Barueri, Brazil’s Ginásio José Corrêa played host to Wednesday night’s UFC Fight Night 29, an event which was headlined by Welterweights Demian Maia and Jake Shields.
After five hard fought rounds, Shields was rewarded with a split-decision victory, taking his total number of wins in the octagon to 4.
It was a night of mixed fortunes for the Brazilian fighters as they went 6-4. The co-main event illustrated a knockout that echoed throughout the arena. Dong Hyun Kim picked up a vicious KO win over Erick Silva, knocking the Brazilian out senseless in the second frame. Kim has been slowly, but steadily working his way up the Welterweight ranks, in view of becoming the UFC’s first ever Asian champ.
UFC Fight Night 29: What’s next for the main card winners?
Elsewhere, despite missing weight, Thiago Silva showed little fatigue in his Unanimous Decision win over Matt Hamill. Rousimar Palhares, in the mean time, secured the seventh leg lock victory of his career when he submitted divisional staple Mike Pierce in less than 31 seconds. There was controversy, however, as many felt “Toquinho” had held on to the submission maneuver longer than he should have. As a result, he was denied the traditional “Submission of the Night” bonus, despite bagging the only submission win that night.
With that said, it’s time to take a seat in the match-maker’s armchair and derive possible match-ups that could materialize in the near future.
Let’s get started!
Brad Pickett vs. *Raphael Assuncao
Raphael Assuncao (21-4) has amassed five straight victories since his knockout loss at the hands of Erick Koch in his UFC debut. A product of the WEC, the Brazilian had a good showing against T.J. Dillashaw on Wednesday night, and did just enough to edge the American on the scorecards with a split decision victory. The 31-year-old continues to display his strong striking attributes and takedown defense in his UFC bouts thus far, as he works his way up the 135-lbs ladder.
A match-up with Brad “One Punch” Pickett (23-8) could elevate the Brazilian’s chances of getting a shot at the title soon. Despite Pickett’s loss at UFC Fight Night 26, he very much remains as one of the division’s elite and most experienced fighters.
*Rousimar Palhares vs. Jake Ellenberger
Palhares (15-5) executed his signature leg lock submission maneuver to perfection on Wednesday night, becoming the first fighter to stop Mike Pierce in pro MMA competition. That win also snapped his two fight losing skid, which was the reason why “Toquinho” decided to have a go at 170-lbs.
With the Brazilian’s submission ability and sheer physical strength, he could very well be a force to be reckoned with in the near future. Jake Ellenberger (29-7) could prove to be a stern test for “Toquinho” in the Brazilian’s attempt at garnering UFC gold. And vice-versa. A staple of the Welterweight division for over four years, Ellenberger possess great Boxing and wrestling ability that can be a threat to anyone on any given day.
*Fabio Maldonado vs. Cyrille Diabate
What happens when you put two striking phenoms in the same cage? Chaos, catastrophe, or in an MMA fight, a knockout. Fabio Maldonado’s (20-6) Boxing prowess has been well documented in the UFC thus far, with the Brazilian showcasing his stand-up skills and steady hands each time he competes in the octagon.
And so has Cyrille Diabate (19-9-1), mind you. The Frenchman is a Muay Thai extraordinaire, much like ONE FC’s Vuyisile Colossa except for the fact that Diabate possesses a larger frame and longer reach.
While it’s safe to assume that it may take sometime before we see both these fighters in championship contention, a match-up between the two could provide some huge sparks if you’re a fan of the stand-up game.
Despite Wednesday’s win over Matt Hamill, Silva’s job in the UFC may be under intense observation, after a series of downturns over the course of his past few fights. He falsified a urine sample at UFC 125, tested positive for marijuana at UFC on FUEL TV 6, and missed weight for his bout against Hamill.
Negatives aside, how often have we heard the talk of Silva (16-3, 2 NC) being a scary dude at 205-lbs? Never mind that intimidating look or presence, his skill set alone is a pretty good one. On a two fight win streak, Silva continues his resurgence in the Light Heavyweight division, though every time he’s on the cusp of being a contender, he somewhat falls short. Bouts with Machida, Evans and Gustafsson bears testament to that.
Nonetheless, a potential bout with Phil Davis (12-1, 1 NC) could set a different tone for the Light Heavyweight title picture in the near future. While the Swede, Gustafsson, and Glover Teixeira are strong contenders for Jon Jones’ 205-lbs crown, Davis-Silva could very well have title ramifications soon enough.
Court McGee vs. *Dong Hyun Kim
With a resume that includes victories over the likes of Matt Brown, T.J. Grant, Amir Sadollah, Nate Diaz, Paulo Thiago, Siyar Bahadurzada and now Erick Silva, Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim (18-2-1, 1 NC) has certainly established himself as the premier fighter out of South Korea, or perhaps the whole of Asia.
Despite regarding Wednesday’s knockout victory as “a lucky shot”, Kim had to weather some storms against Silva during the second frame. Kim’s losses have come against top ranked UFC Welterweights, in Carlos Condit and Demian Maia. However, the fighter has progressed well over the years, and is now riding proudly on a 3 fight winning run.
Kim would undoubtedly be a big step up in competition for Court McGee (16-3), if the bout were to happen in the future. As with the South Korean, though, McGee has been putting on consistent and prolific performances, especially with his striking abilities. McGee has a well-rounded facet that matches-up really well with Kim.
*Jake Shields vs. Tarec Saffiedine
Jake Shields (29-6-1, 1 NC) produced a great gameplan on Wednesday’s main event against Demian Maia, limiting the latter’s options going forward. As such, the former Strikeforce champ was able to squeeze out a split decision victory.
While Shields still remains at the top of the pile of the 170-lbs division, Tarec Saffiedine (14-3) could be a stern test for the grappling ace. The 27-year-old is also a former Strikeforce champ, a title he garnered when he beat Nate Marquardt in Strikeforce’s final event.
A win for either one of them could pivot the victor to a possible no.1 contender status.
To check out the rest of UFC Fight Night 29′s results, click here.
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