UFC Fight Night 63 is in the books and for Chad Mendes, it was a night that cemented himself as the second best 145 pounder on the planet as he stopped Ricardo Lamas in the first round.
Mendes, who stepped in the cage on the back of a close defeat at the hands of Jose Aldo, looked every bit the perennial contender at 145 pounds as a crushing right hand sent Ricardo Lamas to the canvas in in the first round. What would follow would be a vicious, yet calculated, barrage of strikes to stop Lamas. It was impressive, despite a valiant effort from Lamas to remain in the fight.
What’s Next for the UFC Fight Night 63 Winners?
The co-main event was an interesting fight as Al Iaquinta kept his impressive run going by picking up a narrow split-decision over Jorge Masvidal. ‘Raging’ Al had to fight back from adversity after being wobbled by Masvidal in the first round, however he made the second and third rounds a lot more competitive, ensuring he got the nod from the judges.
With the card in the bag, MMASucka will take a look at what could possibly be next for the winners of UFC Fight Night 63.
Chad Mendes
Who should he fight next? Frankie Edgar (if he beats Urijah Faber)
Chad Mendes looked fantastic in his crushing defeat of Ricardo Lamas, showing that he is still a solid title contender. It would be pointless to feed him to gatekeepers at 145 pounds. Edgar has a fight against Mendes’ team-mate Urijah Faber when the UFC visit Manilla and if he wins, a fight between Mendes and Edgar would definitely present another title contender for the winner of Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor.
Al Iaquinta
Who should he fight next? Michael Johnson
Iaquinta may have got upset with the crowd at UFC Fight Night 63 but there is no denying that the Serra-Longo fighter is turning in to a solid 155 pounder. He has definitely earned a shot at a top 10 fighter. Michael Johnson has shown remarkable improvements recently and with much of the division booked up, this would be a solid fight between two of the divsion’s prospects.
Michael Chiesa
Who should he fight next? Ross Pearson
Michael Chiesa has a certain tenacity about him that is making him one of the more exciting 155 pounders on the roster. He may have a ceiling as a contender but he certainly can be put in to exciting fights. Ross Pearson brutally stopped Sam Stout at UFC 185 and would definitely offer the biggest task of Chiesa’s career to date.
Julianna Pena
Who should she fight next? Liz Carmouche
Pena bounced back from a long injury to stop Milana Dudieva in the first round of their fight at UFC Fight Night 63. She looked good and it would definitely have helped to get herself back on the proverbial horse but she will almot certainly need a bigger task in her next fight. Step forward Liz Carmouche who picked up a close decision on Lauren Murphy on the same fight card. With Carmouche’s credentials of being a former title contender, this would be a welcome step up.
Clay Guida
Who should he fight next? Ricardo Lamas
Clay Guida looked good against Robbie Peralta in what was essentially a gimme fight. Despite coming up way short against Chad Mendes, Ricardo Lamas would offer a solid step up the rankings. A win for Guida would put him in the 6 or 7, whereas for Lamas it would be a good starting point on his path back towards becoming a 145 pound contender.
Dustin Porier
Who should he fight next? Takanori Gomi
Poirier looked good moving up to 155 pounds, with a clear speed advantage apparent in his win over Diego Ferreira. It showed that he might hold a bigger advantage at 155 pounds than he did in many of his 145 pound fights. There are a number of options at 155 pounds but I think a solid veteran like Takanori Gomi would offer an interesting and compelling chance for Poirier to put himself down a marker in the lightweight division.
