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UFC Fight Night 186: Rozenstruik vs Gane Main Card Matchmaking

PC: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Ciryl Gane def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik via Unaninimous Decision

Ciryl Gane – Alexander Volkov

Ciryl Gane fought a conservative and intelligent fight. Despite the criticism he received post-fight for not being more aggressive, Gane emerged with his hand raised on the night. Gane remains undefeated in the sport and will likely find himself inside the rankings when they are announced. Many were calling for a matchup with last week’s main event winner Derrick Lewis, however I think he should take one more before a fight like that. Alexander Volkov recently knocked out Alistair Overeem so a fight between the two could determine who is ready for a shot at the belt.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik – Chris Daukaus

It was not the best performance of Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s career, however he went the full five-rounds with Gane. He was hesitant to engage which may have been due to the fact he was respecting the power of the Frenchman. The Suriname native will likely remain ranked in the Top 5 when the updated rankings are announced. A fight with #10 Chris Daukuas would be a clash of heavy hitters that would surely end viciously. Daukaus defeated Aleksei Oleinik which earned him the ranking. It would be a huge step up for Daukaus, but one he would surely accept with open arms. The bout could easily co-headline a Fight Night card.

Magomed Akalaev def. Nikita Krylov via Unaninimous Decision

Magomed Ankalaev – Anthony Smith / Jimmy Crute Winner

Magomed Ankalaev was forced to fight a full three-rounds for just the second time in his UFC career. The Dagestan fighter has now won six straight fights including those back-to-back Cutelaba finishes. He is due for another Top 10 opponent before being handed someone at the top of the division. Jimmy Crute and Anthony Smith are both coming off finishes, and are set to collide at UFC 261. The winner of that fight would be a nice matchup for the Russian if he’s willing to take some time off.

Nikita Krylov – Roman Dolidze

Nikita Krylov has had a very hard schedule in his UFC second UFC stint. His only losses since being resigned have come to Jan Blachowicz, Glover Teixeira and Magomed Ankalaev. Krylov will likely drop out of the Top 10 and will find himself fighting for a ranking in his next appearance. The remainder of the division is matched up, but a bout with someone just outside the rankings could make sense as well. Roman Dolidze is one of the most highly touted men at 205lbs. He is one of only a few fighters to be undefeated in the organization. Taking his 0 would be huge for Krylov as he would be the first to ever figure out the Georgian. As for Dolidze, it would get him one step closer to his goal of being champion.

Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Montana De La Rosa via Majority Draw

Mayra Bueno Silva – Manon Fiorot

Mayra Bueno Silva was deducted points for a fence grab, and those came back to haunt her. If she hasn’t lost sleep by the time the UFC’s rankings are released she will after that. With a victory she may have found herself inside the UFC rankings for the first time. Unfortunately, the draw will likely leave her another fight away from being ranked. The fight will likely not be rebooked despite the draw as it wasn’t a ‘Fight of the Night’ contender, so she will likely be looking at another unranked opponent for her next fight. Manon Fiorot gained a lot of supporters when she won her debut against Victoria Leonardo in emphatic fashion. A matchup between the two women would be a great addition to a pay-per-view.

Montana De La Rosa – Luana Carolina

Montana De La Rosa was very close to suffering back-to-back losses in the promotion for the first time. If it wasn’t for the fence grabs, it very well could have been a loss for the American. She is still one of the brightest prospects at 125lbs and will hopefully be back in the win column soon. De La Rosa and the matchmakers will likely treat this as a loss when looking at their next opponent. Luana Carolina most recently lost her first fight since her MMA debut and is need a victory. Both women will be looking to pick up their first wins in over a year when the two would square off. If their timelines match up, this would be a great addition to a Fight Night card.

Pedro Munhoz def. Jimmie Rivera via Unanimous Decision

Pedro Munhoz – TJ Dillashaw

The scores have now been settled and Munhoz and Rivera are tied at a win a piece. Munhoz looked the best he has looked in a little while in a huge victory on Saturday night. When looking at the top of the division, there are currently three men without opponents who are coming off wins. Those men are Jose Aldo, Cody Garbrandt and Rob Font. Cory Sandhagen will likely be next in line for the belt, so he has been excluded from the list. Not being a fan of rematches, Garbrandt and Font would be eliminated from my potential list of opponents. Jose Aldo has been rumored to fight Garbrandt, which leaves none of the above options available. However, former UFC Champion TJ Dillashaw is returning from a suspension and has yet to be given an opponent. It would be a nice tune-up for Dillashaw, and a huge opportunity for Munhoz to beat a former champion.

Jimmie Rivera – Ricky Simon

Jimmie Rivera showcased the heart of warrior on Saturday withstanding extensive damage to his leg from leg kicks. The Tiger Schulman product has lost four of his last six but remains ranked within the Top 10. Despite the loss, don’t expect to see him drop much further in the rankings. In his next outing, Rivera should be booked with a rising prospect entering the rankings. It would offer him a chance to rebound, and would offer the chance for a guy outside the rankings to rise up the division. Ricky Simon has been on a mission as of late picking up three consecutive victories. A matchup between the two would be incredibly crowd pleasing.

Alex Caceres def. Kevin Croom via Unanimous Decision

Alex Caceres – Cub Swanson

Alex Caceres has quickly become a serious problem at 145lbs. For the majority of his career, he was viewed as a quick route to the top. With a win over Caceres, many feel they would elevate to the next level. Caceres has elevated his game to new heights, and now finds himself on the biggest win streak of his UFC career. At 32-years-old, Caceres has now just entered his prime and should be rewarded with a big name in his next appearance. Cub Swanson is one of the most battle-tested fighters in the division, and a matchup between the two veterans would be very fan-friendly.

Kevin Croom – Chris Fishgold

Kevin Croom is one of the few men that can say they have more experience than Alex Caceres. The 35-fight veteran came up short on Saturday night but is always a must-watch for us fans. His style and charisma make him super likeable. Additionally, the man can scrap! His UFC debut was a testament of that statement winning it on virtually no notice. Croom should be matched up with a relative new UFC signee with a lot of experience. Chris Fishgold is 1-3 within the promotion and has 23 fights under his belt. One would imagine that the bout would be a must-win for both gentlemen.

Sergio Pineiro

Sergio Pineiro is the Founder of FighterPath.com and host of the Quarantinecast podcast. Based in Canada he is both a sports journalist and MMA enthusiast. He practices the sport but has a passion for the individual stories of training, fighting and living the fighting lifestyle.

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