Joe Silva’s Shoes: What's next for UFC Fight Night 76's winning fighters?

The UFC made its third stop in Ireland for UFC Fight Night 76, which took place at Dublin’s 3Arena. The event, which streamed on UFC Fight Pass, featured a four-fight main card with a mix of results.

In the main event, flyweight Louis Smolka (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) earned his first main-event victory when he submitted Paddy Holohan (12-2-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) with a second-round rear-naked choke for his third-straight octagon triumph.

Prior to the headliner, Norman Parke (21-4-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) emerged victorious in the co-main event, Nicolas Dalby (14-0-1 MMA, 1-0-1 UFC) and Darren Till (13-0-1 MMA, 1-0-1 UFC) fought to a “Fight of the Night” draw, and Neil Seery (16-11 MMA, 3-2 UFC) scored a second-round submission win.

After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next. And with another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Joe Silva and Sean Shelby’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker.

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Neil Seery

Chris Kelades

Should fight: Chris Kelades
Why they should fight: Seery earned the first stoppage victory of his UFC career when he forced Jon Delos Reyes to tap out to a second-round guillotine choke, a finish which sent the Dublin crowd into a frenzy.

At 36, Seery is one of the more experienced fighters in the flyweight division, and in his post-fight interview, he said the only reason he continues to fight is because of the unconditional support of the Irish fans.

Kelades (9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is another fighter advanced in age compared to his divisional counterparts, but he’s found solid success so far in his UFC career. The two fighters share a common opponent in Chris Beal, with Kelades having beat “The Real Deal” while Seery lost to him. Now it’s time to see how they’d fair against each other.

Nicolas Dalby and Darren Till

Darren Till and Nicholas Dalby

Should fight: Each other
Why they should fight: Draws rarely occur in MMA, but when one arrived on the scorecards in the welterweight bout between Dalby and Till, the outcome was perfectly acceptable.

Till picked apart his opponent for two rounds before Dalby rallied with a massive third round to get two 10-8 scorecards and force a majority draw.

The three-round contest provided plenty of entertainment and momentum shifts for both athletes. Dalby and Till were rewarded with $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonuses, and it’s only appropriate they pick up where they left off.

Norman Parke

James Krause

Should fight: James Krause
Why they should fight: The fight didn’t live up to expectations set by the crazy weigh-in faceoff, but Parke did what was necessary to snap his two-fight losing skid and defeat Reza Madadi in the lightweight co-headliner.

The only thing holding back Parke thus far in his UFC career is a lack of exciting fights and finishing ability. He’s clearly a talented fighter, and if not for a few scorecards against him, he could be 7-0-1 inside the octagon.

Parke is still searching for his breakout performance, and he’s unlikely to be booked against a top contender until he generates interest with such an effort.

Krause (22-7 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is another solid 155-pound fighter who’s had ups and downs in the UFC but has faced relatively strong competition. His striking and grappling match up well with “The Ultimate Fighter: Smashes” winner, and hopefully the bout would provide the entertainment fans want to see.

Louis Smolka

Should fight: Dustin Ortiz
Why they should fight: See the above video

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 76, check out the UFC Events section of the site.