UFC Vegas 44 went down last night (Sat., Dec. 4, 2021) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada featuring a thrilling Bantamweight bout between Jose Aldo and Rob Font. In the end, Aldo walked away with a unanimous decision win (highlights here). In the co-headlining act, Rafael Fiziev knocked out Brad Riddell with a spinning wheel kick in the third and final round (highlights).
Winner: Jose Aldo
Who He Should Face Next: T.J. Dillashaw
It’s the only fight that makes sense and one Aldo really wants. Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan will fight sometime in 2022 in a title unification bout to settle their issues once and for all, leaving Dillashaw and Aldo playing the waiting game. That’s why this fight should be booked to see who gets the winner of that fight. There’s not much science to this one. Both men love to stand-and-bang so we can expect another striking battle here that will surely please fight fans.
Winner: Rafael Fiziev
Who He Should Face Next: Gregor Gillespie
After putting the finishing touches on his former training partner Brad Riddell, Fiziev should be looking at a bump up in the rankings, which means he will also be getting higher-ranked opposition. That’s why I like a fight against Gillespie, who is currently ranked No. 10 at 155 pounds. Fiziev — No. 14 — is on a five-fight win streak, turned it around after suffering a first-round knockout loss in his UFC debut, the lone loss of his career.
Winner: Jamahal Hill
Who He Should Face Next: Johnny Walker
Hill picked up a huge win after knocking out Jimmy Crute early in the opening round of their Light Heavyweight bout. Afterward, Hill — who had some choice words for all of his critics — called for a fight against Paulo Costa or Johnny Walker. Costa is contemplating moving up to the division permanently, but the fight doesn’t make sense right now. One against Walker definitely does. Walker is coming off a loss to Thiago Santos, but he is ranked No. 10 while Hill sits at No. 14. Since Walker is coming off a defeat, he is in no position to be demanding higher-ranked foes at the moment.
Winner: Clay Guida:
Who He Should Face Next: Jared Gordon
Guida picked up a huge come-from-behind win over Leonardo Santos, submitting the fourth degree black belt in the second round. “The Carpenter” is adamant is that the best is yet to come, and judging by that performance he may be on to something. After fighting inside the Octagon 32 times, there aren’t a ton of fighters Guida hasn’t faced, but Gordon is one of them. Gordon is on a three fight win streak, but an impressive win over a longtime veteran such as Guida could put him over. For Guida, stopping Gordon’s momentum builds his own on his path to trying to crack the Top 15.
Winner: Chris Curtis
Who He Should Face Next: Nassourdine Imavov
Curtis picked up his seventh straight win — second inside the Octagon — after stopping Bendan Allen via strikes in the second round. I’d like to see him face someone like Imavov in his next outing. Imavov has won two straight over Ian Heinisch and Edmen Shahbazyan and has a 3-1 record inside the Octagon. On the flip side, Curtis is 2-0, so it’s not like one has a vast experience edge over the other when it comes to UFC bouts.
Winner: Alex Morono
Who He Should Face Next: Daniel Rodriguez
Don’t look now, but Morono has now won three straight fights after defeating Mickey Gall via unanimous decision in “Sin City.” A fight against Rodriguez makes sense seeing as how he, too, is riding a three-fight win streak in the highly-competitive Welterweight division. Rodriguez is coming off a big win over Kevin Lee. who recently got his walking papers. The winner of this fight will improve to four wins in a row, inching him closer to a spot in the Top 15.
For complete UFC Vegas 44 results and coverage click here.