There's one clear fight to make coming out of the event in Houston on Saturday while the heavyweights just got a lot more interesting.
He is clearly the second-best guy at middleweight, but he's well out of the title picture with two losses to the champion. Assuming Ngannou and the UFC don't come to an agreement any time, if at all, then Tuivasa could slide in for a big-ticket fight against Jones. The only other options that make sense for Jones are potential fights with Ciryl Gane or Stipe Miocic, but Tuivasa may better capture a mainstream audience and certainly the Oceanic fanbase. The solution is to pair them while building Sean Strickland as the next contender. It's not a supremely sexy fight, but you are matching up the clear top contenders in the division. Those elbows were nasty and add to a meaty portfolio of six UFC knockouts the promotion can use to build Cannonier as a threat for the champ. Jones does happen, Tuivasa's best bet is a match-up with the former interim champion. The obvious fight to make at heavyweight is champion Francis Ngannou vs. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news, including instant analysis of UFC 271 at the conclusion of the event below. Here are some of the names that make sense. Some fights seem obvious and others are more complicated in the aftermath of UFC 271. The shoey is a sublimely disgusting celebration that perfectly accompanies the spirit of MMA. Coming off five consecutive knockouts in the first two rounds, it's time to cash in on all that "Bam Bam" offers. Placing a title eliminator fight on the main card of a championship headliner makes for simple and effective booking.
Tai Tuivasa knew that either he or Derrick Lewis was going to get finished at UFC 271, but many didn't think he would be the one doing the finishing.
Lewis came into UFC 271 seeking vengeance and his hometown after falling to Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 265. Tuivasa landed some hard knees, but Lewis was the one who got the fight to the ground off an inside trip. Tuivasa would survive a few early power shots to get the fight to Round 2.
Our MMA Insiders react to Israel Adesanya remaining the king of the middleweights, Tai Tuivasa outbanging Derrick Lewis and Roxanne Modafferi hanging the ...
The win is easily the biggest in Tuivasa's career and catapults him into immediate consideration for a title shot. Shockingly, one of the judges scored the fight for Modafferi, but O'Neill was a clear winner while remaining a promising UFC prospect. 5. Mike Mathetha [ Blood Diamond]: It was a poor UFC debut for Mathetha, who was submitted late in Round 1 by Jeremiah Wells. Mathetha had no answer for Wells' wrestling, which prevented the Zimbabwean from showing off his striking ability. Then he made the move to middleweight in 2018, and he has won five of his six fights there, with the only loss coming to Robert Whittaker. Cannonier has finished four of those five victories, by the way. Losing to the same champion twice can be a bit of a death sentence for future title shots, but he's still one of the best fighters in the world, and he's in his prime. But in a sport often fueled by fabricated grudges, it's been refreshing to watch a competitor who treated her time under the spotlight as an opportunity to lift not just herself but her dance partner. In all, O'Neill got the split decision victory with a record 229 significant strikes -- over 100 more than her opponent -- to remain undefeated. But when he did, Cannonier said -- loudly -- that he was the one who should be next for the UFC middleweight title shot. There's a fight on April 9 between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Marcin Tybura, and Tuivasa against the winner of that bout makes a ton of sense to me. There are a ton of options for Tuivasa's next fight because he hasn't fought many of the top-10 guys yet, but for me, Rozenstruik or Tybura would be the best choices. He already has beaten everyone at middleweight except Adesanya. If he could make the weight safely, imagine he fights a top-five welterweight and asserts himself as a new challenger for Kamaru Usman, who is on his run of rematches at the moment? But it might have been a loss that was the most defining moment on Saturday, as Roxanne Modafferi said goodbye to the sport.
Australian heavyweight Tai Tuivasa has stunned the fight world once again after his incredible KO win over American Derrick Lewis.
Not only is the 28-year old known for his hard hits, but he is celebrated for his post and pre show antics – walking out to Cyndi Lauper’s iconic song ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’ and usually having a ‘shoey’ after his matches. Tuivasa, who has won five straight fights by knockout, described his win as the “king of knockouts”. Australian heavyweight Tai Tuivasa has stunned the fight world once again after his incredible KO win over American Derrick Lewis on Sunday.
The Aussie heavyweight took out an absolute slobberknocker of a fight, delivering exactly what fans had hoped for. Lewis claimed the first round, taking Tuivasa ...
The victory over Lewis should see Tuivasa into the top echelon of the heavyweight division. Lewis claimed the first round, taking Tuivasa down twice in the opening five minutes. Tai Tuivasa has scored the biggest win of his career, knocking out Derrick Lewis in the second round at UFC 271.
With the victory Australian heavyweight Tuivasa updates his record to 14-3 and scores the fifth win in a row. American former two-time UFC heavyweight title ...
Tai Tuivasa vs Derrick Lewis fight video highlights Check out Tai Tuivasa vs Derrick Lewis fight video highlights below. American former two-time UFC heavyweight title challenger Lewis drops to 26-9, 1 NC.