Brandon Moreno, UFC Edmonton ceremonial weigh-in Credit score: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
The UFC went to Canada for the third time previously 18 months, this time with a UFC Edmonton card that had large stakes connected to it.
The cardboard featured a pair of two-time champions in the principle and co-main occasions. Canadian fighters went 2-2 to finish the remainder of the principle card. It began with a mixture of timid choices and enjoyable finishes earlier than Brandon Moreno capped it off with one in all his higher performances so far. Let’s take a look at what ought to be subsequent for Moreno, Erin Blanchfield and the remainder of the winners on the principle card.
Brandon Moreno
Brandon Moreno, UFC Edmonton ceremonial weigh-in Credit score: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
The Murderer Child appeared rejuvenated after shedding a pair of break up choices to the present champion and the present number one ranked contender. He fought like somebody who wanted a while off and clearly benefited from it. He took all 5 rounds on all however one choose’s scorecard. He discovered his rhythm early and made positive Amir Albazi couldn’t catch as much as him.
With this win, he will get to maintain his quantity 2 rating, however it does put him in an fascinating place. He’s in a really comparable spot as Max Holloway was when he misplaced his rematch to Alexander Volkanovski. Like Holloway after he dismantled Calvin Kattar, beating one contender received’t be sufficient when 0-2 in opposition to the champion.
With Moreno having fought everybody ranked within the top5, a few of them a number of instances, who can he struggle subsequent? A struggle that might make sense is Henry Cejudo ought to he ever select to drop again all the way down to flyweight, although there aren’t any obvious indicators that it’s going to occur. We then go to the following closest contender who isn’t coming off a loss, and that’s Kazakhstan’s Asu Almabayev. He’s ranked seventh and is undefeated within the UFC, having received all 4 of his fights. It’s a tricky struggle for Almabayev, however he did name for the elite of the division after his most up-to-date struggle in opposition to Matheus Nicolau. So let’s see what’s bought.
Moreno’s subsequent struggle: Asu Almabayev
Erin Blanchfield
Erin Blanchfield, UFC Edmonton ceremonial weigh-in Credit score: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
That is by far the largest win of Blanchfield’s profession. Whereas her recreation plan appeared complicated after two rounds, she did ultimately impose herself and took the remaining three rounds on all of the scorecards.
Her subsequent struggle is pretty apparent and it’s the one she referred to as for on the mic: Alexa Grasso. The previous champion is in want of a pair nice wins if she desires to remain within the combine after the egg she laid on the Sphere. A win over a surging contender like Blanchfield is a good place to begin.
Blanchfield’s subsequent struggle: Alexa Grasso
Brendson Ribeiro
Brendson Ribeiro, UFC Edmonton ceremonial weigh-in Credit score: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
Ribeiro got here into the UFC with an enormous upset knockout on final yr’s season of Dana White’s Contender Collection. It was then his flip to get knocked out within the first spherical when he misplaced to Zhang Mingyang in his debut. These two fights confirmed us that the Brazilian wasn’t afraid to throw down and whether or not he would win or lose, he would make it entertaining. Nonetheless, since that loss, he has fought much more timidly. Dropping a call to Magomed Gadzhiyasulov again in June and now profitable an in depth, uneventful one in opposition to Caio Machado.
I assumed there was probability the loser of this struggle can be introduced with their strolling papers, so getting the win is what mattered. Whereas Ribeiro was in all probability by no means going to turn into an actual participant at 205 lbs, he has now despatched the message that he can’t even be relied upon to ship thrilling fights, making him even much less useful. For that motive, I see him being fed to somebody the promotion truly has some inventory in.
That description suits the 27-year-old, 10-0 Diyar Nurgozhay who bought a candy head kick KO on this yr’s Contender Collection.
Ribeiro’s subsequent struggle: Diyar Nurgozhay
Jasmine Jasudavicius
Jasmine Jasudavicius, UFC Edmonton ceremonial weigh-in Credit score: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
Jasudavicius used her measurement to overwhelm Ariane da Silva and get her second D’arce choke end of the yr. She now finds herself on a three-fight win streak and retains climbing the rankings. Already being 35, the Canadian will look to maintain combating ladies ranked above her. Nonetheless, having misplaced convincingly to Natalia Silva and Tracy Cortez, she can’t be quick tracked to the highest.
In two weeks, veteran Viviane Araújo will tackle ascending contender Karine Silva at Madison Sq. Backyard. With each of them ranked not too far forward of Jasudavicius, the loser of that struggle makes quite a lot of sense for her.
Jasudavicius’ subsequent struggle: Loser of Araújo/Ok. Silva
Dustin Stoltzfus
Dustin Stoltzfus, UFC Edmonton ceremonial weigh-in Credit score: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
Stoltzfus bought an awesome bounce again win after getting knocked out by Brunno Ferreira again in June. After the win, former foe Joe Pyfer referred to as for a rematch with Stoltzfus after shedding to him in 2020 on the Contenders Collection due to a slam that resulted in an damage. It’s clear that since then, the UFC has put much more inventory into Pyfer and that is probably a matchup that he would now be favoured to win.
If Pyfer desires to avenge it and the UFC desires to be within the Joe Pyfer enterprise, why not? They’ll even argue over who bought the higher KO of Marc-André Barriault.
Stoltzfus’ subsequent struggle: Joe Pyfer
Mike Malott
Mike Malott, UFC Edmonton ceremonial weigh-in Credit score: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
Correct Mike was by far the largest hope Canada had coming into this yr. He got here into the UFC getting three consecutive finishes and was set as much as enter the rankings this previous January when he fought Neil Magny. He was nicely on his option to win when he out of the blue imploded and bought completed within the final minute of the struggle. That end soured lots of people, and it was going to be powerful for Malott to regain the hype he as soon as had.
Trevin Giles, a person he had already crushed in a grappling match, ought to have given him loads of confidence getting into this struggle. But, he clearly didn’t really feel snug chasing a end like he used to do, and as an alternative opted to point-fight his option to a call.
With him turning 33 this week, it’s not even just like the UFC can take their time to rebuild him. Let’s put him in there with one other prospect who finds himself in the same place. Gabriel Bonfim additionally got here into the promotion with a ton of hype and misplaced to a veteran earlier than rebounding this yr with a forgettable determination victory. It’s sink-or-swim time. Let’s see who the UFC ought to put their inventory into.
Malott’s subsequent struggle: Gabriel Bonfim
