What’s next for the UFC’s Fight night 175 main card winners?
UFC fight Night 175 featured some exciting and explosive fights. Thiago Moises pulled off a highlight reel heel hook submission. We witnessed the emergence of Drew Dober with a spectacular beating of Alexander Hernandez. It was also the first time Ovince Saint Preux competed at heavyweight against Ben Rothwell. Finally, Anthony Smith took a beating that should have been stopped 2 rounds earlier and Glover Teixeira made a big comeback after being down in the first round.
Thiago Moisés : Islam Makhachev (13)
After defeating Michael Johnson, Thiago Moisés put his name on the map. He showed that he was a high-level grappler by completing a difficult submission. Although his striking still needs to be improved, he can expect a fight against a top 15 fighter. Islam Makhachev won his last fight against Davi Ramos by unanimous decision. He’s a big, heavy wrestler with solid ground play. A bout between two high level jiu-jitsu competitors would be an interesting one.
Andrei Arlovski: Fabricio Werdum (15)
At 41 years old, Arlovski will surely never fight for a world title in the future. I don’t know how many fights Arlovski has left but a fight with another veteran makes sense. They fought long time ago at UFC 70 in Manchester and Arlovski won that fight by unanimous decision. Regarding Werbum, he lost his last fight against Alexei Oleinik at UFC 249. With the two being in Jacksonville, a fight in 2 or 3 month makes sense.
Ricky Simon: John Dodson (13)
Simon is back on track after back-to-back losses against Rob Font and Urijah Faber. He won against a former title challenger in an exciting bou where he displayed his wrestling skills with an impressive 7 takedowns.
He could have his shot in the top 15 with a fight against John Dodson who won his last fight against Nathaniel Wood by K.O back in February. He is a well-known veteran of the game and a fight between him and Simon could be happening.
Drew Dober: Diego Ferreira (10)
Drew Dober showed that he has improved a lot. He completely out-boxed Alexander Hernandez and earned a K.O in the second round. In his post-fight interview, he called out Paul Felder for an epic lightweight battle. Personally, I just don’t think he’s ready for Felder. A fight against a top 10 fighter will show who Dober really is. Ferreira is on a 5-fight winning streak that includes a win over former champion Anthony Pettis.
Ferreira is one of the most underrated fighters that is slowly becoming a threat at 155. He’s a well-rounded fighter with a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A fight between Dober and Ferreira could produce fireworks.
Ben Rothwell: Tai Tuivasa
Even at 38, Big Ben continues to perform at a high level and has won 2 fights in a row. I don’t think he can run for a title, but he can still compete with the UFC’s heavyweight caliber. I don’t think he quite deserves a shot in a top 15, but a fight against Tuivasa suits him.
Tuivasa is currently on a 3-fight losing streak and a fight against Rothwell could put him back on his feet. These are two stand-up fighters who could produce fire in their exchange.
Glover Texeira (8) : Corey Anderson (5)
Glover has shown that age is just a number. At 41, he managed to beat former title challenger Anthony Smith. Corey Anderson lost his last bout to Jan Blachowicz. Glover is looking for a quick run to a title shot and a win against Anderson could put him in the right direction. Texeira has heavy hands and a solid ground game. On the other hand, Anderson is an excellent wrestler who could cause problems with his power. It’s a fight that would be interesting!
