What’s Next For The Winners At UFC Fight Night 140

What’s Next For The Winners At UFC Fight Night 140

By Myles Hutton 

The UFC finally made its long anticipated debut in Buenos Aires, which saw surging Argentinian stand out Santiago Ponzinibbio headline the card against seasoned veteran Neil Magny in a 5-round welterweight bout giving the winner a very good chance of hitting the top 5 of the division when the rankings next get released.

In this article, I’ll be focusing in on the main card winners, and matching them up against who I believe makes sense for their next fight.

Santiago Ponzinibbio def Neil Magny via KO (2:36) of Round 4

‘Gente Boa’ is now on a 7-fight winning streak at 170 pounds, and undoubtedly deserves a top 5 opponent in his next outing. Therefore, I believe a fight with the loser of Rafael Dos Anjos and Kamaru Usman makes most sense. Ponzinibbio was scheduled to face Usman at UFC Chile in May 2018, but pulled out due to injury; both are very well-rounded and are a tough challenge for anyone at welterweight, and I’d love to see Ponzinibbio fight the loser of this fight, as the winner would be on the verge of a title shot and Santiago hasn’t quite earned that yet.

Ricardo Lamas def Darren Elkins via TKO (4:09) of Round 3

This fight was bound to be a war, and it was what we all expected. The technical striking of Lamas mixed in with double leg takedowns is what helped him win the 3 round war against an absolutely warrior in Elkins. With Lamas braking his 2-fight losing streak, and the matchup I’d like to see next is Lamas vs Cub Swanson in a rematch. Lamas won via Arm Triangle in their first fight, and the rematch would allow Lamas to climb the rankings again with a win over a top featherweight.

Johnny Walker def Khalil Rountree via KO (1:57) of Round 1

A new prospect at 205lbs is Johnny Walker. This man has huge potential and is still young and developing. Huge for the weight class, he defeated Rountree in vicious fashion and made a statement to the other light heavyweights. A fight with Magomed Ankalaev would be very good matchmaking and makes most sense. Both coming off impressive finishes, they are both well-rounded and I wouldn’t expect this fight to last long at all!

Ian Heinisch def Cezar Ferreira via Unanimous Decision

Heinisch got the call on very short notice after Tom Breese pulled out a week before fight night. The ‘Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series’ stand out pulled off an extremely promising decision win over a veteran in ‘Mutante’. A champ in the LFA promotion prior to signing for the UFC, I believe Heinisch has the experience to be able to hang with the best in the division in the future, however I would match him up with Karl Roberson in his next outing. Both guys are coming off decision victories, and this would be a big test for both men.

Marlon Vera def Guido Cannetti via Submission (Rear Naked Choke, 1:31) of Round 2

Chito Vera is a fighter who has been very active in the last few years and is always up for a tough test. He shows passion in all of his fights, and his all round game can cause issues for his opponents at any given time. A fight I would love to see would be Marlon Vera vs Deiveson Figueirido. The promising Brazilian, who some say has the potential to be a UFC Champion one day, is reportedly moving up to 135 after the recent flyweight ‘abandoning’ and a scrap with Vera would be a very fun one to watch for both ‘diehards’ and ‘casuals’.

Cynthia Calvillo def Poliana Botelho via Submission (Rear Naked Choke, 4:48) of Round 1

The Team Alpha Male prospect Cynthia Calvillo made a flying start to her UFC days, winning her first 3, but experienced her first career defeat against Carla Esparza at UFC 219. She has had a few issues this year including missing weight and failed drug tests but I believe her big win vs Botelho will kickstart another win streak in the strawweight division. Some suggest she moves up, but I think if she gets her nutrition and weight issues under control she will be a contender for years to come, and maybe a champion one day. But, I think a fight vs Alexa Grasso would be a great watch in 2019.

Other fights to make after UFC Buenos Aires:

Neil Magny vs Alex Oliveira
Darren Elkins vs Myles Jury
Khalil Rountree vs Gadzhimurad Antigulov
Cezar Ferreira vs Eryk Anders
Guido Cannetti vs Iuri Alcantara
Poliana Botelho vs Livia Reneta Souza
Michel Prazeres vs Alexey Kunchenko
Nad Narimani vs Sheymon Moraes