UFC 325 may not have looked as exciting as its predecessor UFC 324, but it still managed to deliver some fun moments topped by an important title fight at featherweight.
On the prelims, Jonathan Micallef, Cam Rowston and Billy Elekana scored nice finishes. While on the main card, finishes from Quillan Salkilld, Mauricio Ruffy and Benoit Saint Denis were followed by yet another 25-minute masterclass from the all-time great Alexander Volkanovski. With UFC 325 now in the books, let’s look at what’s next for our main card winners.
Alexander Volkanovski
As easy as it would be to look at this title defence as a waste of time, there’s something to be said about a 37-year-old Alexander Volkanovski giving still a young, hungry contender in his prime a second crack at him and still blanking him. I loved hearing what Volkanovski had to say about his responsibility as a champion to face the most deserving contenders. It was a respectful way to call out the UFC on their matchmaking practices. The UFC then wasted no time announcing Movsar Evloev versus Lerone Murphy as the headliner to the London Fight Night card in March. They are already both deserving; there’s no question that the winner should fight for the belt next.
Volkanovski’s next fight: Evloev/Murphy winner
Benoit Saint Denis
He may not be a perfect fighter and who’s to say how he would fare against the very top of the division, but one thing that Benoit Saint Denis’ harshest critics could never accuse him of is being boring. He walks into chaos, but he loves it and often comes out on the winning side. He’s also very active as this was his third bout in five months. I don’t think someone with the nickname “God of War” can be seen as a bad option to challenge for the BMF title.
Saint Denis’ next fight: Oliveira/Holloway 2 winner
Mauricio Ruffy
Learning about the tough circumstances he had to overcome coming into this fight made this performance look even better for Mauricio Ruffy. After laying an egg in Paris last September, Ruffy was given a different kind of task, but a difficult one, nonetheless.
It took him a little while to get his offense going, but once he did, he had Rafael Fiziev figured out. He looked like a Sean O’Malley-type sniper, consistently tagging Fiziev with long range shots on his way to a second round TKO. The poise with which he finished Fiziev after hurting him made him look like a killer. There are a lot of directions the promotion could go with Ruffy, and I think he deserves a big name next. The loser of the BMF title bout could make a fun fight.
Ruffy’s next fight: Oliveira/Holloway loser
Tallison Teixeira
It wasn’t exactly the most redemptive performance, but at 26 years old, Tallison Teixeira got back in the win column and that’s what ultimately matters in the long-term. The heavyweight division is in such bad need of any kind of new blood that this win for Teixeira can at least push a young name up the rankings. I think someone like the loser of the upcoming Serghei Spivac versus Ante Delija bout makes sense as a next step for the young Xicão.
Teixeira’s next fight: Spivac/Delija loser
Quillan Salkilld
Yes, it was a showcase fight, and he came in as a -1200 betting favourite, but Quillan Salkilld did what he supposed to do. He made short work of a 12-fight UFC veteran who’s been around the block. Sometimes young prospects are put in a showcase position, and they don’t deliver, but Salkilld oozes confidence and passed this test with flying colours. He just turned 26 and he’s in a shark tank of a division, so I see no point in rushing him. I think rebooking the fight against fellow prospect, Rongzhu, is the way to go.
Salkilld’s next fight: Rongzhu
