What's Next For The Winners And Losers Of UFC "Fight For The Troops 2"?

It’s that time once again, fans and friends. Another major MMA event has come and gone, and I’m sure many of us are wondering “what’s next?” Yesterday’s “Fight for the Troops 2” event certainly gave us a lot to talk about, considering that it featured great submissions, brilliant knockouts, and dominating performances. As is customary, here’s the latest entry in my series that looks at what the future holds for the big winners and losers of an event, this time featuring UFC “Fight for the Troops 2”.

Next for Mike Thomas Brown: What a difference a year or two can make. Has it really been that long ago that Brown seemed to be ruling the Featherweight division with an iron fist? Brown is now 1-3 in his four most recent bouts, and the future is looking quite grim. In all honesty, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was announced in the next several days that Brown has been fired from the UFC. If not that, then Brown will have one last shot on yet another preliminary card. It’s do-or-die time for Mike Brown no matter who he faces next.

Next for Cody McKenzie: McKenzie hit a bump in the road, but he’ll be back and better than ever. For his gutsy performance against Yves Edwards, I think McKenzie will be bumped up to the main card of a UFC “Fight Night Live” event, although the quality of his opponent will likely remain the same. McKenzie may have lost the fight, but he gained a lot of respect in the eyes of many, so his job is definitely secured for the time being.

Next for Pat Barry and Matt Mitrione: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. They both playfully called each other out during their post-fight interviews, and since they both won their fights in dominating fashion, I think this would be a great scrap and could even headline a “Fight Night Live” event. Both men are hungry to prove themselves worthy of entering into the Heavyweight elite, and whoever wins this fight would take a big step in the right direction.

Next for Mark Hominick: The toughest test of his career, but one that he’ll be prepared for. Hominick is now staring down a shot at Jose Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship, and I honestly can’t think of a better fight to properly introduce UFC fans to the phenom that is Jose Aldo. This fight has “Fight of the Year” written all over it, so when it happens, I’m predicting that I’ll tune in and be amazed. Regardless of who wins, this is going to be an epic fight.

Next for Evan Dunham: A rematch with Sean Sherk, unless the injury bug bites Sherk once again. If not “The Muscle Shark”, Dunham should probably face another middle-tier Lightweight. Dunham needs a tough opponent to prove he’s still relevant, but he also needs an opponent that he stands a chance of winning against. It would prove more if Dunham kept throwing himself into the shark tank, but for now, perhaps the best way to keep himself afloat is to go back to fighting middle-of-the-road competition in order to get his career on stable ground.

Next for Melvin Guillard: Whatever is next, it’s going to be big. Guillard is going to be on Pay-Per-View in his next fight, and it’ll probably be against someone like Kenny Florian, Jim Miller, or George Sotiropoulos. For better or worse (and it’s hard to say “worse” considering how awesome he looked against Evan Dunham), Guillard has now thrown himself “into the mix” in the UFC’s Lightweight division. He’s now on the shortlist of possible championship contenders, so expect his next few fights to be a series of “contender eliminator” encounters.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of “Fight for the Troops 2”?