UFC 170 is in the books and as with previous events, this one was filled with plenty of if’s, but’s and maybe’s.
In the main event, history was made as for the very first time in the famed octagon, two Olympians squared off against one another.
Ronda Rousey defended her 135-lbs title strap against Sara McMann in a battle of Judo vs. Wrestling skill sets. Rousey, though, saw her streak of Armbar victories snapped. She got the all-important victory in the end, but it came in the form of TKO and controversy.
Rousey started the bout brightly and immediately pressured McMann, forcing her to fight with her back against the cage. She then utilized her Muay Thai to full effect as a brutal knee buckled McMann. When referee Herb Dean immediately stepped in and stopped the contest, McMann promptly got back to her feet, and protested the stoppage.
While it was an all around solid performance from Rousey who remained in the ranks of the unbeaten, McMann, on the other hand, felt hard done by with the stoppage, as she, along with multiple fans and fighters alike, felt the title fight should have continued.
In the co-main event, Daniel Cormier made quick work of promotional newcomer Patrick Cummins, who was given a rude awakening to the world’s largest fight promotion. Cormier rocked Cummins early in the opening stages, finishing him off with an onslaught of punches after the first minute mark.
Elsewhere on the card, Canadian hotshot Rory MacDonald weathered an early storm before scoring a Unanimous Decision victory over submission ace Demain Maia, while Mike Pyle looked absolutely flawless in his TKO triumph over T.J. Waldburger. In the night’s main card opener, Robert Whittaker had no answer to Stephen Thompson’s unorthodox style, as he succumbed to a TKO setback at the 3:43 mark of Round 1.
So with that, it’s that time again where we at MMASucka.com play “matchmaker” and derive match-ups that could materialize for the main card winners. Sitting on the matchmaker’s armchair is no easy task by any standards so if your solutions differ from ours, state them in the comments section below.
Let’s get started!
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- Name: Stephen Thompson (9-1)
- Who he should contest next: Mike Pyle (26-9-1)
Pyle and Thompson (pictured) looked really impressive in their respective outings on Saturday night’s UFC 170 main card setting. Both guys aren’t really near a title shot but are, rather, trying to make their way into the contenders’ mix. A match-up pitting both of them against one another would be perfect in determining who deserves to move a step closer to a title shot, and who does not.
- Name: Rory MacDonald (16-2)
- Who he should contest next: Winner of Jake Shields (29-6-1, 1 NC) vs. Hector Lombard (33-4-1, 1 NC)
There’s a reason why Rory MacDonald (pictured) has been tipped by many as a future UFC champ. ‘Aries’ had to weather an early storm before rebounding strongly in rounds two and three, in his Unanimous Decision victory over Demian Maia. With Jake Shields set to face former Bellator champ Hector Lombard at UFC 171 next month, MacDonald could possibly be slated to face the winner of that intriguing 170-lbs tussle.
- Name: Daniel Cormier (14-0)
- Who he should contest next: Winner of Alexander Gustafsson (15-2) vs. Jimi Manuwa (14-0)
While Patrick Cummins was considered a step-down in competition on Saturday night, neither Alexander Gustafsson nor Jimi Manuwa are slouches by any standards. It would be interesting to see how AKA’s Daniel Cormier (pictured) would fare against the winner of that tilt that’s set to take place at UFC Fight Night 38 on March 8th.
- Name: Ronda Rousey (9-0)
- Who she should contest next: Alexis Davis (16-5)
Alexis Davis is quietly amassing a streak here in the UFC, having won three on the trot now under the promotion’s banner. She could very well be staring at a title shot next. While Ronda Rousey (pictured) continues to steam-roll through each foe put in front of her, Davis poses something different, with a clean striking game that compliments a truly high level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappling game. This match-up could very well be on the horizon folks.
*Photos credit: Ultimate Fighting Championship
For full UFC 170 results, click here.
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