The UFC Vegas 103 fight night card held at the Apex turned out better than it looked on paper. We saw undefeated fighters get upset and some keep their ‘0’. We also had some wild back-and-forth affairs in the co-main event and the feature bout. And the night was capped off by a great performance from flyweight contender Manel Kape. With UFC Vegas 103 in the books, it’s now time to do some matchmaking.
Manel Kape
After some bad luck getting to the octagon early in his UFC stint, Kape has now successfully KO’d his last two opponents in the span of three months. This was his first main event, and he made the most of that opportunity. Despite some controversy regarding eye rakes and a potentially early stoppage at UFC Vegas 103, Kape was in the driver seat for the entirety of the contest. His last two performances have helped fans forget the weirdness from his meeting with Muhammad Mokaev last July.
With Alexandre Pantoja having beaten most of the flyweight contenders (some of them multiple times), Kape has probably earned himself a rematch with the flyweight king. Though not official, it is expected that Pantoja will defend his belt against Kai Kara-France in June. That is three months from now, which sets up a reasonable timeline for Kape to challenge for the title in the back half of the year.
Kape’s next fight: Flyweight title shot
Cody Brundage
Some were perplexed by the card’s bout order, specifically with this co-main event. However, what was never in question was the action this matchup was going to deliver. Cody Brundage and Julian Marquez clashing against one another was always going to make for a fun scrap for however long it was going to last.
After revealing that this was the last fight on his contract, Brundage may have just saved his job with this first-round TKO victory. The simplest way to matchmake for him is to book him against fighters the UFC wants to test. He was initially supposed to face Ryan Loder on Saturday. Let’s just re-book that fight and see if last season’s TUF winner can pass this test.
Brundage’s next fight: Ryan Loder
Nasrat Haqparast
Haqparast met Esteban Ribovics in a fight between two streaking lightweights at UFC Vegas 103 with perhaps a chance at the rankings on the line. It was another split decision victory for the Moroccan who saw his win streak grow to five.
He called for a fight with Renato Moicano next, and while that would be a fine option, I’m doubtful he will actually get it. My hunch would be that the UFC offers someone a little lower. The loser of the upcoming Jalin Turner vs Ignacio Bahamondes fight could work, but I instead went with Grant Dawson. Dawson has fought his way back to the rankings after his loss to King Green with three straight victories. He can now defend his spot against Haqparast.
Haqparast’s next fight: Grant Dawson
Hyder Amil
In a year where undefeated have had a lopsided losing record, Hyder Amil got to keep his perfect record intact in a hard-fought split decision win over William Gomis. Amil handed the Frenchman his first UFC loss, rallying back after losing the opening round.
Not unlike Chepe Mariscal, another featherweight who fought on this card, I doubt Amil will be offered ranked opposition next as there are other fighters probably ahead of them in the picking order. Fighters like Doo Ho Choi and Steve Garcia can probably expect a ranked opponent before them. So why not book Amil and Mariscal against each other to see who gets the next crack at the top15?
Amil’s next fight: Chepe Mariscal
Sam Patterson
Patterson recorded his third consecutive first-round finish, this one via knockout, as he snatched Danny Barlow’s ‘0’ in violent fashion to open the UFC Vegas 103 main card. The Englishman is now a perfect 3-0 since making moving up to welterweight. Racking up finishes, especially quick ones, will always give you an edge with the matchmakers, so maybe Patterson gets a more high-profile matchup than I’m anticipating. With known veterans Santiago Ponzinibbio and Daniel Rodriguez will meet in Des Moines on May 3, maybe Patterson draws the winner?
Instead, I believe the UFC will have him face one more fighter in his current tier before matching him up with a Ponzinibbio or a D-Rod. After all, he is only 28 years of age, so there’s no rush. Another fighter who is also perfect since making the switch to welterweight is Chidi Njokuani. He’s set to face off with Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos just two weeks from now. If Patterson can beat the winner of that fight, then he’ll be looking at an increase in the level of competition.
Patterson’s next fight: Njokuani/dos Santos winner
