Monday Morning Hangover: What’s next for Uriah Hall after UFC Vegas 33 defeat?

Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone with UFC Vegas 33 storming UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past weekend (Sat., July 31, 2021). Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Gloria de Paula, who was beat down rather violently — and quickly — by Cheyanne Buys.

And Niklas Stolze, who also suffered a first-round knockout defeat at the hands of Jared Gooden, though he did last eight seconds longer in the cage (see it again here). But, which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the show?

Uriah Hall.

Coming into his headlining bout against Sean Strickland, Hall was looking to score his fifth straight victory, which would have been the longest win streak of his career. And overcoming a streaking fighter like Strickland — who won four in a row heading into their fight — could have catapulted “Prime Time” into the Top 5 for the first time in his career.

Unfortunately for Hall, he came up short in one of the biggest opportunities of his career. He was outmatched by the much more aggressive Strickland, who tagged Hall early and often, cutting him open and nearly finishing him on a couple of occasions. Though Hall proved his toughness, it just wasn’t enough to get the job done.

The loss is a tough one for “Prime Time” because not only does it derail his great run, it also forces him to the back of the line in hopes of starting another win streak that can get him back into the mix.

And that’s just what he plans to do.

“Tough one last night. Congratulations to Sean Strickland. I was prepared, he was just the better man last night,” Hall wrote on Instagram. “This one hurts, but I’ll be back. Thank you for all the messages and love. It means more than you know.”

Despite the setback, Hall has shown in the past he can bounce back and rack up wins in a hurry. It won’t be any easier this time around since new blood keeps flowing into the Octagon every week.

Hall also has to worry about the veteran sharks still lurking around.

As far as what could be next for Hall, a fight against Edmen Shahbazyan seems appropriate. “The Golden Boy” is coming off a tough loss to Jack Hermansson, his second straight defeat. Like Hall, Shahbazyan came into the Octagon with a lot of hype.

Hall is the more experienced fighter of the two, so perhaps taking out the once-highly-touted prospect could help him ease the pain of his recent loss. For Shahbazyan, handing “Prime Time” his second straight loss would be a great way to remind fight fans why he was considered one of the better blue chip prospects in a while.

Objections?

For complete UFC Vegas 33 results and coverage click here.