Monday Morning Hangover

Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone with UFC Vegas 70 going down inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Plenty of fighters were left feeling the post-fight blues, including Montana De La Rosa, who was choked out by Tatiana Suarez (see it here) in the second round.

And Erick Gonzalez, who suffered his third straight defeat after he was knocked out by UFC newcomer, Trevor Peek, in the first round (see it here). But, which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the show?

Andre Muniz.

Coming into the event, Muniz was set to co-headline the event against Brendan Allen before the original headliner between Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann was scratched because of an illness (full details). As a result, Muniz vs. Allen was promoted to headline the ESPN+-streamed event.

It was a great last-minute opportunity for each man to put on a show and perhaps break into the Top 10. For Muniz, winning his tenth consecutive match would have all but assured he moved up several spots in the rankings. Instead, his progression up the 185-pound ladder hit a major speed bump.

And that’s because the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt — who has submitted the likes of Ronaldo Souza and Eryk Anders — got a taste of his own medicine after he was forced to tap in round two after Allen sunk in a rear-naked choke. Not only was it his first-ever submission loss, it was also the first loss of his UFC career, which will drastically affect his prospects of moving up the rankings to inch closer to title contention.

In addition, it had been nearly six years since Muniz suffered a loss, so this pill will likely be a tough one to swallow. But, he’s shown to be more than capable of rattling off an impressive win streak after winning five in a row inside the Octagon in a little less than three years.

As far as that could be next for him, a showdown against Nassourdine Imavov seems ideal. Imavov is also coming off a tough loss after coming up short against Sean Strickland in January of this year, a loss that snapped his three-fight win streak, bringing him to 4-2 inside the Octagon.

Both men have six fights inside the Octagon and they are currently ranked just one spot apart from each other, with Muniz holding on to the No. 11 seed, while Imavov currently owns the No. 12 position.

No other bout makes sense for either man, and since they suffered the same fate and are so closely ranked at the moment, it just seems like a perfect fit. Unless, of course, you have a better idea?

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For complete UFC Vegas 70 results and coverage click here.