Islam Makhachev beat Thiago Moises via rear-naked choke in the fourth round of their main event bout this past weekend. In the co-main event of UFC Vegas 31, Miesha Tate made a successful comeback defeating Marion Reneau. Today we will be looking into what is next for the winners of UFC Vegas 31.
Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev called out Rafael Dos Anjos right after his win at UFC Vegas 31. RDA is ranked number six in the lightweight division which would be a step in the right direction for Makhachev. Another interesting fight for Makhachev would be Michael Chandler. Makhachev is a very well-rounded fighter. He has great striking and an even better ground game. Chandler is very similar in that he is a great striker and has knockout power. Yet his wrestling is very underrated. Both RDA and Chandler are great options.
Makhachev’s next fight: Michael Chandler
Miesha Tate
Miesha Tate made it very clear after her win this past weekend that she is here to stay and is looking to win that bantamweight title. Before UFC Vegas 31, Reneau was ranked number 12 in the division. Tate is more than likely going to be ranked close to the top ten when the rankings are updated so she will probably be looking to fight someone inside the top ten. Yana Kunitskaya lost to Irene Aldana just under two weeks ago. Kunitskaya is currently ranked number six in the division. A fight with Kunitskaya will test Tate to see if she is ready to fight the best of that division.
Tate’s next fight: Yana Kunitskaya
Mateusz Gamrot
Mateusz Gamrot had an impressive first-round submission victory over Jeremy Stephens at UFC Vegas 31. This win makes Gamrot 2-1 in the UFC with his two wins being over Stephens and Scott Holtzman. Gamrot seems to be a rising star in the lightweight division and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him fight someone inside the top 15 next. Thiago Moises would be a perfect fight for Gamrot. Moises is ranked at number 14 and since Makhachev was ranked higher than him before the fight, Moises will likely be ranked 14th or 15th once the rankings are updated. Moises would be a true test to Gamrot’s jiu-jitsu as well.
Gamrot’s next fight: Thiago Moises
Billy Quarantillo
Billy Quarantillo put on a clinic on Saturday night and scored a late third-round TKO over Gabriel Benitez. This win makes Quarantillo 4-1 in the UFC and puts him in position for a big fight next. After his win, Quarantillo called out Charles Rosa, another young up-and-coming featherweight. It would seem like the best option for Quarantillo would be to fight a savvy veteran to prove he has what it takes to climb the ranks in the division. Rosa has been around a minute, but a higher-profile fighter might be better. That fighter could be Andre Fili. Fili has been in the UFC since 2013 and always puts on a show. Fili has a similar style to Quarantillo as far as their striking goes. He also has the gas tank to match Quarantillo.
Quarantillo’s next fight: Andre Fili
