Matches To Make After UFC On ESPN 10

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) staged UFC on ESPN 10 last night (Sat., June 13, 2020) inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event of the evening, Cynthia Calvillo defeated Jessica Eye in the five-round main event, earning a unanimous decision win over the No. 1 ranked fighter at Flyweight (see it). In the co-main event, Marvin Vettori let out months of frustration by choking out Karl Roberson in the very first round (highlights).

Winner: Cynthia Calvillo

Who She Should Face Next: Katelyn Chookagian

In making her UFC debut, Calvillo was thrown right into the fire against the No. 1 ranked fighter in the division. Now I don’t know if that speaks to the lack of depth in the division or Calvillo simply being better than any of the top 15 (or both), but Cynthia made a statement in defeating “Evil,” who just fought for the title two fights ago. Joanne Calderwood will get the next title shot against Valentina Shevchenko, so booking Cynthia up against Chookagian is the obvious fight to make. Katelyn got back in the win column a few weeks ago after defeating Antonina Shevchenko, and she, too, lost to Valentina just earlier this year. Should Calvillo take her out, then a title shot is next, no questions asked.

Winner: Marvin Vettori

Who He Should Fight Next: Kyzysztof Jotko

Don’t sleep on Marvin Vettori, as the Italian-born brawler proved once again he is a threat to be reckoned with at 185 pounds after obliterating Karl Roberson in the very first round. That is now three straight wins for “The Italian Dream,” who boasts an impressive 4-1-1 mark over his last six fights. His lone loss came to current division king, Israel Adesanya, losing a razor-thin split decision to “The Last Stylebender” in 2018. That speaks volumes to just how good Vettori is. If he can keep it up, he could find himself in the Top 10 sooner, rather than later. A win over Jotko (No. 15), who has won three in a row, could definitely help expedite that process.

Winner: Charles Rosa

Who He Should Fight Next: Zubaira Tukhugov

While Rosa picked up a huge win against Kevin Aguilar, he hasn’t been able to garner any momentum since making his UFC debut. After entering UFC in 2014, Rosa has alternated wins and losses over his eight bouts to score a 4-4 record. Not the type of consistency you want. He’s got a long road to trek if he wants to crack the Top 15. I’d like to see him face off against Takhugov next. Zubaira also defeated Aguilar in his last fight, bringing his UFC record to 4-1-1.

Winner: Andre Fili

Who He Should Fight Next: Mirsad Bektic

Fili has quietly gone 5-2 in his last seven outings inside the Octagon, earning win number five in that span over a tough Charles Jordain in “Sin City.” A fight against Mirsad intrigues me very much, as both men love to bang. Bektic is coming off a close split-decision loss to Dan Ige, and was knocked out by Josh Emmett prior to that. Still, the man can scrap and can pose major problems to anyone, Fili included. For Andre, getting a win over Bektic is a nice notch on his belt and helps him build some momentum to make a run at the Top 15.

Winner: Jordan Espinosa:

Who He Should Fight Next: Kai Kara France

Jordan is 2-2 so far in his young UFC career, and showed out in his dominant win over Mark De La Rosa. France, meanwhile, is 4-1 inside the Octagon. Both men have a long way to go to crack the Top 15 at Bantamweight, so they will have to scratch and crawl their way up there, as the division is filled with former champions and longtime veterans who aren’t eager to let their spots go. France was set to face Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 175 last month, but due to COVID-19, the bout was postponed. I’d much rather see this booking.

For complete UFC on ESPN 10 results and coverage click here.