Matches To Make After UFC Vegas 11

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) staged its final event in Las Vegas, Nevada before the promotion departs to “Fight Island,” as UFC Vegas 11 went down last night (Sat., Sept. 19, 2020) inside UFC APEX. In the headlining act, Colby Covington scored a fifth round technical knockout win over Tyron Woodley (highlights), while Khamzat Chimaev continues his incredible run inside the Octagon after starching Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds (see it again here).

Winner: Colby Covington

Who He Should face Next: Jorge Masvidal

Sure, rumblings have us believing Masvidal will run it back against Nate Diaz in early 2021, but as we’ve seen in the past things aren’t always guaranteed when it comes to the Diaz brothers. My point being is that you shouldn’t hold your breath for too long hoping for Nate to sign on the dotted line. While I personally wouldn’t mind a do-over between “Gamebred” and the Stockton slugger, the fight to make is Covington vs Masvidal. This is when you strike while the iron is hot. We don’t want to have a repeat of Covington vs Woodley where the fight wasn’t made at the peak of its rivalry. Masvidal wants a chance to run it back against Usman on a full camp, and Colby and “The Nigerian Nightmare” got things popping in the trash-talk department again last night, so they want another go. The winner here should get next title shot. But if Gilbert Burns has a say in the matter, he’s ready to play spoiler for all parties involved.

Winner: Khamzat Chimaev

Who He Should Face Next: Demian Maia or Kevin Holland

Talks having Demian Maia being the man to face Chimaev next, but that is far from a done deal. Meanwhile, Holland and Chimaev have a little bit of heat brewing after a small run-in while both men were in “Sin City” for their respective fights at UFC Vegas 11. Furthermore, “Trailblazer” took the chance to call out “Borz” post-fight. Holland is on a three-fight win streak after edging out Darren Stewart, while Maia is coming off a knockout loss to Gilbert Burns. One represents the future, the other the past, so either option would be good for Chimaev.

Winner: Johnny Walker

Who He Should Face Next: Anthony Smith

Walker mentioned a fight against Smith after his win over Ryan Spann, and I don’t hate the idea. Walker snapped his two-fight skid after knocking out Spann in “Sin City.” Smith, on the other hand, is on a two-fight losing streak and was last seen losing to Aleksandar Rakic. “Lionheart” is a former Light Heavyweight title contender, while Walker is still only two years into his career. It’s a good match up on paper, and both men can benefit greatly with a win. Smith can get back on track against a hype machine that hasn’t exactly lived up to it all. On the flip side of the coin, Walker can start his consecutive win streak again against an established veteran who has championship experience.

Winner: Mackenzie Dern

Who She Should Face Next: Angela Hill

After making fairly easy work of Randa Markos, I’d like to see Dern face off against Hill in her next outing. “Overkill” (No. 13) — who is ranked a couple spots ahead of Mackenzie (No. 15) — hasn’t had the best of luck when it comes to the judges as of late, dropping back-to-back questionable split decision defeats to Claudia Gadelha and Michelle Waterson, so she’s hungry for a win. As for Dern, though she has four wins so far in her UFC career, she still doesn’t have that staple win. Granted, Hill isn’t the biggest of names but she is an established veteran with a wealth of experience that can give the jiu-jitsu ace some fits inside the Octagon. If Dern can get a win over Hill, it can be a big boost for prospects of getting bigger fights.

For complete UFC Vegas 11 results and coverage click here.