Five Best Fights To Make After UFC St. Louis
UFC Fight Night 124 took place last night (Jan. 14, 2017) live on FOX Sports 1 from St. Louis, Missouri, and although it was a bit of a slog throughout much of the main card, the main event delivered a hard-hitting affair as promised.
Jeremy Stephens scored a second-round stoppage victory over Doo Ho Choi in a fight that earned ‘Fight of the Night’ honors.
In the co-main event, meanwhile, Jessica Rose-Clark earned a decision victory over Paige VanZant in a women’s flyweight affair. Surging welterweight Kamaru Usman continued his streak at welterweight as well, but may not have earned many new fans with his wrestling-heavy gameplan and post-fight smack talk.
With the event now in the rearview mirror, let’s take a look ahead at the five best fights to make from UFC St. Louis:
Jeremy Stephens vs. Josh Emmett
Although he has, at times, fallen short in big fights, Jeremy Stephens has remained relevant in the featherweight division for years, and after putting together back-to-back wins over Gilbert Melendez and Choi, he should be in line for another pivotal fight.
With that being said, a pairing with Josh Emmett makes sense.
Since returning to featherweight earlier this year, Emmett has won two straight fights with his most recent win being a stunning knockout victory over former title challenger Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FOX 26 last month in Winnipeg.
Both men have been riding waves of a momentum, but they’re both also at least a fight or two away from title discussions. Matching them up against each other would provide a fresh and deserving contender in the 145-pound weight class.
Doo Ho Choi vs. Yair Rodriguez
Doo Ho Choi has now suffered two consecutive losses to Cub Swanson and Stephens, but given that he’ll be forced to fulfill his mandatory military requirement next year, he’ll likely want to fight again in the near future.
Despite his recent losing skid, he remains one of the most exciting fighters in the division and should be given an intriguing fight.
Perhaps Yair Rodriguez would serve as a suitable opponent.
Rodriguez hasn’t competed since suffering a defeat to Frankie Edgar last May, but his flashy striking style would provide a stiff challenge to Choi and give both men a chance to get back into the win column.
Jessica Rose-Clark vs. Mara Romero/ Katlyn Chookagian
Although it appeared Paige VanZant suffered an injury in last night’s co-main event, Jessica Rose-Clark still scored a much-needed if somewhat tentative victory.
The Australian has now won back-to-back fights in the UFC, and should continue to move up the flyweight rankings.
A bout against the winner of UFC on FOX 27’s Mara Romero vs. Katlyn Chookagian could make sense.
Romero is ranked ahead of Clark in the official flyweight rankings and Chookagian is not yet ranked, although if she beats Romero she would certainly serve as a viable opponent.
The timing also works well, as Romero and Chookagian will do battle on Jan. 27.
Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington
Kamaru Usman extended his win streak to an incredible 11 straight last night with a one-sided decision victory over Emil Meek and then called out Colby Covington in his post-fight interview.
In my opinion, that’s the fight to make.
Covington has currently won five straight fights and is coming off of a dominant victory over Demian Maia. He’s highly ranked in the division, and like Usman, he has a tremendous wrestling background.
From a stylistic standpoint, the fight makes sense, and it also makes sense given the state of both fighters in the division.
Darren Elkins vs. Chan Sung Jung
Darren Elkins has quietly put together a six-fight winning streak and should receive a top 10 opponent his next time out to the cage.
Former title challenger Chan Sung Jung is still dealing with a knee injury, but he’s coming off of a victory over Dennis Bermudez and could serve as an interesting opponent for Elkins when he’s healed up.
Both men have exciting fighting styles, and the winner of a potential bout between the two would continue to rise up the 145-pound rankings.
