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MOORE: Top Fights to Make After UFC Fight Night 48 "Bisping vs. Le"
Aug 23, 2014 - 5:00:43 PM MOORE: Top Fights to Make After UFC Fight Night 48 "Bisping vs. Le"

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By: Dan Moore, MMATorch UK Columnist

UFC Fight Night 48 started off well, but it turned to mush as soon as the main card kicked in. Thankfully it was saved by the only two fights we actually wanted to see, and knew would be good. No one really cares about what happens next to most on this card, but I'll endeavour to pick out the little gems I think you might have enough interest in.

MAIN CARD WINNERS

MICHAEL BISPING (25-6, 15-6 UFC) - I hate to say it but Michael Bisping is a fading light in the upper echelons of the middleweight division. Some will be quick to say I'm late to the dance with that assessment. Cung Le is 42 years old and a [so called] movie star, so a win was always inevitable.

Every fight from now on is a must win for the Brit if he's ever going to get the chance to fight for a title. We all know he's going to fail before he reaches his promised land, though, because that's what he does best. Still, it's going to be fun seeing how far he can go in this last hurrah.

The UFC owes Michael Bisping, and now it's time to pay up. He has taken on more pointless fights than I care to remember. He even took on another TUF series against Jason Miller when it made zero sense. Bisping is a company man, and it's time to call in the favor. That favor is Luke Rockhold. Sadly for Bisping, despite the smack talk, it's more likely Rockhold fights Lyoto Machida next.

If that avenue hits a dead end, it's back to the fight I suggested last weekend. Michael Bisping vs. Tim Boetsch makes sense, and it's a fight that was previously scheduled for UFC 149. Both guys should be good to go before Christmas and the winner gets a top six opponent as reward for victory.

Next Fight vs. TIM BOETSCH


TYRON WOODLEY (14-3, 4-2 UFC) I would back Woodley in a fight against 98% of the UFC welterweight division if I could be guaranteed he will always turn up as prepared as he was against Kim. Sadly that's impossible with Woodley, and there's always a good chance he turns up as the guy who performed so poorly against Rory MacDonald.

Everyone ahead of him in the rankings is either injured or already scheduled to fight someone else. So, why not put him in against the guy who was originally scheduled to fight Kim. Step forward Hector Lombard. I love this fight, and if both turn up on form it could be a real cracker.

Next Fight vs. HECTOR LOMBARD


ZHANG LIPENG (8-7, 2-0 UFC) -No one left the arena in Macau believing they'd just witnessed a future Chinese MMA superstar in Lipeng, but he got the job done. It wasn't a master class, but he got the win, and that is all that matters at this stage of his career as a young 24-year-old.

He entered the UFC as a 6-7 fighter, but he's now 2-0. Usually a fighter comes in with a padded undefeated record and ends up getting immediately beat the second he fights someone with talent. Lipeng has done it the wrong way round, but now he's on the right road. Jake Matthews is another young talent and this fight could find a place on the undercard of the Australia event planned for November.

Next Fight vs. JAKE MATTHEWS


NING GUANGYOU (4-2-1, 1-0 UFC) - Colton Smith has just caught a break because Ning Guangyou now holds the title as worst winner of The Ultimate Fighter. Not much to say about Guangyou other than I'm not exactly excited to find out what happens next.

TUF winners usually get straight into the action without the need for slow and concise build up. Guangyou is heading straight for the deep end, and he isn't wearing any armbands. The winner of Sam Sicilia vs. Katsunori Kikuno in Japan looks like a good first opponent for the winner of TUF China.

Next Fight vs. Winner of SAM SICILIA vs. KATSUNORI KIKUNO


MAIN CARD LOSERS

CUNG LE (9-3, 2-2 UFC) - This was probably the end for Cung Le as a UFC fighter. If he does make another comeback it's for the money again. I've never been aboard his hype train, but I understand why the UFC values him highly. They can't get over in China with him, so without him they're not cracking it anytime soon.

Le has standing in the UFC that's been accomplished despite his average fight record. His name value attracts a certain calibre of fighter that his own record certainly doesn't deserve. Therefore, trying to predict who might be next is virtually impossible. Mike Swick lives in Asia and he's fairly well known. He also calls himself a middleweight now. I plucked that out of the thinnest of thin air so don't expect it to happen anytime soon.

Next Fight vs. MIKE SWICK


DONG HYUN KIM (19-3-1 (1 NC), 10-3 (1 NC) UFC) - It's all well and good loosening up the attacking element of your game when your opponent isn't elite or a heavy hitter. It worked wonderfully against Erick Silva and John Hathaway, and people really took notice of Stun Gun because of it.

As one would expect, he tried to do the same against Woodley and it all ended in tears. That pretty much sums up where Kim is in the rankings. A usually entertaining fighter who is capable of obliterating mediocrity. Throw him in with someone who hits harder and it's back to square one.

Matt Brown just lost and he's always up for an entertaining back and forth (Understatement of the century). If Kim is insistent on fighting with reckless abandon, this fight makes all the sense in the world. It could easily main event a lower end Fox Sports 1 card, or be a co-main event on a pay-per-view looking for guaranteed fireworks.

Next Fight vs. MATT BROWN


BRENDAN O'REILLY (5-1 (1 NC), 0-1 UFC) - This is when the article really starts to get desperate. Moving to lightweight did nothing to help O'Reilly, but he deserves one more chance. A fight card is coming to Sydney later this year so there's a good chance he ends up on Fight Pass against someone equally low down the pecking order.

Next Fight vs. TIEQUAN ZHANG


YANG JIANPING (6-3-1, 0-1 UFC) - If Jianping gets another fight please let me know in advance so I can do something else. He was favored to win the Finale but didn't show up. I don't really care who's next for him, but I have to pick someone. I'm going for a fight with fellow TUF loser, Rocky Lee. He also lost to eventual winner Ning Guangyou so it almost makes sense.

Next Fight vs. ROCKY LEE


NOTABLE UNDERCARD WINNERS

COLBY COVINGTON (6-0, 1-0 UFC) - Last week I suggested Tim Means as a next fight for Alan Jouban but I jumped the gun. Scrap that because I want to see Jouban vs. Covington next. Both are fairly inexperienced and both got their first UFC win via first round carnage in impressive fashion.

Next Fight vs. ALAN JOUBAN


MILENA DUDIEVA (11-3, 1-0 UFC) - I'm not going to get into whether her win over Elizabeth Phillips was controversial or not. She looked good, but at only 23 years old she's got plenty of work to do before another fight. No point throwing her under a bus so a fight with Sarah Moras makes sense. Both won their UFC debut and both have plenty of raw potential.

Next Fight vs. SARAH MORAS

I'm back tomorrow with another 'Fights to Make' column, this time for UFC Fight Night 49.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, @MMATorchDan