Saturday’s UFC St. Louis Fight Night card saw Derrick Lewis extend his record as the UFC’s KO King. The heavyweight known as “The Black Beast” battered his latest victim, Rodrigo Nascimento, in classic Lewis style while showing a well-rounded game that included trip takedowns. Lewis wasn’t the night’s only big winner, as Joaquin Buckley will also be poised for big things moving forward.
Derrick Lewis
The UFC’s all-time knockout record holder showed that he has more left in the tank at 39 years old by knocking out Rodrigo Nascimiento in the third round after losing the first two. Lewis is currently ranked twelfth at heavyweight but will move up when the rankings update.
The man he should fight next currently sits one spot above him. Jairzinho Rozenstruik is a similar fighter to Lewis in a lot of ways, a massive figure who has some of the best knockout power in the division, but lacks depth in certain skills, like wrestling. Fans have wanted to see the two fight for a few years, but now that they are both coming off a win it is the perfect time.
Lewis’ Next Fight: Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Joaquin Buckley
By extending his win streak to four fights, making him 4-0 as a welterweight, Joaquin Buckley is a legitimate danger to top 15 170-lbers. No ranked welterweights are currently scheduled to fight (except Kevin Holland, for a fight in the weight class above) so the options are wide open for the St. Louis native.
One matchup which would be electric is Buckley against Geoff Neal. Neal is on a two-fight losing streak after facing two of the best prospects in the division, but he would be a real test for Buckley, better than anyone he has fought so far at welterweight. The pair both have some of the heaviest hands in the division as well, and leave it all on the line, which will make for an excellent brawl.
Buckley’s Next Fight: vs Geoff Neal
Carlos Ulberg
City Kickboxing’s Carlos Ulberg got the biggest win of his career when he put the lights out of an onrushing Alonzo Menifield in UFC St. Louis’ featured bout. The Kiwi will presumably take Menifield’s eleventh rank in the light-heavyweight division, and with a five-fight knockout streak and six-fight winning streak he will be looking to face another higher ranked opponent next.
Anthony Smith sits at tenth in the rankings. Although he won his last fight impressively, he is still 2-3 in his last five fights, and should still have to fight a contender ranked slightly below him, though not out of the rankings entirely. With almost sixty pro fights to his name, Smith will be by far the most experienced opponent Carlos has fought, and will not hand him a knockout on a silver platter like Menifield did.
Ulberg’s Next Fight: vs Anthony Smith
Carlos Diego Ferreira
One of Brazil’s most unheralded talents got a big win at UFC St. Louis by stopping up-and-comer Mateusz Rebecki in the third round. At age thirty-nine it is super impressive to halt a sixteen fight winning streak like that. That, along with his ‘Knockout of the Year’ candidate last year that also earned him a $50,000 bonus, should put the veteran in position for a good opponent next.
Drakkar Klose has the best win streak of any unranked UFC lightweight right now. For him, getting a win over a former ranked contender would be just the accolade that would get him a fight against a current contender. Both men are well-rounded and experience; this fight would show high-level skills in all facets of MMA.
Ferreira’s Next Fight: Drakkar Klose
Sean Woodson
The tallest featherweight in the UFC scraped by veteran Alex Caceres with a decision win on Saturday. Woodson has now not lost in his last six outings. Although two of those were split decision wins and one was a draw, it is still an impressive run.
The perfect opponent for Sean will be decided this week. Unranked featherweight Lerone Murphy takes on a legend, eleventh ranked Edson Barboza, in the UFC Apex event this Saturday. The loser of that fight will have to face someone below them, which is just the sort of opportunity Woodson deserves.
Woodson’s Next Fight: Loser of Barboza/Murphy
Waldo Cortes-Acosta
The boss may not have been impressed with Waldo’s decision victory over Olympian Robelis Despaigne to open the UFC St. Louis card, but he is nonetheless on a three-fight winning streak now. With a 5-1 record in a shallow heavyweight division, it may be time for the Dominican to dip his toes into the top-fifteen.
If he is to face a ranked foe, what better opponent than #15, the man who lost in this very card’s main event? Rodrigo Nascimiento would test Waldo’s defensive grappling, something he has not had to show much in his UFC fights thus far.
Cortes-Acosta’s Next Fight: Rodrigo Nascimiento
