Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) invaded Newark, N.J., last night (Sat., Aug. 3, 2019) to stage UFC on ESPN 5 from inside Prudential Center, featuring a Welterweight fight that saw Colby Covington defeat Robbie Lawler after five rounds of action (see it). Meanwhile, the co-main event saw Jim Miller submit Clay Guida with a guillotine choke in less than one minute (highlights).
Winner: Colby Covington
Who He Should Fight Next: Kamaru Usman
This one is a no-brainer, as “Chaos” punched his ticket to the big dance with his dominant win over Lawler. The two men have been selling this fight for well over a year now, so now that it is on deck, things will only heat up.
The fight is interesting for many reasons, but what I find a bit more intriguing is the fact that they have similar styles, as in they push the pace and rarely tire. They can grind you down on the ground or take you in the striking department. That said, something’s gotta’ give, and I can really see this title fight headline (or co-headline) UFC 244 on Nov. 2, 2019, in New York City.
Winner: Jim Miller
Who He Should Fight Next: Scott Holtzman
Miller picked up his second straight win by disposing of Guida swiftly, earning him his third win in last four outings. A fight against Holtzman makes sense, as Scott also was victorious in Newark by taking out Dong Hyun Ma, so the two men could be in line to return around the same time.
Scott has won four of five, and despite competing inside the Octagon for some time now, he has been unable to get over the hump to get a bit more spotlight. A win over Miller will be a big boost in that department.
Winner: Nasrat Haqparast
Who He Should Fight Next: Jared Gordon
Nasrat turned heads with his knockout win over Joaquim Silva, knocking him out with a powerful left hand and some follow up strikes. He is now three for four inside the Octagon, so he is climbing the ranks pretty quickly. If he can score a fight and a win over someone like Gordon, it will only expedite his rise.
Going 3-2 so far under the UFC banner, Gordon is a feel-good story, overcoming drug addiction multiple times to make it to where he is today. He was last seen defeating Dan Moret a few weeks back, so he will likely have the same turnaround time as Nasrat.
Winner: Gerald Meerschaert
Who He Should Fight Next: Krzysztof Jotko
Meerschaert picked up a huge win over Giles to avoid him going down three straight losses. A fight against Jotko seems fitting — he won his second in a row at UFC 240 several weeks ago, taking out Marc-Andre Barriault in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Both men are trying to climb the ranks, but it’s proven to be a tough task for them thus far. When you have to men fighting for relevancy, it makes for a good scrap. No need to complicate things and look further, send the contracts and get this one done.
Winner: Kennedy Nzechukwu
Who He Should Fight Next: Alonzo Menifield
Kennedy took home a unanimous decision win over Darko Stosic, bringing his record to 1-1 inside the Octagon. Up next, I’d like to see his efforts against Alonzo Menifield. At 9-0, 1-1 UFC, Menifield – like Kennedy – is a product of Dana White’s Tuesday Night “Contender Series” (DWTNCS).
Both men crack hard and have the potential to be the future of the Light Heavyweight division a few years from now, but they still have a long way to go before they start getting the big fights. Pairing them up against one another next seems like a good step. While I would favor Alonzo in this match up, Kennedy has the chance to boost his stock if he can hind Menifield his first career loss.
For complete UFC Newark results and coverage click here.
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