A thrilling UFC 270 is in the books, which beckons big questions for the winners. Let’s start with this one: What’s next?
Here’s a look at the fights that make the most sense for the main card winners at 270.
What’s next for UFC 270 winners
Francis Ngannou vs Jon Jones
Francis Ngannou (17-3) retained his UFC heavyweight title in an incredible manner on Saturday night by fighting with torn ligaments, falling behind on the scorecards, and then winning the last three rounds of his fight with Ciryl Gane (10-1) through his grappling, and thus earning the first decision win of his career. The next big fight for Ngannou appears to be in the courtroom with the UFC. “The Predator” believes his contract has expired, he is not a mark for the letters U-F-C, and he wants to chase big boxing paydays.
The UFC thinks he’s still bound by the “champion’s clause,” and has already threatened to sue him. On paper, a super-fight with longtime former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones (26-1) would do enough business to keep everyone happy for some time to come, but common sense frequently gets TKO’d in the fight game.
Deiveson Figueiredo vs Brandon Moreno 4
Who would have thought going into a trilogy fight that the only bout to make sense afterward would be a fourth fight between the two combatants? That’s where we stand after Deiveson Figueiredo edged Brandon Moreno (19-6-2) via a unanimous decision to regain the flyweight title and even the series at 1-1-1.
After these two, the flyweight depth chart shows rising talents like Askar Askarov, Kai-Kara France, Brandon Royval. However, they also seem a step below the former and current champion, so going back to Figueiredo vs Moreno is a no-brainer.
Michel Pereira vs Li Jingliang or Santiago Ponzinibbio
Michel Pereira (27-11) had long been considered more a flashy curiosity than a serious welterweight contender. But his unanimous decision win over Andre Fialho was his fourth straight victory.
Pereira should crack the rankings with this win, and a matchup with a ranked veteran like Li Jingliang (18-7) or Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-5) makes sense to see once and for all if Pereira is a legit contender.
Said Nurmagomedov vs Ricky Simon or Rafael Assuncao
Said Nurmagomedov (15-2) has more than carried the weight that comes with famous cousin Khabib Nurmagodmedov’s surname. His matchup with Cody Stamann was considered a big test, one he aced with a submission win in 47 seconds.
They could go with another rising name in Ricky Simon (19-3) and create a hot bantamweight fight, or go the veteran route and match him up with longtime standout Rafael Assuncao (27-9).
Michael Morales vs Warlley Alves or Dwight Grant
Michael Morales (13-0) wowed the crowd in Anaheim during the pay-per-view opener with his first-round TKO of established welterweight talent in Trevin Giles.
This is a 22-year recent graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series, so you don’t want to throw him to the wolves just yet. But a lower-tier vet with some name recognition like Warlley Alves (12-5) or Dwight Grant (11-4) could help his progression.
–Dave Doyle, Field Level Media
