A touch of gloves before the main event
The main card for UFC Fight Night 47 on Saturday night was magnificent, with five of the six fights ending in a knockout or submission.
The event took place at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.
In the main event, Ryan Bader’s personal best of ten total takedowns in a single fight earned him a crucial win over Strikeforce import, Ovince St. Preux. The American stamped the final touches on a dramatic night of stoppages with his fairly lopsided decision victory.
In the co-featured bout of the night, matchmaking options for Britain’s Ross Pearson became plentiful as he stopped Gray Maynard with punches in the second round.
It was indeed a performance that sent waves throughout the 155-lbs division, but he wasn’t the only fighter to emerge victorious in definitive fashion.
Tim Boetsch, Alan Jouban, Shawn Jordan and Thiago Tavares also turned in memorable efforts en route to be coming prominent victors at UFC Fight Night 47.
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: Thiago Tavares (19-5-1)
- Who he should face next: Cole Miller (21-8)
Thiago Tavares’ submission triumph over Robbie Peralta handed him a nice start to life in the UFC’s 145-lbs division. The 29-year-old has been a staple in the outfit for over seven years now and in that run, he has faced a host of elite combatants. Yet, the most plausible bout of note for Tavares next should be against Cole Miller, who has also won two fights in a row. Both men are known for their exciting battles and with neither of them lingering anywhere near a title shot, this will be a contest the masses will be willing to pay good money for.
- Name: Shawn Jordan (16-6)
- Who he should face next: Brendan Schaub (10-4)
After snapping a two-fight losing skid on Saturday night, it would be fair to claim that Shawn Jordan has had a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde run in the UFC thus far. It’s a known fact that Jordan is willing to fight anyone the UFC puts in front of him, but it’s likely he’ll be given a few mid-tier fighters as competition first, before he takes on the upper echelon fold. With that said, a contest against a veteran like Brendan Schaub makes sense on paper. Both fighters hold a respectable stand-up pedigree and a win for either man could move him more than just a single step up the Heavyweight ladder.
- Name: Alan Jouban (10-2)
- Who he should face next: Gilbert Burns (8-0)
Following Jouban’s impressive promotional debut outing, it would be sensible to place him against a fellow UFC newcomer next. There’s honestly no rush to the top for the 31-year-old, who should seemingly be pushed at a middling pace in terms of matchmaking. Someone like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Gilbert Burns fits the void perfectly and it goes without saying that the Brazilian has the talent to give Jouban a real run for his money.
- Name: Tim Boetsch (18-7)
- Who he should face next: Winner of Michael Bisping (24-6) vs. Cung Le (9-2)
Tim Boetsch lived the dream of many as he celebrated an emphatic knockout to the adulation of the fans in his own back yard. But with three losses in his last five outings, Boetsch needs to start racking up a string of victories together to get back into title contention. While his recent losses have come against fighters in the top tier, there’s no reason why the level of competition for ‘The Barbarian’ should plunge at this point in time. Michael Bisping has a date with Cung Le this weekend in Macao and the winner of that intriguing Middleweight tussle should be the next foe for Boetsch.
- Name: Ross Pearson (16-7)
- Who he should face next: Michael Johnson (15-8)
The 29-year-old made a legitimate point in his post-fight speech in saying that there’s only one way he’s looking to go in his career, and that’s up. In fact, the Brit could well be sipping on a nice cup of tea if circumstances went his way against Melvin Guillard and Diego Sanchez. But they didn’t.
Pearson’s dynamic offensive skill-set coupled with his Boxing prowess has always made him a dangerous proposition for anyone in the division and as he continues to climb up the ranks, striking menace Michael Johnson would represent a solid challenge. Both fighters are vastly skilled in the stand-up department and with the duo just a win or two away from being possibly presented a title shot, this could turn out to be a pivotal encounter in the ranks.
- Name: Ryan Bader (18-4)
- Who he should face next: Anthony Johnson (18-4)
Bader has put together all the pieces remarkably well since his TKO setback against Glover Teixeira. Now with three fights under his belt, Bader has etched his status as a dark horse in the UFC’s talent filled 205-lbs division. He isn’t the only one waiting in line for a shot at the belt, though. Fighters are dreading at the very thought of facing Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson, who has been on a rampage since his return to the organization.
Bader will definitely be the underdog should this match-up materialize in the near future but with higher stakes invlolved for both parties, that’s not to say ‘Darth’ won’t have the skills in his arsenal to stop the ‘Rumble’ train.
For full UFC Fight Night 47 results, click here.
*Pictures credit: Ultimate Fighting Championship
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