Matches to Make After UFC 186
Demetrious Johnson put another historic highlight in the reel.
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Horiguchi’s efforts were admirable but unproductive. Per FightMetric date, Johnson executed 14 takedowns and six guard passes against him, all while out-landing him by better than a 2-to-1 clip in the total strike and significant strike departments. It was a blowout in every sense of the word, as Johnson joined Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Jon Jones and Jose Aldo as the only UFC champions to record at least six consecutive title defenses.
In wake of UFC 186 “Johnson vs. Horiguchi,” here are six matchups
that ought to be considered:
Related » UFC 186 By the Numbers
Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson-Zach Makovsky winner: The incomparable Johnson has rattled off eight consecutive victories and has the look of a generational champion who could clean out his division within the next year or two. The 28-year-old Matt Hume disciple overwhelmed the talented but outmatched Horiguchi across five rounds before executing a last-second armbar for the finish. Johnson still has never lost at 125 pounds, with his only two career defeats coming against Dominick Cruz and Brad Pickett as an undersized bantamweight. Dodson, whom Johnson has already beaten, will lock horns with Makovsky at UFC 187 on May 23.
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Jussier da Silva-Wilson Reis loser: Horiguchi has nothing about which to hang his head. The 24-year-old failed in his bid to unseat Johnson, the reigning flyweight king and a technical marvel in the heart of his competitive prime. Horiguchi had no answers for Johnson’s transitional game, as “Mighty Mouse” danced between striking and grappling exchanges with seamless ease. Despite the setback, the Japanese star remains one of the world’s premier flyweights and could conceivably climb back into title contention in the not-too-distant future. Da Silva will collide with Reis at UFC Fight Night “Condit vs. Alves” on May 30 in Brazil.
Quinton Jackson vs. Mauricio Rua-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira winner: He did not set the world on fire in his return to the UFC, but Jackson walked away from his co-main event showdown against Fabio Maldonado with his hand raised. “Rampage” overcame issues with fatigue to win a unanimous decision, as he mixed kicks and knees with ringing power punches against the notoriously durable Maldonado. One has to wonder what the future holds for Jackson, a past-his-prime box-office draw who turns 37 in a little less than two months. Rua and Nogueira will meet in a long-awaited rematch at UFC 190.
Michael Bisping vs. Gegard Mousasi-Costas Philippou winner: Bisping leaned on conditioning, pace and volume in claiming a unanimous verdict from C.B. Dollaway in their middleweight showcase. His 16th UFC victory ties him with Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and Gleison Tibau for fourth on the all-time list. Only Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes and Anderson Silva have more. While Bisping’s accomplishments and run of sustained success are hard to ignore, his days as a relevant contender in the middleweight division are likely over. Dollaway sent him to the canvas with a glancing left hook in the first round, and his chin has shown increasing signs of wear of late. Mousasi will take on Philippou at UFC Fight Night “Edgar vs. Faber” on May 16.
Thomas Almeida vs. Frankie Saenz: For those who have not already done so, the time has come to invest in Almeida stock. The Chute Boxe prospect blitzed Yves Jabouin to kick off the UFC 186 main card, disposing of the Tristar Gym veteran with a flurry of first-round punches. Almeida, 23, remains undefeated at 18-0 and has delivered all but one of his professional victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. The former Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder could soon find himself rubbing shoulders in the top 10 at 135 pounds. Saenz, a onetime King of the Cage champion, upset Iuri Alcantara at UFC Fight Night “Bigfoot vs. Mir” in February and has pieced together a streak of six straight wins.
Randa Markos vs. Paige VanZant: Markos planted her flag in the fledgling women’s strawweight division with a hard-earned unanimous decision over SBG Ireland’s Aisling Daly on the undercard. The 29-year-old Iraqi-born Canadian survived a nasty gash above her left eye -- the product of some elbow-laced ground-and-pound from Daly -- to pick up her first victory inside the Octagon and rebound from a December decision loss to Jessica Penne. A star in the making, the 21-year-old VanZant improved to 2-0 in the UFC with a three-round unanimous verdict over Felice Herrig on April 18.
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