The Vanquished: What’s Next for UFC Fight Night 145 Losers?
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday touched down in the Czech Republic for the first time with a relatively under-the-radar fight card anchored by violence machine Thiago Santos, who vanquished another top light heavyweight contender in Jan Blachowicz in the main event.
Underneath the 205ers, there was no shortage of action at UFC Fight Night 145, as the 26-year old Petr Yan continued his ascent through the 135-pound ranks with a decision victory over veteran contender John Dodson and 24-year-old Michal Oleksiejczuk announced himself as a force at light heavyweight with a 94-second technical knockout of fringe contender Gian Villante.
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Jan Blachowicz vs. Jimi Manuwa: If you wanted to explain to a casual fan just how rife with stagnation and inertia the UFC’s light heavyweight division has become in the last five years, Blachowicz is a good place to start. With a UFC record of 6-4 heading into the main event and owning exactly zero victories over opponents who have either fought for or been proximate to the division’s title, the “Prince of Cieszyn” nevertheless marched into the Octagon as the No. 4-ranked contender at 205 pounds. Though he will likely cede some ground to make room for Santos -- the Brazilian clipped the former KSW champion with a pair of hooks and then finished him off in the third round -- Blachowicz may well stick around in the division’s Top 5, and given that he is 1-1 in fights opposite Manuwa, a rubber match with the No. 10-ranked “Poster Boy” makes sense. Manuwa’s last outing was in December, when he lost to Santos via knockout in one of the most entertaining six minutes in the division’s history.
Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Ben Rothwell-Blagoy Ivanov loser: Rogerio de Lima has been signed to the UFC for nearly five years but has fought just nine times over that period and failed to put together a winning streak longer than two fights. While the Brazilian had success in the first round of his co-main event opposite perennial heavyweight contender Stefan Struve -- indeed, he caught “Skyscraper” with a massive overhand right in the opening moments of the first round and looked painfully close to a stoppage victory -- he proved to be outside of his depth on the ground, succumbing to an arm-triangle choke in the second. A fight against the loser of the upcoming Rothwell-Ivanov fight makes sense, as they will lock up on March 9 in Wichita, Kansas. It will be Rothwell’s first fight in nearly three years, courtesy of a suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
Gian Villante vs. Jim Crute: The affable Villante looked anything but concerned about Oleksiejczuk at the weigh-ins, and when he first spoke to media about the matchup last month, he claimed he did not even remember his name. Chances are he will remember it now, with Oleksiejczuk chewing up the 33-year-old New Yorker with punches to the body until one of them put down Villante just 94 seconds into the first frame. The Serra-Longo Fight Team product has now lost four of his last six fight, and although his free-wheeling attitude has endeared him to fight fans, it might be time to take things a bit more seriously if he wants to retain his spot on the UFC roster. A good litmus test next would be Crute, the rising Australian star who took out Sam Alvey at UFC 234 in his second fight under the UFC banner, extending his professional record to a perfect 10-0.
Lucie Pudilova vs. Kalindra Faria: Pudilova’s return to 125 pounds was an unsuccessful one, with former bantamweight title contender Liz Carmouche stealing victory on the scorecards. Pudilova now possesses a losing record under the UFC banner, having lost three of five, but given her durability and Czech heritage, she will likely get at least a one more opportunity -- if not two -- to steady the ship and get back in the win column. With the female flyweight division having only just gotten back on track with the crowning of its second titleholder in Valentina Schevchenko, a bout opposite Faria would be a decent contest to see who is worthy of retaining her spot in the division. The 32-year-old Faria was last seen in August, when she was submitted by Joanne Calderwood in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Klidson Farias de Abreu vs. Ryan Spann: Farias de Abreu did not do himself any favors in his UFC debut, coming in three pounds over the light heavyweight limit and then dropping an uninspired decision to Magomed Ankalaev. Still, everyone deserves a second chance, and a bout opposite Spann -- who won a UFC contract on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series and scored a decision victory in his promotional debut in September -- makes sense for Farias de Abreu’s sophomore appearance.
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