UFC 281 did not disappoint. Headlined by Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya, the card contained some of the most interesting matchups and led to some of the biggest shocks of the year. So what’s next for the winners and losers?
Dan Hooker and Claudio Puelles
Dan Hooker proved once again that he is no gatekeeper. Although the lightweight is on a bad stretch, Hooker put on a performance that reminded everyone just how good he was. The Hangman’s rank was on the line against Claudio Puelles as the up-and-comer looked to break into the top 15. Now, Hooker will likely be chasing those in front of him. Chasing a fight on the UFC Perth card, headlined by Islam Makhachev and teammate Alex Volkanovski, there are a few names in front of him that will likely be front runners. A big possibility could be Hooker to seek vengeance for his teammate Brad Riddel and seek a fight against 10th-ranked Jalin Turner.
Puelles, on the other hand, may need to go back and reassess before he targets another ranked opponent. At 13-3 and seven fights in, in hindsight, the UFC will likely give him someone less experienced than veteran Dan Hooker.
Chris Gutierrez and Frankie Edgar
One thing that is most likely guaranteed from UFC 281 is that Edgar will not be fighting for the company again. Hopefully, what is next for the former lightweight champion is a nice peaceful retirement which is what Edgar has earned and then some.
Gutierrez will now be a ranked 135lb’er. In one of the most stacked divisions in the company, there will be no easy fights for the New Yorker. Names such as Adrian Yanez sit behind the twelfth-ranked spot, and names like Ricky Simon and Song Yadong are in front. Yet to fight a ranked opponent other than Edgar, the UFC will likely want Gutierrez to prove he deserves this rank he will likely sit at.
Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler
What a scrap. A fight that went exactly how most people thought it would go. An all-out war between the two Americans now leaves questions at the top of 155lbs. Poirier, still sat at number two in the rankings, has the world at his feet after his submission win. A big name such as himself can likely pick his fights a lot more carefully than one with less of a name and rank. However, having lost to the last two champions when fighting for a belt, it may now be time for Dustin to aim for super fights rather than belts. Similarly to his second and third bouts with McGregor, Poirier could make a lot of money taking fan-favourite bouts over grinding for another title shot.
Michael Chandler is here for a good time, not a long time. This is something that he makes clear every time he fights. Still desperate for another title shot, this will not be it from the former Bellator champion. The likes of Beneil Dariush and Rafael Fiziev sit near him in the lightweight rankings, two bouts every UFC fan could get behind. The power puncher still has some fight left, and whoever he fights, it won’t be a boring scrap.
Weili Zhang and Carla Esparza
The Chinese strawweight once again proved she is one of the best fighters in the UFC. Out-striking the champion and defeating her in Esparza’s own game on the ground, she truly is impressive. It seems as if a rematch against former foe Rose Namajunas is on the cards for Zhang, which has produced two of the best fights and finishes in strawweight history so far. The Chinese champion will likely be yearning for a win over the fighter who gave Weili her only two losses in the UFC.
In the meantime, the strawweight division has a new contender in Amanda Lemos. The Brazilian recently picked up a win over top contender Marina Rodriguez and will be looking to get herself a title shot. Esparza may need to wait for the trilogy between Rose and Weili; therefore, some fresh blood at the top may be a top test for the former champion.
Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya
A shocking fifth-round finish to the reining defending champion Israel Adesanya via the hands of Alex Pereira has just put the middleweight division on notice. Pereira once again got the better of Adesanya in their third meeting in combat sports. Many, including the champion, had claimed that the terrifying kickboxer was fast-tracked to the top. Fast-tracked or not, he now sits on the throne in just his eighth professional MMA fight. With just four bouts in the UFC, Pereira has the pick of the bunch at 185lbs. it is likely a rematch between the two will take place, but if he succeeds with that, his next defences will be a refreshing matchup in the division.
Adesanya took his loss like a real champion. Without faulting anybody else, he held his hands up and admitted his mistakes. The Nigerian wants his belt back. That is not up for discussion. A rematch between the two will be the only thing on his mind. Adesanya arguably won most of the fight and proved he could stand with the former foe who beat him in the past. It’s highly unlikely that any tune-up fights will be needed before the two go head-to-head once again. The rest of the middleweight division may just be taking notes on how to beat the former dominant champion now, however.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
