Although it wasn’t the most star studded of events, UFC Fight Island 4 provided some substantial narrative and some fun names to keep an eye on. There were finishes in ways that we would have never predicted and ones that were far too easy to see coming. With the dust settled, we’re left to put the pieces back together for where these fighters go next.
Holly Holm/Germaine de Randamie
These two women are pretty much in the same position. The top two contenders in the bantamweight division have both had their shots at the kingpin, Amanda Nunes. Neither are all that far removed from that fight either, with one just over a year and one just under. And neither of them looked like they had much for her at the time. So has anything changed in that time? Not really, unless you count them turning away any challenger who threatens their 1-2 status. Either could really be next for Nunes after she defends her 145lbs belt against Megan Anderson, but there’s no reason for the two to wait that long. Let’s run back their 2017 featherweight title fight and clarify the picture a little more.
Their Next Fight: Each other.
Carlos Felipe
Felipe got the win, but I doubt his stock rose all that much in the eyes of the boss. The heavyweight bout set the record (unconfirmed) for the highest amount of referee separations, and even before that exhaustion-induced style came about, the fight wasn’t all that impressive. Felipe out-landed a mostly tentative Yorgan De Castro as both men plodded their way through 15 mins. As a result, it’ll probably be another relatively inexperienced heavyweight for Felipe next time out. Later this year Parker Porter and Josh Parisian are set for a tango. Both men push forward and would undoubtedly force more action out of Felipe. The winner would be a good choice to see what he does when faced with more action. Should the pull-out monster strike, Felipe wouldn’t be a bad fill-in for either as well.
Carlos Felipe’s Next Fight: Parker Porter/Josh Parisian Winner
Kyler Phillips
While a main card win may not have done a ton for Felipe, Phillips put a complete skill set on display. His ability to mix his striking and surprisingly oppressing grappling makes him a tough out for anyone in the division. With two dominant wins, albeit against entry level fighters, Phillips deserves a big step up. He said he feels fine and would like to get back in there, so how about next week? Alejandro Perez just dropped out of his fight on October 10 with Thomas Almeida. Phillips is on Fight Island, his medicals are done, and the match-up certainly wouldn’t disappoint.
Kyler Phillips’ Next Fight: Thomas Almeida
Dusko Todorovic
Perhaps it’s lazy matchmaking, but we saw two debuting middleweights look good on Saturday. Not only did Dusko Todorovic take care of business and dominate Daquan Townsend, but earlier in the night Nassourdine Imavov put together a complete performance against a very tough Jordan Williams, showing he was more than just a sniper. Pairing the two up would allow us to see just how good that wrestling is for either fighter, while also allowing us to see Todorovic against a more refined striking game.
Dusko Todorovic’s Next Fight: Nassourdine Imavov.
