UFC Denver featured a lengthy six fight main card in the city where the very first UFC event in history was held. In the main event, #6 ranked women’s flyweight and former strawweight champion, Rose Namajunas, defeated the #11 ranked women’s flyweight, Tracy Cortez. With the smoke cleared, lots of tenured fighters need logical next steps for their careers with the organization.
Tracy Cortez
Tracy Cortez lost a decisive unanimous decision to Rose Namajunas in the main event of UFC Denver. Cortez is the #11 ranked women’s flyweight in the UFC. She was originally supposed to fight Miranda Maverick before Rose’s original opponent, Maycee Barber, withdrew from the fight.
Cortez entered the fight having not lost since her professional MMA debut back in 2017. Tracy is now 5-1 in the UFC. Cortez should fight Amanda Ribas next. Amanda’s most recent fight was a unanimous decision loss against Rose Namajunas back in March. Ribas is currently the #9 ranked women’s flyweight. Cortez and Ribas were supposed to share the octagon at the end of 2022, but Cortez had to pull out due to a medical issue. Great fight to revisit for both women.
Tracy’s next fight: Amanda Ribas
Santiago Ponzinibbio
Santiago Ponzinibbio lost a heartbreaking, razor-close split decision to Muslim Salikhov in the co main event of UFC Denver. It was a great striking matchup and Ponzinibbio has now lost five of his last seven fights since nearly losing his life to an infection that forced him to take time away from the sport.
Santiago’s next fight should be against Niko Price. Niko’s last time in the octagon was last month, when he picked up a unanimous decision victory against Alex Morono. Santiago’s most recent win was against Alex Morono in late 2022. Niko has won just two of his last eight fights (including a no contest), so he is in a similar boat to Ponzinibbio.
Santiago’s next fight: Niko Price
Drew Dober
Drew Dober lost his fight against Jean Silva by doctor stoppage thanks to a nasty cut above his eye. The fight earned Dober fight of the night honors for his gutsy performance. Dober is now 13-10, 1 NC in the UFC. He’s lost three of his last four fights since going on a 3-fight finishing streaking in 2022. (Stopped Terance McKinney, Rafael Alves and Bobby Green)
A good next fight for Drew would be taking on Jared Gordon. Jared last fought in June when he lost a split decision to Nasrat Haqparast. Gordon has won two of his last five fights (including a no contest) and also shared the octagon with Bobby Green. Gordon was also temporarily matched up with another common opponent in Rafael Alves in 2022 but that fight fell through. It’d be a great stand-up striking battle featuring two men that love to throw some leather.
Drew’s next fight: Jared Gordon
Ange Loosa
Ange Loosa lost a unanimous decision at the hands of Gabriel Bonfim on Saturday. Undoubtedly, this puts the middleweight in a tough position as his only wins in the UFC are against AJ Fletcher and Rhys McKee who are fringe UFC roster fighters, at best. He is now 2-2, 1 NC with the promotion.
A good fight for Loosa would be against Trevin Giles. Trevin is on a 2-fight lost skid which includes a first round submission loss to Gabriel Bonfim. And most recently a second-round finish at the hand of Carlos Prates back in February. Trevin’s last win in the octagon came by spilt decision against Preston Parsons last March. Giles is 7-6 with the UFC.
Ange’s next fight: Trevin Giles
Christian Rodriguez
Christian Rodriguez was submitted in the first round by Julian Erosa on Saturday. Rodriguez has looked promising in his 6-fight UFC career so far, especially at 135lbs. but has struggled to make weight at bantamweight.
Felipe Lima should be Christian’s next fight in the octagon. Lima usually fights at 135lbs. But made his short notice UFC debut against Muhammad Naimov last month at 145lbs. and was able to get the submission in the final round. Give Rodriguez, who has stopped a couple of hot prospect hype trains, a fight against Lima at featherweight or potentially even bantamweight.
Christian’s next fight: Felipe Lima
Abdul Razak Alhassan
Abdul Razak Alhassan opened the main card of UFC Denver with a fight that ended in a no contest, opposite of Cody Brundage, thanks to some vicious elbows to the back of the head. Alhassan is now 6-6, 1 NC in the UFC. He is 2-3, 1 NC since moving up to middleweight.
Alhassan should fight Michal Oleksiejczuk in his next fight. Michal has a similar record in the UFC (7-6, 1 NC) and is on a 2-fight skid having lost to both Michel Pereira and most recently, Kevin Holland via first round submissions. Michal also has a first round stoppage over Cody Brundage who he fought in late 2022.
Abdul Razak’s next fight: Michal Oleksiejczuk
Cody Brundage
Brundage’s fight with Abdul Razak Alhassan ended in a no contest as he was on the receiving end of illegal elbows to the back of the head. Brundage has now lost four of his last seven fights including a no contest. His only wins in that time period are against Jacob Malkoun and most recently, Zach Reese, late last year.
Cody should fight Marc-Andre Barriault in his next fight. Both fighters have similar losing records with the UFC with Barriault being 5-7, 1 NC and Brundage being 4-5, 1 NC. Marc-Andre was last in the octagon late last month when he was finished in the first round by Joe Pyfer. With Brundage having also fallen to a huge prospect in the fight previous (Bo Nickal) this fight makes a lot of sense right now.
Cody’s next fight: Marc-Andre Barriault
