Sunday Morning Matchmaker: UFC Vegas 30
It’s Sunday morning, which means it’s time to relax, enjoy a cup of coffee if you like, your favorite breakfast foods, and look ahead to what could be next for some of the big winners from UFC Vegas 30.
Ciryl Gane vs. Stipe Miocic
Gane remained undefeated after dominating Alexander Volkov in the night’s main event en route to a unanimous decision victory. He’s now 6-0 inside of the Octagon and the appeal of a heavyweight title showdown against former training partner and current champion Francis Ngannou, especially given the murky heavyweight title currently seems enticing.
As former UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones looms over the division in his awaited debut at heavyweight and with Ngannou’s first title defense expected to come in September in a rematch against Derrick Lewis the title shot seems like it will have to wait for the 31-year old Frenchmen. So in the meantime, I think a number one contender bout against former champion Stipe Miocic would make all the sense in the world for both parties. Miocic wants the trilogy and immediate title shot with Ngannou but again given the current landscape at heavyweight, his only option might be to take on Gane.
— @Ciryl_Gane making his presence known in RD 3!
[ #UFCVegas30 LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Qewt2pedFS— UFC (@ufc) June 26, 2021
Tanner Boser vs. Carlos Felipe
Even though he was aided by a controversial cage grab, Boser was able to secure a much-needed second-round knockout victory in the night’s co-main event against Ovince Saint Preux. The win stopped a two-fight losing streak for the Canadian heavyweight and puts him right back just outside the top 15 of the heavyweight division.
A matchup with surging Brazilian slugger Carlos Felipe sounds like a very fan-friendly and competitive fight next for Boser. Felipe has won his last three Octagon appearances and last beat, Jake Collier, at UFC 263 via a split-decision.
Tanner @BulldozerBoser got the second-round KO against OSP at #UFCVegas30 pic.twitter.com/FBXFFLmZrg
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 26, 2021
Tim Means vs. Matt Brown II
Means the 24-fight Octagon veteran is enjoying one of the better runs of his UFC career currently, extending his winning streak to three with a unanimous decision victory over Nicolas Dalby. A rematch with fellow veteran and fan-favorite Matt Brown seems almost too good to be true as the next step for both fighters.
Brown just fought on the previous card UFC Vegas 29 and knocked out Dhiego Lima in the second round, which could match the timelines up perfectly for him and Means to run it back one more time. The pair’s first meeting went down at UFC 189 in July 2015 with Brown securing the win via a first-round submission due to a guillotine choke.
“I’m not going to quit as long as I’ve got a chance. If I can breathe, I can throw punches, and I’m going to be right in front of you.”
Tim Means (@MeansTim) discusses how he came out victorious in a back-and-forth battle against Nicolas Dalby.
More #UFCVegas30 Results :
— UFC News (@UFCNews) June 26, 2021
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Muslim Salikhov
Rakhmonov has been devastatingly dominant in his two showcases inside of the Octagon, submitting both Alex Oliveira and Michel Prazeres in under a combined seven minutes. With the victory over Prazeres, the 26-year old Kazakhstan native seems to be one of the brightest prospects in the sport and has the potential skill set of a future UFC champion.
The UFC could choose to slowly move Rakhmonov up the welterweight ladder, but I don’t think they should be cautious with their approach to the 14-0 fighter’s next bout. I’d like to see Muslim Salikhov be the next 170-pounder to test Rakhmonov’s ability and think he would be a stern test at that. Salikhov is on a five-fight winning streak currently and won his last outing at UFC Vegas 28, defeating Francisco Trinaldo via a unanimous decision.
Undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov is a PROBLEM — #UFCVegas30 pic.twitter.com/Rpi9EC1H0D
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 26, 2021
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Da Un Jung
Nzechukwu pulled off yet another comeback victory at UFC Vegas 30, defeating Danilo Marques via a third-round TKO. The win was his third consecutive inside of the Octagon and Nzechukwu seems to have the top 15 at 205 pounds in his sights. A matchup with Korean prospect Da Un Jung seems like a fair next progression for Nzechukwu and a bout against someone who is also riding some momentum currently. Jung is 3-0-1 on his current run with the promotion and is coming off of a unanimous decision win over William Knight at UFC Vegas 23.
What a comeback! —
[ #UFCVegas30 live on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/QfQuwg1sRj— UFC (@ufc) June 26, 2021
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