In the main event of UFC 255, Deiveson Figueiredo was looking for his first title defense when he took on Alex Perez. The co-main event saw Valentina Shevchenko defending her belt against Jennifer Maia.
In the end, both champions defended their belts as Figueiredo submitted Perez in the first while Shevchenko won a clear-cut decision.
Now, following UFC 255, here is what I think should be next for the fighters involved in the title fights.
Deiveson Figueiredo
Not often do the fighters already have their next fight booked by the time I write this article. Well, Figueiredo is different as he will make a quick turnaround and will defend his belt at UFC 256 against Brandon Moreno.
Alex Perez
Alex Perez had the right gameplan to beat Figueiredo but ultimately got caught by a submission. Perez had to use his body kicks and wrestling to try and gas the champion and eventually take over in the later rounds. However, that was not the case as when he tried to take Figueiredo down he got caught by a guillotine and was forced to tap.
Now, following the loss, Perez could very well make a quick turnaround given he did not take much damage in the fight. So, a scrap against Askar Askarov makes sense. The Russian is a darkhorse of the flyweight division and does not have a fight booked. Having them fight on Fight Island in early 2021 could help determine a No. 1 contender at 125-pounds.
Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina Shevchenko continued her reign of dominance and now is slowly running out of options at flyweight. She defended her belt for the fourth time and will likely return in the spring of 2021 and take on Jessica Andrade.
The Brazilian TKO’d Katlyn Chookagian in the first round in her flyweight debut and her power could give the champion problems. But, if Andrade is not ready, Lauren Murphy no doubt deserves a crack at the belt.
Jennifer Maia
Although Jennifer Maia lost 49-46 on all three judge’s scorecards, she did have success in the fight as she even took the champion down. So, there is a lot to be proud of for the Brazilian and her next fight should be against Cynthia Calvillo who also lost on this card.
Stylistically, it is a very fun fight as Calvillo likes to use her wrestling while on the ground, Maia has solid jiu-jitsu which could pose problems for Calvillo. The fight should happen sometime in the spring of 2021.
What do you think should be next for the stars of UFC 255?
A women’s flyweight title fight featuring reigning champion Valentina Shevchenko taking on challenger Jennifer Maia served as the co-main event of UFC 255.
A women’s flyweight title fight featuring reigning champion Valentina Shevchenko taking on top contender Jennifer Maia serves as the co-main event of UFC 255.
