Track Yadong, UFC 299 press convention Credit score: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
The UFC’s fourth ever journey to the grunge capital (and first since 2013) had one thing for everybody. The UFC Seattle card began off with 5 consecutive knockouts adopted by two slick submissions. It gave us spotlight reel finishes from Ricky Simón and Jean Silva, an entertaining function bout and capped off the evening with primary and co-main occasions that had actual stakes hooked up to them. It’s time, now, to do some matchmaking for a card that had a little bit of the whole lot, together with some controversy.
Track Yadong
Regardless that the best way it ended was controversial, Track did have time to point out us he was forward of Henry Cejudo by means of three rounds in Saturday’s UFC Seattle primary occasion. I personally have little curiosity in operating this combat again as I imagine there are extra compelling matchups on the market for each Track and Cejudo.
I might like to see Umar Nurmagomedov combat Sean O’Malley, with the winner incomes their rematch with Merab Dvalishvili, but it surely seems as if the promotion will simply ebook the O’Malley rematch straight away. Which means Nurmagomedov will want a distinct combat. Might or not it’s Petr Yan? Perhaps, however I might be mendacity if I mentioned I didn’t discover a Track Yadong matchup to be intriguing.
Track has been given alternatives to take that subsequent step previously with fights towards Yan and Cory Sandhagen. I might see individuals eager to see Track win at the least another combat earlier than getting that kind of alternative once more, particularly given the unsatisfying nature of the principle occasion’s ending. For that motive, I wouldn’t be against a Marlon Vera rematch or a combat with Mario Bautista. In the long run, I do want the Umar combat.
Track’s subsequent combat: Umar Nurmagomedov
Anthony Hernandez
Whereas it was revealed that Hernandez was compromised coming into this rematch with Brendan Allen, he nonetheless obtained the job carried out by unanimous determination. This marks Fluffy’s seventh straight win, tying Caio Borralho for the second longest win streak at middleweight behind solely the division’s reigning champion.
With Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov on spectacular runs, and after Gregory Rodrigues didn’t insert himself in that blend final week, let’s see if Hernandez can get himself into that title image to make 185 much more thrilling. I imagine Hernandez has earned the chance to combat a top5 contender. With each Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker coming off losses, I might look to them. Moreover, with talks of a Struggle Night time card in Australia someday in the summertime, wouldn’t Whittaker vs Hernandez be an ideal headliner?
Hernandez’s subsequent combat: Robert Whittaker
Rob Font
Each time I imagine Font’s fall off is lastly upon us, he finds a strategy to flip again the clock and get an enormous win. After back-to-back damaging losses to Jose Aldo and ‘Chito’ Vera, he took a 12 months off and got here again by knocking out the then streaking Adrian Yanez in three minutes. That efficiency was then adopted by convincing losses to Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo, however as soon as once more, he bounced again with a win towards teen Kyler Phillips. And now after taking Jean Matsumoto’s 0 at UFC Seattle, he finds himself on his first win streak since 2021.
Font was initially meant to be Dominick Cruz’s retirement combat, however agreed to combat the younger, unranked, undefeated Matsumoto. This represented an enormous favour for the promotion as this card was beginning to crumble. It isn’t uncommon for the UFC to repay fighters for doing them a strong.
Taking that under consideration, I imagine the best way to repay Font is with a combat with the person who misplaced in the principle occasion: Henry Cejudo. At 37, Font is coming off back-to-back fights towards fighters ranked under him that had been 8 and 12 years his juniors. Cejudo is 38 himself, has a comparatively large title and is ranked barely forward of Font. It’s a reserving that may be each rankings and age acceptable.
Font’s subsequent combat: Henry Cejudo
Jean Silva
Silva was within the operating for ‘Rookie of the Year’ in 2024 after going 3-0 with three knockouts. However the second he actually made a splash was when he fought on back-to-back occasions. He went up a weight class to knockout Drew Dober at light-weight on quick discover after having simply KO’d Charles Jourdain two weeks prior.
It was a well-earned seven-month layoff for ‘Lord’. At UFC Seattle he made fast work of Melsik Baghdsaryan, who’s a harmful striker in his personal proper. On a card that noticed eight finishes, Silva’s end was unquestionably going to land him a ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus. Absolutely, ranked opposition is subsequent for him. He known as out Bryce Mitchell and Mitchell entertained the thought on social media afterwards. Nevertheless, I haven’t forgotten that Doo Ho Choi known as out Mitchell first after his stellar efficiency towards Nate Landwehr in December. I had Choi preventing Mitchell in my matchmaking article after UFC 310.
Within the flood of bulletins we obtained from Dana White final week, Dan Ige vs Sean Woodson was revealed to be on the UFC 314 card in Miami. Silva can face the winner of that combat. If it’s Ige, then Silva will get to measure himself up towards the division’s litmus check; a check that the Movsar Evloevs, Diego Lopes’s, and Lerone Murphys of the world handed. If it’s Woodson, then get to see what needs to be an undeniably humorous visible as a 6’2” featherweight squares off towards a 5’7” man of the burden class.
Silva’s subsequent combat: Ige/Woodson winner
Alonzo Menifield
Whereas Menifield obtained his hand raised and that’s all the time crucial factor, it wasn’t precisely essentially the most inspiring of performances, although it was one way or the other awarded ‘Fight of the Night’ honours following UFC Seattle. I don’t assume a break up determination towards a debuting fighter ought to give Menifield the correct to combat up the rankings. Particularly not contemplating he obtained KO’d in his two fights prior.
They might merely re-book the Oumar Sy combat that was presupposed to occur at UFC London in March. Nevertheless, I might truly want if Sy needed to show himself towards unranked opposition another time as I imagine he’s nonetheless a bit inexperienced. Proper earlier than Menifield walked out to the octagon, Ion Cutelaba earned his second straight victory by submitting rising prospect Ibo Aslan. Each Menifield and Cutelaba convey the motion in each combat they’re in and have each been within the UFC for fairly a while. It’s a kind of fights the place you’re stunned to study it’s by no means been booked.
Menifield’s subsequent combat: Ion Cutelaba
