The UFC returned to North Carolina for the seventh time this past weekend, as the heavyweights clashed in the main event of UFC Charlotte. The start of 2020 was the last time the promotion was in state (in Rally), and the heavyweights made headlines that evening as well.
This time, a new breed of heavyweight, Gilton Almeida, was scheduled for his toughest test yet as Jairzinho Rosenstreik was the man to try and stop the Brazilian’s streak.
Let’s take a look at what could be next for tonight’s main card winners.
Gilton Almeida
The Contender series alum has shown once again that he’s a new breed of heavyweight that’s incredibly hard to stop. The Brazilian’s wrestling prowess once again paid dividends, as he submitted Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the first round. In five official UFC bouts, Malhadinho has made five finals, four of which are in the first round.
The question marks that arose in this bout were regarding Almeida’s ability to perform under the pressure of being in a main event, and what would happen if the fight were to go beyond two rounds. Questions ultimately remain unanswered even though he did secure the naked choke after just over three minutes.
Discussions have already begun about whether the 31-year-old has the potential to be a future world bantamweight champion, and it’s never too early to do so. The Brazilian’s Contender Series match was fought in the light heavyweight division, similar to his debut in the UFC, showing his threat in both divisions.
Given his athletic ability and experience fighting in the light heavyweight division, talk of “champion” status comes naturally. But if that is the likely reality in the future, it may be time for Malhadinho to battle a player in the top five in any of the leagues.
Since his victory on Saturday, many fans have been playing fantasy matchmaker, matching Almeida with Curtis Blades to see what his showdown against someone who could potentially negate his grappling threat looks like. The match I would be most keen to see at this point, though, is Sergey Spivak vs. Almeida.
Almeida’s next fight: Sergey Spivak
Johnny Walker
Johnnie Walker continues to show a new, more balanced side to his game and even sees himself making a decision that wins.
The big problem the Brazilian faced throughout his five-year tenure in the UFC was his struggle to mitigate how erratic he was during his fights. We’ve seen Walker’s inability to conserve energy and be patient many times during a fight, but in his performance on Saturday night against Anthony Smith, he was the epitome of patience. So much so that people started criticizing the fact that he could have finished Smith instead of making a decision.
Gone are the days when we’d talk about whether Walker was the guy to beat Jon Jones, but it’s not too farfetched to say that with one or two more wins, he could knock on the door of a light heavyweight title fight. Because of the dire state of the 205-pound division, there aren’t many competitors who are a huge margin in front of the Brazilian.
That said, with Walker now likely to be ranked fifth, there are only three fighters above him who can make a case for being next, but I think one of them has to be Walker’s next opponent. Aleksandar Rakitic has not yet returned since his knee injury in May last year. A fight with Walker might make sense for both of them.
Walker’s Next Fight: Aleksandar Rakić
Ian Gary
Not only did Ian Garry deliver his best UFC performance to date, but he also fired the exact shot where he put Daniel Rodriguez wide. in An interview with Peter Carroll earlier in the weekJarry admitted that he knew he would finish Rodriguez by hitting a correct high kick.
With each performance, the Irishman seemed to show more potential than he did the last time around. Not only that, but the anticipation surrounding him was growing more and more intense. With “the future” growing into a superstar for the Emerald Isles, he appears to be the perfect fighter and headlining figure for the UFC’s return to Ireland.
In his interview at the Octagon, Gary called out Neil Magney as he began his rise in the welterweight division. But unfortunately for Jarry, the veteran has already been booked for a fight in June against Philip Rowe. Despite the two timelines merging similarly, there is no guarantee that Magny will outsmart Rowe, and then the match makes no sense for Jarry’s rise.
There are a few fighters I would love to see my neighbor matched with. Sean Brady tasted defeat for the first time in his career last October, but it was against Bilal Muhammad, one of the best players in the division. Brady vs. Gary might be a formidable battle between young contenders, but Brady is already booked. Failing that, Michael Chiesa could be another tough test for Jarry, and this match will mean that Jarry will undoubtedly have to show other sides of his game.
Gary’s next fight: Michael Chiesa
Carlos Olberg
Carlos Ullberg clinched his third consecutive first round last Saturday, stopping Ihor Buteria after just two minutes.
With this outstanding level of kickboxing already under his belt, Ulberg has quickly become a fan favorite, a fresh injection of excitement in the division that needs it. Having said that, the level of opponent he’s faced in his past few outings has been subpar, and it’s time to give him a relatively decent move to see exactly what level of MMA he is.
Fellow kickboxer, Dustin Jacoby, could make a very sexy dance partner at Ulberg’s next outing.
Ullberg’s Next Fight: Dustin Jacoby
Alex Morono
“The Great White” Morono pulled off another impressive submission victory on Saturday night, defeating Tim Means.
On Friday at the official weigh-ins, fans began to speculate how well Morono’s cut would fare, as he stood on the scales not looking so comfortable with him. Despite this, he came up and performed in typical Morono style, using his unique movement and movement to cause problems of the means. Having said that, it was Means who did the most damaging work for the first five minutes, with all three judges awarding him the first round.
The scorecards didn’t matter as in the second round, Morono finished his third career guillotine. Prior to his loss to Santiago Ponzenepo, the 32-year-old had been positioning himself nowhere near in the rankings.
With that in mind, Alex Morono vs. Daniel Rodriguez is a match I’d like to see happen next.
Morono Next Fight: Daniel Rodriguez