Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to FOX yesterday (Sat., July 23, 2016) in Chicago, Illinois, as UFC on FOX 20 gave fight fans who packed into the United Center plenty to talk about.
In the main event of the evening, Valentina Shevchenko shocked the mixed martial arts (MMA) world and flipped the women's Bantamweight division on its head by defeating ex-division champion Holly Holm via unanimous decision
In the co-main event, Edson Barboza picked up another impressive victory in the Lightweight division after striking his way to a unanimous decision win over former Strikeforce champion and UFC No. 1 contender, Gilbert Melendez (highlights).
Winner: Valentina Shevchenko
Who she Should Fight Next: Julianna Pena
Valentina's win over Holm, while huge, won't necessarily put her right into a championship fight against current division queen Amanda Nunes. That's because the "W" was only her first after getting outclassed by Nunes at UFC 196 earlier this year.
So, if she wants another crack at "Lioness," she's going to have to pick up at least one more impressive win. And if it comes against Pena, who is also chomping at the bit for her own championship fight, there should be no reason why "Bullet" doesn't get a shot at the stap.
The same can be said for "Venezuelan Vixen" is she gets the victory.
Winner: Edson Barboza
Who he should fight next: Rafael dos Anjos
Fighting someone coming off a loss isn't the most ideal thing to do if you're coming off a win.
But for Edson, that may be the best option if he wants to inch closer to a shot at the division strap. That's because the five men in front of him currently have other pending plans. Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov seem to be on a collision course to determine the next title challenger.
And with Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone both currently booked for UFC 202 -- in Welterweight contests -- Edson's only and best option is a showdown against Fellow Brazilian "RDA." Plus, dos Anjos just lost his title, so if Edson can hand the champ another loss, it would do wonder's for his own championship dreams.
Unfortunately, his teammate Eddie Alvarez is currently sitting at the top, so barring them accepting to fight each other, Edson will have to sit idle or keep on fighting other challengers until his shot at the strap comes around.
Winner: Francis Ngannou
Who he should fight next: Ruslan Magomedov
The hulking Frenchman continued his winning ways in "Chi-Town," earning his third straight stoppage victory inside the Octagon to bring his win streak to seven. While he's proven hehas the pwoer to lay out an elephant, he hasn't shown he's quite ready for a top 10 foe just yet.
That said, a 265-pound showdown against Ruslan, who is also 3-0 inside the eight-walled cage and is currently sitting at No. 15 in the official rankings, sounds like a good test. Both are up-and-coming prospects, so pitting them against one another to see who is ready to take that all-important next step into the top 10 could be fun.
For complete UFC on FOX 20 results, including play-by-play updates, click here.