Neil Magny hopes to land top-10 opponent after dominant win over Robbie Lawler
UFC welterweight contender Neil Magny hopes to land a top-10 opponent in his next fight following a dominant win over Robbie Lawler.
In the co-main event of UFC on ESPN+ 33, Magny outwrestled and outstruck Lawler over 15 minutes to earn a clean sweep on the judges’ scorecards, with all three judges scoring the bout 30-27 in Magny’s favor. This is one of the biggest wins of Magny’s career over a former UFC welterweight champion, and he is hoping that it’s the kind of performance that lands him a top-10 opponent for his next fight.
Speaking to reporters following the event, Magny said that he hopes to fight a top-10 opponent before the year 2020 is up.
“I definitely think this is a top-10 performance to get me a top-10 opponent before the year’s over, to keep moving forward toward a title shot in 2021,” Magny said. “But this is one of those weird things in MMA right now. Everyone feels entitled to fight certain people and that sort of thing. But I honestly do not care. If I have to fight No. 1 through 10 to get a title shot, I’m ready and willing to do that. So just line them up. I’m ready to go.”
Magny is currently ranked No. 14 in the UFC welterweight division, but Lawler was No. 13 so Magny figures to take his spot. Taking a quick look at the rankings, some fighters who are currently without an opponent who could be of interest to Magny for his next fight include No. 6 Stephen Thompson, No. 7 Demian Maia, No. 8 Michael Chiesa, No. 9 Rafael dos Anjos, and No. 10 Vicente Luque. No. 11 Geoff Neal is also certainly an option considering this is the fight the UFC initially intended on booking before Neal fell ill.
With 17 wins in the UFC welterweight division, Magny is just two wins away from tying George St. Pierre’s record 19 wins at 170lbs. Considering that he often fights three or four times a year, Magny could very well break GSP’s record at some point. But for Magny, it’s not about chasing records, it’s all about getting closer and closer to getting a title shot at the 170lbs title currently held by UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
With so many other contenders ranked above him, Magny knows he will have to put the work in to get the title shot. But it’s clear that he is willing to do just that, and perhaps with another two or three wins over quality opposition, he could get there by 2021.
Who do you want to see Neil Magny fight next after beating Robbie Lawler?
