UFC 247 is in the books, and it was certainly an interesting and newsworthy night of fights. But, of course, the business must move ahead and look forward to bigger and better things. With that in mind, here are UFC 247 post-fight matches to make for tonight’s main card stars.
UFC 247 Post-Fight Matchmaker
Derrick Lewis vs. Curtis Blaydes
Derrick Lewis was able to pull out a decision victory over Ilir Latifi in his hometown of Houston. Meanwhile, Curtis Blaydes stopped former champion Junior dos Santos in the second round of their fight in the main event of the last UFC card. Considering their similar timelines and rankings, as well as the fact that they are not currently matched up and have never faced each other, this matchup makes sense at the top echelon of the heavyweight division.
Dan Ige vs. Arnold Allen
“50k” Dan Ige weathered a second-round storm to secure a split-decision victory over Mirsad Bektic. Similarly to the above-mentioned matchup, “Almighty” Arnold Allen also competed on the Raleigh card on January 25, defeating Nik Lentz by unanimous decision. This fight would be a great determinant for a true contender in the 145-pound division among two fighters with some of the longest divisional winning streaks. It would be an interesting style matchup between two fighters going along very similar paths.
Justin Tafa vs. UFC Newcomer
In just his fifth professional fight, Justin Tafa was able to take out Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus Juan Adams in short order by TKO in the last non-title fight of the evening. Still young and new to the UFC, the 26-year-old Tafa has plenty of time to develop into a contender, especially in a heavyweight division that skews toward the success of older fighters. Considering that, Tafa should face someone who has yet to debut in the UFC to gain a little bit more experience before attempting to move up the ladder. If you are looking for a current UFC fighter to matchmake him with, consider someone like Raphael Pessoa.
Katlyn Chookagian vs. Roxanne Modafferi
The “Blonde Fighter” Katlyn Chookagian was outclassed in a clinic put on by the champion over two rounds and change. Following an unsuccessful challenge for the flyweight belt, a good matchup for Chookagian would be with “The Happy Warrior” Roxanne Modafferi, who recently picked up a unanimous decision win over Maycee Barber. It would be an opportunity for Modafferi to make what would likely be one last run at a title, while giving Chookagian a chance to get back on track.
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Amanda Nunes III
It is looking more and more like there is no one in Shevchenko’s stratosphere at flyweight. Likewise, Amanda Nunes has torn through her own bantamweight division and may be running thin on challengers as well. Although they have already fought twice, with Nunes winning both, both were heavily-contested and the decisions were debatable. Their third matchup could serve to settle any controversy, while giving their respective divisions a chance to develop another true contender.
Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes II
As soon as the fight ended, there were discussions flying about the decision. MMASucka, along with the majority of other MMA media outlets, scored the fight for Reyes. Putting them back together gives Jones the chance to shut the doubters up, while giving often-discussed potential opponents Israel Adesanya and Stipe Miocic a chance to fight their clearly-set contenders in the meantime. The reasoning is more simple for Reyes: to avenge his loss and grab the belt.
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