Five Best Fights To Make After UFC 220
UFC 220 was a hard lesson learned for all involved, from fans to fighters and UFC brass themselves.
Two extremely hyped contenders got beat down and demoralized, while the incumbent champions didn’t get the respect they felt they deserved.
In hindsight, Volkan Oezdemir was not ready for Daniel Cormier, and the same can be said for Francis Ngannou with Stipe Miocic.
Even so, there are so many excellent fights to make after Saturday night, so without further adieu, let’s have a look:
5. Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis
Ngannou fell short in his title shot against Stipe Miocic, but given his age and experience level, it’s fair to say he will certainly compete for the title again.
Derrick Lewis and Ngannou have traded barbs ever since “The Black Beast” beat Travis Browne and his subsequent loss to Mark Hunt. Ngannou has trolled Lewis online, saying a fight with Lewis would not bring him closer to a title shot. Well now that he’s had his shot, this is the perfect fight to make for both men, provided Lewis emerges victorious against Marcin Tybura next month.
The heavyweight division is indeed bereft of top-level contenders, and a win here for either man could catapult them back into contention.
And not for nothing, but a fight between the two would absolutely satisfy the “Just Bleed” crowd. Both of these men are harbingers of unbridled violence.
4. Volkan Oezdemir vs. Glover Teixeira
Like Ngannou, Oezdemir was simply not ready for a fighter of the champion’s caliber. While Cormier put an end to Oezdemir’s hype and rapid ascent within the light heavyweight division, all is not lost for the 28-year-old.
A fight with Teixeira, who just scored a much-needed first-round TKO over Misha Cirkunov, would do wonders for either man, provided that man leaves the cage victorious. Oezdemir hasn’t had an opponent that wasn’t top 10, but a fight with Glover makes the most sense after Saturday night.
Teixeira has stumbled a bit over the past few years and clearly isn’t in his prime anymore, but he remains in the top 10 of the division due to lack of depth. If Oezdemir can rattle off a quick knockout over Teixeira, he’s right back into title contention. 
3. Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Cormier proved once again why he’s the man to hold the belt in Jon Jones’ absence, as he battered Oezdemir en route to a second-round TKO.
It’s clearer now than it’s ever been that DC is second only to Jones, but one other man still gave him hell not too long ago.
With Gustafsson coming off of an emphatic knockout over Glover Teixeira in May, there’s no better time than now for a rematch with the champion. Gustafsson gave DC everything he could handle back at UFC 192, but still ended up losing a narrow decision. Ever since fans have demanded a rematch between the two given how close and competitive their first fight was.
Unless Cormier is planning a move to heavyweight (as dreamed up by Dana White following he and Miocic’s victories last night), then it’s time for “The Mauler” to rematch Cormier as fight fans wait for Jones (possible) return.
2. Stipe Miocic Vs Cain Velasquez
An unreal pace, cardio for days, a grinding, smothering style with hands to boot…
Before Miocic became champ, there was Cain Velasquez. The two share very similar fight styles and are both regarded as two of the best heavyweights in the modern era and perhaps in MMA’s short-but-turbulent history.
Velasquez has been sidelined with injuries ever since his beatdown of Travis Browne back at UFC 200 in 2016. That’s nearly two years of inactivity, but that’s normal considering Velasquez’s career has been riddled with injuries and long layoffs.
Word around the industry says Velasquez is just about ready to make his return to the Octagon, and what better man to meet him than Miocic, who just dispatched Ngannou in a five-round shellacking on Saturday night.
These two heavyweights seem destined to do battle, and what a war that would be. In fact, Cormier’s main reason for avoiding a heavyweight fight is because his longtime friend and American Kickboxing Academy training partner is set to return soon.
However, if Velasquez doesn’t come back soon…
1. Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier
Dana White suggested it at the post-fight press conference, and a million eyes lit up at the thought.
Former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner and current UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier locked in the cage with Miocic? Yes, please!
Sure, Cormier will be a bit smaller for the division, but newer fans might not know that DC actually began his career as a heavyweight, holding victories over Frank Mir, Bigfoot Silva, and Josh Barnett before dropping to 205 pounds.
A superfight between the heavyweight and light heavyweight champion is just too good to pass up. If Velasquez can’t return soon, expect Dana White to push hard for this match-up, which fans will inevitably get behind. After all, who wouldn’t?
