What opponents will be next for Mateusz Rebecki and Myktybek Orolbai after their UFC 308 'Fight of the Year' candidate which electrified fans in Abu Dhabi and around the world on Saturday?
Poland's Mateusz Rebecki may have been the ultimate winner, but both him and Kyrgyzstan's Myktybek Orolbai should hold their heads high – if they are not too stiff and sore to do so – after their thrilling, back-and-forth brawl on the UFC 308 prelims.
That war got them both $50,000 from the promotion as a bonus and may get them much more, as it is now one of the frontrunners for the ‘Fight of the Year’ award this year, but the rewards for such an entertaining and iconic fight may be felt for quite some time to come.
After losing to Carlos Diego Ferreira in his previous fight, Mateusz Rebecki now finds himself back in pole position to make a run at the rankings. The recognition he has gained from this fight may be worth the end of his 16-fight unbeaten streak.
Rebecki was considered one of the top lightweight prospects before his loss to CDF, but perhaps he still can strive for the top, though he is 32.
Fares Ziam is one of the other top unranked European lightweights in the UFC. The Frenchman's four-fight winning streak and highlight reel KO of Matt Frevola have him close to being ranked himself.
Rebecki vs Ziam would be a great fight between powerful, explosive wrestle-boxing and precise point kickboxing, one which would fit well on any of the multi-yearly cards in the UK and France.
As for Orolbai, he finds himself in the situation Rebecki was in before this. He may be given an easier fight to rebound and build himself up since he is just 26-years old. If so, fighting someone like Natan Levy would make sense.
Levy is also coming off a loss to a talented and explosive fighter in Mike Davis but was on a two-fight winning streak before that. His 2-2 UFC record puts him right in the same range of experience as Myktybek.
No matter who they fight, hopefully both men heal well and take the appropriate amount of time to recover after such a brutal fight. They can rest easy, knowing that whenever they return to the octagon fans will be eagerly awaiting their time in the cage.
