PC: Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
UFC Fight Night 183 Main Card
Stephen Thompson def. Geoff Neal via Unanimous Decision
Stephen Thompson – Colby Covington
Stephen Thompson is back to his winning ways, and is looking like a true threat at 170lbs. At 37 years old, Wonderboy is aging like fine wine and is getting better with every performance. After a dominant five round showcase against, he likely positioned himself to call out the elites at 170lbs. He called out the ‘BMF Champion’ Jorge Masvidal which is an exciting fight to say the least. However, I believe a matchup with Colby Covington would be of more interest. Wonderboy does not like Colby Covington and it would make for a compelling contest at 170.
Geoff Neal – Miguel Baeza
Geoff Neal had some great moments in the 25-minute fight but fell short to the #5 ranked Thompson. It was quite the jump from an unranked Mike Perry, and his stock won’t fall too much. Expect to see him face someone just outside the Top 15 next time out. Depending on the turn-around time for Neal we could see him in there against up-and-coming sensation Miguel Baeza next. Baeza is undefeated as a professional, and has finished all three of his UFC opponents.
Jose Aldo def. Marlon Vera via Unanimous Decision
Jose Aldo – TJ Dillashaw
Jose Aldo showed that there is still a lot of fuel left in the tank of the 34-year-old. He entered the octagon on a three-fight skid and has now picked up his first victory as a bantamweight. The former UFC Featherweight Champion continues to add to his long list of achievements, and could be two fights away from another title shot. A matchup with returning former Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw is what he called for after his fight. This fight makes a ton of sense, and could headline a Fight Night card. The two are arguably the greatest fighters to ever compete for their respective divisions.
Marlon Vera – Cody Stamann
Marlon Vera is one of the most respectable fighters in the entire UFC. Even after losing to Aldo, he was classy in defeat. Vera is a tough out for anyone in the entire division and he proved that on Saturday night. That being said, Aldo was a little too much for the Ecuadorian. Cody Stamann is in a similar category with both fighters losing to ranked opponents last time out. A bout between the two to defend their rankings would be a great addition to a pay-per-view main card.
Michel Pereira def. Khaos Williams via Unanimous Decision
Michel Pereira – Tim Means
Michel Pereira has looked nothing short of spectacular since his loss to Tristan Connelly. He has reduced the use of his spinning attacks, cartwheels, and flips and it is paying off. We can expect to see him continue his way up the ranks against similarly ranked opposition. Tim Means looked very impressive against an always dangerous Mike Perry last time around. Both fighters are fan favorites and would make for an exciting contest.
Khaos Williams – Sasha Palatnikov
Khaos Williams looked very good against Pereira, despite the losing effort. The result was close, with many analysts scoring it in his favor. Regardless, Williams is one of the most powerful strikers in the division, and will likely be given an opportunity to showcase that power next time out. Sasha Palatnikov on the other hand pulled off an upset of the year performance over Louis Cosce in his last performance.
Rob Font def. Marlon Moraes via TKO (Punches)
Rob Font – Frankie Edgar / Cory Sandhagen Loser
Rob Font had the biggest performance in a comeback of the year. After undergoing surgery, Font was sidelined for the majority of the year. Unlike most, Font decided to throw himself in the deep end against former title challenger Marlon Moraes. He cemented his status as one of the best boxers at 135 and could be a win or two away from a title shot. Frankie Edgar and Cory Sandhagen are expected to meet on February 6 with the winner likely fighting for the title. The loser would be left available for Font.
Marlon Moraes – Song Yadong
Marlon Moraes is now experiencing the worst slump of his career. He has been finished in three of his last four, with his lone win in that span being highly controversial. He will likely be looking toward the bottom of the Top 15 with his next opponent and Team Alpha Male’s Song Yadong comes in at number 14. The fighter out of China has yet to lose inside the octagon and is with a win here could be in the Top 10 of the division.
Marcin Tybura def. Greg Hardy via TKO (Punches)
Marcin Tybura – Junior dos Santos
Marcin Tybura has quietly built up one of the more impressive resumes in all of 2020. Heading into the year he had lost 4 of his last 5 and has since won four straight bouts. After finishing Greg Hardy, don’t be surprised if we see his name in the updated rankings when they are released this week. Tybura is deserving of a big name in his next appearance, and Junior dos Santos is that name. A former heavyweight champion, dos Santos has been struggling and the matchup makes sense for both fighters.
Greg Hardy – Jake Collier
Greg Hardy’s winning streak has finally come to an end over a very dangerous Tybura. He displayed his high level striking early on, but showed that he is still very green off of his back. The UFC like Hardy and will likely give him a matchup that will favor his style of fighting. Jake Collier recently returned to the win column after defeating Gian Villante two weeks earlier. A matchup between the two would likely remain on the feet and would make for a compelling standup fight.
