Morning matchmaker: Lyoto Machida vs. Luke Rockhold seems likely
The final UFC show of 2014 produced some emphatic finishes as four out of the six bouts on the main card ended by TKO or submission (not counting the injury finish in the Daniel Sarafian/Antonio dos Santos fight).
Lyoto Machida reestablished his dominance in the middleweight contender's race with a first round TKO victory over C.B. Dollaway while Renan Barao got back on track with a victory over Mitch Gagnon.
As we look ahead towards 2015, let's take a look at some of the key matchups that could happen from the fallout after UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway.
Lyoto Machida
Machida remains the class of the 185-pound contender's race after dispatching of Dollaway in just 62 seconds. He's going to need a couple of more wins to justify another crack at middleweight champion Chris Weidman, but Machida always seems up to the challenge.
Who's next: Luke Rockhold
There's not another fight out there in the division that makes more sense than this bout between two of the best in the world at 185-pounds. Rockhold should probably already be in line for a title shot, but the reality is he just beat Michael Bisping in November and with Weidman already set to face Vitor Belfort at the end of February, the next defense of the title won't likely happen until at least summer time. No reason for Rockhold to sit out that long when he could solidify his spot at the top with a fight against Machida
C.B. Dollaway
It was a disappointing end for Dollaway in the biggest fight of his career, but there's really no shame in losing to a fighter as good as Machida. The loss probably ended any hope Dollaway had at one day making a title run, but he's still a dangerous fighter for anybody at 185-pounds.
Who's next: Tim Kennedy
While Kennedy has mentioned the possibility that he might drop down to welterweight, a fight with Dollaway could be the perfect re-entry into the division. Kennedy had a legitimate gripe why he lost his last fight to Yoel Romero, but coming back against a strong wrestler like Dollaway would be a fun fight and a chance to establish himself in the top 10 again.
Renan Barao
It wasn't his best performance, but former bantamweight champion Renan Barao got the job done against Mitch Gagnon to pick up his first win since losing the title to T.J. Dillashaw earlier this year. Barao now has to wait for Dillashaw to face Dominick Cruz in 2015 before he can even think about another shot at the belt.
Who's next: Raphael Assuncao
A No. 1 contender's match between these two bantamweights just seems like easy matchmaking. Barao needs to stay busy and Assuncao is the perennial contender who holds a win over the current champion. The winner of this fight should then face the winner of Dillashaw vs. Cruz.
Patrick Cummins
It seems like so long ago that Cummins lost in his debut fight against Daniel Cormier because this former All-American wrestler has really come into his own over the last year. Cummins mauled Ultimate Fighter Brazil winner Antonio Carlos Junior and now he can start setting his sights on the top 15 in 2015.
Who's next: Ovince Saint Preux
Now on paper this fight would be a decided step down for Saint Preux considering he just beat Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, but the fact is OSP struggled against the last high level wrestler he faced in Ryan Bader. Why not see if he can get over that hump against another grappler who is guaranteed to try and put him on his back? Cummins is also 34-years old so he doesn't have all day to climb up the rankings. Let's see if he's the real deal right now.
Rashid Magomedov
A very impressive win for this youngster out of Russia and he remains undefeated in his UFC campaign. Fast hands and quick feet helped him get past Elias Silverio and now it's time to see what he can do against a higher level of competition.
Who's next: K.J. Noons
Noons didn't get to finish his last fight against Daron Cruickshank after he accidentally poked him in the eye, which forced their bout to be stopped and declared a no contest. Assuming Noons is still healthy, put him in there with a striker like Magomedov and watch the fireworks. Noons is a tough as nails boxer with a good chin and heavy hands and he will quickly prove if Magomedov is ready to swim with the sharks or not.
Erick Silva
Silva can't seem to find a way to win two fights in a row to save his life, but when he does get a victory it's as thrilling as anything you'll see in the UFC. Silva has come close on so many occasions to proving the label of being 'the next big thing' at welterweight was truly justified. His win over Mike Rhodes puts him right back on the cusp of the top 15.
Who's next: Jordan Mein
Mein has won his two fights in a row and recently blasted through veteran fighter Mike Pyle. He also suffered a tough TKO loss to Matt Brown, so there's something he can share in common with Silva if they fight in the UFC. Mein is a name to watch in 2015, but getting past someone as explosive as Silva could be the perfect fight to justify a run at the top 10.
Daniel Sarafian
His fight with Antonio dos Santos ended in bizarre fashion after a finger injury and a timeout being called led to the bout being stopped by the referee. What we did learn about Sarafian in that fight is he's built to be a middleweight and a cut to 170-pounds was probably never a very good choice. While a rematch seems ideal, chances are it's not going to happen.
Who's next: Vitor Miranda
Miranda kicked off the show (no pun intended) with a huge comeback knockout in his first fight since being a runner up on The Ultimate Fighter Brazil. Ironically enough, Sarafian was sort of a runner up during his season on the reality show as well. Both fighters like to strike so why not see which one is left standing at the next card in Brazil on Feb 22?
