Matches to Make After UFC on ESPN 5
If this was Colby Covington’s final exam before graduation, consider it aced.
The American Top Team lightning rod kept Robbie Lawler guessing with takedowns and high-volume striking, as he cemented his position as the No. 1 contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s welterweight division with a unanimous decision in the UFC on ESPN 5 main event on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Scores were 50-44, 50-45 and 50-45, all for Covington.
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In the aftermath of UFC on ESPN 5, here are five matches that ought to be made:
Colby Covington vs. Kamaru Usman: Whether you buy into his villainous schtick or not, no one can deny the results Covington has produced inside the cage. The 31-year-old has ruffled more than a few feathers along the way, but he has rattled off seven consecutive victories and now owns an impossible-to-ignore 10-1 record under the UFC banner. Covington appears to have moved into position to challenge Usman, who captured the undisputed welterweight crown with a five-round unanimous decision over Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 in March. “The Nigerian Nightmare” has won 14 fights in a row.
Jim Miller vs. Leonardo Santos: Miller continued his recent resurgence in the co-main event, where he submitted former Strikeforce champion Clay Guida with a guillotine choke in less than a minute. Guida lost consciousness 58 seconds into Round 1. It was the first sub-minute finish of Miller’s stellar 45-fight career and moved him into some rarified air, as he joined Donald Cerrone, Demian Maia, Georges St. Pierre and Michael Bisping as the only fighters in history to record at least 20 victories in the UFC. Unbeaten (11-0-1) across his past 12 outings, the often-overlooked Santos last fought at UFC Fight Night 153, where he knocked out Steven Ray inside one round on June 1.
Nasrat Haqparast vs. Drew Dober: A seemingly ideal mix of hype and substance, Haqparast climbed another rung on the 155-pound ladder when the Tristar Gym prospect wiped out Joaquim Silva with punches in the second round of their lightweight showcase. Silva succumbed to blows 36 seconds into Round 2, as Haqparast floored the Brazilian with an overhand left and finished the job with ground-and-pound. A Firas Zahabi protégé, Haqparast has pieced together a three-fight winning streak since he lost a unanimous decision to Polish leglock enthusiast Marcin Held in his organizational debut in 2017. Dober last competed at UFC on ESPN 3 on June 29, when he needed just 67 seconds to dismiss Marco Polo Reyes with punches.
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Andrew Sanchez-Marvin Vettori winner: Experience and guile have no substitutes -- an idea to which Meerschaert can attest as a 40-fight veteran. The Roufusport mainstay rebounded from back-to-back defeats to Jack Hermansson and Kevin Holland, as he choked Trevin Giles unconscious with a guillotine in the third round of their middleweight feature. Giles met his end 1:49 into Round 3. A former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion, Meerschaert has quietly compiled a 5-3 record since he joined the UFC roster in December 2016. Sanchez and Vettori have been booked opposite one another at UFC Fight Night 158 on Sept. 14.
Claudio Henrique da Silva vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos-Jingliang Li winner: Silva should no longer be flying under the radar at 170 pounds. The 36-year-old Brazilian extended his winning streak to 14 fights on the undercard, as he submitted promotional newcomer Cole Williams with a rear-naked choke 2:35 into the first round of their welterweight tilt. Santos has never lost in five starts inside the Octagon and owns a November 2014 decision victory over surging contender Leon Edwards. Dos Santos and Li will collide at UFC Fight Night 157 on Aug. 31.
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