UFC 238 delivered to fans what they were dying for since UFC 236: another banger of a card. With so many great fights, we were blessed by the finish gods. Now it’s time to see what’s next for some of the fighters on the card.
Petr Yan Notches Yet ANOTHER Statement Win
Petr Yan might just be the future of the bantamweight division. He took on Jimmie Rivera and dominated the entire fight. Yan’s cardio dictated the pace the entire fight. He pushed the pace and wore down Rivera quickly. Yan’s hands and scrambles proved he can compete with the elite.
Jimmie Rivera looked good at UFC 238. He showed improvement after some people said he was done after his loss to Aljamain Sterling. He just took on too much of a challenge with Yan, who is in the Matrix compared to the rest of the division. Rivera still has fight left in him.
Next Opponent for Petr Yan: Cody Garbrandt, John Lineker
Next Opponent for Jimmie Rivera: Pedro Munhoz, Cory Sandhagen
Tony Ferguson Breaks Another Opponent’s Body
Tony Ferguson is a freak of nature. He has now won 12 consecutive fights in the most stacked division in the UFC. Ferguson dispatched Cowboy Cerrone in the second round, the same way he defeated Anthony Pettis in his last fight; he broke their body. Tony’s cardio remained strong as Cowboy faded and Tony dominated the second round.
Cowboy Cerrone didn’t look bad. Tony was just on another level than him. Sadly, Dad Cerrone’s streak has come to an end. The fan favorite still has fight left in him. He will go on to fight 1628 more times this year.
Next Opponent for Tony Ferguson: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Dustin Poirier Winner
Next Opponent for Cowboy Cerrone: Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor
Valentina Shevchenko, Flyweight Queen
Valentina Shevchenko looked invincible against Jessica Eye. And with the beautiful head kick KO, Valentina exited the cage with almost no damage. Not much can be said of Shevchenko’s UFC 238 performance aside from flawless. She was never in any real danger and didn’t take any damage.
Unfortunately for Jessica Eye, she was a victim to circumstances in a new division that hasn’t fleshed out who the contenders are yet. With three straight wins going into the fight, she was in a good spot. But, in hindsight, she needed a couple more fights before taking on the champ.
Next Opponent for Valentina Shevchenko: Liz Carmouche vs. Roxanne Modafferi Winner, Katlyn Chookagian
Next Opponent for Jessica Eye: Joanne Calderwood, Roxanne Modafferi vs. Liz Carmouche Loser
Cejudo Joins Elite And Calls Out Three Non-Contenders
Henry Cejudo made history at UFC 238. He won a second belt. Pair that with his Olympic gold medal and he has his name thrown into the GOAT conversation. In the first round, Cejudo looked over his head with Moraes. But once his cardio outpaced Marlon Moraes, he took over in rounds two and three. In the post-fight interview, he called out Dominick Cruz, Cody Garbrandt, and Urijah Faber, three fighters lightyears from a title shot.
Moraes looked good for a round. He was faster than the Olympian. But he faded quickly. Ultimately, he was TKOed by Cejudo and missed his first shot at UFC gold. Not all is lost in Moraes’ camp. A little better pacing and we have ourselves a great fight.
Next Opponent for Henry Cejudo: Jussier Formiga vs. Joseph Benavidez Winner, Aljamain Sterling
Next Opponent for Marlon Moraes: Cody Garbrandt, Pedro Munhoz
