Next for Merab (#12)?

Merab defeated #13 Cody Stamann Saturday night, where he out-struck and out-grappled his opponent. He showed his level in dealing with a true Top 15 talent. 

WHO SHOULD MERAB FIGHT NEXT?


1. Marlon Moraes (#6) - Three years ago, Moraes was the most feared Bantamweight in the world. Now he is coming from a pair of KO losses to Sandhagen (#2) and Font (#3). He must now fight down, and his next test may come against a Merab who is riding a 6-fight win streak. Will this fight happen? Does it make sense?


2. Frankie Edgar (#7) - Merab may earn the legend fight with FE after his impressive victory over Stamann. Even though he got bruality KO'd in his last fight, Edgar has expressed interest in continuing his career. But with no right to fight above his ranking, he must fight down, and Merab is a main player standing in the way. Will we get Merab vs Frankie next?



3. Pedro Munhoz (#8) - Munhoz has both won and lost to top talent in the division. He is coming from a victory versus Jimmie Rivera three months ago. A well rounded contender, with much better striking than Stamann, Munhoz may be the next test for Merab. Will the UFC make this fight? 

4. Jimmie Rivera (#11) - Many pundits are calling for this Rivera fight next. They are side-by-side in the rankings, with similar skill sets. 7-4 in the UFC at 31 years old, Rivera is a vet who has faced much of the division's top-tier talent. 6-2 in the UFC and 30 years old, Merab has a similar profile to Rivera. This fight is not the fight I want but makes the most sense. Do you want it? And will it happen?

I think Merab deserves a significant step up from the Cody Stamann's of the world. He's an interesting fighter. Good striker, great wrestler, solid overall grappling, and an absolutely endless gas tank. What I want to see is Merab vs. Frankie. The way Merab fights honestly reminds me of Edgar when he was coming up. They have some similarities and I think at this stage it'd be fascinating to see how they deal with eachother.

None of the fights listed are bad shouts, though. He definitely deserves someone in that Top 10, or a fringe Top 10 like Rivera.

Mike Loves,

I like the Marlon fight the most because Marlon is super dangerous. The Edgar fight is probably my second choice. Right now, I believe Munhoz beats him.