrewdly outwitting the Russian with takedown feints. Yan picked up steam in the second round having made the necessary reads, slicing open the Chinese hopeful with an elbow late in the frame. As the third round unfolded, the pair traded blows evenly, each refusing to yield, with Yan showing a slightly superior level of endurance. All three judges scored the fight in favor of Yan, awarding him the unanimous decision victory.
The loss snapped Song’s two-fight win streak. Nonetheless, considering he’s only 26, the loss shouldn’t be a major concern for the Chinese standout. In fact, picking a victory against a lower-ranked opponent would serve as a wise career maneuver, eventually strengthening his case for a fight against a top-ranked contender again. In that vein, a fight against No.14-ranked contender Mario Bautista can be a logical choice for “The Kung Fu Kid” next. Considering the logical viability too, Bautista is on a six-fight win streak and last competed in January earlier this year and would want a crack at someone ranked higher than him.
Gilbert Burns
Burns’ loss at UFC 299 paved the way for his opponent Jack Della Maddalena to potentially inch closer to the welterweight championship summit. The first two rounds were pretty competitive with Burns demonstrating supremacy on the ground. Della Maddalena’s boxing was on point and he stung the Brazilian early in Round 3, prompting Burns to resort to grappling. When the Australian managed to escape the position, he perfectly timed a knee on Burns during the break, driving his opponent backward to the canvas, where he unloaded a barrage of elbows to secure the finish.
Burns is experiencing the sharp tang of the first consecutive losses of his professional career. Many would claim that this could mark a shift in the tide, yet it’s important to recognize that “Durinho” has a wealth of options at disposal. Give him some time to recover and pair him up against Sean Brady next, who’s been dealing with an undisclosed injury, which forced the American out of the fight against Vicente Luque at UFC Fight Night 241. Brady overturned the lone blemish on his record with a submission win over Kevin Gastelum in Dec. 2023. He hasn’t competed since then and a case can be made that his recovery period might coincide with when Burns decided to compete again.
Kevin Holland
UFC 299 proved to be a frustrating outing for Holland. Michael Page radiated the usual brilliance in a contest that was fought primarily on the feet. The usual “Venom” showmanship, flashy style, and theatrical flair were on display as he secured a unanimous decision win over his opponent. Throughout the fight, Page’s counter-attacking was on point, thoroughly outclassing “Trailblazer,” who has now lost three fights in the last five Octagon assignments. A case can be made that it’s about time that the UFC circles back to the matchup against Daniel Rodriguez, which fell apart twice in the past. Back in May 2020, the first scheduled fight between the two fell apart after Holland was forced out of the fight due to injury. The second time around, at UFC 279, Khamzat Chimaev’s botched weigh-cut led to a shuffle in the fight card and the pair ended up meeting different opponents that night. Rodriguez has also completed the six-month suspension period by USADA after testing positive for the banned substance ostarine. He will be eager to make a triumphant return and the clash against Holland would make for an exciting clash.
Benoit St. Denis
The true brilliance of a diamond is showcased under pressure. Dustin Poirier proved once again why he remains the unyielding powerhouse in the lightweight division. The former 155-pound interim champ stymied the rise of St. Denis, weathering the early storm to earn the second-round stoppage.
From the onset, the Frenchman walked forward, applying relentless pressure, and the first frame was entirely contested within the framework of who relinquished ground first. In the second frame, Poirier started letting his hands go a little more and connected with a left straight and a right hook that floored his opponent. He dropped a thundering right hand on the grounded St. Denis for good measure and walked away with one of the most impressive victories of the night.
At 28, “God of War” has only begun to scratch the surface. Even with the loss, one thing is clear, St. Denis comes to fight, and he can be a regular fixture to deliver exciting bouts in any event. That said, he pairs up well against No.10-ranked Dan Hooker, who is currently on a two-fight win streak. Hooker is currently recuperating from an injury and should be available to compete again around the same time that St. Denis plans to return to action.
Marlon Vera
Sean O’Malley registered the first defense of his bantamweight throne with flair and a touch of revenge. He avenged the only loss on his record against Vera in vibrant style, utilizing his striking expertise to land significant blows, including a devastating step-in knee that would have put a lot of other fighters out cold. Vera managed some successful flurries in the championship rounds, yet it wasn’t enough to make a difference against the heightened accuracy and intensity of O’Malley’s striking onslaught. “Sugar” hurt Vera again in the early stages of the fifth and continued pouring it on until the final horn.
Following the loss, surging bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov had some choice words for Vera. The Dagestani suggested that Vera is a lion when he’s dominating, but a chicken when he’s dominated. That tweet has opened up the potential of a future clash against Vera with several fans already invested in that idea. The ranked bantamweight contender is undefeated in 17 fights and wants a crack at the top names of the division. A clash against Vera serves as a good matchup for him, and the Ecuadorian will be keen to make a statement against a burgeoning talent.