On Saturday night, the UFC crowned a new number one contender in the light heavyweight division when Anthony Johnson knocked out Alexander Gustafsson in the opening round of the main event of UFC on FOX 14. The event emanated from the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, and was host to the second largest crowd in UFC history. Below, LWOS books the fights for the main card winners and losers:
Anthony Johnson: Rumble, young man, rumble! It wasn’t the fact that Johnson defeated Gustafsson that was so shocking, but more so the manner in which he did it. In retrospect, it shouldn’t have been a surprise, since 13 of his 19 wins have come by knockout, and 10 of those coming in the first round. Up next, we all know what’s next for the man they call Rumble, and that’s a bout with Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. It’s possible that Johnson’s freakish power may lead him to become the first man to defeat Jones, and the title fight between them will be heavily anticipated by fans and pundits alike.
Alexander Gustafsson: The Swedish crowd sat in stunned silence as their native hero fell to Johnson. The silence was quiet a scene. Since the light heavyweight division is so shallow, it won’t take too many wins by Gustafsson to get back in the title hunt. Next, he should face off with the most recent man Jones defeated, Daniel Cormier. Cormier and Gustafsson are still two of the top four light heavyweights in the world (with the other two obviously being Jones and Johnson), and a fight between them would outstanding.
Gegard Mousasi: Since coming to the UFC from Strikeforce, Mousasi has alternated wins and losses, but this was his biggest UFC victory so far. While Dan Henderson may not be the fighter he once was, he still packs a ton of pop in his hands, and he’s the biggest name Mousasi has conquered in his career. As Mousasi tries to start his first UFC winning streak, he should take on the winner of Michael Bisping vs CB Dollaway. They go toe-to-toe in three months at UFC 186 in Montreal, and with all the other top middleweights currently booked up, the winner would be the perfect next foe for Mousasi.
Dan Henderson: Henderson’s once legendary chin is far from what it used to be, and at this point in his career, he should probably retire. But, he said he wants to keep going, and he also said he’s staying at middleweight. With that in mind, he should next take on Nate Marquardt. Both men represent the old guard of MMA, both have lost middleweight title matches to then-champion Anderson Silva, both are former Strikeforce champions and both have left and returned to the UFC. If neither man wants to retire, then they should fight each other.
Ryan Bader: It was a super close fight, but a win is a win, and Bader will take it. Bader now has a four fight winning streak, his longest such streak since starting his career 12-0. With most of the top light heavyweights on losing streaks, Bader finds himself a win or two away from a potential title shot. For his next challenge, the TUF 8 winner should take on the TUF 2 winner and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans. Evans hasn’t fought since November of 2013 due to a leg injury, but he appears to be ready to return to action soon.
Phil Davis: It was close, but a loss is a loss, and this is a major setback for Davis. He’s still a top 10 light heavyweight, but it looks like he may never contend for a title at this point. Rarely does the UFC book someone coming off of a win against someone coming off of a loss, but this looks like an appropriate time to do so. Davis should take on Ovince Saint Preux next. If OSP can beat Davis, coming off of a win over Shogun Run, he just might be a real player in the light heavyweight division.
Sam Sicilia: Sicilia is one of the hardest hitters at featherweight, and he proved it again on Saturday night with his vicious knockout of Akira Corassani. It’s fun to watch Sicilia throw down, and Lucas Martins loves to throw down as well. They should fight next in a fight that would surely be a pre-event favorite to win Fight of the Night honors.
Akira Corassani: Retirement should be next for Corassani, and he said as much afterwards. Corassani finished his career with a record of 12-6, 1 No Contest, and a UFC record of 3-3. He was a very fun fighter to watch, and LWOS wishes him all the best in whatever he takes on next.
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