(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Conor McGregor and UFC 246’s winning fighters?)
After every event, fans wonder whom the losing fighters will be matched up with next.
With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 246’s most notable fighters.
Those fighters include Donald Cerrone (36-14 MMA, 23-11 UFC), who suffered a first-round TKO loss to Conor McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in the welterweight headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, as well as Anthony Pettis (22-10 MMA, 9-9 UFC) and Maycee Barber (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC).
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Maycee Barber
Antonina Shevchenko
Should fight: Antonina Shevchenko
Why they should fight: The hype of Barber took a critical hit when, as a massive favorite, she faltered against Roxanne Modafferi and suffered a unanimous decision loss.
Fortunately for Barber, this fight will only serve as a learning experience. She battled through the adversity of a cut and a knee injury but still managed to go the distance. At 21, she can only grow from this moment, but the outcome certainly pushes back her timeline of wanting to be the youngest champion in UFC history.
As far as her next move, almost any fight would be appropriate for Barber in the women’s flyweight division. It remains to be seen how long her injuries will keep her out, but when she’s ready, a matchup with Shevchenko (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who experienced a similarly disappointing outcome against Modafferi not long ago, would be a good fit.
Anthony Pettis
Alexander Hernandez
Should fight: Alexander Hernandez
Why they should fight: For the first time in years, Pettis is sitting on a two-fight losing skid. His UFC record is even at 9-9, and now there’s questions about what the future holds for “Showtime.”
Pettis still has a number of fights left on his UFC contract, so anyone clamoring for him to go elsewhere is being premature. It’s hard to imagine he’s in any position to pick fights, though, so he may have to take what the UFC gives him.
That could mean having to take a fight against another upstart lightweight contender like Ferreira, and Hernandez (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is just that. “The Great” faltered the first time he had a marquee fight against Donald Cerrone in January 2019, but he’s matured and picked up a win since then. Perhaps he gets a different result against Pettis, who would need to get a victory to prove he still has something left in the tank.
Donald Cerrone
Stephen Thompson
Should fight: Stephen Thompson
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Cerrone should fight Thompson (15-4-1 MMA, 10-4-1 UFC) next.
