This past Saturday night on the main card of UFC Kansas City, we saw a big time matchup in the bantamweight division. Top fifteen contenders battled it out as Pedro Munhoz (20-7, 2 NC) took on the surging Chris Gutierrez (19-4-2).
Gutierrez entered the octagon riding a four-fight winning streak. He had just entered the rankings and talked all week about not getting the respect he deserved. Munhoz was ranked inside the top ten and Gutierrez wanted that spot.
Meanwhile, Munhoz was just 1-4, 1 NC in his last six fights. He needed a big win to reset and get back on track. Both men knew Munhoz would fight with pressure, but they both felt that would be to their advantage. On that front, Munhoz was right.
In the first round, Munhoz was able to drop Gutierrez with a lunging hook. All night long, Munhoz was in his face and never let Gutierrez get comfortable. The fight never turned into a war, but it was more of a technical chess match. Not the most pleasing fight to the UFC Kansas City fans, but it was still a solid fight.
After three rounds, Munhoz was given the unanimous decision with all three judges giving him a sweep of the scorecards.
What’s next after UFC Kansas City?
This was a huge win for Munhoz. Not only did he get back on track with the win, but he turned away a surging young contender in the process. Now, Munhoz’s spot in the top ten is secured, he and the UFC can look forward to what’s next.
Song Yadong and Ricky Simon were supposed to fight this upcoming weekend. However, that fight got shifted to 4/29 and is the new main event of UFC Vegas 72. Honestly, the winner of that fight makes a lot of sense for Munhoz.
Currently, Munhoz is sandwiched between these two contenders. Whoever wins would make for an excellent next fight for Munhoz. Then, the winner of that fight would be in a good position to take on someone in the top ten.