Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) headed to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in South Florida for a UFC Fight Night 70: "Machida vs. Romero" fiesta this past Saturday night (June 27, 2015), featuring a critical middleweight slugfest in the main event on FOX Sports 1.
Yoel Romero sent the Hollywood, Florida crowd into pandemonium in the main event of the evening, as he viciously knocked out former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida in the third round of their 185-pound affair (highlights here).
The co-main event provided the "Fight of the Night," as Lorenz Larkin punished Santiago Ponzinibbio with a violent flurry in the second round, en route to his second straight (technical) knockout finish in the welterweight division.
Check out the highlights here.
With that quick recap of last night's marquee bouts, it's now time to play matchmaker with our "Next Matches To Make."
Winner: Yoel Romero
Who Should He Fight Next: Ronaldo Souza
Six wins in a row - five coming via knockout - would usually earn a fighter a crack at UFC gold, but with the middleweight division stacked with contenders claiming their right to battle Chris Weidman, no title shot is secure.
With Luke Rockhold set to throw down with Weidman next, Romero will undeniably have to fight once more before attempting to capture UFC gold.
With former Strikeforce champ Ronaldo Souza currently riding a five fight winning streak inside UFC, I would be stunned if "Soldier of God" wasn't matched up against "Jacare" for a third time.
The last two times UFC brass set up the fight, Souza fell ill with pneumonia and Romero tore his meniscus.
Hopefully these two can make it through a training camp, because fight fans deserve to see the outstanding potential fight finally come to fruition.
Winner: Lorenz Larkin
Who Should He Fight Next: Erick Silva
I could see Larkin earning a shot at a top 10 guy right now, but I just can not fathom how UFC brass could pass up on a potential Larkin vs Erick Silva bout.
The Brazilian was set to face off against Rick Story in the UFC Fight Night 70 co-main event before the fight was canceled due to visa issues, but I recommend scrapping that fight altogether in order to have "The Monsoon" battle with "The Tiger."
Both men are flashy strikers, rarely have boring fights, and have delivered some incredibly violent and exciting moments in recent outings.
If you want a fight with guaranteed action, I say look no further than this potential welterweight bangfest.
Winners: Antonio Carlos Junior and Thiago Santos
Who Should They Fight Next: Each Other
The middleweight division has a ton of middling contenders that could one day become a top 15 force if the correct path is laid in front of them.
It just so happens that two of those fighters happened to throw down in Florida this past weekend, and I don't see why Antonio Carlos Junior and Thiago Santos shouldn't fight next.
In a classic striker versus grappler bout, Santos would hold the decided advantage on the feet, while Antonio would likely have the advantage on the mat.
I think both men need a lot of tuning before they can fight a top contender, so a bout against each other could really prove who has what it takes to fight the next level of competition inside the Octagon.
Winner: Hacran Dias
Who Should He Fight Next: Tatsuya Kawajiri
Hacran Dias barely scraped by relative UFC newcomer Levan Makashvili at UFC Fight Night 70, and has honestly been a major let down thus far in his UFC career.
The highly touted Nova Unaio product boasts an impressive 23-3 record, but has yet to accrue a finish in five UFC bouts. Not to mention his 3-2 record inside the Octagon hardly impresses.
Considering Dias is still ranked, but ultimately far from a top contender, I suspect UFC brass to match him up with aging veteran Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Considering Kawajiri is fresh off a victory over Dennis Siver, the timing works out for both men to meet later this year in an important featherweight contest.
For complete results from UFC Fight Night 70: "Machida vs. Romero," including play-by-play updates, click here.