Triple Take: A stab at bantamweight matchmaking after critical UFC 250

Aljamain Sterling, Cody Garbrandt and Sean O’Malley all shined bright at UFC 250, so now what should be next for them?

Farah Hannoun: Cody Garbrandt should fight Marlon Moraes

(Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Despite snapping a three-fight losing streak, [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] is back in the title picture.

The former UFC bantamweight champion scored an emphatic knockout over bantamweight staple Raphael Assuncao at UFC 250, making as big of a statement as he possibly could have. Things may not have gone Garbrandt’s way in his previous three fights, but his exciting style and masterclass to dethrone Dominick Cruz have made him one of the most popular fighters on the roster.

Just based on name value, it was expected that Garbrandt could climb back to contention quickly, which is why he should fight former bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes next.

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Moraes was scheduled to headline UFC Kazakhstan vs. Petr Yan, but after Henry Cejudo announced his retirement and relinquished his belt, the UFC decided to book Yan against Jose Aldo for the vacant 135-pound title.

So with Moraes coming off a win over Aldo and originally scheduled to headline an event, why not book him against Garbrandt to determine the next title challenger – after Aljamain Sterling gets his shot, of course.

Next page – Danny Segura: Sean O’Malley vs. John Dodson is the fight to make