What’s Next for the Winners of UFC 138?
The UFC’S return to England for UFC 138 became a forgotten event with all the happenings between UFC 137 and UFC on Fox taking precedence for many. It’s hard to say whether the lack of recognizable names on the card or the tape-delay had anything to do with it as well, however, the night was filled with plenty of action, leaving for some interesting match-ups in the future. Let’s take a look at where the night’s biggest winners go from here.
Mark Munoz
Following his destruction of Chris Leben, Munoz politely campaigned for a shot at Anderson Silva. Although “The Pilipino Wrecking Machine” is nearing a title opportunity, a Silva-Sonnen rematch is a must, leaving Munoz to fight at least once more before he gets his turn. Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller will face off to close out their coaching stint on season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter. A number one contender fight with the winner makes the most sense for Munoz and the middleweight division.
Renan Barao
Barao not only defeated Brad Pickett impressively, he did it on foreign soil. As a rising bantamweight in one the UFC’s thinnest division’s Barao is setting himself up to be a future challenger to champion Dominick Cruz. As of now, Urijah Faber will take on Brian Bowles to determine who will get the rematch with Cruz. Scott Jorgenson has now won two straight in the UFC and is looking for his rematch with Cruz as well. A Barao-Jorgenson match-up would make a clear contender for the next shot at the title.
Thiago Alves
Alves earned his first stoppage in two and a half years when he submitted Papy Abedi in the first round. The win doesn’t move him a whole lot closer to another title shot, but he’s headed in the right direction. In order to make a statement, Alves will need to get back to defeating bigger names. With Jake Ellenberger’s recent launch towards the top of the division, a match-up with Alves would be a strong test for him.
Terry Etim
Etim spent 19 months outside of the cage before stepping in against Eddie Faaloloto, yet he was still the biggest favorite on the card. That said, it was no surprise that he won with ease, submitting Faaloloto in just 17 seconds. The Liverpool native will have the tables turned on him next as the UFC has announced he will face Thiago Tavares at UFC 142 in Brazil.
