Morning Matchmaker: Stipe Miocic should be next for Andrei Arlovski
Andrei Arlovski stunned everyone with a first-round knockout of Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. Should he get a serious contender fight next?
Iuri Alcantara won an exciting unanimous decision over Russell Doane. What does the future hold for the unassuming bantamweight contender?
Jessica Andrade destroyed top prospect Larissa Pacheco. Could she be close to a title shot?
We'll try to answer all those questions and more in this latest edition of Morning Matchmaker.
ANDREI ARLOVSKI
Fortunes can change ever so quickly in the UFC's heavyweight division, and Andrei Arlovski was the beneficiary of that Saturday night. "The Pitbull" came in as a big underdog only to knock out Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in the first round and announce himself as a potential top-10 contender. That's pretty incredible in 2014 for the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Who's next: Stipe Miocic
Silva came into this weekend ranked No. 4 among heavyweight contenders, which means Arlovski is likely going to make a big jump from his No. 14 spot. People are already calling for him to fight the winner of this weekend's fight between Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson, but slow down. Arlovski has already beaten Nelson. Hunt could work if you're feeling nostalgic, but how about Miocic?
Andrei Arlovski finished things on the ground against Antonio Silva.
The UFC has been targeting a bout between Miocic and Junior dos Santos for months, but really it doesn’t make much sense. Why risk dos Santos beating Miocic, a viable contender, when dos Santos has already lost to champion Cain Velasquez twice? If Miocic beats Arlovski, he would benefit from taking out someone with name value. If Arlovski wins, we can start looking at him as a legitimate title contender.
ANTONIO SILVA
Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva's body language was good heading into the Andrei Arlovski bout, but not so good after.
There were red flags for "Bigfoot" coming in. He had not fought in nine months after being suspended for elevated testosterone levels, and this would be the first time in years he would be unable to use testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). It's unclear if that affected him against Arlovski, but it certainly didn’t help him.
Who's next: Soa Palelei
It might not be prudent to give "Bigfoot" a contender next. If he he's getting knocked out by Arlovski, what would happen to him against the likes of Junior dos Santos? Palelei is a mid-level heavyweight, who could change his entire career with a win over Silva. By the same token, a win over Palelei would get "Bigfoot" a much-needed victory under his belt and maybe some confidence in a post-TRT world.
GLEISON TIBAU
Gleison Tibau (left) grinded out Piotr Hallmann on Saturday night.
The Brazilian veteran essentially nullifies everything his opponents are good at. He did that against Piotr Hallmann on Saturday night to earn his 16th UFC win. Tibau's longevity, consistency and especially durability are very impressive. He just isn't a 155-pound contender.
Who's next: Al Iaquinta
Tibau is truly a gatekeeper and Iaquinta is knocking at the gate right now. The Long Island native is coming off a knockout win over Rodrigo Damm earlier this month in Connecticut and he has won four of six in the UFC. If he can beat Tibau, he could be considered a top-15 level talent. If not, it would be back to the drawing board. A win over Iaquinta would also help Tibau, adding to his remarkable run in the company.
IURI ALCANTARA
Iuri Alcantara (left) celebrates his win over Russell Doane.
"Marajo" remains one of the most underrated fighters in the bantamweight division, though he is ranked No. 7 among contenders. His fight Saturday against Russell Doane was exciting and he took home a unanimous decision. Alcantara could be closer than anyone thinks to a title shot against champion T.J. Dillashaw.
Who's next: Johnny Eduardo
Alcantara and Eduardo are two of the most interesting members of the bantamweight elite -- 34 and 36 years old, respectively. Both remain in their prime and are legitimate contenders, so it only makes sense they battle it out to see which "over-the-hill" guy is better. There are three more cards in Brazil coming up before the end of the year. Maybe Alcantara can turn it around to fight again in December.
JESSICA ANDRADE
Jessica Andrade finished Larissa Pacheco for her third straight win in the Octagon.
People were talking about how young Larissa Pacheco was Saturday night at age 20. How about Andrade? She is just 22 years old and looked awesome in submitting Pacheco with a guillotine choke in the first round. The future is very bright for the Brazilian (both of them, really). The sky is the limit for Andrade.
Who's next: Miesha Tate-Rin Nakai winner
Andrade has now won three straight in the UFC, making her just a win or two away from a potential title shot. If she could dispatch someone like Tate, it would be massive for her career. That's a risky proposition since Tate has already lost to champion Ronda Rousey twice and normally you wouldn't want to nix a contender in Andrade. But with Cat Zingano, Gina Carano and Bethe Correia (maybe even Cris Cyborg) already on Rousey's hit list, it's a risk worth taking.
A victory over Tate could allow Andrade to skip the line and get Rousey sooner. Plus, since Andrade is only 22, she would easily be able to come back from a loss to "Cupcake" and contend for the title again later. Tate-Andrade in Brazil next year could draw as a co-main event on a TV or Fight Pass card, provided Tate is able to beat Nakai next week in Japan.
