It was a weird night for fans watching UFC Fight Night 170. As the only major live sporting event in the world yesterday, the event was contested in Brasilia, Brazil without fans in the arena. Nonetheless, the fights were compelling and left much to be discussed. The UFC Fight Night 170 Post-Fight Matchmaker will look at who each of the main card winners will face next.
It should be noted that these potential matchups are subject to change based on how the COVID-19 pandemic plays out.
UFC Fight Night 170 Post-Fight Matchmaker
Francisco Trinaldo vs. Scott Holtzman
The 41-year-old “Massaranduba” Francisco Trinaldo was able to pick up a unanimous decision victory over John Makdessi. At his age, there is a slim chance that he makes a move towards contention, but he can still compete with many of the fighters in the division. A fighter in a similar position that fought just a month ago is Scott Holtzman. In that fight, “Hot Sauce” Holtzman picked up a unanimous decision victory over Jim Miller. Both Trinaldo and Holtzman are on a two-fight win streak, and this matchup would make for a great main card opener for a similar Fight Night.
Nikita Krylov vs. Volkan Oezdemir
“The Miner” Nikita Krylov employed a grinding fight style to pick up a unanimous decision win over Johnny Walker. Krylov has alternated wins and losses in his four fights since his return to the UFC in 2018. Volkan Oezdemir is on a two-fight winning streak after losing three straight, and a matchup with Krylov is very sensible. Their careers have been on similar trajectories, and their skillsets make for an interesting fight. The winner would then attempt to reassert himself into the upper echelon of the light heavyweight division.
Renato Moicano vs. Beneil Dariush
In his lightweight debut, Renato Moicano was able to quickly submit Damir Hadzovic in under a minute by rear naked choke. Moicano called out Paul Felder after the win, but that fight does not work for a multitude of reasons. Moicano is not quite ready to face a ranked opponent yet at lightweight, but does deserve to get a step up in competition. Another fighter coming off of an impressive finish recently is Beneil Dariush. Although last week a rematch with Carlos Diego Ferreira was thought to be the best matchup for Dariush, it was announced this week that Ferreira would be facing Drew Dober. Therefore, a fight with Moicano would be just as sensible and maybe even more intriguing of a matchup.
Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Chiesa
Gilbert Burns looked very impressive in his win over Demian Maia, avoiding the ground attacks of the decorated grappler and landing a crushing left hook to end the fight halfway through the first round. Burns has looked extremely impressive in each of his four wins since moving to welterweight, and now looks to be working his way towards contention. Another fighter that has seen major success since joining the 170-pound division is Michael Chiesa. After a win over Rafael dos Anjos, Chiesa has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with at welterweight. Matching these two up would not only be a great fight, but would also put the winner one step closer to facing the fighter each called out after their last win, Colby Covington.
Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev-Alexander Hernandez winner
After a back-and-forth grappling affair, Charles Oliveira wrapped up a guillotine choke on Kevin Lee to end the night. That marks seven consecutive wins by finish for “Do Bronx” Oliveira, who will certainly be looking for bigger and better fights. Both Islam Makhachev and Alexander Hernandez are in similar positions, and are scheduled to face each other at UFC 249. The winner should face Oliveira to determine who can truly contend with the division’s elite.
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