Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to the hurt business last Saturday night (Feb. 2, 2019) by staging UFC on ESPN+ 2: “Assuncao vs Moraes 2” inside Northeast Olympic Training Center in Fortaleza, Brazil. In the headlining act, Marlon Moraes got some sweet revenge on Raphael Assuncao by submitting him in the very first round (highlights). In the co-headlining act, Jose Aldo continued his run by knocking out Renato Moicano in the second round (see it).
Winner: Marlon Moraes
Who He Should fight Next: TJ Dillashaw
Whether it’s before or after a rematch between TJ and Henry Cejudo, Moraes definitely deserves the next crack at the 135-pound title after putting Assuncao away. When and where it will happen remains to be seen, as “The Messenger” is determined to get a chance to become “champ-champ” by winning Bantamweight gold after successfully defending his Flyweight strap a few weeks ago. If it were me, I’d book Moraes vs. Dillashaw, then let Cejudo fight the winner if the promotion does indeed eliminate the 125-pound division.
Winner: Jose Aldo
Who He Should Fight Next: Brian Ortega
Both Ortega and Aldo’s last defeats came at the hands of Max Holloway, and if we’re sticking to UFC’s model, these two 145-pounders seem to be on a collision course. Ortega has expressed interest, and while there is always the chance of a potential rematch against Conor McGregor, that isn’t likely next. I like this fight for both men, as a win for Ortega will help him get back into the mix rather quickly, while Aldo can show he has what it takes to keep hanging with the young talent.
Winner: Demian Maia
Who He Should Fight Next: Michael Chiesa
The submission wizard called for a fight against Cheisa for UFC 237 after snapping his three-fight losing streak with a submission victory over Lyman Good (see it). And it’s actually not that bad of an idea. Maia’s days of hoping to compete for UFC gold are long behind him, and since his career is slowly coming to an end — his words, not mine — taking on a decent name at this point seems to be only viable option, as a Top 5 foe simply isn’t in the cards. Chiesa recently ended his losing woes after taking out Carlos Condit at UFC 232, so a return date in May seems like a good idea, though he may want to come back sooner instead of waiting around. Regardless of when and where this fight goes down, it sounds like a good matchup for both men.
Winner: Charles Oliveira
Who He Should Fight Next: Dan Hooker
Charles continued his winning ways, collecting his fourth in a row after submitting David Teymur in round two. It was also his fourth straight submission.
Hooker, meanwhile, recently ran into the buzzsaw that is Edson Barboza last December, getting knocked out by the Brazilian bomber after 13 minutes of punishment. Charles is close to locking down a spot in the top 15, and a win over Hooker, who is barely hanging on to his ranking, may just get him there.
Winner: Johnny Walker
Who He Should Fight Next: Tyson Pedro
Walker continued his dominant ways by knocking out Justin Ledet in just 15 seconds thanks to a perfectly-timed spinning back fist (see it). Walker is now 2-0 inside the Octagon, and he is proving to be as entertaining as they come. A fight against Pedro will give him a stiff test and will let UFC know if he’s a future contender or a pretender. After starting off hot, Pedro has cooled off a bit by losing two in a row, with his last loss coming at the hands of Mauricio Rua. Tyson can get some of his steam back if he can ice Walker. Either way, this fight would be a good treat for fans given their similar stand-and-bang styles.
For complete UFC Fortaleza results and coverage click here.
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