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UFC 262: Oliveira vs Chandler Main Card Matchmaking

PC: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Charles Oliveira def. Michael Chandler via TKO (Punches)

Charles Oliveira – Justin Gaethje

Given that the there isn’t a clear #1 contender at the moment, Oliveira would likely be on the sidelines for a while until the division shakes out. If he would be open to a late summer fight, a bout with former Interim Champion Justin Gaethje could make a lot of sense as well. If not, a fight with the winner of the Poirier / McGregor is likely next.

Michael Chandler – Rafael dos Anjos

Michael Chandler was likely only a few strikes away from ending the fight in the first round when he hurt the Charles Oliveira. Chandler announced his intentions to get back in there and earn another shot at the belt. Unfortunately for Chandler, the top of the division seems to be pretty boooked up at the moment. A fight with #7 ranked Rafael dos Anjos would offer him an opportunity to beat a former UFC champion.

Beneil Dariush def. Tony Ferguson via Unanimous Decision

Beneil Dariush – Dustin Poirier / Conor McGregor Loser

Beneil Dariush may go down as one of the contenders for fighter of the year by the end of 2021 at this rate. It was an exceptional performance over Tony Ferguson and earns him the #3 spot in the lightweight rankings. He mentioned post-fight that he wishes to take some time off after the fight. A fight with the loser of the Dustin Poirier / Conor McGregor fight would surely earn him a title shot.

Tony Ferguson – Bobby Green

In back-to-back fights, Tony Ferguson showed why he is among the toughest fighters on the roster. Unfortunately for Ferguson, he is now on a three-fight skid for the first time in his career. A fight with an unranked veteran like Bobby Green may be what he needs to get back to his winning ways. For Bobby Green, a win will earn him a spot inside the rankings.

Rogério Bontorin def. Matt Schnell via Unanimous Decision

Rogério Bontorin – Joseph Benavidez

After losing consecutive fights and missing weight, Rogério Bontorin must have felt that a win was a must on Saturday. With the win he swapped places with Schnell in the rankings and is up to #8. Surprisingly, Bontorin has never shared the octagon with Joseph Benavidez. This is a bout that could feature on the main card of a pay-per-view.

Matt Schnell – Matheus Nicolau

Despite the opponent switch up a weight class, Matt Schnell looked very good in the bout on Saturday. Unfortunately, he dropped a position in the rankings and will likely be facing someone below him. Matheus Nicolau recently returned to the UFC with an upset victory over Manel Kape. A fight between Schnell and Nicolau would be a nice addition to a Fight Night.

Katlyn Chookagian def. Viviane Araujo via Unanimous Decision

Katlyn Chookagian – Tatiana Suarez

Katlyn Chookagian managed to earn a hard-fought decision victory over Viviane Araujo on Saturday. Chookagian finds herself in an unusual place in the rankings as the two women in front of her beat her decisively. She also defeated everybody else near her in the rankings. The one exception is Tatiana Suarez who recently announced her return after an injury layoff. Although she is unranked, she was one of the best strawweights in the world before getting plagued by injuries.

Viviane Araujo – Cynthia Calvillo

Viviane Araujo will return home disappointed as she could have been rewarded with the win on the night. Media outlets were pretty split down the middle in terms of who they believed had won the fight. A fight with Cynthia Calvillo would be a fan friendly fight that would determine which of the two women would re-enter the title picture.

Edson Barboza def. Shane Burgos via KO (Punches)

Edson Barboza – Calvin Kattar

When Barboza announced he was making the move down to featherweight, it was met with criticism. After his first two bouts in the division, questions of whether his power would hold up in the new weight class continued. On Saturday night, he proved that his decision was correct in one of the best performances we have seen from him in years. Although he’s coming off a loss, a fight with Calvin Kattar could a lot of sense for the Brazilian.

Shane Burgos – Sodiq Yusuff

In one of the scariest scenes in recent memories inside an octagon, Burgos literally delayed being knocked out by five-seconds. His toughness will earn him both praise and an extended layoff from the UFC. A fight with Sodiq Yusuff would be a fan-friendly contest that could be booked in the fall.

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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