Main Event

The main event this past weekend was supposed to be for the vacant light heavyweight title. Since the fight ended in a draw, nobody won the title and it is still up for grabs. At the post fight interview, Dana White said that he booked a fight between Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill in January for the vacant title.

Jared Gordon

After his loss this past weekend, Gordon is 6-5 in the UFC and is in desperate need of a win. Dana White was vocal after Gordon’s fight saying “Gordon had a bad game plan going into the third round.” That was referring to Gordon taking Pimblett down in the third round to try and win a decision.

Gordon is always in exciting fights and has a very likeable backstory that the UFC would probably look to keep on the roster. And he has a lot of support from fans after this “loss.” On the flip side, it’s never fun when the boss throws you under the bus, as White did.

Vinc Pichel would be a perfect opponent for Gordon in his next fight. Gordon needs a win in his next fight and Pichel has struggled in the past with strong wrestlers. Jared Gordon is known to be tough and have good striking but also has great grappling to fall back on if he needs it. Pichel is 7-3 in the UFC which means a win over Pichel would immediately demand the respect that Gordon deserves.

Gordon’s next fight: Vinc Pichel 

Darren Till

Darren Till was submitted by Dricus du Plessis in the third round at UFC 282. Till has been working a lot on his grappling but still in this fight he was taken down and that was eventually what led to his downfall in this fight.

Till started his UFC career 5-0-1 which earned him a welterweight title shot. Since his title shot he is 1-5 only beating Kelvin Gastelum by split decision. It is very likely that Till will now take some time off — he said as much following this latest setback. It’s not unthinkable that the UFC decides to not offer him another fight and we see Till fighting in Bellator or the PFL instead for his next fight.

There’s also the question of whether middleweight is right for the ex-welterweight title challenger. There’s questions about his ACL. It’s not even fair to predict a fight for Till right now, because we have no idea when he’ll be back.

Till’s next fight: extended time off

Bryce Mitchell

Bryce Mitchell was defeated for the first time in his career this past weekend with a arm triangle loss to Ilia Topuria. Topuria was able to land some big shots on the feet, hurt Mitchell and ultimately finish him on the ground. In his next fight, Mitchell should be looking to fight someone with a decent name so that he can stay popular and keep his brand moving in the right direction.

The first name that comes to mind is Steve Garcia. Garcia is coming off a big TKO win over Chase Hooper in October. Steve Garcia is a power striker that has a similar fighting style to Topuria. This would give Mitchell the chance to prove he can beat another guy with good striking, as he did with Edson Barboza but failed to do Saturday.

Mitchell’s next fight: Steve Garcia 

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As the new headliner, Nzechukwu scored a knockout victory over Cutelaba in the second round. Today we will be looking at what is next for the men and women who fell short at UFC Vegas 65.

Ion Cutelaba

Cutelaba is now 1-5-1 in the last two years and is it desperate need of a win in his next fight. His flashy fighting style should buy him an extra some extra leeway with the company meaning he should get another shot to turn things around. In his next fight, he should be looking to fight someone who is willing to stand and brawl with him.

Alonzo Menifield is on a two-fight win streak knocking out Askar Mozharov and Misha Cirkunov is his last two fights. Ten of his 13 wins are by knockout and he is 6-3 in the UFC. Menifield is rising in the light heavyweight division and would make for a great matchup for someone looking to keep their job like Cutelaba.

Cutelaba’s next fight: Alonzo Menifield 

Chase Sherman

Chase Sherman lost a decision to Waldo Cortes-Acosta this past weekend. Sherman was recently re-signed to the UFC in April for a short notice fight against Alexander Romanov. Prior to that fight he went 1-3 in the UFC and was released from the company. His last contract was for four fights so we should assume that his current contract is probably also for four fights meaning he has one more fight remaining. Since his return he is 1-2 only beating Jared Vanderaa by knockout in July.

Austen Lane won a UFC contract on the Contender Series back in September with a TKO win over Richard Jacobi. Lane is 8-2 since losing to Greg Hardy in his first appearance on DWCS in 2018. 11 of his 12 wins are by knockout and all three of his losses are by knockout. This is a guy that lives or dies by the sword. That is what makes him perfect for Sherman’s next fight. Sherman has a boxing background and does his best work when he can sit in the pocket and strike with his opponent.

Sherman’s next fight: Austen Lane 

Andre Fialho

Andre Fialho was knocked out by Muslim Salikhov at UFC Vegas 65, well technically. Frankly, Fialho would just not go down, and the ref waved it off on the feet. The fight was back and forth and Fialho landed some good shots but untimely got taken down a few times and was having trouble dealing with the kicks of Salikhov. This loss puts him on a two fight losing streak and makes him 2-3 in the UFC. He is 16-6-1 as a professional with 17 of his fights ending by KO. Making him an exciting fighter that will always be around to beef up some Vegas cards in the future.

Tim Means is also coming off back-to-back losses against Kevin Holland and Max Griffin.  Means is tough as nails and is always down to stand and bang. He has 19 wins by knockout but has only been knocked out in two of his 14 losses. Fighting Tim Means would be great for Fialho’s popularity and would give him a chance to get a win over a UFC vet.

Fialho’s next fight: Tim Means 

Danny Roberts

Danny Roberts can be considered the first step up for Jack Della Maddalena, and he passed that test with flying colors. Roberts is a 13-fight UFC veteran, with a 7-6 record who has lost back-to-back fights for the second time in his career.

All is not lost for Roberts, who will hopefully get a return day on an expected London card in the first quarter of next year. As for who he should face, how about another top prospect? Things didn’t go well against JDM; Roberts can try to redeem himself against Ireland’s Ian Garry.

Roberts’ next fight: Ian Garry

Zhalgas Zhumagulov

The Charles Johnson vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov fight was bumped up to the UFC Vegas 65 main card due to the loss of Lewis vs. Spivac, and Johnson came away from the bout with his first UFC win. Not everyone was on board with the scores in the split decision fight, but a win is a win — and for Zhumagulov, a loss is another heartbreaking loss.

This one led to his retirement. Zhumagulov announced the news on social media, citing several decisions not going his way as his reason for hanging up the gloves.

Zhumagulov’s next fight: none (retired)

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Viviane Araujo

Her loss this past weekend makes Araujo 5-3 in the UFC with UFC wins over Andrea Lee, Roxanne Modafferi, and Montana De La Rosa. Prior to her fight this past weekend, Araujo was ranked 6th in the UFC’s women’s flyweight division. After the rankings are updated she will likely be ranked seventh or eighth.

Casey O’Neill is currently ranked tenth in the division and is 4-0 in the UFC. Three of O’Neill’s four UFC wins are finishes beating Shana Dobson, Lara Fritzen, and Antonia Shevchenko. O’Neill was supposed to fight Jessica Eye earlier this year so she will likely be looking for her next opponent soon. Araujo didn’t take a ton of damage in her fight with Grasso so she should be ready to go within the next few months.

Araujo’s next fight: Casey O’Neill 

Cub Swanson

Cub Swanson is now 3-6 since losing to Brian Ortega in 2017. His three wins in that five year time span were against Kron Gracie, Daniel Pineda, and Darren Elkins. Although he has had some trouble in the past, Swanson is 3-2 in his last five fights and seems to be taking on a second wind later in his career. In his next fight, Swanson should be fighting another veteran that is not afraid to stand and bang with him.

Raphael Assuncao got a decision win over Victor Henry at UFC Vegas 62. Assuncao is 1-4 in his last five fights with his only win in that time frame being against Henry this past Saturday night. He is 40 years old and has been with the UFC for the past ten years.

Swanson’s next fight: Raphael Assuncao

Jordan Wright and Misha Cirkunov

Both Jordan Wright and Misha Cirkunov were finished before the final bell this past weekend. Wright was finished in the second round by Dusko Todorovic who mounted a great comeback against a weathered Wright. While Cirknnov was knocked out by the crazy power of Alonzo Menifield.

Wright is now 2-4 in the UFC. Putting him in a weird posistion where he might be set to hit free agency after this loss. Looking at his UFC record it would also seem like the UFC would not look to bring him back unless it was for a bargain deal.

Cirkunov is a little different but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he too was set to hit free agency. He is 6-7 in the UFC and is currently riding a four-fight losing streak. If history repeats itself it would appear Cirkunov will be fighting outside the UFC in his next bout.

Wright and Cirkunov’s next fight: Outside the UFC

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Song Yadong

Yadong is now 8-2-1 in the UFC. He should be ranked outside the top ten when the rankings are updated and should be looking to fight someone ranked close by in his next fight. Umar Nurmagomedov is currently ranked 14th in the UFC’s bantamweight division. He is predominantly a grappler and he has a great gas tank. This matches up perfectly with the cardio striking of Yadong. Song Yadong has proved he is a tough guy who can strike with the best. Now he should try to prove that he can stop the takedown against one of the division’s best grapplers.

Yadong’s next fight: Umar Nurmagomedov 

Chidi Njokuani

Chidi Njokuani looked terrific in the first round of his fight with Gregory Rodrigues this past weekend. Although in the second round, he got tired and ultimately was finished via strikes later in the competition. This loss makes Njokuani 2-1 in the UFC with all three of his UFC fights ending in TKO or knockout. In his next fight, he should be looking to fight another up-and-coming middleweight.

Bruno Silva is a world-class kickboxer with 19 of his 22 wins being by knockout. His fighting style would be the perfect matchup for Njokuani in his next fight. Silva is 3-2 in the UFC losing his last two fights against Alex Pereira and Gerald Meerschaert. The fight makes sense for both men who will be looking to get back into the win column.

Njokuani’s next fight: Bruno Silva 

Bill Algeo

Bill Algeo lost a bloody decision to Andre Fili in Vegas this past weekend. After three gruesome rounds, Algeo dropped a split decision to Fili marking his third UFC loss out of six total fights. Algeo has had some impressive wins in the UFC but desperately needs a win in his next fight after racking up a 3-3 record in the promotion.

In his next fight, he should fight another featherweight prospect that fought on the card with Algeo this past weekend. Pat Sabatini got knocked out by Damon Jackson at UFC Vegas 60. Sabatini is now 4-1 in the UFC with wins over Tristan Connelly, Jamall Emmers, Tucker Lutz, and TJ Laramie. Both Algeo and Sabatini have the makings to be the next big thing in the featherweight division and we should find out who it is going to be in their next fight.

Algeo’s next fight: Pat Sabatini 

Alen Amedovski

Alen Amedovski got knocked out on Saturday night by fan-favorite Joe Pyfer. This makes Amedovski 0-4 in his four UFC fights which likely means he won’t be getting another contract. Amedovski has proved he is a great fighter but he has had to go up against some tough opponents in his four UFC appearances. The standard for UFC newcomers is to sign a four-fight deal. If that is the case for Amedovski, he will likely be fighting for Bellator or the PFL in his next fight.

Tanner Boser

Heavyweight Tanner Boser puts on fun fights, but continues to struggle with the judges. Saturday marked his second split decision loss in three fights, with the third bout a KO win over Ovince Saint Preux.

Boser will most likely be back, even at 1-3 in his last four fights. He’ll need to consider the size factor, as he appeared to struggle with an opponent 30+ pounds heavier in Rodrigo Nascimento. Still, that’s something that has to be dealt with in a weight class that spans such a wide range.

Parker Porter recently had a fight fall through at UFC 280, and is coming off a loss to Jailton Almeida. Prior to that, Porter had won three straight. He comes in right around 265, so it’ll be another size discrepancy, but let’s see how Boser fares.

Boser’s next fight: Parker Porter

Marc-Andre Barriault

The “Power Bar” struggled against Alexander “Fluffy” Hernandez at UFC Vegas 60, and as the UFC’s broadcast team pointed out, Hernandez looked anything but fluffy. He had the cardio edge and lit up a tiring Barriault, choking him out in the third.

Barriault may need some time off to heal up a rib injury. Cody Brundange fights Rodolfo Vieira in November, and the Canadian could fight the loser sometime in 2023.

Barriault’s next fight: Brundage-Vieira loser

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Tai Tuivasa

Before his loss this past weekend, Tuivasa was on a five-fight win streak that included knockouts over Augusto Sakai and Derrick Lewis. It has been rumored that Stipe Micoc will be fighting Jon Jones later in the year for what fans assume is a number one contender fight. The winner of that fight would likely challenge Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight title and the loser should probably be fighting Ciryl Gane in their next bout.

With that being said Tuivasa does not have many options in the top five of the division. Sergei Pavlovich is currently riding a four-fight win streak. In his most recent fight, he knocked out Derrick Lewis back in July. Pavlovich would make for a perfect opponent for Tuivasa. He is well-rounded and has a very exciting striking style that would make for an explosive matchup with Tuivasa.

Tuivasa’s next fight: Sergei Pavlovich 

Marvin Vettori

Vettori is now 1-1 since losing his title shot against the champion, Israel Adesanya. He has a decision win over Paulo Costa and a decision loss to Robert Whittaker at UFC Paris. In his next fight, Vettori should be looking to solidify himself as the best grappler in the middleweight division. The two best grapplers in the division are Vettori and Derek Brunson who surprisingly enough have not fought yet. Brunson is coming off a knockout loss to Jared Cannonier in February and would love the chance to get back in the win column against Vettori in his next fight. Brunson is fighting Jack Hermansson in December; if that falls apart, or should Brunson win, Vettori would make sense.

Vettori’s next fight: Derek Brunson 

Joaquin Buckley

Joaquin Buckley lost a unanimous decision to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Paris. Buckley looked exceptionally good in the third round but ended up falling short. He is now 5-3 in the UFC and has been knocked out in two of his three losses. In his next fight, Buckley should be looking to fight someone with a big name to keep himself relevant.

Bruno Silva is a world-class kickboxer that is coming off back-to-back losses to Alex Pereira and Gerald Meerschaert. Before that losing streak, Silva was 3-0 in the UFC and has continued to show his expanded striking skills even in his two losses. This match-up would be perfect because it would seem both men need a win to get resigned by the UFC.

Buckley’s next fight: Bruno Silva 

Alessio Di Chirico & Charles Jourdain

Alessio Di Chirico was knocked out by Roman Kopylov this past weekend while Charles Jourdain lost a decision to Nathaniel Wood.

Di Chirico is now 32 years old, and he is 1-5 in his last six fights. Jourdain is 4-5-1 in his time with the UFC but is on a two-fight losing streak.

There is a very big possibility that Di Chirico will be cut following his loss at UFC Paris. A lot of that will likely depend on the possibility of the promotion heading to Italy sometime next year. UFC Senior VP on International and Content, David Shaw, said following the Paris show that while they’d love to go to Italy, they do not have a venue set there.

Jourdain might have another chance in the UFC, but the promotion will probably have to weigh their options before bringing him back. His biggest UFC wins are over Andre Ewell and Lando Vannata. When he fought better guys like Shane Burgos, Julian Erosa, Andre Fili, and Nathaniel Wood, he ended up losing those fights. This could mean he is just not on the level of the top 15 of the UFC’s featherweight division. That said, he puts on exciting fights, and Canadian dates are a goal for the promotion next year. There are plenty of options outside the top 15, however, with Makwan Amirkhani coming off a loss in July.

As for Di Chirico, if he’s kept, a newcomer makes sense.

Jourdain’s next fight: Makwan Amirkhani

Di Chirico’s next fight: A newcomer, or outside UFC

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Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman was ranked first on the UFC’s pound-for-pound list heading into his sixth title defense this past weekend. A loss to Edwards knocks him down the ladder a bit. Although his notoriety as one of the best in the world probably warrants him an immediate rematch. Especially because he was winning the majority of the fight. During his time as champion, he gave both Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal rematches so it is realistic to think the UFC will give him a trilogy against Edwards in his next fight.

Usman’s next fight: Trilogy fight with Leon Edwards

Luke Rockhold

After a Fight of the Night effort, and an infamous scene of rubbing his own blood into Paulo Costa’s face, Luke Rockhold announced his retirement at UFC 278.

Rockhold’s next fight: None

Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo lost a unanimous decision to Merab Dvalishvili this past weekend making him 3-3 since moving to the bantamweight division. Even with father time working against him, Aldo seems to look fresher than ever and ready to make a splash in the division. He just seemed to struggle with the grappling-heavy offense of Dvalishvili. In his next fight, Aldo should be looking to fight someone in the top ten to stay relevant.

Dominick Cruz is coming off a TKO loss to Marlon Vera just a few weeks ago and while he did look good in that fight, he ultimately came up short. A fight between Cruz and Aldo would be a great showcase between two legends of the sport trying to prove they still have what it takes to compete with the best.

Aldo’s next fight: Dominick Cruz 

Wu Yanan and Harry Hunsucker

Wu Yanan got finished in the second round by Lucia Pudilova at UFC 278. This loss puts Yanan on a four-fight losing streak. Hunsucker on the other hand is 0-3 since joining the UFC and just got finished in the first round by Tyson Pedro. So it is very likely the UFC decides to part ways with both fighters. If not, an up-and-coming fighter should be next for both.

Alexander Romanov

Alexander Romanov lost a controversial decision to Marcin Tybura this past weekend. In the first round, Romanov out stuck Tybura 30-0 in the significant strikes category. He also had four minutes and 27 seconds of control time against Tybura’s zero seconds of control time. Romanov got tired and ultimately lost round two and three but two of the judges did not award him a 10-8 round for the first round which led to him losing a majority decision. That loss marks the first of Romanov’s career. In his next fight, Romanov should be looking to fight someone in the top 15 so he can stay ranked and keep climbing the heavyweight rankings.

Blagoy Ivanov is 3-3 in the UFC and is currently ranked 15th in the division. He is coming off a decision win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima in his last fight back in May. Ivanov has great boxing which contradicts Romanov’s grappling-heavy fighting style. A win over Ivanov would keep Romanov in the top 15 and set him up for another big fight down the road.

Romanov’s next fight: Blagoy Ivanov 

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Thiago Santos

Thiago Santos is 1-5 in his last six fights and should be looking to turn it around in his next fight. In 2018 Santos finished Anthony Smith in a two-round war in the middleweight division. Smith is coming off a loss and would love the chance to get a win over a guy like Santos in his next fight. Now, with both of them ranked in the top ten of the light heavyweight division, it is time we see that rematch at a higher weight class.

Santos’ next fight: Anthony Smith 

Vicente Luque

Vicente Luque was finished via strikes for the first time in his career this past weekend. He was insanely tough to put away, but Geoff Neal landed some heavy shots that eventually finished Luque in the third and final round. Luque is now 4-2 in his last six fights but he is currently on a two-fight losing streak. This loss will likely knock him outside the top ten of the division and he should be looking for a big fight that can get him back in the win column.

Neil Magny is 2-1 in his last three fights and is coming off a submission loss to Shavat Rakhmonov in his last fight. Magny’s grappling style and improved striking makes for a great stylistic match-up for Luque. The fight makes sense for both men especially because they have both been with the company for a long time and have managed to not fight each other yet.

Luque’s next fight: Neil Magny 

Augusto Sakai

Augusto Sakai was dominated by Sergey Spivak at UFC Vegas 59. Spivak was able to finish Sakai in the second round after landing a few takedowns and some powerful ground and pound. Sakai is now on a four-fight losing streak after going 4-0 in the UFC prior to that. In his next fight, Sakai should be looking to get back in the win column against a young up-and-comer.

At UFC 279 next month, newcomer, Jailton Almeida will be taking on UFC veteran Shamil Abdurakhimov. Both fights make sense for Sakai for different reasons. If Sakai was to fight Almeida it would solidify that he is still capable of beating young beasts in the heavyweight division. While a fight with Abdurakhimov would be a “fight for your job” type of situation. Abdurahimov is on a three-fight losing streak and if he losses to Almedia it would make four in a row.

Sakai’s next fight: Loser of Almeida versus Abdurakhimov 

Erick Gonzalez

Erick Gonzalez was submitted by Terrance McKinney in the first round of their lightweight bout at UFC Vegas 59. Gonzalez is now 0-2 in the UFC and needs a win in his next fight if he wants to keep fighting for the UFC. He has had a pretty tough run in the UFC fighting veteran Jim Miller, and now McKinney who is one of the best young finishers in the division. In his next fight, Gonzalez should be fighting another UFC newcomer.

Chris Duncan and Charlie Campbell put on a show at last week’s contender series main event. Campbell rocked Duncan early and Duncan came back to knock Campbell out in the first round. Both of these men will be great additions to the UFC’s lightweight division and Duncan should fight Gonzalez in his UFC debut.

Gonzalez’s next fight: Chris Duncan 

Brogan Walker and Zac Pauga

It’s a bit difficult to do any real matchmaking for Brogan Walker and Zac Pauga, because it’s unclear whether the UFC will actually sign the TUF 30 runner-ups. While that has happened in past seasons (Uriah Hall lost in the TUF 17 finale to Kelvin Gastelum, for example), we’ll have to wait and see whether they get an immediate shot in the big show, or need to work their way back.

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Tom Aspinall

Tom Aspinall was 5-0 in the UFC prior to his loss this past weekend, which came about when his knee gave out. Just 15 seconds into the fight, at that. The injury in his knee will ultimately determine how long he will be away from the sport. On one hand, it could be minor enough to only take him out for 6-8 weeks and on the other hand, it could be serious enough to take him out for 6-8 months if not more. If he is able to fight within the next 3-4 months he should probably be looking to fight Blaydes again.

If he ends up having to spend 6-8 months out for his injury, he will likely be looking at someone else inside the top five in his next fight. Later this year it has been rumored that the UFC is looking to book a main event between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. With the winner likely fighting for the belt early next year and the loser looking for a big fight. Tom Aspinall should be returning sometime in the first quarter of 2023 at the latest, hopefully. That means he should be right in line to fight the loser of Jones versus Miocic.

Aspinall’s next fight: Loser of Jones-Miocic 

Chris Curtis

Chris Curtis has over 35 professional MMA bouts in his 13-year professional career. He got his shot at the UFC at UFC 268 in November where he knocked out Phil Hawes. Curtis won three straight in the company before losing this decision on short notice against Hermansson at UFC London. Curtis walks around with crazy knockout power and should definitely be looking for an exciting fight in his next appearance.

Cody Brundage is 2-1 in the UFC and won his last two fights stopping Dalcha Lungiambula and Tresean Gore. Brundage has finished his opponent in seven of his eight wins and has only been finished in one of his two losses. That loss was a knockout against William Knight on the contender series in 2020.

Curtis’ next fight: Cody Brundage 

Jordan Leavitt

Jordan Leavitt was submitted in the second round at UFC London by Paddy Pimblett. Leavitt is now 3-2 in the UFC. He has great grappling and good knockout power but Pimblett was able to outstrike him on the feet and then submit him when they hit the ground. In his next fight, Leavitt should be looking to fight another up-and-coming star in his next bout.

Joe Solecki is 4-1 in the UFC and has seven of his 12 wins by submission. He showed great improvements in his striking in his last win over Alex de Silva. With that being said this fight gives both men an opportunity to climb the lightweight rankings.

Leavitt’s next fight: Joe Solecki 

Alexander Gustafsson

Once almost expected to be an eventual champion at 205 pounds in the UFC, it appears Alexander Gustafsson’s title hopes are shot. If there was a faint glimmer remaining ahead of his return to light heavyweight, his first fight since a failed 2020 heavyweight move, they that glimmer was snuffed out care of a violent finish by Nikita Krylov.

Gustafsson is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, care of his UFC 165 classic with Jon Jones. He’ll go down as one of the great “what ifs” of MMA — what if “That Mauler” had come along at a time that didn’t have Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier? Because second fiddle is a bummer, being the third wheel is even worse.

Gustafsson may not necessarily retire here, but any fights he takes from here on out should be looked at as entertainment. There’s no need to feed him to young, hungry fighters, though the UFC will likely try to anyway. Still, let’s go a different route here: Ed Herman has been around the UFC forever — since 2006, anyway. He holds the active record for the longest uninterrupted stint with the company. He recently had a three-fight win streak snapped, and pulled out of a fight back in February. If “Short Fuse” is good to go, match these two up.

Gustafsson’s next fight: Ed Herman

Hannah Goldy

Women’s strawweight Hannah Goldy just joined Luana Carolina in the Meatball Molly Highlight Reel Club. Once again, McCann pulled off a spinning back elbow at the O2 Arena in London. This time, it set up the TKO finish rather than knocking Goldy out gold, but the end result was the same. Face down on the canvas was not where Goldy wanted to be.

Goldy is now 1-4 in the UFC, with her lone win coming over Emily Whitmire, who is no longer with the promotion. Goldy may suffer the same fate after this loss, but if they keep her around, a fight with the loser of September’s Gillian Robertson vs. Melissa Gatto fight should give Goldy a bit of time to recover from that elbow. Plus, Goldy and Robertson have a history, with Gillian beating her outside the UFC.

Goldy’s next fight: Robertson-Gatto loser

Paul Craig

Paul Craig lost a unanimous decision against Volkan Oezdemir at UFC London. This was his first defeat since his knockout loss to Alonzo Menifeld in 2019. After that loss, he is 5-1-1 including wins over Shogun Rua, Jamahal Hill, and Nikita Krylov. Craig is a dominant grappler but struggles somewhat with his striking. Oezdemir was able to stay on his feet and outstrike Craig for all three rounds. In his next fight, Craig should look to fight a big-name grappler in the light heavyweight division.

Craig will likely be ranked right outside the top ten when the rankings are updated. In his next fight, he should give Nikita Krylov a rematch. Krylov finished Alexander Gustafsson in the first round at UFC London. Krylov is a great all-around fighter having double-digit wins by submission and knockout. He is 1-0 since his loss to Craig in March and is currently ranked right outside the top ten.

Craig’s next fight: rematch with Nikita Krylov 

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Yair Rodriguez

Brian Ortega will likely need surgery on his injured shoulder. The featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, is thinking about moving up and challenging for the lightweight title in his next fight and he is also getting surgery on his hand. Meaning the UFC will probably put together a interim title fight by the end of the year between Rodriguez and fellow title contender Josh Emmett.

Emmett is currently ranked third in the featherweight division. Ranked only behind Max Holloway, Brian Ortega, and Yair Rodriguez. Ortega and Volkanovski are both having surgery and Holloway just lost three straight times to Volkanovski. The booking makes sense if Volkanovski is going to sit for a bit.

Rodriguez’s next fight: Josh Emmett

Amanda Lemos

Amanda Lemos improved her UFC record to 6-2 in Long Island with her submission win over Waterson-Gomez. When the new rankings come out, she will probably be in the top 10. Yan Xiaonan is currently on a two-fight losing streak and ranked fifth in the division.

Xiaonan’s next fight will likely being down in the rankings and Lemos makes for the perfect opponent. Both women have youth on their side and both women have a unique and exciting style of fighting.

Lemos’ next fight: Yan Xiaonan

Li Jingliang

Li Jingliang used some powerful punches and elbows to finish Muslim Salikhov at UFC Long Island. That win makes him 2-2 in the last two years with three of those four fights ending before the final bell.

Michel Pereira is a dynamic striker that is ranked one spot behind Jingliang in the welterweight division. His dynamic striking would be a perfect match-up for the power strikes of Jingliang. The welterweight division is so stacked right now and there are a ton of options for everyone in the top 15. This fight makes sense: it’s downright exciting, and it will be good notch on the winner’s belt when it’s all said and done.

Jingliang’s next fight: Michel Pereira

Matt Schnell

Matt Schnell put himself in the running for Comeback of the Year, and both and Su Mudaerji should be in contention for Round of the Year following a thrilling flyweight scrap at UFC Long Island.

It needs to be said over and over: at one point, the UFC was going to cut this division. Credit to Mick Maynard for turning things around at 125 pounds. Now we get to put on his shoes and book a fight for Schnell. Who, we should add, has had two straight Fight of the Nights in 2022.

Presumably, he fights once more this year. The Alex Perez fight was doomed, and he’s now paired up with Alexandre Pantoja anyway. Moving up the division, Askar Askarov might be coming off a loss, but he’s ranked #3 at flyweight. Let’s see if Schnell can swim with the biggest, most dangerous sharks in the flyweight waters.

Schnell’s next fight: Askar Askarov

Shane Burgos

Shane Burgos won a decision over Charles Jourdain in one of the best fights on the card. Burgos is never in boring fights and puts on a show every time he enters the octagon. In his next fight he should be looking to move up significantly in the rankings.

Dan Ige is ranked three spots ahead of Burgos in the division. He is also on a two-fight losing streak. Ige is known to have a brawler style of fighting and always puts on a show for the fans. This fight would be fireworks from start to finish. If Burgos wins, he pushes himself inside the top ten and Ige likely falls towards the back of the top 15. If Ige wins, he snaps a losing streak and proves himself against a warrior like Burgos.

Burgos’ next fight: Dan Ige

Lauren Murphy

The fact that former women’s bantamweight champ Miesha Tate looked to have lost a step in her flyweight debut shouldn’t take away from the performance Lauren Murphy put on at UFC Long Island. In case there were any doubts, that is why “Lucky” got her title shot.

Having won her first fight back from that failed title bid against Valentina Shevchenko, what’s next for the 40-year old? Time is not on her side, with all due respect. The winner of Manon Fiorot vs. Katlyn Chookagian in September is a likely pick for the next title challenger, at least if it’s Fiorot, who would represent new blood. Chookagian, ranked #1, and Murphy, ranked #3, are in similar spots, with no one really clamouring to see them in a rematch with the champ.

The solution? Pair them up. Murphy and Chookagian first fought back in 2016. There’s been enough time and they’re ranked highly enough that a rematch at least takes one out of contention, and maybe gives an argument for one or the other to get a second shot at gold.

Murphy’s next fight: Katlyn Chookagian, win or lose after her fight with Manon Fiorot

The post What’s Next: UFC Long Island Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

Cowboy’s career has entertained hardcore MMA fans for more than a decade and he should definitely be brought into the UFC Hall of Fame sometime in the future. Not that the UFC Hall of Fame has such things, but Cerrone is pretty much a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Until then, we’ll take a quick look back at a legendary career that spanned over a decade, two weights classes, and became synonymous with the any time, anywhere, anyone attitude that fans came to love.

WEC Days

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has been fighting in the UFC since the WEC merged with the company in 2011. In WEC, Cowboy went 6-3 challenging for the lightweight title in all three of his losses with the promotion — once for an interim belt, twice for the undisputed title. He then entered the UFC defeating big names like Benson Henderson, Edson Barboza, and Eddie Alvarez early in his UFC career. Throughout his career he also earned big wins over guys like Alex Oliveira, Matt Brown, Mike Perry, Alexander Hernandez, and Al Iaquinta.

Cowboy Arrives

Cerrone has certainly lived up to the “cowboy” moniker in his time with the UFC. All throughout his career, he proved himself to be game to fight whenever and wherever. Short-notice fights, main event fights, comeback wins, highlight reel knockouts and submissions. You name it and cowboy did it in his 11 years with the company. He has 38 fights in the UFC octagon winning Fight of the Night six times and Performance of the Night (including its precursors, Knockout of the Night and Submission of the Night), 12 times. He also earned the most Fight of the Night awards in WEC history with five.

Four of his first five fights in the UFC earned post-fight bonuses, and to this day, he remains tied with Charles Oliveira for the most in promotional history. People questioning Cerrone’s Hall of Fame status because he never won a title need only look at those other numbers to see why he’s deserving of the honor.

Big Moments

UFC 206 in Toronto, Canada

At UFC 206, Donald Cerrone fought Matt Brown in the co-main event. Both men fought back-and-forth for two rounds showing incredible toughness. Cerrone found himself on the wrong end of a tight triangle choke in the first round and survived. In the second round, he was almost knocked out wobbling off his feet. Then finally in the third round, Cowboy landed a beautiful head kick that finished Matt Brown.

UFC’s 25th anniversary event in Denver, Colorado

It was only right to have a veteran like Donald Cerrone fight on the company’s 25th anniversary card. That night Cowboy fought Mike Perry in the co-main event. Coming into that fight, Perry was 5-3 in the UFC with four of his five wins being by knockout. Perry came into that fight as the betting favorite even though Cerrone was ranked number 12 in the division and Perry was unranked. Cowboy spent the entire first round trying to take Parry down but ended up being taken down later in the round. It wasn’t long before Cerrone reversed position and submitted Perry via arm-bar with less than 20 seconds left in the round.

UFC Fight Night 59 in Boston, Massachusetts

On this night of January 15th, 2015, Donald Cerrone got his revenge on longtime rival Benson Henderson. Prior to that fight, Cowboy was 0-2 against Henderson with both of those fights being for WEC gold. At UFC Fight Night 59, Cerrone avenged those earlier losses, winning a decision over Henderson and improving his record at the time to 14-3 in the UFC. Although it wasn’t for a title or a big comeback, this win still stands out when talking about Cerrone’s masterful career.

The post The Outlaw Career of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone appeared first on Cageside Press.