Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to the hurt business last Saturday night (Nov. 17, 2018) with UFC Fight Night 140, which went down inside Parque Roca Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the main event of the evening, Santiago Ponzinibbio knocked out Neil Magny in the fourth round to cap off a main card full of finishes (see it again here). In the co-main event, Ricardo Lamas picked up a huge win by knocking out the tough-as-nails Darren Elkins in round number three (highlights).
Winner: Santiago Ponzinibbio
Who He Should Fight Next: Kamaru Usman vs Rafael dos Anjos winner
“Gente Boa” picked up consecutive win number seven last Saturday night after knocking out Neil Magny in round four of their headlining fight, so his next bout needs to be for something special, perhaps a No. 1 contender fight.
As Usman and dos Anjos prepare for their battle in November, Tyron Woodley could be making way back to defend his title against Colby Covington in the early parts of 2019. For Santiago, calling out the winner of Usman vs Dos Anjos was a smart move, as it gets him closer to a title shot, right around the time either Woodley or Colby are ready to return for a title defense.
Winner: Ricardo Lamas
Who He Should Fight Next: Jeremy Stephens
I recently paired up “The Korean Zombie” against Lamas, but after “The Bully” bulldozed his way over Darren Elkins, a fight against Stephens seems much more appropriate.
Prior to getting stopped by former Featherweight champion Jose Aldo in his previous outing, “Lil Heathen’” was riding high with a three-fight win streak, inching closer to his first-ever shot a UFC title. With Ricardo getting back in the win column after UFC Argentina, a showdown against these two standup specialists seems to be in order.
Winner: Johnny Walker
Who He Should Fight Next: Marcos Rogerio de Lima
Walker made a memorable UFC debut by making quick work of Khalil Rountree, knocking him out in the very first round with vicious elbows to the face. While impressive, Johnny has a long way to go before he starts fighting higher-level opponents. A showdown against his fellow countrymen Marcos Rogerio de Lima sounds like a good fit for his next outing. Marcos is fresh off a win over Adam Wieczorek at UFC 230 just a few weeks ago, so the timetable for each man will probably link up around the same time.
Winner: Cynthia Calvillo
Who She Should Face Next: Cortney Casey
Calvillo called for a showdown against Michelle Waterson, but calling for a higher-ranked opponent who is eying a top-level fight herself, when you’re not even in the top 15, is out of the question.
Now, facing someone like Cortney Casey seems more appropriate. Cortney is coming off an impressive win over Angela Hill, ending her two-fight skid against which came at the hands of the aforementioned Waterson and Felice Herrig. Currently ranked at No. 13, Casey needs a bigger win to push her into the top 10, while Calvillo simply need to build up some momentum to put her back in the mix and in the eye of the UFC public relations machine.
Winner: Marlon Vera
Who He Should Fight Next: Frankie Saenz
Vera collected his second straight win by submitting Guido Cannetti in round two of their showdown. The Bantamweight division is about to get a bit more stacked with talent if UFC does indeed dissolve the Flyweight division, so Vera, and every other un-ranked fighter, has their work cut out for them if they want to move up the pecking order.
A fight against someone such as Saenz could be in order for Vera, as both men are fighting tooth and nail to gain some recognition and a ranking. Frankie is coming off an impressive an over Henry Briones this past summer, so he should be gearing up for an Octagon return pretty soon.
Winner: Ian Heinisch
Who He should Fight Next: Karl Roberson
Ian impressed his his official UFC debut, taking out longtime veteran Cezar Ferreira. The win was Ian’s fourth straight. The 30-year old started his pro MMA career at the age of 27, so he’d probably like to expedite his run to the big dogs, but he still has to crawl before he walks and a fight against Roberson seems ideal. Karl is coming off a win over Jack Marshman at UFC 230, putting him back in the winner’s circle after having his perfect run snapped by the aforemtneind Ferreira. Like Ian, Karl is a product of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series (DWTNCS).
For complete UFC Argentina results and coverage click here.
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