UFC Vegas 90 has come and gone, and had the unfortunate distinction of falling in the shadow of UFC 300. Still, someone has to go before the milestone event, and there have been worse Fight Night events.
Brendan Allen came out ahead in the main event, while Damon Jackson got the nod in the co-headliner. Let’s play a little matchmaker and see what comes next for the night’s big winners.
Brendan Allen
Brendan Allen now possesses the longest winning streak of any middleweight contender in the UFC. However, he still has not beaten any top-ten opponents, though that’s not his fault, as Marvin Vettori pulled out of their fight, causing Chris Curtis to step in. With Israel Adesanya allegedly getting the next middleweight title shot, the next most relevant contender who is available would be Jared Cannonier.
Cannonier beat the man who would become champ, Sean Strickland, by close split decision in 2022 before brutally dominating Marvin Vettori over five rounds last year. He arguably deserves a title shot, so putting Allen and Cannonier together would be perfect as a title eliminator. The power of Cannonier would be a real test for Allen, as he would fight the hardest opponent of his career thus far.
Allen’s Next Fight: vs Jared Cannonier
Damon Jackson
Damon ‘the Leech’ Jackson rebounded from his loss to Dan Ige with a close win over Alexander Hernandez. Jackson is now 6-4-1 in the UFC with one no-contest, a more-than-respectable record. He will not get another shot at the rankings just yet but maybe with another win or two against other featherweight hopefuls.
One such hopeful is Nate Landwehr, who is in the same spot as Jackson after also losing to Dan Ige before beating Jamall Emmers in Atlantic City. With this exciting featherweight matchup one man could achieve a two-fight winning streak and be well-poised to strike at the top-15.
Jackson’s Next Fight: vs Nate Landwehr
Chepe Mariscal
Chepe Mariscal went to battle against Frenchman Morgan Charriere, which he came out on top of by split decision in UFC Vegas 90’s ‘Fight of the Night.’ His toughness, dirty boxing, and cardio are all key traits that make him a tough out for any other unranked featherweight. Now with a 3-0 record in the UFC, Chepe and his exciting style are nearly ready for a shot at the rankings.
One other relevant unranked featherweight matchup coming soon is David Onama VS Jonathan Paerce. The winner of that matchup will be on the rise as well, and each man has a style that Mariscal has not seen before in the UFC. If the Team Elevation product can get past the power of Onama or the pacey wrestling of JSP then he will be truly ready to challenge a top-fifteen opponent.
Mariscal’s Next Fight: vs Winner of Onama/Pearce
Ignacio Bahamondes
Chilean kickboxing specialist Ignacio Bahamondes also rebounded from a tough loss as he put away veteran Christos Giagos in the first round at UFC Vegas 90. It still remains to be seen how he deals with a solid grappling threat after Giagos barely had any chance to shoot on him, but Bahamondes’ distance control does put wrestlers at a disadvantage to begin with. It is time for another veteran test, and what better one than Carlos Diego Ferreira.
‘CDF’ was once a ranked fighter for many years and though he has aged out of contention now, he is still going strong, as seen in his ‘Knockout of the Year’ contender over Michael Johnson in 2023. This battle of South American lightweights could be an exciting one to watch in the near future.
Bahamondes’ Next Fight: vs Carlos Diego Ferreira
Charlie Campbell
Long Island prospect Charlie Campbell soundly beat Trevor Peek over three rounds in one of this Apex card’s best fights. Though he tired late, Campbell was able to use his grappling to stifle an also-tired but still dangerous Peek, showing his well-rounded skillset after two rounds of largely dominating the striking. At 2-0 in the UFC he has a ways to go, but is on the right path, especially if he can beat someone like Rafa Garcia next.
Garcia has been in the UFC since 2021, is 4-3, and currently owns a two-fight winning streak. His well-rounded skillset and greater experience makes for an appropriate test for Charlie at this stage of the LAW MMA product’s career.
Campbell’s Next Fight: vs Rafa Garcia
