Matchmaking for UFC Vegas 20 Main Card Winners

Ciryl Gane, Magomed Ankalaev, Pedro Munhoz, and Alex Caceres earned victories on the UFC Vegas 20 main card. Meanwhile, Mayra Bueno Silva and Montana De La Rosa fought to a majority draw. Here we predict what the near future holds for these victorious warriors.

Matchmaking for UFC Vegas 20 Main Card Winners

Ciryl Gane

“Bon Gamin” came in and put on a striking clinic against an uber-powerful and seasoned kickboxer Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Although not the most memorable performance, Gane did what he had to do to retain his zero in the loss column.

Heading into the weekend, some were campaigning for the winner of Gane-Rozenstruik to face the victor of last weekend’s headliner, Derrick Lewis. However, would pinning Gane against Lewis be the definition of insanity? Would Gane vs Lewis play out largely uneventful, similarly to this past weekend’s headliner?

That won’t be the case, and here’s why. “The Black Beast” carries the same, if not more, power as Rozenstruik, but he lets his hands go far more often. Moreover, Lewis has faced long, high-volume strikers in the past like Alexander Volkov – and though he struggled for the majority of that bout before getting the late finish – he gained experience to build off of for when he faces a comparable opponent like Gane.

In back-to-back weeks, both the UFC Vegas 19 and UFC Vegas 20 results yielded in favor of Lewis and Gane. Pair them up as two top-five opponents, with the winner being right there in the title mix.

Magomed Ankalaev

Ankalaev entered UFC Vegas 20 as the #11 ranked light heavyweight and he left with a unanimous decision win over #8 Nikita Krylov. Now a winner of six in a row, the Russian bulldozer set himself up for another top-10 opponent, but who?

Well, everybody ranked ahead of him either has an opponent scheduled or is injured (Johnny Walker) – aside from Volkan Oezdemir. With all honesty, that’s a fight most people would love to see and it makes sense for both parties. Oezdemir is searching for an opponent since losing to Jiri Prochazka last summer and having a bout canceled in November.

If Ankalaev had finished Krylov perhaps he could’ve waited for the loser of either Thiago Santos–Aleksandar Rakic or Dominick Reyes-Jiri Prochazka. Winning a competitive decision makes Oezdemir a logical next step up for him.

Mayra Bueno Silva & Montana De La Rosa

Following three pretty action-packed rounds, which included a vital point deduction, Bueno Silva and De La Rosa went to the judges. The trio of scorekeepers pegged it as a majority draw.

Obviously, this is matchmaking for UFC Vegas main card winners, but we’ll take a look at both of these ladies near futures.

Beginning with Silva, who would’ve won the fight if not for the point deduction in the opening round. The hard-hitting Brazilian showcased devastating Muay Thai skills from the clinch, proving she’s a very well-rounded martial artist. If they don’t run this fight back right away, “Sheetara” vs Ariane Lipski would be a very fun scrap at women’s flyweight. As for De La Rosa, how about Molly McCann? Both women are in need of a victory, meaning we’d likely see a couple of desperate athletes leaving it all out there.

Pedro Munhoz

The winner of the UFC Vegas 20 Fight of the Night went to Pedro Munhoz. In his sixth performance bonus-worthy effort, Munhoz displayed why the calf kick is such a lethal weapon. After just five minutes, the Brazilian butchered Jimmie Rivera’s lead leg.

Incredibly, Munhoz has NEVER been finished, despite his calculated brawling style. Out of all the matchmaking for UFC Vegas 20 main card winners, this one’s the most fun to theorize. “The Young Punisher” should face a familiar foe next though. Whether it’s a rubber match between Munhoz and Rivera or a rematch with Frankie Edgar. Another name to throw out there is Rob Font – who was choked out by Munhoz in 2017.

My guess is Munhoz will be ranked #6 come next week. So giving Font the chance to avenge his loss, while giving Munhoz a top-three opponent actually makes a lot of sense. If the UFC Vegas 20 results taught us anything, it’s Munhoz still has what it takes to be a top bantamweight.

Alex Caceres

After beating another up and comer, “Bruce Leeroy” told Paul Felder he wants a ranked guy for his next fight. The winner of four straight, the veteran Caceres has a very viable case. Lucky for him, there’s a prime match-up waiting for him at #14 in the rankings. He just renewed his UFC contract and his name is Edson Barboza.

Caceres could face #15 Movsar Evloev, but he’s another rising prospect and it’s time for Caceres to fight a fellow veteran. The always respectful Caceres hasn’t faced a ranked opponent since 2016 when he took on Yair Rodriguez.

Caceres vs Barboza is the fight to make following the UFC Vegas 20 results. 24 UFC fights in and “Bruce Leeroy” still seems to be improving in some aspects.

Matchmaking for UFC Vegas 20 main card winners was almost as fun as watching the card itself. The near future is bright for these athletes, with many intriguing match-ups to come.

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