Two fights to make after UFC Vegas 11

Last night the UFC hosted it’s eleventh fight night at the APEX since kicking those off early in the summer. In the main event of the evening, Colby Covington (16-2) completely dismantled Tyron Woodley (19-6-1) over the course of five rounds.

There were so many storylines that came out of UFC Vegas 11. One of the biggest stories was the continued meteoric rise of Khamzat Chimaev (9-0). After everything that happened last night, what are the fights that the promotion should book?

Another UFC Grudge Match: Covington vs Masvidal

Last night was a huge night for Covington after he bounced back from his loss at UFC 245. Covington only had two names on his mind after the fight was over. Those two names were UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, and Jorge Masvidal (35-14).

Usman is currently booked to fight Gilbert Burns in December, but the UFC‘s BMF doesn’t have his plans finalized. The UFC has been pushing to finalize the rematch with Nate Diaz, however that could always change.

The fight that makes the most sense for the division is the fight between Masvidal and Covington. These two former friends do not like each other. The fight makes sense from a rankings and ratings perspective.

I know that the UFC has been working on the Diaz rematch, but I really think that the promotion should reconsider. A fight with Masvidal and Covington is big business and it would clearly identify the number one contender for whoever wins between Usman and Burns.

Khamzat Chimaev vs Demian Maia

There is no one hotter in the UFC right now than Khamzat Chimaev. He’s finished three opponents since July 15th, and his last two haven’t even landed a strike against him. Chimaev is operating on a different frequency than everyone else.

At UFC Vegas 11, Chimaev was supposed to face his stiffest test yet. Instead, Chimaev knocked Gerald Meerschaert out in 17 seconds. You couldn’t help but watch in awe. Everyone had to be thinking what was the promotion going to do with him next.

I think the right move would be for the promotion to continue down the path they were heading. The UFC has been looking to book Chimaev at welterweight against Demian Maia (28-10). This is the perfect next fight for Chimaev.

It would give Chimaev someone who has a big name in the sport as well as a top ten ranking. If Chimaev runs through Maia the way he’s ran through his previous three opponents, he might only be one win away from a title shot.