Five Best Fights To Make After UFC 216

UFC 216 took place last night (Oct. 7, 2017) live on pay-per-view from Las Vegas, Nevada, and the event proved to be a successful one.

In the main event, Tony Ferguson submitted Kevin Lee in the third round to become the interim lightweight champion, setting up a potentially lucrative unification bout with returning champion Conor McGregor.

In the co-main event of the evening, dominant flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson submitted Ray Borg with a tremendous armbar, setting the record for the most consecutive title defenses by a UFC champion with 11.

Also on the main card, former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum submitted late replacement Walt Harris in just 65 seconds.

With the event now in the rearview mirror, let’s take a look ahead at five fights to book after UFC 216:

Conor McGregor vs. Tony Ferguson

Despite rumors swirling indicating that a trilogy bout between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz could be in the works, the fight to make is a bout between McGregor and Ferguson.

McGregor has yet to defend his lightweight title since knocking out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 last November to become the champion, instead electing to take on Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match this past August. Now gearing up for his Octagon return, it’s time for the “Notorious” one to defend the strap, and he should do so against the interim champion.

Ferguson has now won an incredible 10 consecutive fights, establishing himself as one of the best lightweights in the world in the process.

From a stylistic standpoint, this fight is an intriguing one as well. Ferguson is one of the most exciting fighters on the roster, as he uses an unorthodox and unpredictable style. His unique striking arsenal, incredible pace and relentless submission attack would make for a stiff test for McGregor and his powerful counter-striking style.

Kevin Lee vs. Donald Cerrone/Darren Till

Despite coming up short against Ferguson, Lee not only established himself as an elite level fighter, but he also established himself as a potential star in the sport of mixed martial arts.

The only problem, however, is that he struggles to make the 155-pound lightweight limit. He went through a difficult weight cut prior to UFC 216, nearly missing weight, and said in the aftermath of the event that a move up to welterweight is a possibility.

I certainly agree that the “Motown Phenom” should move up in weight, and if he does, a bout against the winner of UFC Fight Night 118’s main event between Donald Cerrone and Darren Till could make sense.

Cerrone is a fan favorite, although he’s coming off of back-to-back losses. He still remains ranked inside the top 10, however, and if he can get by Till, he could provide an exciting test for Lee’s welterweight debut.

Till, on the other hand, is currently unranked, but if he upsets Cerrone, a bout between him and Lee could make sense to see where both men stand in the division.

Demetrious Johnson vs. Cody Garbrandt/TJ Dillashaw

Demetrious Johnson now holds the all-time record for the most consecutive title defenses made by a UFC champion in addition to essentially clearing out the 125-pound weight class.

With that being said, it’s clear that “Mighty Mouse” is leaps and bounds ahead of his division in terms of talent, and it’s time to match him up against a legitimate threat, which is why a bout against the winner of UFC 217’s bantamweight title fight between Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw is the fight to make.

This past summer, the UFC expressed interest in booking a bout between Johnson and Dillashaw, but “Mighty Mouse” said he’d rather take on a flyweight contender. Garbrandt has also expressed interest in challenging Johnson.

As far as what weight the fight would take place at, either flyweight or bantamweight could work. Dillashaw was willing to drop down to 125 pounds and Garbrandt may be as well. In addition, Johnson has competed at 135 pounds.

Either way, “Mighty Mouse” needs a new challenge, and the winner of a bout between Garbrandt and Dillashaw would provide just that.

Fabricio Werdum vs. Derrick Lewis

Fabricio Werdum and Derrick Lewis were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 216, but Lewis was forced to withdraw just hours prior to the event after a back injury flared up.

Werdum instead took on late replacement Walt Harris, submitting him in just 65 seconds. Despite the impressive victory, the win doesn’t do much for Werdum’s title aspirations, and it would make sense to re-book a bout between “Vai Cavalo” and Lewis.

Both men are recognizable heavyweight contenders and a bout between them would provide a very interesting match-up from a stylistic standpoint. It also makes sense from a rankings standpoint, as it would give us an idea of where both men stand in the somewhat cloudy heavyweight division.

John Moraga vs. Ben Nguyen

After suffering three straight losses between 2015 and 2017, former flyweight title challenger John Moraga appeared to be at a career crossroads. He then, however, bounced back this past June with a decision victory over Ashkan Mokhtarian.

Last night, he continued his winning streak with a vicious first-round knockout victory over the previously undefeated Magomed Bibulatov. Now back to his winning ways, the UFC should look to book Moraga against No. 8-ranked Ben Nguyen.

After suffering a disappointing loss to Louis Smolka in 2016, Nguyen has bounced back as well, scoring back-to-back victories. He’s won four of his five UFC fights and has proven himself as an exciting fighter.

A bout between Moraga and Nguyen would give each man a chance to move towards the upper echelon of the division.