UFC on FOX 29: Poirier vs. Gaethje - Fights to Make

UFC on FOX 29 is in the books, and even cable TV fight card pacing couldn’t drag this one down. The UFC put together a whopping 14 bout card. And while that could have meant a slog of meaningless fights, in the case of their Glendale, AZ event, it meant a lot of interesting narratives that need to be sifted. Is Dustin Poirier next in line for the lightweight belt? What does the UFC do with Justin Gaethje after two straight KOs? Should the UFC slow-play Israel Adesanya?

To answer these questions (and more) I’ll be employing the classic Silva/Shelby fight booking model of years past. That means pitting winners against winners, losers against losers, and similarly tenured talent against one…