What’s Next For The Losers At UFC 239

What’s Next For The Losers At UFC 239

By Claudia Peterson

International Fight Week 2019 culminated with UFC 239 on Saturday July 6th, and the main card was full of exciting fights. Now that the fights are over, let’s see where those on the losing end go from here.

Thiago Santos: Thiago Marreta Santos showed a lot of heart by going five rounds with Jon Jones. He had a great first two rounds before fading in the later rounds, partly due to an injured knee. He had some great moments where he exemplified his strength against Jon Jones. However, it was not enough and he lost by split decision. Although it would be nice to see a rematch, a next good fight for him would be Anthony Smith.

Holly Holm: The Preacher’s Daughter suffered yet another loss in her bid to reclaim the bantamweight championship, this time at the hands of Amanda Nunes.

This is the first time Holm has lost by TKO in MMA. Like in the past, Holm lacked confidence inside the octagon, and did not seem to have the appropriate gameplan to face Nunes. It was a very disappointing performance by the former champion. Dana White also hinted that the former champion should re-evaluate her fighting future. However, Holm recently signed a new 6 fight deal, and if she chooses to stay around, she could fight Cat Zingano.

Ben Askren: Funky Askren suffered his first loss in MMA in devastating fashion, being on the receiving end of the fastest knockout in UFC history thanks to Jorge Masvidal at just 5 seconds into the penign round. As embarrassing as this loss is for Askren, it will be an opportunity for him to mature into the type of UFC fighter he needs to be. Askren has become very predictable in his shooting low early in a fight, and he gave Jorge all the advantage by not having adjusted his game. Not much more to be said about this fight other than the fact that Ben Askren will most likely still stick around for a long time, and there are many interesting matchups for him in the future. He should fight the loser of Covington vs Lawler.

Luke Rockhold: Luke Rockhold made his light heavyweight debut with much fanfare. He looked strong and confident, and many believed he would be a force to be reckoned with at this weight class. However, Rockhold exemplified the same type of carelessness as he has done in the past, and continued to hold his chin up high, leaving him exposed to his opponents blows. After being wobbled at the end of the first round, he took a devastating knockout early in the second round.  He is now 1-3 in his last four outings, and three of those losses have come by way of knockout. The future really does not seem too bright for Rockhold at this point, and even Dana White went as far as to suggest Luke retires before he takes anymore damage. Rockhold should stay at 205, but with the majority of the ranked fighters already scheduled to fight, a next good fight for him would be against Ovince St. Preux.

Diego Sanchez: Diego Sanchez dropped a unanimous decision to Michael Chiesa after being ragdolled for three rounds. Sanchez looked undersized next to Chiesa. His future in the UFC will not be in rough shape however, since White attested to totally loving the guy during the post-fight conference.  At 37 years old, Sanchez is truly a veteran in the sport, and his career, while choppy, spans three weight classes. A good next fight for him would be against Anthony Rocco Martin.