Fight Forecast: Matches to make following UFC Fight Night 82
After UFC Fight Night 82, theScore's Alexander K. Lee picks which matchups should be made for the winners of the evening's main card.
Stephen Thompson vs. Robbie Lawler
If Saturday's unprecedented TKO-win over Johny Hendricks was any indication, Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson is ready for the spotlight.
In a perfect world, we would see Lawler and Carlos Condit run back their Fight of the Year candidate from UFC 195. Unfortunately, Condit has alluded to taking time off and possibly even retiring, which means the welterweight division is in need of a fresh face to step in and face Lawler.
Tyron Woodley has been campaigning for a shot for some time, but his last win was a narrow decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum, which pales in comparison to the show Thompson put on at UFC Fight Night 82. Wonderboy already mentioned wanting to fight Lawler and a meeting between the two would make for an awesome striking contest.
Roy Nelson vs. Derrick Lewis
Roy Nelson wasn't at his best against Jared Rosholt, and he still did enough to score his first decision win in the UFC. The 33-fight veteran showed the up-and-coming Rosholt why he remains a tough out for most big men.
Matchmaking for Nelson isn't easy, but one logical opponent could be Derrick Lewis who had a thrilling finish of Damian Grabowski on Saturday's preliminary card. The Black Beast is a terrifying ground-and-pound artist who would be a threat to Nelson even with the latter's Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills. The twilight of Nelson's career should be all about fun fights and odds are these two will put on a show.
Joseph Benavidez vs. Wilson Reis
Joseph Benavidez's decision win over Zach Makovsky was his fourth straight over a top-10 opponent, and his fifth straight win overall. So what does the man have to do to get a title shot?
The sad fact of the matter is that Benavidez has already lost to flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson twice, and while both matches contained plenty of excitement, they did not produce blockbuster viewership numbers. In a time when the UFC is focused on marquee matchups, a third meeting between Benavidez and Johnson won't happen anytime soon.
That leaves Benavidez as a gatekeeper of the highest order. The latest 125er trying to get into the club is Wilson Reis, who put on a career-best performance against Dustin Ortiz in January. He could sneak into the title picture with a win over Benavidez, while Benavidez could increase his undefeated streak to six and keep himself in the hunt for a trilogy with Johnson.
Misha Cirkunov vs. Francimar Barroso
Misha Cirkunov put himself on the map with a sickening neck crank submission of Alex Nicholson that left Nicholson with a busted jaw. You have to think not too many light heavyweights are looking to step into the cage with him after seeing that.
One man who is due for a step up in competition is Francimar Barroso. The Brazilian has quietly put together a 3-1 record in the UFC, but his three decision wins haven't captured the imagination of the fans. He's a good grappler who would be a stern test for the powerful Cirkunov and a win for either man means an instant boost in the lackluster 205-pound division.