(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for UFC 250’s losing fighters?)
After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next.
With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 250’s key winning fighters.
Those fighters included Amanda Nunes (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC), who defended her UFC women’s featherweight title against Felicia Spencer (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) by unanimous decision in the pay-per-view headliner at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as well as Cody Garbrandt (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), Aljamain Sterling (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC), Sean O’Malley (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Alex Perez (24-5 MMA, 6-1 UFC).
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Alex Perez
Should fight: Winner of Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Benavidez
Why they should fight: Perez had his breakthrough moment to turn himself into a top contender in the flyweight division when he stunned the highly regarded Jussier Formiga with a first-round finish.
Not only did Perez put Formiga away inside the opening frame, but he did it with the brilliance of leg kicks. It was just the 12th finish in UFC history with the technique, and that’s going to get Perez, who has won 11 of his past 12 fights, some well-deserved attention.
The flyweight division is thin on worthwhile contenders at the moment. Figueiredo (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) vs. Benavidez (28-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) will rematch for the vacant 125-pound belt on July 18, and there’s an opportunity for someone to step up and make the case to fight the winner. Well, Perez did about as good a job of that as one could.
Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Amanda Nunes and UFC 250's key winning fighters?
