The lightweight division has yet another contender. Rafael dos Anjos proved Saturday night that he’s still very capable of competing at a high-level at age 36. Aside from one atrocious scorecard, dos Anjos cruised to a convincing victory over counterpart Paul Felder. “RDA” takes on Donald Cerrone in a grappling match next month at Submission Underground 19. As for the next time he steps in the octagon, let’s explore.
The Winners
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Charles Oliveira
The former lightweight champion cruised over the #7 ranked fighter in the UFC. He swung for the fences in his post fight interview, calling out Conor McGregor, but that matchup appears highly unlikely. A matchup with #6 ranked Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira is not only stylistically fascinating, but it would solidify either as a top contender. Oliveira is riding a seven fight win streak, winning every fight by a finish. If “RDA” wants to land back in the top 5, he’ll need to get through another surging Brazilian.
Khaos Williams vs. Lyman Good
The name is only fitting. Williams blew through Abdul Razak Alhassan in a mere 30 seconds in their co-main event bout. A straight right hand down the pipe ended the night and put fellow welterweights on notice. A matchup with Daniel Rodriguez was considered, due to their records and striking style, however Rodriguez is set to face Nicolas Dalby on 11/21. Lyman Good is not officially booked and provides a veteran that brings some name recognition as well as the skills to create a tough matchup.
Sean Strickland vs. Krzysztof Jotko
Sean Strickland derailed the Brendan Allen rise atop the middleweight division. Two wins in two weeks, Strickland is now on a three fight win streak and with an emphatic victory, sets himself up for another fighter rising through 185. Krzysztof Jotko fell on hard times losing three straight, however he’s now won three in a row. Jotko withdrew from his bout last month and with Strickland being so active, this matchup likely wouldn’t take place until the first quarter of 2021.
The Losers
Paul Felder vs. Donald Cerrone
“The Irish Dragon” made it clear, he’s not going anywhere. After stepping up on a week’s notice, Felder was extremely impressive even in defeat. On the wrong side of two straight split decisions, Felder is still ranked inside of the top 10. With “Cowboy” declaring the return to 155, two of the most reliable company men are destined for a showdown.
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Bryan Barberena
Alhassan was viscously knocked out, so most importantly he needs time off before stepping back in to the cage. The Fortis MMA product still possesses the power to end fights at any moment. To accommodate a lay-off, Bryan Barbererna is another welterweight that needs some time off. “Bam-Bam” had to withdraw from his 11/14 bout with Daniel Rodriguez to have surgery. This matchup could be slotted for a fight night card in the first half 2021.
Brendan Allen vs. Trevin Giles
Brendan Allen looked like a shell of himself. Luckily, Allen is only 24 years old and has a very promising career ahead. A viable counterpart, Giles has a similar record in 12-2 and is on a two-fight win streak. Both of these middleweight prospects finish fights, so be sure to expect a finish in this one. For more UFC Fight Night 183 results, head over to the results page.
Main Image:
