Fight Forecast: Matches to make after UFC 199
After UFC 199, theScore's Alexander K. Lee picks which matchups should be made for the night's biggest winners.
Michael Bisping vs. Ronaldo Souza
That we're even discussing who Michael Bisping should face in his first UFC title defense is surreal.
But that's the world we're living in now after Bisping starched Luke Rockhold inside of a round in the main event of UFC 199 on Saturday. The 185-pound division is an unstable one, so a rematch with Rockhold would be a safe bet or even a match with former champion Chris Weidman.
But if the UFC is looking for the most deserving challenger, it's Ronaldo Souza.
"Jacare" bludgeoned Vitor Belfort at UFC 198 to erase the bitter taste of a split decision loss to Yoel Romero, and remind everyone that he is as good as any fighter in the division.
With apologies to Weidman, who would love to treat his hometown of New York to a title fight, he's coming off of a loss and Jacare has waited long enough for his turn.
Dominick Cruz vs. T.J. Dillashaw-Raphael Assuncao winner
Dominick Cruz put a definitive stamp on his feud with Urijah Faber, completely outclassing him in their third and presumably final meeting.
That leaves Cruz free to dance with the rest of the budding bantamweight division. There are several promising fighters who are at least one or two fights away from legitimate contention, leaving T.J. Dillashaw and Raphael Assuncao as the most reasonable options.
Related: Cruz impressed with bantamweight challengers - 'This division's on fire'
Cruz and Dillashaw already have a built-in rivalry, with Cruz having taken his belt back from Dillashaw this past January. A match with Assuncao might be a tougher sell, but the Brazilian is on a 7-fight win streak and he is more than qualified to put a stop to the Cruz dynasty.
Max Holloway vs. Jose Aldo-Frankie Edgar winner
Ready or not, here comes Max Holloway.
"Blessed" won his ninth straight fight Saturday with a picture-perfect performance against top-5 featherweight Ricardo Lamas. No one in UFC history has ever been on such a streak without receiving a championship opportunity.
Don't let his youth fool you. At 24-years-old, Holloway is already one of the best fighters in his division and the scary part is that he's only getting better.
Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar are fighting for an interim belt at UFC 200 with the hopes that it will lead to a Conor McGregor bout. Maybe Holloway is the one they should really be worried about.
Dustin Poirier vs. Al Iaquinta
Dustin Poirier is one of several lightweights facing the reality that once you reach a certain level of prestige, there are no easy fights.
Since returning to a more comfortable weight of 155 pounds, Poirier has gone 4-0 with three first-round knockouts. His swift dismissal of a cocky Bobby Green only reinforced the notion that Poirier is a future champion.
Several of the division's biggest names are already booked or coming off of a loss, so that means Poirier might be stuck having to take another fun fight as opposed to one that will dramatically improve his standing.
The volatile Al Iaquinta is always eager to throw down and a fight with Poirier would either lead to another concussive finish or a nasty three-round war.