The UFC middleweight champion has a name, and it’s Alex Pereira after a stunning fifth-round, come-from-behind knockout win over Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 281. While Pereira’s win opens up the door to some interesting and fresh matchups, a rematch between the new champ and Adesanya would be massive, but is it the fight to make in the immediate aftermath of the UFC’s return to Madison Square Garden?
On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck attempts to answer that question from a matchmaking perspective and explains why a rematch makes sense in multiple ways. Additionally, listener questions include the sad news of Anthony Johnson’s passing on Sunday, Dustin Poirier’s win over Michael Chandler and where he goes from UFC 281, the matchmaking of Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann and why it was the right call even in hindsight, Frankie Edgar’s tough retirement fight against Chris Gutierrez, and much more.
You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.
If you miss it live, audio-only versions of the podcast can be found below, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.