UFC Macau featured a special early fight card for North American viewers who were rewarded with an absolute treat if they tuned in. This card was action packed from start to finish and the 13-fight card featured six finishes. The 6-fight main card also delivered with half of the fights ending in finishes. There were comebacks, upsets and of course, lots of violence. Most losing fighters on this main card are in interesting positions due to age and positions in their respective weight classes.
Deiveson Figueiredo
Petr Yan completely shut out former UFC Flyweight Champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, in a five-round thrashing. The loss marks Figueiredo’s first defeat at bantamweight in the UFC. Figueiredo was a perfect 3-0 at the 135lbs. since moving up in January of last year. Figueiredo has defeated Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt and Marlon Vera in the time since then.
Deiveson entered the fight ranked at #5 in the UFC’s bantamweight division, while his opponent, Petr Yan, was ranked at #3. This loss and the way Figueiredo lost definitely impacts his trajectory in the division. Figueiredo turns 37 next month which may signal Figueiredo needs to make an urgent campaign to the belt.
With that in mind, Figueiredo should fight Song Yadong in his next fight. Song is also coming off a unanimous decision loss to Petr Yan at UFC 299, back in March. Yadong is currently ranked at #8 in the UFC’s bantamweight division and has looked promising in his 14 fight UFC tenure.
Winner of this fight could possibly be a win or two away from a title shot in the clogged upper ranks of the bantamweight division. Producing a finish in this matchup would be a career statement and potentially place the victor in immediate title shot conversations. Not to mention Figgy is 10 years older than Song, good old blood vs new blood.
Deiveson’s next fight: Song Yadong
Tabatha Ricci
Tabatha Ricci was thoroughly outclassed on the feet by top ranked Xiaonan Yan, in a unanimous decision defeat in the UFC Macau co-main event. Ricci is now 2-1 in the 2024 calendar year having defeated Tecia Pennington by split decision and most recently Angela Hill by unanimous decision.
Tabatha Ricci started the fight ranked at #10 while her opponent, Yan Xiaonan, entered the fight ranked at #2. This was a huge gift for Ricci, and unfortunately, she fumbled at the goal line.
Logically, it makes sense to give Tabatha more of a step back at this point. Ricci’s next fight should be against Marina Rodriguez. Marina is currently ranked at #9 in the strawweight division but has been on a bit of a slide recently. Rodriguez has lost four of her last five fights dating back to late 2022. Her only win in that time period was against a now retired Michelle Waterson-Gomez (suffering losses to Amanda Lemos, Virna Jandiroba, Jessica Andrade and Iasmin Lucindo). Rodriguez was last in action at UFC 307 in October when she dropped a split decision to Iasmin Lucindo. Perfect fight to see where Marina is as a competitor as before that five-fight stretch, she had won against Mackenzie Dern and Xiaonan Yan. Would be another solid measuring stick for Tabatha as well.
Tabatha’s next fight: Marina Rodriguez
Kenan Song
Kenan Song was on the receiving end of a highlight reel spinning heel kick KO courtesy of his opponent, Muslim Salikhov. Song has struggled heavily recently as he’s gone 2-3 since March of 2023. Song has fought and lost to solid names during that time including both Ian Machado Garry and Kevin Jousset.
It’s a tough loss, to a 40-year-old in Salikhov, but it likely says more about the skillset of his opponent (especially that technique) than it does about Song.
Jerimiah Wells would be a competitive next matchup for Song. Wells is a 6-fight UFC veteran that is currently on a two-fight losing skid. Jerimiah pulled out of his UFC 302 bout with Niko Price back in June thanks to an undisclosed injury. Wells was last in the octagon back in March when he dropped a split decision to Max Griffin. It’d be a solid matchup to see which fighter can get back on the winning track.
Muslim’s next fight: Jerimiah Wells
Cong Wang
Cong Wang suffered the first defeat of her pro MMA career at UFC Macau on Saturday. Her opponent, Gabriella Fernandes, pulled off an improbable comeback to upset Wang. Now Cong will need to look at how she can continue to raise her stock. Wang is now 1-1 with the UFC.
Wang, has star power as she won a kickboxing world championship over current UFC women’s flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko, in 2015 (albeit controversially). That being said, Wang should draw a fighter like Veronica Hardy in her next fight. Hardy has been in the UFC since 2016 and even though she is 4-5 with the promotion, has heated up recently. Hardy is 3-1 in her last four fights, having lost in her last time out against Eduarda Moura, at UFC 309 earlier this month. Great fight to book as it gives Wang another fighter with a full MMA arsenal and UFC tenure but not too high up of a step for her.
Cong’s next fight: Veronica Hardy
Volkan Oezdemir
Volkan Oezdemir turned in a hard fought fifteen minutes but dropped a unanimous decision to his younger counterpart, Carlos Ulberg.
Oezdemir entered the fight with the #8 ranking in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Carlos entered the fight ranked at #10.
This is a tough loss for 35-year-old Oezdemir who had won two in a row, stopping Bogdan Guskov and Johnny Walker in the first round. Volkan has struggled to win a few fights in a row and seems to find himself towards the middle to bottom of the rankings often.
Volkan should fight Azamat Murzakanov in his next fight. Azamat is ranked at #11 in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. It’s a dangerous fight for Volkan but then again there aren’t many in the weight class that aren’t. The hot prospect is 14-0 as a pro and 4-0 in the UFC with three finishes. Azamat finished #15 ranked, Alonzo Menifield in his last time out, back in August. A fight with a former title challenger like Volkan would be a good test for both men. A finish out of either man would signal an emergence or reemergence to the division.
Volkan’s next fight: Azamat Murzakanov
Ozzy Diaz
Ozzy Diaz was finished in the first round by Mingyang Zhang in the opening fight on the main card of UFC Macau. An unfortunate outcome for the UFC debut of Diaz after he won a pair of LFA fights immediately following his loss to middleweight standout, Joe Pyfer, on the 2022 season of the Contender Series.
Ozzy finds himself in a tough spot after his defeat at UFC Macau. He will need a win to stay with the promotion and even then, his roster spot could be in jeopardy. It helps his case that UFC‘s light heavyweight division is currently barren, but he needs a win.
Good fight for him would be against Caio Machado or Jose Medina who both also desperately need a win. Jose Medina is also 0-1 with the promotion and gained a shot in the UFC off of a gritty performance on the 2023 season of the Contender Series. Caio is 0-3 in the UFC after gaining a UFC contract from a win on the 2023 season of the Contender Series. All three of these guys need a win and all three are on the short list to be cut. Whoever is available should fight, loser will likely be released.
Ozzy’s next fight: Caio Machado or Jose Medina
