What a night of fights at UFC 173 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The main event pushed one Team Alpha Male fighter to champion status, as T.J. Dillashaw put on a show for the fans against who many considered a giant favorite, Renan Barao. Dillashaw used his constant footwork, reach and head movement to punish Barao at will. The TUF 14 alumni dropped the Brazilian in the first round, but was unable to stop him, however four rounds later Dillashaw put the icing on the cake and took the fifth round TKO finish.
Daniel Cormier moved one step closer to number one contender status in the co-main event, as he manhandled former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson. He controlled Hendo for the first two rounds and was able to quickly sink in the rear naked choke in the third to put Henderson to sleep.
A welterweight tilt, which was very close on paper turned out to be a one-sided affair. Robbie Lawler looks to have gained even more confidence inside the cage since losing to Johny Hendricks for the welterweight strap, as he punched, kicked and moved around Jake Ellenberger more fluidly than ever before. With just two-minutes left in the final stanza, “Ruthless” was able to finish Ellenberger with punches to seal his fate.
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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Ezra Shaw/Zuffa LLC / Zuffa LLCT.J. Dillashaw (10–2)
Who he should fight next: Raphael Assunção (22–4)
Dillashaw shocked the world when he dominated Barao in his main event battle. For a giant underdog, the Team Alpha Male product looked as composed as any favorite out there and did what he had to do to finish the bantamweight kingpin in the fifth round. I’m sure a number of folks will say Barao deserves an immediate rematch, however I feel otherwise. Dillashaw came into this championship battle riding only a one-fight win streak. The man that beat him was Raphael Assunção, albeit by split decision. It could be a very marketable fight being that he has already beaten him. I wouldn’t be surprised if the UFC were to make that Dillashaw’s first title defense, as Assunção is also riding a six-fight winning streak.
Josh Hedges/ Zuffa LLC/ Zuffa LLCDaniel Cormier (15–0)
Who he should fight next: Winner of Jon Jones (20-1) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (16–2)
Cormier put an absolute beating on Henderson in the co-main event and put the icing on the cake to earn him number one contender status in my eyes. He is undefeated at 15-0 and 4-0 inside the UFC Octagon. After defeating Frank Mir, Roy Nelson and a short-notice Patrick Cummins many thought DC would sit out and wait for a title shot. He decided to get back inside the cage, as Gustafsson was granted the next shot at Jones and he proved he is worthy of that shot with the UFC 173 victory. I don’t see him getting inside the Octagon again until he is granted a shot at the light heavyweight gold.
Josh Hedges/ Zuffa LLC/ Zuffa LLCRobbie Lawler (23–10, 1NC)
Who he should fight next: Matt Brown (19–11)
Could Lawler get a title shot with this dominating victory over Ellenberger? Definitely! But will he? In my opinion, I don’t think so. Brown is riding a seven-fight winning streak and could very easily be considered next in line for a title shot himself, however both fighters have earned it, so why not put them together? Lawler had such a close fight against Johny Hendricks for the welterweight title and definitely deserves another shot, but I think he needs another win to get his rematch and Brown is the man in his way for that.
Takeya Mizugaki (20–7–2)
Who he should fight next: Michael McDonald (16–3)
Mizugaki is on a very quiet five-fight winning streak, which was capped off with his 174 victory over Francisco Rivera. He is currently ranked at number six on the UFC.com rankings at bantamweight and McDonald is the one fighter that makes sense for him to climb the 135-pound ladder. Even though, McDonald is coming off a loss to Urijah Faber he still sits at the number three spot and would be a tough test for Mizugaki.
Josh Hedges/ Zuffa LLC/ Zuffa LLCJames Krause (21–5)
Who he should fight next: Joe Lauzon (23–9)
No one ever wants to win because of an injury. However Krause got back on the wagon at UFC 174 with his TKO victory against Varner. He is now 2-1 inside the Octagon and needs a fight that will help him climb the ranks. Lauzon has yet to fight in 2014 and is coming off a decision win against Mac Danzig at UFC on FOX 9 in December. The Massachusetts native is ranked at number 15, while Krause is not on the UFC.com list at this point. A victory over the bonus king would propel the Grindhouse MMA fighter up the lightweight ladder.
