#UFCFlorida Aftermath: UFC Completes The Triple Header #MMA
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After UFC 247, I wrote about how bad judging was marring the sport. That was nothing in comparison to the terrible calls from UFC Florida. But, the results are final, none the less. It’s time to see what’s next for some of our favorite fighters on this edition of Aftermath.
Chito Vera Robbed Of A Good Fight
Next opponent for Chito Vera: Sean O’Malley, Charles Rosa
Chito Vera and Song Yadong fought a fantastic fight at UFC Florida. The judges saw it as an unanimous decision in Yadong’s favor, much against Vera and many other people’s opinion. Vera fought well and was fast and crisp. His fighting in the clinch is a thing of beauty and a dangerous one to anyone who is not Song Yadong. Next up for him should be an opportunity for a ranked opponent. While the fight was at 145, bantamweight is where his future lies. Unfortunately, there’s no real matchups that make sense for Chito Vera.
So, for a consolation prize, matchmakers should seriously consider booking Suga Sean O’Malley. Vera is as tough as it gets at 135. He and O’Malley would be fuel for a main event and would be an absolute firecracker for a fight.
If the options at 135 are not enough for Vera and his camp, he might opt for another fight at featherweight. Charles Rosa is a good fight for Vera at featherweight. Rosa can really put on a show with Vera on the ground and would be a gimme for Vera on the feet.
Alistair Overeem Shows Ultimate Sportsmanship at UFC Florida
Next opponent for Walt Harris: Ben Rothwell
The tale of Walt Harris is a sad one. After his daughter went missing in October of 2019, Harris had to shift priorities in life. He finally made his return to the cage, something that got him a step closer to what could only resemble normal life to him. It was a huge step for Harris, in fact. Harris hurt Overeem in the first round. He had him finished by most judges counts, but Dan Miragliotta let the fight go on. Reem turned the tide and beat down Harris for pretty much the rest of the fight.
Walt Harris is not done in the UFC. He still has story to tell both about his daughter and himself. With Ben Rothwell coming off of a win at UFC Jacksonville this past Wednesday, timelines are perfect for the two to fight at a future event.
Second option is to have Harris face another fighter from this week’s past card. Andrei Arlovski just got a monster win over Philipe Lins. Arlovski has that experience that Overeem has but not quite the skill level. Harris beat Arlovski in 2018 but was overturned due to a positive drug test. It’s time to have that fight, which was a close one, under fair circumstances.
Next opponent for Alistair Overeem: Derrick Lewis, Alexander Volkov
Alistair Overeem overcame much adversity in his fight at UFC Jacksonville. He is a well liked fighter, but with Harris’ coming in with the tragedy, the fanbase was almost unanimously pulling for Harris. Overeem was also rocked early in the fight, and it seemed like Harris would have the Cinderella come-back story. Overeem went in and did his job, survived and then proceeded to run through Walt Harris. When Overeem was on top of Harris, he was trying to finish the fight without doling out too much punishment.
As for what is next for Overeem, Derrick Lewis is a step up the ladder, perhaps the last step, for “The Demolition Man.” Overeem is one of the most decorated strikers in the UFC. He would be a good test for Derrick Lewis seeing his improvement from brawling to actually fighting. Overeem would be testing his chin to see if he can avoid getting blasted by one of the hardest hitters in the UFC.
Alexander Volkov is also sitting out there. Volkov has had his last two fights canceled, Junior Dos Santos due to a bacterial infection, and his fight with Curtis Blaydes due to COVID-19. If Volkov is willing to give Overeem a little recover time, the two could meet later in the summer and be a good fight to see the pecking order a little clearer for the heavyweight division.
