A few ranked matchups dotted this card, with the main event featuring a spirited scrap between former UFC flyweight champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Yadong Song, in an important bantamweight bout. Lots of ranked and nearly ranked fighters left picking up the pieces in this edition of losers. All but one of the main card fights ended before the final bell.

Deiveson Figueiredo

(#5) Song Yadong pulled off a guillotine submission victory at the end of the second round in his main event against (#7) Deivesion Figueiredo. Easily the biggest finish of Song’s career, as he pushes Figueiredo to just 1-4 in his last five fights. Figgy has also missed weight in that stretch.

Now 38 years old, Deiveson could be paired up against Raoni Barcelos who is on a 5-fight winstreak and just turned 39 years old at the beginning of May. Barcelos took down a host of names in that run including former UFC flyweight champ, Cody Garbrandt, Payton Talbott, Ricky Simon and Montel Jackson.  Barcelos is 11-4 since signing with the UFC in 2018 and is still a fighter that often times flies under the radar. Solid matchup for both men here that makes sense in the rankings as much as it does in the cage. Backup fight here could be against a fighter like Payton Talbott.

Figueiredo’s next fight: (#14) Raoni Barcelos or (#11) Payton Talbott

Mingyang Zhang

(#15) Alonzo Menifield looked stellar as he weathered an early storm to upset the hometown fighter and turn in a first-round TKO thwarting the unranked Mingyang Zhang. Despite the loss and the first-round stoppage, Zhang still secured the fight of the night bonus, a somewhat rare feat, and a promising sign in the aftermath of a stoppage loss. Mingyang has now lost two in a row. He’s been stopped in both. Johnny Walker got him out of there in two, last August.  Before that, Zhang was 3-0 in the UFC with as many bonuses and finishes. The Chinese born light heavyweight has cooled off considerably since that streak.

With that fact in mind, Zhang should target Jimmy Crute for his next fight. Crute had a fight against Dustin Jacoby scheduled for late January before he tore his ACL. Zhang took some time off after his Johnny Walker stoppage loss- this was the first time we had seen him since that appearance. Perhaps Crute’s comeback and Zhang’s recovery could match up well timing-wise Both have faced Menifield and lost. Crute pulled a majority draw in early 2023 before losing via second round submission to Alonzo, a few months later. Crute is 6-4 with the promotion while Zhang is 3-2. Perfect. Crute is riding a 2-fight win streak but with all the slowed momentum, a fight like this on the main card of a fight night could be more than plausible.

Zhang’s next fight: Jimmy Crute

Tallison Teixeira

(#3) Sergei Pavlovich proved he’s still here to stay within the upper ranks of UFC’s heavyweight division, with his 39 second KO of (#15) Tallison Teixeira on Saturday. The 2024 Contender Series alum now falls to 2-2 with the UFC and has gone 1-2 in his last three. His only win in that stretch was a unanimous decision against a shell of Tai Tuivasa back in January.

Tallison’s next win has to give him legitimacy within the division. Not too much harm done in this loss, as it was a large leap, but he needs that signature win, all the same. Teixeira should fight the loser of Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune. That fight will go down on July 25th, a ways away, but Tallison got stopped anyways.

Tyrell Fortune is a former Bellator standout that is currently 1-0 in the UFC. His debut was a very legitimate unanimous decision victory opposite of Marcin Tybura. Rizvan is 1-1 in the UFC. The 2024 Contender Series product dropped a split decision in his debut to Curtis Blaydes. Rizvan defeated Jaliton Almedia in his last fight back in February before the heavyweight was bizarrely released by the promotion (riding a 2-fight losing skid and 8-3 with the promotion).  Giving Teixeira the loser of this bout makes a lot of since as he’ll likely keep a ranking.

Teixeira’s next fight: (#8) Rizvan Kuniev vs. (#10) Tyrell Fortune loser

Cameron Smootherman

Former Rizin champion, Kai Asakura, finally got into the win column within the UFC Saturday. It took Kai under two minutes to smoke Cameron Smootherman. Smootherman is now on a 3-fight losing skid. He’s 1-3 in the UFC with his only win coming against Jake Hadley (who is no longer with the UFC).

Cameron’s next fight should be against Aoriqileng. Aoriqileng fought and lost on the undercard of UFC Macau. He was also finished with strikes. Aoriqileng is 1-2, 1 NC in his last three bouts. His only win in the stretch came against Cody Gibson who is seated in a bit of a hot seat himself. Cameron has to be careful here. So does Aoriqlleng, who is a 5-year vet of the promotion. He’s 4-5, 1 NC with the UFC. This fight is one of the numerous fights that could be made for a guy like Cameron Smootherman. This division is deep; fans should expect any name here. But Smootherman can’t necessarily afford another loss.

Smotherman’s next fight: Aoriqileng

Carlston Harris

Jake Matthews turned in an excellent body of work in the form of a unanimous decision victory over Carlston Harris on the main card of UFC Macau on Saturday. Jake’s striking was just too much for Carlston who has now lost three in a row and is 4-4 in the UFC since being signed in 2021. Worth mentioning here, but Jake was originally supposed to face Muslim Salikohv before his opponent withdrew from the bout.

Carlston’s next fight should be against Nicloas Dalby. Certainly couldn’t make the case for it to be the absolute best person for Harris to fight but, it’s not absurd. Nicolas turns 42 later this year, while Carlston turns 39 next month. Dalby has had a 10-year stint with the UFC and his 8-5-1, 1 NC during the stint. Nicolas is 1-2 in his last three with his most recent fight being a split decision victory over Saygid Izagakhmaev in November of 2025. Dalby was supposed to take on Jerimah Wells on May 16th before an injury forced him out of the bout. Wells actually faced and was submitted by Harris in the pair’s bout in 2023. Fight could make a lot of sense in this context.

Decent backup would be Victor Valenzuela who is 1-0 with the UFC against Max Griffin, who is no longer with the promotion.

Harris’s next fight: Nicolas Dalby or Victor Valenzuela

(#11) Alex Perez and (#NR) Sumudaerji

The main card of UFC Macau opened with a truly gruesome scene for viewers as the first bout resulted in a no contest after a low blow. Perez was left heaving over a bucket after repeated fouls by Sumudaerji. This was an important matchup as Alex Perez took on an unranked and surging, Sumudaerji- who was riding a 3-fight win streak heading into the cage. Perez, on the other hand, was 1-2 in his last three and coming off of missing weight but getting a victory over Charles Johnson (the last man to defeat Sumudaerji).

This would be a decent one for the promotion to run back.

The post What’s Next: UFC Macau Losers appeared first on Cageside Press.

Asakura ripped a heavy leg kick early, spinning Smotherman around. A head kick followed, with Smotherman staying calm, guard high. A left jab for Asakura landed, and Smotherman finally threw a counter. A combination by Asakura followed, the right hand of which Smotherman! And moments later, Asakura had Smotherman along the fence, hurt, and this time it was a left hook felling Cameron. Smotherman hit the canvas, Asakura hit his fallen opponent a few more times, and the ref rushed in to make the save.

After losing to Alexandre Pantoja in his UFC debut then dropping a follow-up fight against veteran Tim Elliott, it felt as if Asakura, one of RIZIN’s biggest superstars, was on the bubble. The move up in weight appears to have worked wonders, however, with Asakura looking strong from the outset. Smotherman, meanwhile, has now lost three straight fights after dropping decisions to Ricky Simon and Serhiy Sidey.

“I lost two fights, so yeah. I wanted to show how strong I am in the fight,” Asakura said following his first UFC victory. “I believe my striking is best in the world.”

Official Result: Kai Asakura def. Cameron Smotherman by KO, Round 1, 1:50

The post UFC Macau: Move to Bantamweight Pays Off, Kai Asakura Devastates Cameron Smotherman appeared first on Cageside Press.

“This is my first time fighting at bantamweight in the UFC and I’m not cutting as much weight as usual,” Asakura told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.

“So I’m feeling a lot better than usual.”

Asakura (21-6) entered the UFC in 2024 and was immediately thrown into a flyweight title fight against then-champion Alexandre Pantoja. Asakura lost the bout via submission before suffering another defeat against Tim Elliott at UFC 319 last August.

Now he moves up to the bantamweight division in hopes that a healthier weight cut will result in better performances and ultimately victories.

“After I was offered the opportunity to fight for the UFC I was in the rare position of being able to have a title match at flyweight very quickly. I wanted to take advantage of that opportunity,” he said.

“As I thought my weight wasn’t that far off from flyweight, but after fighting at flyweight twice and realizing how severe the weight cut was for me, it just felt more natural to go to bantamweight.”

Despite entering the bout on a two-fight skid, Asakura remains confident heading into his matchup with Smotherman. The former RIZIN star believes his experience against elite competition throughout his career has prepared him well for the challenge ahead.

“I think Cameron’s an excellent fighter, but in my career I have fought many excellent fighters,” said Asakura.

“And some of them have been much better than Cameron so I am ready for this fight. I’m prepared.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Kai Asakura above. He faces Cameron Smotherman at UFC Macau on Saturday.

The post Kai Asakura Says Brutal Flyweight Cut Forced Move Ahead of UFC Macau appeared first on Cageside Press.

Smotherman faceplanted after stepping off the scale and walking across the stage after successfully weighing in for the bout, with media outlets including Cageside Press witnessing the disturbing scene.

Now, in his first statement since the incident, Smotherman has revealed that he had an easy weight cut, and is determined to get to the bottom of what happened.

The post Cameron Smotherman Issues Statement After Fainting at UFC 324 Weigh-In appeared first on Cageside Press.

The post Cameron Smotherman Collapses at UFC 324 Weigh-Ins, Fight vs. Ricky Turcios Canceled appeared first on Cageside Press.

“In the fights that I’ve lost, it’s not that I was getting my ass whooped from pillar to post from bell to bell or anything like that,” Smotherman explained. “Like the worst thing that happened to me is just that I’m getting stalled out. The way to beat me is to not fight me. And so I’m just kind of going back and focusing on those little details.”

In his three-fight UFC career, he not once has looked back at a fight and felt like he was not truly the better fighter. And perhaps it would be easier if that was in fact the case.

“I’ve never lost a fight and just felt like, ‘ah, man, that guy was just better’. It just feels like I didn’t fight,” he said. “I feel like it’d be almost easier to accept just getting beat up – knowing I just wasn’t good enough.”

However, despite being in a bad spot in terms of his recent record, it appears that the UFC still is a fan of “The Baby Faced Killer”. He draws a fight on the very first card of the new platform and in a live arena on top of that. Those facts have him thankful for the opportunity and ready to make good on it.

“I’m still grateful – that makes me at least feel like, okay, they don’t put all the blame on me that these fights, like getting booed is so embarrassing,” Smotherman said. “That’s a nightmare for me. I want to be entertaining and I want to put on a show.”

With that know, his prediction for Saturday is to check a first off for the UFC’s new deal.

“That’ll be the first knockout on Paramount+,” he declared.

You can catch Smotherman‘s bout with Ricky Turcios as part of the UFC 324 prelims on Paramount+. The fight card will begin at 5pm EST this Saturday.

The post UFC 324’s Cameron Smotherman: Sick of Stallers, Ready for a War appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kicking off this UFC 324 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC bantamweight, Cameron Smotherman. Smotherman talks about a fighter’s duty to keep the fights exciting inside the cage and how he looks to bring that to every fight. Plus, he talks about how the UFC has clearly taken notice in his ability to do so as he is once again slated to fight in front of a live crowd this weekend. He share his thoughts on upcoming opponent Ricky Turcios as well as the pressure of being the first fight of the new Paramount+ deal.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC 324 (12:15)

Our wait for UFC fights is officially over! UFC 324 ushers in the Paramount+ era this weekend with the interim lightweight title up for grabs. Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje vie for gold in the main event to see who is waiting in the wings for Ilia Topuria’s belt. Plus, Sean O’Malley looks to take a step back towards gold for himself in the co-main event. He welcomes Song Yadong to the octagon for a bantamweight tilt sure to have the fans on their feet. We’ll break down those fights as well as some of our other favorite fights on the main card. Plus, as always, we’re hitting you with an underdog and a plus-money parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Jonathan Micallef Interview (18:58)

Closing out this UFC 324 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC welterweight, Jonathan Micallef. The Aussie readies himself for his upcoming fight next week down in Sydney. He discusses the frsutration of having to wait for this bout when he was otherwise ready and having months on end to prepare for Oban Elliott. Plus, we take some playful jabs at his size for the welterweight division.

The post TTP Ep. 515: Cameron Smotherman, Jonathan Micallef, and UFC 324 appeared first on Cageside Press.

With Jourdain injured, it was Smotherman facing a bantamweight who had fought a who’s who at 135lbs, including Merab Dvalishvili, Urijah Faber, Raphael Assuncao, and Song Yadong.

Simon opened the preliminary card fight with a leg kick, while Smotherman kept his guard high. Moments later, it was Simon in on a leg, working a takedown. He eventually landed that, with style points, hoisting Smotherman up and slamming him down. Smotherman looked to get to the fence, but Simon was all over him, threading his own leg under his opponent’s. A blatant fence grab followed, drawing a warning from the ref. Simon began working on a crank, and briefly controlled the back before returning to more of a three-quarter position. Regardless, halfway through the round, Simon was clearly in the driver’s seat. Later in the round, Simon was on top, working a straight arm-bar. He then stepped across Smotherman, then mounted him, though Simon couldn’t put the fight away prior to round’s end.

Round two saw Simon get the fight down within the opening 90 seconds, planting an outmatched Smotherman on his back well away from the fence. Smotherman looked, in a word, miserable. Simon was in half-guard, with the opportunity to slice his leg through or perhaps move into side control. Smotherman would get up with two minutes still remaining in the second, but Simon still had a body lock. They’d wrap up the round on the feet, trading, but heading into round three, Ricky Simon was comfortably ahead.

Simon was in on a takedown attempt early in the third; this time, Smotherman was able to stay standing. That allowed him to draw Simon into a standup battle, firing a knee and forcing Simon into a weak takedown attempt that failed. Still, Simon landed a combination of his own shortly after, before changing levels for still another takedown attempt. Smotherman answered that with a choke attempt, though Simon was quickly out of danger. Instead, with 90 seconds to go, he came off the fence with a punch then walked down Simon.

Too little, too late. They headed to the scorecards with Simon comfortably ahead.

Official Result: Ricky Simon def. Cameron Smotherman by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

The post UFC Atlanta: Ricky Simon Cruises to Comfortable Win Over Cameron Smotherman appeared first on Cageside Press.

Enter Cameron Smotherman. “The Baby Faced Killer” Smotherman (12-5) will look to rebound from a recent loss when he faces the far more experienced Simon (21-6) in Atlanta on less than a week’s notice.

Promotion officials confirmed the news following an initial report by Eurosport.

Smotherman was last seen losing a decision to Canada’s Serhiy Sidey in May. He’s now clearly looking to get back on the horse in the biggest way possible. Fighting out of Houston, Smotherman came up short on the Contender Series in 2023 but worked his way up the regional circuit to the UFC regardless, winning his promotional debut against the since-departed (to the PFL) Jake Hadley.

Simon has fought some of the best bantamweights the UFC has to offer, including Merab Dvalishvili, Urijah Faber, Raphael Assuncao, and Song Yadong, among others.

UFC Atlanta takes place Saturday, June 14, 2025 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia with welterweights Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley headlining. The card currently breaks down as follows:

• Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley
• Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick
• Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Petroski
• Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos
• Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Cody Brundage
• Alonzo Menifield vs. Oumar Sy
• Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato
• Michael Chiesa vs. Court McGee
• Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Kris Moutinho
• Cody Durden vs. Jose Ochoa
• Philip Rowe vs. Ange Loosa
• Jamey-Lyn Horth vs. Vanessa Demopoulos
• Ricky Simon vs. Cameron Smotherman

The post Cameron Smotherman Steps in Against Ricky Simon at UFC Atlanta appeared first on Cageside Press.

Exciting matchups and next steps will be produced from this card in the coming weeks and months.

Deiveson Figueiredo

Cory Sandhagen TKO’d Deiveson Figueiredo after the Brazilian was rendered unable to continue via a knee injury triggered by his opponent. The loss puts Figueiredo on a two-fight skid, completely icing the momentum of his three-fight start since moving up to 135lbs. The 37-year-old came into this fight rounding out the top five of the division, potentially fighting in a title eliminator bout, now suffering a devastating injury and possibly a long layoff.

Hopefully Figueiredo makes full and speedy recovery. Looking ahead a good opponent for Deiveson is tough as the timeline for his return is currently unknown. But Figueiredo should return against the winner of Jose Aldo vs Aiemann Zahabi. That fight goes down on UFC 315 Saturday. It might sound crazy. But ideally, Deiveson fights Jose Aldo next as that would be the best matchup. Former flyweight champion versus former featherweight champion. Close in age as well. However, with the knee injury taken into account it may not be reasonable depending on the outcome of the fight at 315. Still, the 37-year-old Aldo could need extra time off depending on how violent the scrap gets though. Currently Aldo is ranked at #11 while Aiemann Zahabi is ranked at #14.

This matchup is a bit out there but depending on how long it takes Figgy to get back in action it may be the best matchup he can get in that moment at 135lbs. Winner would add to legacy status even more, while loser could still hold a low ranking.

Figueiredo’s next fight: Jose Aldo vs Aiemann Zahbai winner/loser

Bo Nickal

Reiner de Ridder melted Bo Nickal in the co-main event of UFC Des Moines, to hand the decorated NCAA wrestler his very first loss in MMA. Bo was smothered in the clinch, softened up with short strikes and a well-timed knee sealed the deal. The performance exposed some cracks in Nickal’s foundation suggesting he is still greener than many expected.

Nickal is a two-time Contender Series competitor that is now 4-1 in the UFC. Bo has just eight MMA fights under his belt, ten if you count his amateur career. Bo needs to slow down in terms of the level of opponents. But at the same time, pick up the frequency with which he competes (if possible).

The winner of Andre Petroski vs. Edmen Shahbazyan would be the perfect next step for Bo. As long as Nickal came out of this fight injury free, that is. Shahbazyan and Petroski are schedule to scrap on June 14, so the timing isn’t the best, but then again, Bo likes some time between fights. Edmen is known for his karate style while Petroski is a grappling heavy fighter. Edmen is 2-2 in his last four bouts. Petroski is 3-1 riding a 3-fight win streak.

Either fighter would be appropriate for Nickal at this stage after the results of his fight with RDR Saturday. Nickal has got to pump the brakes with his ascent and if he can get past Petroski/Shahbazyan winner and potentially get another fight in before the end of the calendar year, he’d be in great shape.

Nickal’s next fight:  Andre Petroski vs. Edmen Shahbazyan Winner

 Santiago Ponzinibbio

Daniel Rodriguez countered and brutally finished Santiago Ponzinibbio in the final round of the pair’s bout on Saturday. Ponzinibbio had flashes of the fighter of old during the fight (the one that ripped off a seven-fight win streak). But after the ‘Argentine Dagger’ was stunned early, he never truly recovered. It was all downhill from there, as they say.

Still think that the best fight to make would be for Ponzinibbio to fight Nicolas Dalby as was mentioned in last week’s edition of Losers, UFC Kansas City. Dalby took part in a back-and-forth brawl before he was sniped and put away by Randy Brown. Nicolas rode a nice win streak of his own in the UFC, ripping off four in a row before his current two-fight skid. Dalby faced Daniel Rodriguez in his third UFC fight winning a decision.  Frankly, Dalby is a tall task for Ponzinibbio at this stage in his career. The one they call “Danish Dynamite” has just that in his hands, and if his last fight outcome proves anything- he’s not afraid to chuck leather. But this is a matchup that if Ponzinibbio is able to get his offense going, is a very winnable fight.

The winner of this proves one would instantly prove they still belong within the division, while the loser could very well find themselves competing for a roster spot in their following appearance.

Ponzinibbio’s next fight: Nicolas Dalby

Daniel Marcos

Montel Jackson edged out Daniel Marcos in a well fought decision on the UFC Des Moines main card Saturday. It was the first loss of Daniel’s 19-fight pro MMA career. The 2022 Contender Series alum is now 4-1, 1 NC with the UFC. Jackson entered the fight ranked at #15 at bantamweight so big opportunity missed for Marcos. Though the 32-year-old didn’t lose too much stock with his performance (besides the 0).

Marcos should fight Said Nurmagomedov next. The two were supposed to fight back in December of last year but Nurmagomedov withdrew. Daniel is now 1-1 since that fight was canceled while Said is 0-1. Nurmagomedov, despite his inactivity, puts on amazing performances every time that he does make it to fight night. Said was last in action against Vinicius Oliveira in February. Even though Said lost a unanimous decision he earned fight of the night honors. It was just the first time Said had made it to the octagon in four scheduled fights.  This fight is guaranteed to have high pace and high action with the winner potentially drawing a fighter on the edge of the rankings (with an impressive finish).

Marcos’s next fight: Said Nurmagomedov

Cameron Smotherman

Serhiy Sidey‘s movement, length, and activity gave Camerson Smotherman all he could handle on the way to “the Baby-Faced Killer’s” first UFC defeat. Cameron pushed the action but couldn’t find the big shot and is now 1-1 with the promotion.  The 2023 Contender Series veteran turns 28 later this year and needs a good win to establish himself within the division.

A good matchup for Cameron’s next fight would be Quang Le. Quang fought on the undercard of UFC Des Moines and snagged a performance of the night bonus for his submission victory over Gaston Bolanos. Le was supposed to fight on the Contender Series last year but was signed to the promotion instead. The win Saturday was Le’s first with the promotion after dropping his first two to Chris Gutierrez and Long Xiao. Despite being 33 years old, Quang has just 11 pro fights (Cameron has 17). This fight would have a high probability of ending with a stoppage, definitely a fan friendly matchup. Also, the timing would matchup as the two fought on the same night. Winner of this matchup would finally gain some stability and be able to look towards fighting a name within the division.

Smotherman’s next fight: Quang Le

Jeremy Stephens

Jeremy Stephens turned in a strong performance on his way to a unanimous decision defeat against Mason Jones to open the UFC Des Moines main card.  Stephens had not graced the UFC octagon since 2021, going 4-4-1 through his nine-fight stint outside of the promotion (boxing, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, Professional Fighters League). The 38-year-old looked just as gritty as ever but just got out-fought, looking a little rusty at times in mixing the arts.

Bangers only for a veteran violence deliverer like Stephens. No way Stephens or fans want “the hardest hitting 155 pounder” to take much of a step back. A fight against the loser of Jared Gordon vs Thiago Moises would deliver an edge of your seat matchup for fans. Gordon vs. Moises are scheduled to fight on May 17 so the timing works out pretty well. Gordon is 8-6, 1 NC with the UFC and 2-3, 1 NC in his last six fights. Moises is 8-6 with the UFC and is 4-2 in his last six fights. Either one of these hard-nosed fighters would produce a slobber knocker with Stephens. Besides, Stephens could very well be in the UFC for a good time as opposed to a long one, so either matchup would produce some stellar highlights. Winner could look towards a name quite a ways from the rankings.

Stephens’s next fight: Jared Gordon vs. Thiago Moises Loser

The post What’s Next: UFC Des Moines Losers appeared first on Cageside Press.