Matches To Make After UFC Boston

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was back at it again last night (Fri., Oct. 18, 2019), as UFC on ESPN 6 went down from inside TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. In the headlining act, Dominick Reyes knocked out Chris Weidman (see it here), setting him up nicely for a possible title shot against 205-pound king, Jon Jones.

In the co-main event, Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens duked it out for three intense rounds, ending the drama than ensued following their “No Contest” three weeks ago. “El Pantera” walked away with a unanimous decision win, and both men left with some extra post-fight bonus cash.

Winner: Dominick Reyes

Who He Should Fight Next: Jon Jones

This one should be a no-brainer, as all three men who are ranked in front of Dominick have already faced Jon and come up short. Daniel Cormier is fighting one more time at Heavyweight before calling it a day and Thiago Santos won’t return until late next year following the injuries he suffered in his fight vs. Jones. Furthermore, Anthony Smith is out for some time with a hand injury, leaving the door wide open for “The Devastator” to go in and face “Bones.” And it would make for an interesting fight, as Dominick has shown he has a variety of skills — especially great striking — to give Jon a good fight.

Winner: Yair Rodriguez

Who He Should Fight Next: Wait and see.

There are a couple of intriguing fights coming up at 145 pounds, including Brian Ortega vs Chan Sung Jung and Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Calvin Kattar. I want to wait and see who wins those two matchups, as I’d like to see Yair face either Ortega or Zabit next. We already know how Rodriguez feels about facing people ranked below him, so if Calvin Kattar wins, that’s a fight that won’t happen. He’s already knocked out “The Korean Zombie,” so that rematch won’t make sense. Either Ortega or Zabit fit the bill for Yair’s next challenge.

Winner: Greg Hardy

Who He Should Fight Next: ?

Greg’s win over Ben Sosoli was overturned to a “No Contest” after that athletic commission deemed the use of his inhaler illegal. Which is odd, because that same commission gave Hardy permission to use it. To say Hardy’s UFC career has started off oddly is an understatement. Unfortunately for him, this controversy will now follow him, which was no fault of his own. As for who he faces next, that’s a tough one. The promotion could always re-book this fight, or just hand pick another layup for the former NFL player.

Winner: Joe Lauzon

Who He Should Fight Next: Lando Vannata

After 18 months away from the fight game, Joe returned with a vengeance, knocking out Jonathan Pearce with some beautiful striking just 99 seconds into the fight. In doing so, Lauzon ends his three-fight losing streak and saves his UFC career.

Up next for Joe, I’d like to see him in a fight against Lando Vannata. Win, lose or draw, Lando is as exciting as they come. As for Joe, he has the post-fight bonus money to prove that he is also must-see TV. Lando is coming off a tough loss to Marc Diakiese, so he will be fired up to get back into the win column, Joe, meanwhile, would love nothing more than to ride his momentum and score back-to-back wins for the first time since 2014.

Winner: Darren Stewart

Who He Should Fight Next: Karl Roberson

Darren earned his second-straight UFC win after handing Deron Winn his first loss last night. A showdown against Karl Roberson seems fitting, as Karl is coming off a win over Wellington Turman. Both men are simply trying their hardest to get the recognition they feel they deserve at 185 pounds. Both men have similar UFC experience, so it will be a fairly even fight. Neither are great in one particular area, so something has to give.

Winner: Maycee Barber

Who She Should Fight Next: Paige VanZant

Paige VanZant is begging for a fight, so why not give her Barber? The two ladies obviously have some disdain toward one another, with Maycee claiming Paige doesn’t want a piece of her. Paige, meanwhile, says Barber doesn’t deserve a a fight against her, especially since she was caught trying to slide into Austin Vanderford’s DM’s, VanZant’s husband. The beef is there, and VanZant is looking to fight out her contract with a bang in order to secure a bigger deal either from UFC or another promotion. If she can end Barber’s perfect streak, it will give her great leverage at the bargaining table. For Barber, a win over UFC’s former “it” girl will be the biggest of her career and help take a huge step forward toward a title shot.

For full play-by-play updates and results for UFC on ESPN 6: “Reyes vs Weidman” click here.