On Saturday night at UFC 174, Ovince Saint Preux faced off against Ryan Jimmo in the first fight on the pay-per-view card. Saint Preux had won all three of his UFC fights and won his last four dating back to Strikeforce.
In the second round of his fight against Jimmo, Jimmo's arm broke, and OSP was able to wrench it up and earn the win by verbal submission—although it was originally announced as a TKO.
Can I get a #ChickenWing ?! #UFC174 We got the win. Thanks everyone for the love.
— Ovince St. Preux (@003_OSP) June 15, 2014
OSP may jump into the top 10 of the light heavyweight division with this win, so let's check out three fights for him to take next.
Jimi Manuwa
Manuwa is currently ranked No. 10 in the division and lost to Alexander Gustafsson in his last fight. Prior to the loss against Gustafsson, Manuwa had beaten Jimmo with a second-round submission.
Manuwa is a striker, and matching him up against OSP would make a great fight and would be a nice showcase for two solid prospects.
Ryan Bader
Bader also fought on Saturday night, earning a unanimous-decision victory over Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante. Bader was ranked No. 9 before his win and might make the top seven when the next set of rankings are released.
Bader is a well-rounded fighter, able to strike or wrestle, and he's still getting better as a fighter. At this point, Bader is probably considered more veteran than prospect, and a win against OSP would bolster his resume, while a win for OSP would show that he belongs in the upper part of the division.
Mauricio Rua
If the UFC is interested in a real veteran vs. prospect fight, then this is the one to make. Shogun is ranked No. 8, but he is just 3-5 in his last eight fights. That being said, all three of his wins are by knockout. Just because he may be slipping doesn't mean he's not dangerous.
For Rua, a fight against OSP could be a chance to get back on track with a win, while still getting a solid name under his belt.
For OSP, a fight against Rua would be the biggest fight of his career and a real chance to prove that he is a threat to anyone in the division.
