UFC on Fox (1/28): Munoz out; Sonnen/Bisping, Evans/Davis

[SDM]

I like the idea of Davis vs. Bader for the third fight of a PPV.

[Cammo101]

I like the idea of Davis vs. Bader for the third fight of a PPV.

Depends what happens with Bader and Rampage in Japan.

[SDM]

Right. Too many cards now to keep track like I used to.

[CPT]

I never did this last night, so I will do it now.

Up next for all involved should be...

Evans vs. Jones (for the LHW title)
Davis vs. Bonnar
Sonnen vs. Silva (for the MW title)
Bisping vs. Munoz
Weidman vs. Palhares
Maia vs. Belcher
Dunham vs. Cerrone
Lentz vs. Danny Castillo
Russow vs. Bigfoot Silva
Swanson vs. Oliveira
Roop vs. Daniel Pineda
Oliveira vs. Swanson
M. Johnson vs. Pyle
Roller vs. Neer
L. Johnson vs. Struve
Beltran vs. Ryan Jimmo (at LHW)

A lot of those are good, but a lot are winner/loser matchups, which happen, but usually the UFC tries to do winner/winner, loser/loser. You've mixed up a few weight classes as well (Pyle and Neer are at WW). It's also important to remember how many cards there are coming up. It's natural to pick guys who have just fought (going back to UFC 141), but there are 3 more events in the next month, and it's just as likely their opponents will be decided based on the outcomes of those fights. That being said, here's my take.

Evans/Jones and Sonnen/Silva are obvious choices. Glad they are being made, because both fights have kind of cast a shadow over their respective divisions for a while. Once they get settled, we can move on.

Davis is a tough guy to pick a matchup for. After being in a main event on Fox, you can't really send him too far back, but he's clearly not ready for the top guys either. Bonnar is not a bad idea. Vladdy could be another.

I'd probably remake Bisping vs. Maia (maybe it headlines an FX/Fuel show in England). Made sense before Munoz went down, and with both guys coming off losses, arguably makes more sense now.

I'd maybe go Munoz vs. Palhares, which could be a #1 contender fight, and keep Weidman a little further down the ladder for the time being. He may have won the fight, but I don't think he looked good enough to say "you're no longer a prospect, you're going to fight top guys every time out from now on." Give him the winner of next week's Herman/Starks fight or something.

Oliveira vs. Swanson is a good idea. Both guys getting a win on the same card, in the same ballpark for rankings (Oliveira has the potential to go much higher obviously).

I was hoping for Cerrone vs. Stout, but Dunham vs. Cerrone would be fun to watch too. Dunham could maybe get Lauzon if he beats Pettis, or the Gomi/GSot winner. Dunham vs. Tavares would work too.

Big Johnson vs. Pat Barry seems like something the UFC would make.

Michael Johnson vs. a prelim-level LW coming off a win. Castillo could work here.

Roller vs. Lentz? Lentz vs. Guillard? Roller vs. pink slip (3 losses in a row)? I think Roller vs. Lentz, with the loser possibly getting cut makes the most sense (I've even heard the UFC were looking to cut Lentz if he lost this fight, though FOTN may have been a stay of execution).

[Gold Chain]

Found this from one of the big forums.
Best Spider highlight I've ever seen.

Chael, look out, you're getting smoked down south this summer.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PDhH-tF_OI&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[CPT]

Joey Beltran got cut.

And they did end up making Big Johnson vs. Pat Barry at UFC on FOX 3.