Gabriel Bonfim

After a successful first main event last November, the young Brazilian has now another one, this time against a former champion. While Belal Muhammad is clearly showing his age since winning the belt in July of 2024, a clean, 25-minute sweep on every judge’s scorecard is nothing to sneeze at.

With Ian Machado Garry seemingly set to face Islam Makhachev this summer and Carlos Prates most likely being next in line, guys like Michael Morales and Gabriel Bonfim cannot afford to sit on their laurels. I think a number one contender matchup between 26-year-old Morales and 28-year-old Bonfim, who have a combined 39-1 record would be one of the most exciting number one contender bouts we have had in a while.

Bonfim’s next fight: Michael Morales

Brendan Allen

Most people looked at this matchup wondering what its purpose was. In a fight where Brendan Allen seemingly has everything to lose and very little to gain, he managed to hold serve, winning a Fight of the Night bonus in the process. Though he won his third consecutive fight and was already inside the top5, unless an injury happens and the UFC needs him as a substitute, this win will not grant Allen a title opportunity. Caio Borralho, Joe Pyfer and Gregory Rodrigues are all names that could be thrown at Allen if need be, but I personally landed on Christian Leroy Duncan, should he defeat Jared Cannonier next month.

Allen’s next fight: Cannonier/Leroy Duncan winner

Tom Nolan

In what may have been the most interesting fight on the card aside from the main event, two streaking lightweights under 30 were meeting the feature bout. Despite Fares Ziam coming in with the longer win streak, it was Nolan who came out on top, nearly sweeping the Frenchman on every scorecard. With this win, the Aussie will crack the lightweight rankings and will officially be in the lion’s den. There are a few matchups that make sense, but the one that excites me the most is the winner the Baku main event going down later this month.

Nolan’s next fight: Fiziev/Torres winner

Bryce Mitchell

“Thugnasty” has now won both of his fights at bantamweight since making the move down. He defeated a known commodity in Said Nurmagomedov and has now taken the 0 of youngster Santiago Luna. This division is too deep to give Mitchell a ranked opponent yet as there are a lot of names more deserving of that opportunity. I think Kai Asakura or Charles Jourdain would be great matchups, but I really like the storyline with Aleksandre Topuria. Mitchell lost to Ilia at featherweight, but can he get his revenge on the Topuria family by beating Aleksandre?

Mitchell’s next fight: Aleksandre Topuria

Iwo Baraniewski

In just seven months, Iwo Baraniewski has not only won three fights, but he has made his brand identity very clear with the UFC fanbase. Another name who has proven to be all gas no brakes type of fighter is Abdul-Rahman Yakhyaev, who is favoured to beat Julius Walker later this month. Why not put those two together and see who comes out on top?

Baraniewski’s next fight: Yakhyaev/Walker winner

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Seven finishes and some exciting fights gave those who tuned in something to stick around for, with Ketlen Souza getting the ball rolling with a head kick finish in her rematch with Ariane Carnelossi.

Souza didn’t end up with a Performance of the Night bonus on Saturday, but main card opener Iwo Baraniewski did. His finish of Junior Tafa was set up with a nasty leg kick that spun Tafa right around; a deluge of punches to the downed Tafa followed.

Edgar Chairez picked up the other Performance bonus at UFC Vegas 118, for his submission of Bruno Silva. Set up with a knockdown, Chairez pounced, took the back and locked up a rear-naked choke for the win.

Fight of the Night honors at UFC Vegas 118 went to Brendan Allen and Edmen Shahbazyan, who made up the night’s co-main event. The spirited affair saw Allen come away with a unanimous decision win.

The remaining finishers on the card all pick up $25,000 extra. Those are Souza, Joanderson Brito, Chelsea Chandler, Alessandro Costa, and Bryce Mitchell. Brito called for a bonus after his win, a move that more often than not results in the UFC passing fighters over for a performance bonus.

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A former heavyweight, Tafa was now calling 205lbs home and coming off a win over Kevin Christian back in May. “The Juggernaut,” brother of ex-UFC heavyweight Justin Tafa, was 1-1 in 2026, a year in which he hoped to stay busy.

That desire likely hinged on how Tafa performed against Baraniewski at UFC Vegas 118. The Polish light heavyweight was not only undefeated, but had never left the opening round.

Baraniewski opened the action with a low kick, which Tafa worked his hands and fired a kick, mid-height, of his own. Baraniewski then closed the distance and clinched up along the fence, looking takedown. He could not, however, get the fight down or even keep Tafa pinned to the cage. Instead, it was back to center, with Baraniewski firing more kicks. And after one that stumbled Tada, a second followed that landed with a crack and spun Junior around. He went to the ground, hobbled by the leg kick, which was all the invitation Iwo Baraniewski required to move in for the kill. Punch after punch rained down as Junior Tafa covered up. Ref “Big” Dan Miragliotta didn’t take much convincing to wave the fight off after that.

For Tafa, not the result he was looking for and not one that will see him return soon. Iwo Baraniewski however both remains perfect, and keeps his first-round finish streak alive. He’s now 9-0 as a professional, and called for somebody from the top 15 for his next fight.

Official Result: Iwo Baraniewski def. Junior Tafa by TKO (leg kick and strikes), Round 1, 1:25

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That has brought him to UFC Vegas 118 this Saturday, where he takes on Junior Tafa, a former heavyweight who has found a new home at 205lbs.

Tafa wasn’t the originally scheduled opponent for Baraniewski, however, but rather stepped up when Billy Elekana pulled out. That led to “little changes” in training camp, the Polish star explained this week, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press.

“Little changes, because we must change my sparring partners, and little style of my fight, but everything is normal,” the 8-0 Baraniewski stated.

He recognizes, not surprisingly, the danger the hard-hitting Tafa possesses. “He’s a dangerous striker, he has heavy hands and I must be careful the first part of the fight.”

So will he brawl as he has in his UFC fights thus far, and get things done inside of a round once again? “Maybe not, maybe I might keep safe my head,” suggested Baraniewski.

Later, he added that “maybe I show you my grabbling skills, maybe we do the brawl but I will be careful about my head. I did a lot of work in this preparation in my blocks, in my movement, so I will be ready.”

As far as keeping his first-round finishing streak alive, Baraniewski isn’t sweating it. “I don’t feel any pressure. I know what I must do, and that’s all.”

Iwo Baraniewski has a few solid idols to look up to in Polish MMA, including former UFC champions Jan Blachowicz and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

“I would like to go this way, like Joanna,” he stated, adding “I would like to lead the next Polish UFC champion.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 118 media day appearance by Iwo Baraniewski above.

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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

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

Well, not quite. Still, Brando Peričić will have to settle for a $25,000 finishing bonus, as he was not one of two Performance of the Night bonus winners on a ho-hum card at the O2 Arena in London, England on Saturday.

Instead, it was newcomer Shanelle Dyer and Judoka Iwo Baraniewski claiming Performance bonuses at the Fight Night event. Dyer kicked off the card (almost literally), landing a head kick on a slightly overweight Ravena Oliveira then putting her away with a knee and punches to start the night. That got Londoners on their feet, and seemed to set the table for a big night, only for a couple of plodding decisions to stall momentum throughout the evening.

Peričić and Danny Silva were bright spots and also had TKO finishes on the card, but it was Poland’s Baraniewski who truly stunned, putting away former heavyweight Austen Lane in just 28 seconds in a 205lb scrap.

Fight of the Night honors, meanwhile, went to Mason Jones and Axel Sola. The fight left Sola bloodied and needing multiple stitches, in particular to close up a nasty gash on his face.

All four bonus winners pocket $100,000 for their efforts. Bonuses were announced by UFC CEO and President Dana White at the night’s post-fight press conference. White listed 18,000 in attendance for a $4.5 million U.S. gate.

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Lane was dropping to 205lbs for the first time, after sitting out part of 2025 following surgery stemming from his fight with Vitor Petrino. Baraniewski was looking to streak after a devastating 90 second KO in his UFC debut.

A former star in Judo, Baraniewski was looking to maintain his perfect record in MMA, which was a spotless 7-0 to start the night.

Round 1 – Baraniewski landed a massive overhand right into a left hook to sit Lane down just 25 seconds into the fight. Lane hit the floor immediately and the ref stepped in after a couple ground and pound shots. Baraniewski gets the massive KO win to continue his insane streak of first-round finishes.

The stoppage saw Lane protesting, but his pleas would go nowhere. For Baraniewski, now 8-0, it’s another dazzling win. Speaking with Michael Bisping after the bout, the Polish prospect explained that he had hoped to show some of his judo base in the fight, but the knockout was there to be had instead.

Baraniewski has never gone the distance in MMA.

Official Result: Iwo Baraniewski def. Austen Lane by TKO (punches), Round 1, 0:28

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Fresh off a thrilling Fight of the Night effort at UFC 323, Baraniewski (7-0), a 2025 Contender Series winner, will take on Lane (13-7, 1NC) as part of March’s UFC London card.

Cageside Press confirmed the booking following an initial report by Lowking.pl. The event takes place on March 21, 2026 at the O2 Arena in London, England.

Baraniewski, 27, hails from Warsaw, Poland, and went 3-0 in 2025. That included his DWCS appearance and UFC debut, in a fight with Ibo Aslan that was talked about as a Fight of the Year candidate. Instant splash.

As for Lane, the former NFL defensive end will be making his 205lb debut in the fight. Having spent his fighting career at heavyweight, Lane remains best known as the infamous Greg Hardy’s first opponent on the Contender Series. It took Lane a little longer to make it to the big show, and he’s now on the brink of being shown the door, having lost his last two bouts.

Lane is 1-4, 1NC inside the octagon to date.

UFC London, 2026 edition, is expected to be headlined by featherweight contenders Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy. The card as reported to date breaks down as follows:

• Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy
• Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Roman Dolidze
• Mason Jones vs. Axel Sola
• Iwo Baraniewski vs. Austen Lane

The post Iwo Baraniewski Draws Austen Lane for Second UFC Assignment appeared first on Cageside Press.

The rematch, the final main event of the UFC’s numbered events on ESPN, was a thriller, with Petr Yan showing up in career-best form. On route to evening his career series with Dvalishvili, who was attempting to defend his 135lb title for a record-setting fourth time in a calendar year, Russia’s Yan displayed top-notch takedown defense, and even landed a few takedowns of his own. On top of that, he had the edge in striking, rocking and bloodying Dvalishvili early in the bout.

True to form, Dvalishvili’s cardio never faded, but he soon found himself in an unfamiliar position: fighting from behind. And he never could make up the gap, losing a unanimous decision with the closest score being a 48-47. The remaining two judges, however, scored the fight 49-46.

The win for Yan sets up a trilogy fight, which might be the smart play for the UFC, given how good Saturday’s headliner was.

Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC 323 went to Iwo Baraniewski, who got into a one-round, actually 89-second brawl with Ibo Aslan, and Manuel Torres. Torres put away Grant Dawson in the night’s featured prelim.

All four bonus-winners take home the usual $50,000 U.S. for their efforts (with that number set to rise in the new year).

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Baraniewski was 6-0 to start the night, while Aslan, with nearly three times the experience in professional MMA, had lost his last two bouts.

Iwo, Ibo? The UFC matchmakers seemed to be having fun with this match-up. Fun is what the fight boiled down to, meanwhile.

It didn’t take long for this scrap to turn into complete chaos. They crashed into the clinch early, and Baraniewski rocked Aslan with a short shot that sent him to the mat. He swarmed for the finish, but Aslan fired back and suddenly had Baraniewski in trouble.

Aslan started winging wild haymakers while Baraniewski shelled up on the fence, weathering the storm. Despite the pressure, he stayed composed in the madness and answered with a clean right hand that dropped Aslan.

Aslan got back up and started swinging again, but in the next exchange, Baraniewski clipped him with another right, and the follow-up ground-and-pound finally put him out.

An absolutely absurd fight from start to finish.

Official Result: Iwo Baraniewski def. Ibo Aslan via KO (punch and Ground n’ Pound), Round 1, 1:29

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