Matches to Make After UFC on ESPN 33

Curtis Blaydes needed to make a statement on Saturday to remain in the heavyweight title discussion, and he did so in resounding fashion.

Blaydes entered the cage in Columbus, Ohio, for the main event of UFC on ESPN 33 as a comfortable -400 favorite over Chris Daukaus, but the conventional wisdom was that his obvious path to victory lay in his overwhelming ground assault. As if to make a point — and perhaps to score a few with the matchmakers who will determine his future title hopes — “Razor” elected to engage Daukaus in his own wheelhouse, knocking out the former Philadelphia cop early in the second round without attempting a single takedown.

Thus far in the UFC, Blaydes has only come up short against Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis, possibly the two hardest hitters in the division. Against everyone else, even those who were able to frustrate a few of his takedown attempts, he has had mostly easy work. While outboxing the boxer on Saturday might help him secure a third shot at Ngannou at some point down the road, for now the champ is on the shelf and UFC President Dana White has already mooted the idea of an interim title. In his postfight interview, Blaydes lobbied for a shot at that strap, but his most persuasive argument had already been made just minutes before.

In the wake of “UFC Columbus,” here are matches that ought to be made for Blaydes and some of the other prominent winners.

Curtis Blaydes vs. Ciryl Gane

After Blaydes’ dominant showing, interviewer Daniel Cormier brought up the idea of a fight with former champ Stipe Miocic, who was present cageside, but neither Blaydes nor Miocic was particularly enthused. Blaydes called for an interim title fight against Gane, and the matchup makes sense. Both men have lost badly to Ngannou — twice, in Blaydes’ case — and have questions to answer before a rematch is even worth discussing. Gane, who was outwrestled badly by “D-I Francis,” would have the chance to prove that performance to be an outlier. Blaydes, who has been caught with clean punches on both occasions he has faced “The Predator,” could show that his striking has truly made strides over the three-plus years since their last meeting. The other benefit is that it keeps both men from blunting the momentum of any of the division’s other young up-and-comers such as Tom Aspinall, Tai Tuivasa or Alexander Romanov. Book this one and call it a second-chance (or third-chance) derby.

Alexa Grasso vs. Katlyn Chookagian-Amanda Ribas winner

I came close to recommending Grasso fight Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title in her next fight, simply because Shevchenko has cleaned out the Top 10 so thoroughly that if she gets past Taila Santos in June, her next title defense will either be an unappealing rematch or someone who isn’t ready. That being the case, Grasso is at least more of a finished product than someone like Erin Blanchfield or Manon Fiorot, who elevated herself from prospect to contender with a win over Jennifer Maia on the prelims. However, there may be another way: The UFC’s May 14 Fight Night card features Chookagian-Ribas as well as Andrea Lee vs. Viviane Araujo. If Lee defeats Araujo to extend her win streak to three, let her have the next title shot, while Grasso gets to face a true top contender in Chookagian or Ribas. This strategy runs the risk of Shevchenko, Chookagian and Araujo all winning, leaving a Shevchenko-Chookagian rematch as the only obvious move, but that is a risk the UFC embraced when it re-signed one of its most stubborn gatekeepers.

Kai Kara France vs. Deiveson Figueiredo-Brandon Moreno winner

Speaking of divisions that desperately need a new face in the title picture, men’s flyweight is reportedly about to have an unprecedented fourth meeting between Figueiredo and Moreno. In that case, of course, the problem is not a lack of viable challengers but the uniquely competitive nature of the rivalry between those two. Once the dust settles, Kara France has done enough to lay claim on the next title fight. His win over Askar Askarov on Saturday saw him show poise and patience, surviving nearly a full first round with the Russian on his back looking for submissions, then showed superior punching power and cardio in taking the second and third frames. The previously undefeated Askarov had been No. 3 behind Figueiredo and Moreno in both Sherdog’s rankings and the UFC’s own, so the unanimous decision win should allow the 29-year-old Kiwi to take his place.

Neil Magny vs. Daniel Rodriguez

Magny chalked up his record-tying 19th welterweight win in the Octagon, as he took a split decision from Max Griffin on Saturday’s main card. “The Haitian Sensation” could not have crafted a performance more perfectly representative of how he got into a position to catch divisional GOAT Georges St. Pierre in the first place. The 34-year-old “TUF 16” alum suffered an early scare, getting knocked down by Griffin in the first round, then came back to win the final two rounds on two judges’ scorecards with superior pace, aggression, wrestling and above all his legendary cardio. The win over an unranked Griffin leaves Magny in much the same place he was before, however: much too much for fighters outside the Top 15; not quite enough for the Top 10. His next fight should probably be against a rising fighter who has earned a name — and a test — like Magny. The undefeated Sean Brady would be a decent choice, and Magny would certainly push Brady’s unproven gas tank, but Rodriguez, who defeated Kevin Lee last August for his third straight win, would be more appropriate.

Chris Gutierrez vs. Jack Shore

On a night crowded with bonus candidates, Gutierrez snared one, flattening Batgerel Danaa with a spinning backfist and follow-up ground strikes in the second round of their undercard clash. If it’s possible to sneak up on the Top 15 in the ultra-dynamic men’s bantamweight division, “El Guapo” has managed to do so. However, it is no longer possible to ignore the 30-year-old Factory X product, who is now on a seven-fight unbeaten streak since losing his UFC debut in November 2018. Gutierrez continues to show impressive hand speed, above-average power for the division, and some of the nastiest leg kicks in any division. He needs, at most, one more win over someone with similar positive momentum before he starts to crop up in rankings discussions. Shore, who won a unanimous decision over Timur Valiev in London last week to run his UFC tally to five straight and his overall record to 16-0, fits the description.

Manon Fiorot vs. Maryna Moroz

“The Beast” showed out in a big way at “UFC Columbus.” Originally scheduled to face Jessica Eye in what would have been the biggest test of her brief career, the 32-year-old Frenchwoman got an even tougher matchup when Eye withdrew with an injury and was replaced by Top 10 contender Jennifer Maia. Fiorot passed with flying colors, winning all three rounds and demonstrating that she was more than capable of handling herself on the ground with a well-rounded veteran. Seeing Fiorot’s rapid growth and obvious physical tools, it is difficult not to see her as the biggest eventual threat to Shevchenko’s reign, but the fact remains that she is a veteran of just 10 MMA bouts, most of which have not made it to the final horn. Whatever threat she poses to the pound-for-pound queen would likely benefit from additional training camps and Octagon time. While Shevchenko-Santos sorts itself out, perhaps followed by Lee, Grasso — and yes, maybe Chookagian again — Fiorot can get in at least one more bout against a solid flyweight who is winning fights. Moroz, who tapped out Mariya Agapova earlier this month and looks as good as ever after two years off, would be a solid choice, all assuming the situation in her native Ukraine continues to permit it.