Fights To Make Following UFC Fight Night 74

By Ryan Frederick, WrestlingObserver.com

UFC Fight Night 74 ended with a whimper on Sunday night. Max Holloway extended his win streak to seven straight, and he now has ten wins in the UFC at just 23-years-old. It wasn’t the way he wanted to win as his opponent Charles Oliveira suffered a neck injury just 99 seconds into the bout, and was stretchered out of the Octagon following the fight. Holloway was looking good on his feet before the injury, but without a satisfying ending, it remains to be seen whether Holloway is ready to fight for a title.

The UFC’s debut in Saskatoon may have had a disappointing ending, but there was some solid action on the card. Neil Magny and Patrick Cote were among the winners on the main card, and as we move past UFC Fight Night 74, it is time to play matchmaker and come up with some fights to make in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night 74.

Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar

Max Holloway was able to take home the win in the main event of UFC Fight Night 74, scoring a TKO victory over Charles Oliveira after Oliveira suffered a neck injury very early in the fight. While it was not the type of win Holloway was looking for, it still extended his win streak to seven and keeps him in the top five of the UFC’s featherweight rankings. He’s ready for the next level of competition and a title eliminator bout, and that means one man right now- Frankie Edgar. Edgar is, without a doubt, next in line for a shot at the UFC Featherweight Championship when the saga between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor ends. However, he isn’t going to sit around and wait and wants to remain active. Holloway is the right fight for him to take at this time, and it would be a fine addition to a December card in Las Vegas, whether it be a main card bout for UFC 194, or even a headliner for the TUF 22 Finale.

Neil Magny vs. Rick Story

Neil Magny made a quick turnaround at UFC Fight Night 74, coming back 22 days after seeing his seven-fight win streak stopped by Demian Maia. It was a solid bounce back for Magny, who scored a split decision win over Erick Silva, who didn’t look like himself on Saturday night. The fight shouldn’t have even been a split decision and Magny was lucky he didn’t get robbed of a decision as he clearly won. Magny is now 8-1 in his last nine fights and is still a top-flight welterweight. He will definitely be back in action, likely sooner rather than later, this year, and a fight against the man he replaced on Sunday, Rick Story, looks to be a solid match-up. Story has won two straight fights and three of his last four, and both are similarly ranked. Story should be back in action before the end of the year.

Patrick Cote vs. Hector Lombard

Patrick Cote scored an impressive third-round technical knockout win over Josh Burkman in a fun fight at UFC Fight Night 74. Cote rocked Burkman several times throughout the fight, but Burkman showed heart in surviving. It was a battle in the final round and Burkman looked to have Cote hurt before Cote rocked Burkman with a right hand and finished him with more shots on the ground. It was Cote’s first stoppage win in the Octagon since 2008, but his resurgence since coming back has seen him win five of his last six fights. Cote is in line for a solid fight, and he called out a fighter in his post-fight interview- Hector Lombard. Lombard did call out Cote a while back, but is currently out of action until at least January due to a drug test failure. Cote let it be known he wants Lombard when he comes back, calling him a cheater in the process. Let’s get that fight booked for Lombard’s return.

Francisco Trinaldo vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier

Francisco Trinaldo and Olivier Aubin-Mercier both picked wins on Sunday night at UFC Fight Night 74 and extended their win streaks in the process. Trinaldo picked up his fourth straight win when he became the first man to defeat former TUF winner Chad Laprise, finishing him by TKO in the first round. Aubin-Mercier scored his third straight win, going to a decision with Tony Sims. He wasn’t as impressive, only landing three significant strikes in the full 15 minutes, the least amount of significant strikes ever landed in that length of time. Aubin-Mercier only has eight fights in his career, but he is ready for the next level of competition. Trinaldo is that next level. It makes sense to book them against each other.

Valerie Letourneau vs. Joanne Calderwood

Valerie Letourneau remained undefeated in her UFC career as she moved to 3-0 inside the Octagon win an unanimous decision win over Maryna Moroz. It was the fourth straight win overall for Letourneau, and she has now won seven of her last eight fights. Her last loss came at the hands of Claudia Gadelha, who will next challenge for the title in the women’s strawweight division. Letourneau is ready for a step up in competition, so why not against the woman that was derailed by Moroz- Joanne Calderwood. Calderwood scored a win in her last fight and she is looking at getting back into contention. She has just one blemish on her career, to Moroz, and now that Letourneau has blemished Moroz’ career, she and Calderwood would be a solid booking.