Five Best Fights To Make After UFC Norfolk

UFC Fight Night 120 took place last night (Nov. 11, 2017) from the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Virginia and it ended up being an exciting night of fights.

In the main event, rising contender Dustin Poirier continued to move up the lightweight rankings, scoring a third-round submission (via injury) victory over former 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis. In the co-main event, veterans Matt Brown and Diego Sanchez did battle, with Brown scoring a vicious elbow knockout victory in the opening round.

Also on the main card, former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski returned to the win column, scoring a decision victory over Junior Albini.

With the event now in the rearview mirror, let’s take a look ahead at five fights to make after UFC Fight Night 120:

Dustin Poirier vs. Eddie Alvarez/Justin Gaethje

At UFC 218 on Dec. 2, 2017, No. 4-ranked former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez will take on No. 5-ranked former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) titleholder Justin Gaethje, and Poirier should take on the winner.

Poirier and Alvarez have already faced off, as they did battle at UFC 211 last May in Dallas, Texas. “The Diamond” appeared to be winning the bout before Alvarez landed an illegal knee and the fight was deemed a no-contest. Poirier campaigned for an immediate rematch after the fight, but he wasn’t granted his wish. If Alvarez beats Gaethje, Poirier should be given that rematch.

And if Gaethje wins, the UFC could put together a bout between him and Poirier, which would essentially be a bout between two of the division’s most exciting contenders, with a title shot possibly hanging in the balance.

Anthony Pettis vs. Michael Chiesa

Although it was a relatively one-sided fight, it was also an exciting fight, and an apparent rib injury likely played into Pettis suffering his fifth loss in his last seven bouts.

While he has certainly hit some rough times since his days as the lightweight champion, I still feel as if Pettis has some fight left in him given that he’s only 30 years of age.

With that being said, a bout between “Showtime” and No. 10-ranked Michael Chiesa could make sense for next year. Chiesa is also coming off of a loss, but he’s a tough fighter, with a well-rounded skill set.

A fight against “Maverick” would given Pettis the chance to bounce back and prove that he still belongs in the top 10 at lightweight.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Stefan Struve

After losing a concerning five-straight fights, with four of those victories coming by way of stoppage, Arlovski finally got back in the win column last night, scoring a decision victory over Junior Albini.

And while it wasn’t the best performance of the 38-year-old Arlovski’s career, he certainly looked better than he has in the past, and because of that, he should receive a ranked opponent for his next fight. Perhaps a fight against No. 10-ranked Stefan Struve would make sense.

Struve is coming off of a loss to Alexander Volkov, but he’s won two of his last three bouts, with both of those victories coming by way of stoppage over the likes of Antonio Silva and Daniel Omielanczuk.

A fight between Arlovski and Struve would give both men a chance to prove where they currently stand in the somewhat crowded heavyweight division.

Raphael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt

No. 4-ranked bantamweight contender Raphael Assuncao continued his winning streak last night, scoring his third consecutive victory with an impressive knockout over Matthew Lopez in the third-round of their main card bout.

Given his recent success and that he has a history with reigning 135-pound champion TJ Dillashaw, Assuncao is nearing dangerously close to a title shot. However, Dillashaw has consistently expressed interest in a fight against flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.

Because of that, Assuncao likely won’t receive a title shot next, but he should be matched up against ex-champion Cody Garbrandt, who’s coming off of a stoppage loss to Dillashaw at UFC 217 last weekend in New York City.

Both Assuncao and Garbrandt represent two of the best 135 pounders in the world, and the winner of a potential bout between the two wouldn’t be able to be denied a shot at gold.

Marlon Moraes vs. John Lineker

When he entered the UFC earlier this year, Marlon Moraes was considered to be one of the very best fighters competing outside of the UFC, but he dropped a split-decision loss to Assuncao in his Octagon debut.

Last night, he scored his first promotional victory over John Dodson, and although it was a solid performance, it was another split-decision result. After the fight, he called out streaking contender Jimmie Rivera, but I feel as if he should take one more fight before being matched up against the division’s top contenders.

Perhaps a fight between Moraes and No. 5-ranked John Lineker fits the bill.

Lineker has won seven of his last eight fights, with the only loss in that stretch coming against Dillashaw in December 2016. The winner of a bout between him and Moraes would establish himself as a portential threat to the title.