The Vanquished: What’s Next for the UFC Fight Night 164 Losers?

Jan Blachowicz on Saturday added a win over another former middleweight contender to his resume with a split decision over Ronaldo Souza in the UFC Fight Night 164 headliner in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Although it was a dull affair, the Pole has won six of his last seven fights.

Meanwhile, Charles Oliveira recorded his second knockout victory of 2019 with a first-round stoppage of Jared Gordon; Andre Muniz edged fellow Dana White’s Contender Series alum Antonio Arroyo; and Wellington Turman bested Markus Perez by unanimous decision.

What becomes of the UFC Fight Night 164 losers? A few ideas:

Ronaldo Souza vs. Nikita Krylov: Souza made an unsuccessful light heavyweight debut and did not look impressive at all during the 25-minute affair. It could be signs of a decline, but then again, he did face one of the division’s top contenders. Given his name value, Souza should next fight someone towards the bottom of the Top 15 at 205 pounds. Coming off a split decision loss to Glover Teixeira, Krylov would be a strong candidate and an intriguing challenge, given his submission savvy.

Jared Gordon vs. Don Madge: Gordon was quickly finished by Oliveira, giving the former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder three knockout losses in his last four outings. “Flash” is now 3-3 in the UFC and appears to have missed his chance to crack the Top 15 in the process. Match him with Madge, who is 2-0 in the UFC and on a six-fight winning streak.

Antonio Arroyo vs. John Phillips: Arroyo enjoyed moments of success against Muniz but ultimately struggled with his fellow Brazilian’s takedown attempts, leading to a unanimous decision defeat. It was the first Octagon appearance for both men, and Arroyo figures to learn from the experience. Why not pair him with a pure striker like Phillips, who recorded his first UFC win -- a knockout of Alen Amedovski -- in September?

Markus Perez vs. Brendan Allen: Perez put his best foot forward, but it was not enough to save him from being outpointed by Turman across three rounds. In defeat, the Brazilian continued his run of alternating wins and losses since he debuted in the UFC in 2017. Book him against a young prospect in Allen next. “All In” extended his winning streak to five fights at UFC on ESPN 6 in October, when he submitted Kevin Holland in his organizational debut.