Carlos Ulberg

What a clutch win by the Kiwi. With an obvious injury to his right leg, it looked like a Jiri Prochazka victory was a formality. Ulberg probably wouldn’t have been cleared by his corner or the doctor for a second round, so he had to take care of Prochazka in this opening round, with a compromised leg. And that’s exactly what he did. He landed his favourite shot, a clean left hook, and put Jiri out cold.

As for what’s next for the newly crowned champion, anything is on the table. The top contenders are all coming off losses, so maybe Paulo Costa’s win over Murzakanov will be enough to sneak into a title fight. Should Alex Pereira be unsuccessful in his bid at heavyweight and look to come back down, an immediate title shot would certainly be in the cards. And who knows how long Ulberg’s recovery from his leg injury will take? Maybe by the time he’s ready to come back a clear number one contender will have emerged. If Bogdan Guskov puts out Jan Blachowicz in highlight reel fashion, he might steal the number one slot. For now, though, it’s difficult to find someone with a better case than Paulo Costa.

Ulberg’s next fight: Paulo Costa

Paulo Costa

Despite barely holding on to a ranking at middleweight, the Brazilian knocked out the undefeated, top10-ranked Azamat Murzakanov in the third round. Light-heavyweight being the state that it is, who knows what could be next for “The Eraser”. I love the idea of Costa facing off with Jiri Prochazka, but Jiri should look to take some time off after getting brutally put out by Ulberg. With Magomed Ankalaev, Khalil Rountree Jr., Jamahal Hill and the aforementioned Prochazka all coming off losses, Costa may just currently have the best case for a title shot, as wild as that sounds.

Costa’s next fight: Carlos Ulberg

Josh Hokit

Usually we hear that the UFC “doesn’t make fights the night of,” but Josh Hokit’s brawl with Curtis Blaydes was too good not to stick him on the White House card right away. Time will tell if fighting Derrick Lewis barely two months after taking over one hundred strikes from Curtis Blaydes will pay off, but for now, there’s no matchmaking needed for me to make on my end.

Hokit’s next fight: Derrick Lewis

Dominick Reyes

Dominick Reyes may have gotten back in the win column, but we can’t pretend he did it in impressive fashion. Johnny Walker has been quite a vulnerable target for any decent puncher at 205 pounds, but Reyes still put on a pretty anemic performance and did just enough to get away with a split decision. He doesn’t deserve a big fight after a performance like this, so I think the loser of the upcoming Blachowicz/Guskov rematch makes sense.

Reyes’ next fight: Blachowicz/Guskov 2 loser

Cub Swanson

Getting back-to-back knockouts like the ones Swanson got against Billy Quarantillo and now Nate Landwehr, Killer Cub clearly still has it. But 42 years of age is a good time to call it a career and props to Cub, the last remaining WEC alumni, for going out on a high note like this one. Happy retirement Cub!

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Renato Moicano

It was nice to see Moicano bounce back from his back-to-back losses from last year. He was on a hot streak before running into Islam Makhachev and dropping the ball against Beneil Dariush. A win here doesn’t propel him back to the front of the line, but it does put him back on track. I wouldn’t be against booking the Paddy Pimblett fight, which seemed to be next when Moicano defeated Benoit Saint Denis back in 2024. For now, I think rebooking the Brian Ortega rematch is the right call.

Moicano’s next fight: Brian Ortega

Virna Jandiroba

It will be difficult for Jandiroba to fight her back into title contention, but if she was to do it, it had to start with a win on Saturday. Knowing Loopy Godinez has already lost to Mackenzie Dern, I’m doubtful that she would get the next shot even with a win at UFC 327. So if Godinez is victorious next Saturday, I believe she will have to face Jandiroba next. If Tatiana Suarez gets her hand raised, I think she will earn her shot, meaning Jandiroba will most likely face Gillian Robertson in the meantime. I think the Brazilian’s next bout will be determined by the result of the upcoming Suarez/Godinez bout.

Jandiroba’s next fight: Loopy Godinez (if victorious at UFC 327) or Gillian Robertson

Abdul-Rahman Yakhyaev

Judging by the way he fights, the 25-year-old light-heavyweight clearly understands that he isn’t paid by the hour. At this age, Yakhyaev should be focused on getting as many reps in the octagon as he can so as to sharpen his skills before having the face the top of the division. With his fighting style, he’s in and out so quickly that he doesn’t absorb a lot of damage, which should allow him to jump back into the cage fairly quickly. I think the promotion should look to keep sending him fighters who create car crashes to test Yakhyaev’s ability to work his way through them. Someone like Ibo Aslan perfectly fits that description.

Yakhyaev’s next fight: Ibo Aslan

Ethyn Ewing

After upsetting the highly touted Malcolm Wellmaker on short notice at Madison Square Garden, Ethyn Ewing has now taken the ‘0’ off Rafael Estevam. Ewing has gone from unknown prospect to hyped contender in just two UFC outings. I think the promotion should try and make the most out of the momentum he has garnered in just five and a half months. Giving him someone like Bryce Mitchell not only keeps testing Ewing’s skills, but also gives him the opportunity to beat a known name.

Ewing’s next fight: Bryce Mitchell

Tommy McMillen

Who’s to say what Tommy McMillen’s true ceiling is? But for now, the young American seems to fit the action-oriented approach that the promotion has clearly been favoring in this new Paramount era. The UFC should try to find fighters who will indulge McMillen in his firefight type of style without being too challenging. There are a few names like this at featherweight, I settled on John Yannis.

McMillen’s next fight: John Yannis

Jose Delano

Jose Delano had a fairly impressive showing in his promotional debut, outstriking the former two-time KSW champion Robert Ruchala 107 to 67. He landed 62% of his strikes, while limiting Ruchala to just 33% striking accuracy. Any name could be thrown at Delano, but I think the returnee Kai Kamaka III, who was victorious in the card’s opening bout, who make for a fun scrap.

Delano’s next fight: Kai Kamaka III

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Joe Pyfer

Some will argue about the value of Pyfer’s win on Saturday, considering how diminished Israel Adesanya has kept looking every time out for the past two and a half years. But Pyfer was tasked with beating the man in front of him and he did just that. He may not look like a title contender right now, but he has steadily shown some signs of improvements and at this stage of his career, there is no reason to think he’s a finished product.

With the title picture looking like it currently does, I wouldn’t book Pyfer with the top 3 just yet (although a fight with Dricus Du Plessis does sound like a blast). I would instead look at someone like Caio Borralho. Both Pyfer and Borralho sound like they would be good measuring sticks for one another, right now. And with Nassourdine Imavov clearly being the most deserving contender, there’s no reason to rush either of them against the winner of the UFC 328 main event.

Pyfer’s next fight: Caio Borralho

Alexa Grasso

The former champion was in such bad need of any win that I think she would’ve taken a closely contested split decision if that’s what was presented to her. However, there’s was no need for any of those hypotheticals as she put Maycee Barber out cold in a way that I can’t quite recall a flyweight doing since Valentina Shevchenko head kicked Jessica Eye into oblivion. Statement needed, statement made.

Despite being around for a long time, Grasso still has a couple fresh faces to fight at the top of the division. Erin Blanchfield would be a great opponent, but I prefer the idea of Blanchfield against the other flyweight who had a fantastic first round KO victory on this card. I’d like to see the striking matchup between Grasso’s boxing and Manon Fiorot’s kickboxing. Fiorot still needs to do more work to get back in a title shot, so a former champion like Grasso makes a ton of sense as her next opponent.

Grasso’s next fight: Manon Fiorot

Michael Chiesa

Too often, a four-fight win streak would give a fighter the illusion that they should stick around for another run. Calling it a career in Seattle was the right move. Happy retirement, Maverick!

Lerryan Douglas

The ”Gunslinger” is not just a super cool nickname, it also turns out to be a very accurate one for Lerryan Douglas. Defense has never been a staple of Julian Erosa’s game, but not everyone has been skilled enough to make him pay for it. Of Melquizael Costa a six-fight heater, four have come by finish, yet Erosa went the distance with him. Douglas made short of ”Juicy J”, getting him out of there in just 3 minutes and 33 seconds. Douglas already deserves a step up in competition. A more skilled version of Erosa would be Andre Fili, who has proven to be beatable while being a tough out for anyone.

Douglas’ next fight: Andre Fili

Yousri Belgaroui

Belgaroui has come a long way from failing to earn a contract on the Contender Series twice. Since then, he has won by knockout in back-to-back fights as a betting underdog against young up-and-comers who had momentum behind them. This was probably his best MMA performance yet. At 33 years of age, I’d be in favour of pushing Belgaroui up the food chain a bit quicker than usual. For that reason, I would book him against Roman Dolidze next.

Belgaroui’s next fight: Roman Dolidze

Terrance McKinney

The Evel Knievel of MMA as Luke Thomas calls him, had a vintage performance as he dismantled Kyle Nelson in just 24 seconds. We are most likely passed the days of thinking McKinney will evolve into a top10 lightweight contender. Since he’s not the one the UFC is testing, they can use him as a way to test other fighters. With T-Wrecks, it’s not complicated; you either survive the storm, or you don’t. Kyle Nelson couldn’t, so now McKinney moves on to another test. I think a fight with Manoel Sousa would be perfect to test the Brazilian, but would also make for maximum chaos, which is the best way to use a fighter like T-Wrecks.

McKinney’s next fight: Manoel Sousa

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Movsar Evloev

This should be short and simple: title shot. It doesn’t matter that it was yet another decision. It doesn’t even matter that the scoring was controversial. You don’t get to 20-0, with half of those wins in the UFC, by accident. Despite what the UFC may have been hoping for, Movsar Evloev has earned his day in court. He should face Alexander Volkanovski in the summer.

Evloev’s next fight: Alexander Volkanovski

Luke Riley

The promotion clearly thinks very highly of Like Riley, giving him a co-main event slot in just his second UFC fight. If it wasn’t for Michael Aswell’s toughness, Riley may have added another KO to his résumé. At just 26 years of age, Riley shows promise but also some greenness. I think a fight with a veteran like Gaston Bolaños would not only make for a valuable test, but also a fun striking contest between Bolaños’ kickboxing and Riley’s Muay Thai backgrounds.

Riley’s next fight: Gaston Bolaños

Michael Page

It wouldn’t be a hyperbole to call this fight one of the worst UFC fights in recent memory. These two were landing single-digit strikes almost every round. Between MVP’s recent comments showing how displeased he’s been with the promotion, his walkout to Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Really Care About Us” and this anemic performance, I wonder if he was actively trying to get cut. If so, if feels a bit pointless to matchmake for him, at this moment. I would’ve liked to have seen him face Robert Whittaker at middleweight, but since Page is back to welterweight, I think the winner of upcoming Winnipeg main event is an appropriate fight.

Page’s next fight: Burns/Malott winner

Iwo Baraniewski

This fight was made for one reason and it was to provide some guaranteed action for the fans. Austen Lane was never durable at heavyweight, so it was hard to see how he’d become more durable by cutting weight to get down to 205 lbs. This fight was a squash match and it didn’t teach us more about Iwo Baraniewski than what we already knew. If we want to test this undefeated gunslinger, I think Ion Cutelaba would be a worthy opponent.

Baraniewski’s next fight: Ion Cutelaba

Christian Leroy Duncan

CLD has shown clear signs of improvements since his early UFC loss to Armen Petrosyan. He’s able to deliver highlight-reel finishes while also soundly defeating a ranked veteran like Roman Dolidze in ways he wasn’t able to just a year and a half ago against Gregory Rodrigues. With this victory, he extends his win streak to 4 and will have a number next to his name in the next rankings update. Jared Cannonier has shown to still have enough gas left in the tank to turn back a riser like Robocop last winter. Let’s see if CLD can pass that test.

Leroy Duncan’s next fight: Jared Cannonier

Danny Silva

Danny Silva has proven to be an interesting player at featherweight. I think his ceiling is something akin to a Dan Ige-type of fighter. He’ll be a great test for any up-and-comer in this division. Kevin Vallejos passed that test last August, but Kurtis Campbell couldn’t pass it on Saturday. The UFC could throw any name at Silva and it would make for a fine fight. Personally, I landed on Steven Nguyen who had a nice win last July, but hasn’t fought since.

Silva’s next fight: Steven Nguyen

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Kevin Vallejos

At just 24 years of age, Kevin Vallejos is fighting with a maturity reminiscent of a young Ilia Topuria. No, Josh Emmett is not young anymore, but he’s been a staple of the featherweight top10 for years, in part due to his durability, and Vallejos dispatched of him inside a round. The Argentinian fighter refrained from calling out a name after his last one was poorly received in December. If he keeps putting on performances like these, he won’t need to have rehearsed call outs in the chamber, because his hands will do all the talking.

I do believe Jean Silva has a future as a title contender, which is why I wouldn’t book this rematch just yet as I would wait for the stakes to get even higher. I think either of Patricio Pitbull or Aljamain Sterling would make for great opponents if they win their next fights, but I’m not totally confident that they will. For now, I will choose the winner of Diego Lopes versus Steve Garcia at the White House.

Vallejos’ next fight: Lopes/Garcia winner

Gillian Robertson

It’s strange to think that Gillian Robertson is only 30 years old since her name is already in the UFC record books. She had to overcome a rough opening frame at UFC Vegas 114, where she faced Amanda Lemos, and show off her resiliency to take the next two rounds.

Robertson’s clearly hitting her stride and is now building a strong case for being the best Canadian fighter on the roster. Having won five in a row, she could be argued as the most deserving contender, but it’s hard to see this kind of performance being the one that makes her undeniable in the UFC’s eyes. With Tatiana Suarez facing Loopy Godinez and Virna Jandiroba facing Tabatha Ricci in the coming weeks, it still feels like the number one contender spot is up for grabs. And that’s not even counting Zhang Weili who could still drop back to strawweight and face Mackenzie Dern.

At the end of the day, I went with the winner of Jandiroba/Ricci as I think the winner of Suarez/Godinez is more likely to steal Robertson’s current spot as the number one contender.

Robertson’s next fight: Jandiroba/Ricci winner

Jose Delgado

After losing a decision a lot of fans thought he should’ve won in October, here is Jose Delgado winning a decision a lot of fans thought he should’ve lost. I guess it evens out. Kidding aside, barely a year into his UFC career, Delgado is quickly proving to be one of the safe bets for a good fight every time out. I think a fight with Gabriel Santos not only makes a lot of sense for where both fighters are at, but would also be a surefire bet for Fight of the Night on whichever card it’s on.

Delgado’s next fight: Gabriel Santos

Marwan Rahiki

Newcomer Marwan Rahiki had a memorable introduction to the UFC fanbase, winning Fight of the Night for his back-and-forth affair with Harry Hardwick. Though his lack of defense may be fun to watch for us fans, at just 23, there’s still time for Rahiki to work on all his skills. I think fellow rookie Javier Reyes, who was also victorious in his promotional debut two weeks ago in Mexico would be a good opponent for Rahiki.

Rahiki’s next fight: Javier Reyes

Ion Cutelaba

Ion Cutelaba is one of the names that feels like they have faced everyone they possible could have, by now. With this latest win over Oumar Sy to his name, we now have to scramble to find a sensible fight for The Hulk. I think both Iwo Baraniewski or Navajo Stirling would make for fine opponents if they win their upcoming fights. Between those two, it’s difficult not to go with Iwo Baraniewski as he would certainly bring out the “crazy” in Cutelaba.

Cutelaba’s next fight: Baraniewski/Lane winner

Charles Johnson

This was a fairly short turnaround for Charles Johnson, who got KO’d just this January. As is common with Inner G fights, he started off slow in the first round, but picked it up as the fight went and was flowing by the end of the bout. Johnson is such an active fighter, it can already feel like he’s fought most people at 125 pounds, but there are still some viable names out there for him to face. Someone like Tagir Ulanbekov, who is also looking for redemption after getting finished would make a good matchup.

Johnson’s next fight: Tagir Ulanbekov

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Charles Oliveira

Unfortunately, Charles Oliveira’s complete domination of Max Holloway won’t get the credit it deserves, because it couldn’t live up to the ethos of the belt the two were fighting for. If this fight was a regular number 1 contender bout, people would be raving about how nobody has ever shut out Max Holloway in this fashion. Alas, we are left with disappointment that two beloved legends didn’t go at each other Rock’em Sock’em robots style.

Oliveira may have earned a title shot in any other division, but it’s hard to picture the UFC throwing him back in there with Ilia Topuria given how the first fight ended. For that reason, I don’t think Do Bronx will simply wait. They could book him against Conor McGregor next, but I’ll believe a McGregor return when I see it. Until then, I see no reason to matchmake for him

The only other name I believe to be a viable one is Benoit Saint Denis. He’s on a four-fight win streak, ranked inside the top five and fights with the energy fans want from a BMF contender.

Oliveira’s next fight: Benoit Saint Denis

Caio Borralho

Reinier de Ridder and Caio Borralho met in a matchup between two top10 contenders looking to bounce back from deflating losses. It was the Brazilian who came out on top, earning 30-27s across the board. Borralho called out Dricus Du Plessis and while that isn’t a bad callout, I’m not sure it will work out timing wise. DDP hasn’t fought since last August, so you have to think he’s chomping at the bits to get back in there.

An April or May return is a fair timeline for Du Plessis’s return, which is probably too soon for Borralho who just went 15 hard minutes with RDR. I think the winner of the upcoming Roman Dolidze vs Christian Leroy Duncan fight would make a fun fight.

Borralho’s next fight: Dolidze/Leroy Duncan winner

Raul Rosas Jr.

Maybe the fact that he came into the UFC as an 18-year-old clouded our judgement of what Raul Rosas Jr‘s career trajectory should’ve looked like by now. Because while it’s undeniably impressive to defeat Rob Font at 21 years of age, Rosas Jr. still only landed eight significant strikes to Font’s ten. This is by far the best name on Rosas Jr.’s resumé, but it’s quite clear that he’s still very green in his development.

Nevertheless, he will enter the rankings come Tuesday’s update and will have no choice but to try and swim with the sharks. I think Marlon Vera is the most rankings-appropriate fight that could be made while also being winnable for Rosas Jr. The UFC could even make it a main event, so as to see whether Rosas Jr.’s cardio can go five rounds.

Rosas Jr.’s next fight: Marlon Vera

Drew Dober

The UFC knew they would have a guaranteed KO when they paired Drew Dober and Michael Johnson together. Unsurprisingly, the fight delivered and ended in the second round when Dober caught Johnson with a clean left hand. Dober is one of those important types of fighters that promotions need. He’s a guaranteed action fight that can help boost any card’s violence quotient. A fight between Dober and Jalin Turner would’ve made sense when they were both ranked a few years ago and it still makes sense now. It’s a perfect prelim fight for International Fight Week.

Dober’s next fight: Jalin Turner

Gregory Rodrigues

After Brunno Ferreira put Gregory Rodrigues to sleep in his UFC debut over three years ago, it was Rodrigues who got his revenge this time around. Hard to be more efficient, as it took “Robocop” only two significant strikes to separate Ferreira from consciousness. Rodrigues has garnered momentum more than once before seeing his win streaks end to Armen Petrosyan, Brunno Ferreira and, most recently, Jared Cannonier. I think Robert Whittaker represents the right kind of test since there are questions surrounding Bobby Knuckles after he lost two consecutive fights for the first time as a middleweight. It would also make for a good co-main event on the upcoming Perth Fight Night card.

Rodrigues’ next fight: Robert Whittaker

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Some other notable highlights from the card were David Martinez, King Green and Imanol Rodriguez. With this latest Mexican card in the books, let’s look at what’s next for the winners.

Lone’er Kavanagh

Though the road to get there wasn’t exactly how you would draw it up, the highly touted 26-year-old is now officially in the top 10. He didn’t exactly dominate Moreno, but he did show clear signs of improvement. His loss to Charles Johnson last August came as he appeared to be gassing out late in the second round. This time, despite being at altitude, Kavanagh went all five rounds and earned the victory against who was by far the highest quality opponent he has faced, thus far.

However, the loss to Johnson does feel way too recent to just throw Kavanagh in a number one contender fight. With this win, I think he has earned the right to another main event, this time, against the man Moreno was initially supposed to face at UFC Mexico City: Asu Almabayev.

Kavanagh’s next fight: Asu Almabayev

David Martinez

David Martinez ‘s game is already so polished, you would never guess that this was only his third UFC outing. He’s 27 with 15 professional fights and is already defeating veterans like Rob Font and Marlon Vera. Usually, I’d be in favour of taking our time with a prospect like this, but Martinez feels like he could be thrown in a shark tank and expected to swim just fine. I think a fight with a name like Song Yadong would tell us a lot about both fighters involved while also being quite fun.

Martinez’s next fight: Song Yadong

King Green

After three bad losses in a 15-month span, including devastating finishes to Jalin Turner and Mauricio Ruffy, it wasn’t unfair to write the now 39-year-old King Green off. But the wily veteran still has a few tricks up his sleeve for young bucks like Daniel Zellhuber. Green thoroughly dominated Zellhuber, out-landing him 100 to 17 at UFC Mexico City, going 3-for-3 on takedowns and knocking him down right before the finish.

There is one fight that I’ve wanted the promotion to book for a while, now, and it’s insane to think they never have. King Green and Michael Johnson seem like fighters made to face each other. Win or lose against Drew Dober this weekend for Johnson, it would be pure entertainment. And with both looking rejuvenated, why not book it?

Green’s next fight: Michael Johnson

Edgar Chairez

With this latest split decision, Edgar Chairez pushed his UFC record to what could look like an unimpressive 3-2 with 1 No Contest. However, when you look closely, you realize that those two losses came in Chairez’s short notice debut and after a late opponent change. Additionally, those losses came to Tatsuro Taira and Joshua Van, the two men set to fight for the belt in April.

Chairez also had decent showings against both of them, giving Taira a late scare and knocking down Van. While he keeps flying under the radar, I don’t necessarily think Chairez deserves a massive opportunity; I think anyone in his current tier makes sense. I personally like the winner of the Cody Durden vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel fight happening this upcoming weekend.

Chairez’s next fight: Durden/Nyamjargal winner

Imanol Rodriguez

The youngster Rodriguez delivered in his promotional debut at UFC Mexico City as he earned the finish in front of his home crowd against the durable Kevin Borjas. The victory is an encouraging sign, but there is no reason to think Rodriguez shouldn’t be facing another opponent of similar calibre for the foreseeable future. I think a veteran like Ode’ Osbourne would be the right kind of test for a prospect like Rodriguez. Osbourne has been around the block but is also very beatable. He’s exactly the kind of opponent that promotion should be throwing at Rodriguez.

Rodriguez’s next fight: Ode’ Osbourne

Santiago Luna

Not unlike his countryman Imanol Rodriguez, Santiago Luna also kept his undefeated record intact on Saturday. And just like Rodriguez, I see no reason to give Luna an increase in quality of opposition for the time being. For as young as Rodriguez is, Luna is five years younger at just 21. Quang Le and Angel Pacheco are in the tier that Luna can defeat while gaining valuable experience. Any name in that tier is a good option, and I personally went with Colby Thicknesse after seeing the Perth card announcement in May.

Luna’s next fight: Colby Thicknesse

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Risers Jacobe Smith, Melquizael Costa and Uros Medic all kept their win streaks alive with thunderous knockouts while the night was capped off by Sean Strickland putting on what might be his best performance since winning the title back in 2023. With UFC Houston now in the rearview mirror, let’s look at what’s next for Saturday’s winners.

Sean Strickland

While there will be a lot of fan appetite for a Chimaev/Strickland title fight, I do believe that meritocracy needs to prevail on some levels. For that reason, I think Nassourdine Imavov should still be awarded the next shot. In the meantime, there’s no question that Strickland has earned himself a big fight. The winner of the upcoming Seattle main event would produce the kind of opponent Strickland should be looking for. Either it’s an Israel Adesanya rematch, which is unquestionably still big business, or Joe Pyfer, which would make for an all-American number one contender fight, something the U.S. market badly needs.

Strickland’s next fight: Adesanya/Pyfer winner

Uros Medic

The man they call “The Doctor” is now officially on his first UFC three-fight win streak. Not only has Medic never gone to the scorecards, he has only gotten out of the 1^st round four times in his 16-fight career. With the promotion seemingly favouring more action-oriented matchups since signing their new broadcast deal with Paramount, it’s no wonder they wasted no time giving the Serbian fighter a shot at the rankings. It’s easy to see why a fighter with such a style would get a push by the promotion, and I don’t see this push slowing down any time soon. I think a fight with former champion Leon Edwards could be in play. The Englishman is now barely holding on to a top10 spot, while Medic will enter the rankings and look upwards. Winner of three straight verses loser of three straight: a true crossroads fight.

Medic’s next fight: Leon Edwards

Melquizael Costa

This Brazilian fighter keeps impressing in new ways. At the start of 2025, he was gathering momentum with his activity level, fighting three times in three months. More recently, it’s been the nature of the finishes that have kept his momentum going. Back-to-back sensational head kick KOs will help boost anyone’s profile, but Costa is doing it as the level of competition keeps rising. Dan Ige is a man who’s fought a ridiculous level of competition for years, but it’s now Melquizael Costa who can claim to be the first to ever finish him. I think the UFC should look to keep pushing him forward. A fight inside the top10 should be on the table and I think a name like Arnold Allen makes a lot of sense.

Costa’s next fight: Arnold Allen

Serghei Spivac

A win is a win, but this kind of forgettable win won’t do Serghei Spivac, or the heavyweight division, any favours. It’s good for the 31-year-old to get back in the win column after dropping two straight, but the division is in such a place where it’s hard to see any meaningful matchup on the horizon. For the time being, a meeting with Rizvan Kuniev probably makes the most sense.

Spivac’s next fight: Rizvan Kuniev

Jacobe Smith

Jacobe Smith’s elite athletic abilities were on full display as he reversed a takedown from Josiah Harrell mid-air before proceeding to absolutely drill the then fellow undefeated Harrell into the canvas. While Smith faced more adversity than anticipated last June against Niko Price, he should still be viewed as a blue-chip prospect. If there is one thing that all blue-chip welterweight prospects seem to have in common is that they all had to face Neil Magny at some point. I think Smith has reached the chapter of his career where he has to pass the all-important Magny test.

Smith’s next fight: Neil Magny

Michel Pereira

Streaky seems like an understatement when describing Michel Pereira. After dropping two straight fights early in his UFC tenure, Pereira then won 8 consecutive bouts before then losing his last three. He was facing Zachary Reese in a fight that may have cost him his job had he not gotten his hand raised. It was a split decision, but Pereira still managed to stop the bleeding. I think his fight style seems like a perfect match for a guy like Shara Magomedov. To me, a meeting between “Bullet” and “Demolidor” sounds like a lot of fun in Macau in late May.

Pereira’s next fight: Shara Magomedov

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Mario Bautista

He may not ever become a fan favourite, but Mario Bautista keeps proving he’s a world class fighter. While his previous eight-fight win streak started with four consecutive finishes, the back half was all decisions, including the infamous one against Jose Aldo. It was those decisions that left a sour taste in the fan base’s mouth. This methodical domination of Vinicius Oliveira, capped off by a second round stoppage is exactly what the doctor ordered for Bautista.

Everybody is foaming at the mouth at the idea of Sean O’Malley fighting Cory Sandhagen. After all, it is one of the very best non-title fights the UFC could book right now. However, I do believe the promotion will try to book O’Malley in a Petr Yan rematch, leaving Cory Sandhagen as the odd man out in this equation. That leaves the door open for another rematch, the one Bautista called for in his post-fight interview.

Bautista’s next fight: Cory Sandhagen

Kyoji Horiguchi

Poor guy Amir Albazi has had to endure two separate layoffs of over a year, with the bad Brandon Moreno loss sandwiched in between. And what does he get after overcoming those layoffs? A red hot, rejuvenated Kyoji Horiguchi.

The Japanese fighter made sure Albazi had nothing for him, having him beat everywhere. That’s two very convincing wins for Horiguchi since coming back to the UFC. Usually, he might be in line for a title shot, but the title picture at flyweight has been chaotic since Alexandre Pantoja injured his arm against Joshua Van. And with Manel Kape seemingly at the top of the contenders list, that unfortunately leaves Kyoji on the outside looking in. Taking all of this into account, I think a main event in Japan against Tatsuro Taira is the best way to go.

Horiguchi’s next fight: Tatsuro Taira

Rizvan Kuniev

I would bet a substantial amount of money that this fight will not win Fight of the Year, but Rizvan Kuniev got his first UFC victory and that’s all that matters to him. It’s not just any victory, it’s one that will put him inside the top10. The downside of the fight’s utter lack of drama and entertainment value is that the UFC will be in no rush to put Kuniev in a big fight despite the fact that he just defeated a top5 heavyweight. I think the winner of the upcoming Sergei Spivac/Ante Delija bout is the best he can hope for.

Kuniev’s next fight: Spivac/Delija winner

Michal Oleksiejczuk

It wasn’t that long ago that Michal Oleksiejczuk was staring down the barrel of a three-fight skid with, perhaps, his job on the line. He has since won three straight, with this Fight of the Night over Marc-André Barriault as his latest offering. It’s easy to forget how young he was when he first joined the UFC and after going through some ups and downs, maybe the now 30-year-old Oleksiejczuk is starting to put it all together. I think a fight against fellow middleweight riser Cam Rowston would be a good test for both fighters involved.

Oleksiejczuk’s next fight: Cam Rowston

Farid Basharat

After seeing his brother Javid get back in the win column on the prelims, Farid Basharat made sure that the duo would leave the Apex with two wins. Regardless of what you may think of his actual upside, Basharat has now won 6 UFC bouts while keeping his undefeated record intact. Hardcore fans will tell you how good Jean Matsumoto is despite being 1-2 in his last three outings. Beating him is no easy task and you can add him to the list of fighters who have failed to get hand raised against Basharat. He is long overdue for a shot at a ranked opponent and I think the man who lost in our main event makes a perfect sense as his next opponent.

Basharat’s next fight: Vinicius Oliveira

Dustin Jacoby

After getting knocked out by Dominick Reyes in June of 2024, it looked like Dustin Jacoby’s UFC career was nearing its end. But since then, he has since rattled off three straight KO victories, this latest one earning him a shoutout from his former Glory Kickboxing foe Alex Poatan Pereira. There is no doubt that Jacoby has fought his way back into ranked contention.

There is a card in Macau scheduled for late May. I think Zhang Mingyang versus Dustin Jacoby is a good fight to put on that main card.

Jacoby’s next fight: Zhang Mingyang

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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

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