UFC 211 results: Next matches to make for ‘Miocic vs Dos Santos 2’ main card winners

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to action last night (Sat., May 13, 2017) for UFC: “Miocic vs. Dos Santos 2” which took place inside American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas airing live on pay-per-view (PPV). The promotion's latest mixed martial arts (MMA) card was headlined by a Heavyweight title fight that saw Stipe Miocic crush Junior dos Santos via first-round knockout (see it). Also, Joanna Jedrzejczyk defeated Jessica Andrade in the co-main event to hold on to her women’s Strawweight title (highlights).

Winner: Stipe Miocic

Who He Should Fight Next: Cain Velasquez

Cain hasn’t stepped foot in nearly a year due to injury, but he is the only viable challenge for Miocic right now. Cain was set to rematch Werdum at UFC 207 before recurring back issues forced him out of the bout. That said, Miocic has already knocked out Alistair Overeem and Werdum, who are set to tango at UFC 213, so a fresh matchup against Velasquez is in order. Before the injuries started coming, Cain was thought of as the man who could go down as the best heavyweight ever, and a win over Stipe will get him right back on track. On the flip side, a victory for Miocic will put him on his own path to become the greatest 265-pound fighter in the history of MMA.

Winner: Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Who She Should Fight Next: Rose Namajunas

“Thug Rose” solidified her spot as the next title contender after stopping Michelle Waterson’s momentum at UFC on FOX 24 last month. And she’ll be in for a tough night, as “JJ” has now defended her 115-pound title five straight times and has looked rather unbeatable during that span. But, Namajunas has made it a habit of spoiling parties, as she previously stopped Waterson’s and Paige VanZant’s run up the division ladder. Stopping Joanna’s momentum, however, is another story.

Winner: Demian Maia

Who He Should Fight Next: Tyron Woodley

This one is easy, as Maia revealed that during his conversation with Dana White after his win over Jorge Masvidal, the head honcho informed him he would get next shot at “The Chosen One.” And with good reason, as the jiu-jitsu ace has now won seven in a row at 170-pounds. This fight is the old striker vs. grappler matchup that will prove to be tough for both men. I’m excited for this one, though I’m not holding my breath for it to go down this July, as Maia said he needs to rest a bit before he gets back into another training camp.

Winner: Frankie Edgar

Who He Should Fight Next: Max Holloway vs. Jose Aldo winner

Ranked No. 2 behind interim champion Max Holloway, Edgar solidified his spot as the next rightful title challenger at 145 pounds after dismantling Yair Rodriguez (recap). Should he be granted the title shot, it will be his third shot at winning the Featherweight strap, coming up short on his previous two occasions against Aldo. And if for whatever reason he doesn’t get the shot, or either Holloway or Aldo have to be out for an extended period following their fight at UFC 212. I wouldn’t mind seeing “The Answer” face Cub Swanson one more time in the interim.

Winner: David Branch

Who He Should Fight Next: Winner of Derek Brunson vs. Daniel Kelly

Branch earned his eleventh straight win in his return to the Octagon, defeating Krzysztof via split-decision. He doesn’t have a ranking yet, but it’s safe to assume he’ll be hitting close to the top 10 come next week. That said, I’d like to see Branch face the winner of the upcoming bout between Kelly and Brunson, which is set to go down at UFC Fight Night 110 next month. Anyone ranked higher than Jotko (No. 9) would be too much of a jump for Branch, so facing either of these two men is fine by me.

For complete UFC 211: “Miocic vs. dos Santos 2,” including play-by-play updates, click here and here.