Five fights to make after UFC 138

Mark Munoz vs. Chael Sonnen

…let’s take the two guys who are probably the top two contenders in the division and put them together. Both guys want shots at Silva and both of them probably won’t get them any time soon for very different reasons, so why not make the next logical fight? If Munoz can get past Sonnen, he certainly deserves a title shot, and if Sonnen dominates Munoz like he did Brian Stann at UFC 136, there’s no way Silva can make the claim that he doesn’t deserve a shot.

Renan Barao vs. Joseph Benavidez

…with the next crack at the injured Dominick Cruz likely coming from the Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles bout at UFC 139, the only thing that makes sense is for Barao to face more top-shelf competition.

John Maguire vs. Che Mills

Both British newcomers had excellent nights at UFC 138, with Mills destroying Chris Cope and Maguire proving himself a formidable grappler against Justin Edwards.

Maguire was nearly knocked out by Edwards in the first round of their bout, but rebounded in fine fashion by out-grappling Edwards on the way to a lopsided decision win. Mills, meanwhile, utterly destroyed Cope in the best display of plum clinch technique since Anderson Silva rearranged Rich Franklin’s face (twice) several years ago.

Terry Etim vs. Joe Lauzon

With Maguire vs. Mills, you’ve got a striker vs. grappler battle. You’ll find none of that nonsense here. Etim vs. Lauzon was supposed to happen way back at UFC 118, but Etim’s health issues forced him to withdraw from the fight.

Eighteen months later and with Etim recovered from his injuries, there’s no better time to make the fight happen. Lauzon’s defeat of Melvin Guillard didn’t make him a contender in the lightweight division, at least not yet, and he needs an opponent. Both fighters are fresh off quick submission wins and, let’s face it, the grappling-fest that would ensue between Etim and Lauzon would be fantastic. You know it would.

Thiago Alves vs. Rory MacDonald

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