UFC Vegas 41 brought us plenty of drama thanks to Paulo Costa coming into Fight Week heavy, but the fight delivered in the end. Marvin Vettori picked up the victory in the middleweight turned light heavyweight main event, while Grant Dawson and Ricky Glenn fought to a draw in the co-main.
What’s next for those who stumbled on the main card? Here’s a look.
Paulo Costa
Paulo “The Eraser” Costa couldn’t seem to erase the extra pounds he carried into UFC Vegas 41, which he would later blame on a bicep injury. He also couldn’t get past Marvin Vettori, and a slow start seemed to be part of the issue. Costa came on strong in the fifth round, however, and look considerably larger than his opponent. Combine that with Dana White saying he’ll need to compete at light heavyweight moving forward, and it seems like any hypothetical matchmaking should take place with 205lbs in mind — not that it would be surprising to see the UFC cave on the weight issue.
Johnny Walker is currently coming off a loss to Thiago Santos. He’d be a fun test to see if light heavyweight really is a viable option for Costa.
Costa’s next fight: Johnny Walker
Grant Dawson and Ricky Glenn
It’s tempting to say run it back, but there isn’t a ton to be gained in doing so here. Grant Dawson remains undefeated in the UFC, while Glenn’s run has been inconsistent.
With Dawson learning a few lessons in this fight, it would be smart to pair him up with another veteran — in this case, Vinc Pichel, who at 38 has found his groove and won his last three fights. For Glenn, how about Steve Garcia, who is coming off a big (and bloody) win over Charlie Ontiveros.
Dawson’s next fight: Vinc Pichel
Glenn’s next fight: Steve Garcia
Joselyne Edwards
Edwards lost a unanimous decision against the returning Jessica-Rose Clark at UFC Vegas 41. The fight wasn’t exactly a barn-burner, and Edwards has now lost two straight. Shanna Young is 0-2 in the UFC, and coming off a loss to Stephanie Egger. Book these two, and it’s pretty much a loser leaves town match.
Edwards’ next fight: Shanna Young
Seung Woo Choi
South Korea’s Seung Woo Choi had a three fight win streak snapped by Alex Caceres at UFC Vegas 41. He now sits at 3-3 in the promotion overall, and will be looking to get his momentum back. Omar Morales is 3-2 under the UFC banner, and coming off a loss to Jonathan Pearce late last month. The timing works pretty well, and the match-up will allow one fighter to bounce back. Book ’em, Danno.
Choi’s next fight: Omar Morales
Dwight Grant
Dropping a split decision to Francisco Trinaldo on Saturday, Dwight Grant is now 3-3 in his UFC run. Lyman Good is in the exact same situation, 3-3 and like Grant struggling to find consistency. Good hasn’t fought since last year, but said just a few days back that his return could come soon. Depending on the definition of “soon” in this case, the Grant fight makes sense.
Grant’s next fight: Lyman Good
Ike Villanueva
Hurricane Ike just can’t seem to catch a break in his UFC run. His fight style is popular with fans, but so far, multiple opponents have failed drug tests (Chase Sherman, Vinicius Moreira), and at UFC Vegas 41, he was stopped in controversial fashion by Nicolae Negumereanu with several blows appearing to hit the back of the head.
It’s tempting to say that, at 1-4, Villanueva should head back to the regional circuit. But he puts on fun fights, and his salary isn’t really a concern for the promotion. Fabio Cherant is 0-2 in the promotion thus far, and with both men in need of a win, the fight makes sense, and would likely be a banger.
Villanueva’s next fight: Fabio Cherant
