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What’s Next: UFC Vegas 111 Losers

Bryson Hester — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 22:14:11 +0000

UFC Vegas 111 on Saturday was another APEX card, this time, featuring just 12 bouts. It was a rare Fight Night main card with just five fights too, with the card featuring no currently ranked fighters. This card also kept the streak going of not having a Fight of the Night. In the main event, Randy Brown was flatlined by Gabriel Bonfim in just two rounds. In the co-main event, Joseph Morales, took less than two minutes to submit UFC vet, Matt Schnell with a guillotine choke. Some tenured fighters with checkered records grace this edition of losers.

Randy Brown

Gabriel Bonfim slumped Randy Brown with a nasty knee to end the UFC Vegas 111 main event in the second round on Saturday. The finish earned Bonfim a performance bonus (though some cried foul) and brings Brown to a 14-7, .500 record, with the UFC. Randy is 1-2 in his last three fights.

Randy’s next fight should be against Andreas Gustafsson. Andreas is just 1-1 with the UFC but has already shown a lot in the octagon. Gustafsson defeated Khaos Willams via unanimous decision in his debut back in June. Rinat Fakhretdinov took less than 60 seconds to stop Andreas back in September. Rinat actually was supposed to take on Gabriel Bonfim earlier this year before withdrawing. Both fighters suffered rough stoppages within a few months of each other and though the timing isn’t optimal, it could definitely work (even if Andreas potentially gets a fight in before the matchup). This would be a good next fight for Brown to get another shot against a decent prospect.

Brown’s next fight: Andreas Gustafsson

Matt Schnell

Joseph Morales snapped up a guillotine to submit Matt Schnell early in the fight in the co main event of UFC Vegas 111. Rough outcome for Schnell as he is now 7-8, 1 NC with the UFC. Schnell essentially saved his spot on the roster back in April with his win over Jimmy Flick, prior to that- Schnell had lost three in a row.

Matt’s next fight should be against Alessandro Costa. Alessandro is a 2022 Contender Series product that has gone 2-3 with the promotion since. Both of his victories have been finishes and performance bonus earning as he’s a high action kill or be killed type of fighter. Costa was last in the cage back in September when he was finished in the final round of his fight with Aiden Coria via strikes.

Schnell and Costa were actually scheduled to fight last September but Costa withdrew from the bout. Matt is now 1-1 while Alessandro is 0-1 since the fight fell through. The matchup should be revisited since it still makes sense and would be a guaranteed banger- though both men aren’t doing so hot with the UFC currently.

Schnell’s next fight: Alessandro Costa

Muslim Salikhov

Uros Medic won a shootout against Muslim Salikhov on Saturday, finding the 41-year-old’s chin and stopping the fight in 63 seconds. The loss snapped a three-fight win streak for Muslim who is now 9-5 with the promotion. Muslim had even earned two performance bonuses during that three-fight win streak.

Khaos Williams would be an excellent next opponent for Muslim to take on. Salikhov is at the do or die point of his career. Gving him matchups such as Uros or Khaos isn’t too much for the “King of Kung Fu” to handle. Khaos is 6-4 within the UFC and is currently on a two-fight losing skid. Williams last fought in June when he dropped a unanimous decision to Andreas Gustafsson. The timing for this matchup, wouldn’t be the greatest, unfortunately. But Khaos shares opponents with Muslim and was supposed to take on Uros Medic himself earlier this year. These two are right in the same wheelhouse and both are extremely dangerous strikers with different styles and weapons.

Salikhov’s next fight: Khaos Williams

Ismael Bonfim

Chris Padilla slowly wore down and beat up Ismael Bonfim before eventually scoring the finish late in round two. With the loss, Ismael falls to 2-3 with the UFC. To add insult to injury, Bonfim missed weight ahead of the bout- by 5lbs., it’s the second time he’s missed weight with the promotion.

Ismael is in a tough spot as he’s dangerously close to falling into the territory of being kept on the UFC roster just to stay in good graces with the other Bonfim brother. Ismael needs to make weight as a jump to welterweight might not be feasible either. Good next fight for Bonfim would be against Bolaji Oki. Bolaji was last in action back in September when he was finished in the second round of his bout against Mason Jones. The 2023 Contender Series veteran is 2-2 with the UFC and has had a similar career to Bonfim, albeit without the weight cutting issues. This would be a solid matchup that’s winnable for Bonfim as long as the weight cut goes well.

Bonfim’s next fight: Bolaji Oki

Marco Tulio

Christian Leroy Duncan put on a masterful striking display before finishing Marco Tulio with a spinning backfist and a follow-up barrage to open the main card of UFC Vegas 111. The finish earned CLD a performance bonus as he handed Tulio just the second loss of his career and his first within the UFC.

Tulio’s next fight should be against Michel Pereira. Despite the outcome on Saturday, Marco remains a bright prospect. Revisiting his cancelled fight from August against Michel- a solid opponent, for a potential back-and-forth slug fest. Pereira is 9-5 with the UFC and has lost his last three, most recently to Kyle Daukus back in August. He’s high-octane thrill, wide open at all times and Tulio would provide an excellent matchup. Not to mention, Pereira has seen some ranked fighters and been ranked himself, solid fight to keep Marco in the mix and against good competition.

Tulio’s next fight: Michel Pereira

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Joseph Morales Shines in UFC Comeback, Submits Matt Schnell in the First Round

Eddie Law — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 01:42:05 +0000

Matt Schnell and Joseph Morales squared off in a pivotal flyweight matchup at UFC Vegas 111 on Saturday night, with both fighters looking to reestablish themselves in one of the promotion’s most fast-paced and competitive divisions.

Schnell (17-9) appeared to save his roster spot with a win over Jimmy Flick in April, snapping a three-fight losing streak. The 15-fight UFC veteran looked to build on that momentum against the TUF 33 winner to extend his UFC tenure.

Morales (13-2) entered his second stint with the promotion after earning his way back by winning The Ultimate Fighter 33. His victory over Alibi Idiris at UFC 319 in Chicago secured both a UFC contract and the TUF crown. Now, he looked to make a statement against the veteran Schnell as he began his climb up the flyweight ranks.

Round 1 – Schnell took control of the center of the cage early, but Morales looked comfortable striking from range until Schnell changed levels and secured a takedown. The advantage was short-lived, as Morales quickly reversed position and transitioned to top side control.

From there, Morales looked to free his left arm to create space for ground-and-pound, but Schnell did well to limit his movement. Morales adjusted, locking up a kimura before smoothly transitioning to a crucifix position, where he began landing sharp elbows.

As Schnell tried to scramble free, Morales snatched a lightning-fast guillotine, forcing the immediate tap.

An outstanding performance from Joseph Morales, who kicked off his second UFC stint in dominant fashion.

Official Result: Joseph Morales def. Matt Schnell via R1 SUB (Guillotine), 2:54

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Matt Schnell Reflects on No Longer Being the “Young Gun” Ahead of UFC Vegas 111

Jay Anderson — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:26:54 +0000

“Tumultuous,” “tough,” and “a little bit up and down.” That’s how Matt Schnell described fight camp ahead of UFC Vegas 111, where he faces off against

“I think when with you train with good guys, good young guys that are trying to take you out, sometimes you’ll have tough days,” Schnell (17-9, 1NC) admitted during this week’s UFC Vegas 111 media day. “It’s part and parcel with the whole thing. It’s been good, I’ve enjoyed this training camp and grown quite a bit. And feel like we’re right on time. Right on time. Let’s go.”

Schnell, 35, has migrated to the veteran’s role, and the shift has seemingly taken him by surprise.

“I used to be the young gun. That’s a wild thing, I say that to the boys all the time. Because I was, I was the young gun, I was the guy, and now I look around, I’m the oldest guy on the mat. And ain’t that something. A couple months ago, a year or two ago, I would have felt bad about that or something, but it’s a blessing. Those guys keep me young, so shout out to all my goofy training partners. I’ll be back Monday, strangling your face.”

Saturday’s fight with Joseph Morales is at flyweight, where Schnell has spent most of his career. The weight cuts, despite being in his mid-30s, are under control it seems. “I’m doing better with it now,” he stated.

“Seems like, I don’t know. It’s just like my body’s adjusted. It felt like there for a little bit, it was doing the opposite. It was holding on to a lot of weight.” Between fights and fight camps, Schnell’s bodyweight was fluctuating a fair bit, but that’s no longer the case. “I can’t say that I’ve made many changes.” He stepped away for a bit, flirting with retirement, and relaxed. “I don’t know. I don’t know how to explain it, but we’re doing better.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 111 media day appearance by Matt Schnell above.

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Joseph Morales Says Son Has Been Begging Him For A Bloody Fight Since TUF

Patrick Danna — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:09:04 +0000

TUF 33 flyweight champion ‘Bopo’ Joseph Morales hasn’t had much change since winning the show. Apart from a few instances when people recognized him in public and gave his son the “wrong” idea.

“I was at In-N-Out and I was eating. I was about to take a bite, and this guy comes over and he’s like, ‘Hey, you fought in the UFC, great fight.’

“My son, he just tells me I’m famous. And I try to tell him no, we’re not famous.”

Despite Morales’ pleas that he was not actually famous, multiple instances of people recognizing him painted a different story.

“His thing is ‘If I do good at football or win my jiu jitsu tournaments, I’ll get recognized.’ He’s more excited than I am to be recognized in those weird spots.”

With this newfound attention came a realization that he was now more of a role model. Morales hopes to lead his children down the right path while accomplishing his goals.

“This is why I do these things. I don’t fight for money, I fight for the glory of it. I want to show that I am one of the best fighters in the world. And for him to be proud of me no matter what.”

“I want to show him how to go after his goals. He says he wants to be a professional athlete. I gotta lead by example.

Morales has another chance to make his family proud on Saturday, when he faces Matt Schnell in his UFC debut. ‘Bopo’ gave a lot of respect to his opponent and sees the fight as the perfect opportunity to grant another one of his son’s wishes.

“He’s dangerous everywhere; his striking is great. Every fight he’s been in is a bloody mess.”

“My oldest son has been bugging me for a bloody fight since I left the show. He’s kinda been on my a** about it. He’s like, ‘you gotta make ’em bleed.’

“He was upset that I didn’t have any blood in any of my fights on the show. As long as I’m not the one bleeding, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Joseph Morales above. He faces Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Vegas 111 on Saturday night.

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UFC Kansas City: Matt Schnell Snaps Skid, Beats Jimmy Flick in Fun Flyweight Scrap

Jay Anderson — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 01:10:26 +0000

The lone flyweight fight on the UFC Kansas City card found Jimmy Flick facing Matt Schnell, a bout that also served as the night’s featured prelim.

Coincidentally, both 125’ers had previously walked back retirements from the sport. Both men also entered the fight off losses, though it was Schnell, having lost three straight, in the more precarious position of the two.

Just past a minute in, Flick was grabbing for a leg, though Schnell pulled away. Still, sloppy as the sequence might have ended, it allowed Flick to string together a second attempt, and get Schnell seated against the fence. With Schnell unable to escape, Flick moved to side control briefly, but soon found himself having to contend with a triangle attempt.

Round two saw Flick get the fight down early, going to work from half guard. He worked to step over, with Schnell cramped up against the fence, adding to the challenge. Schnell would have to contend with a choke, but did manage to reverse and get on top later in the round. A huge moment for Schnell, but that didn’t last, and then it was Jimmy Flick jumping the guillotine. Schnell survived, got back on top and began dropping elbows, forcing Flick to shoot for a leg.

At the end of the round, ref Dan Miragliotta mistook the 10 second clapper for the bell, the second time that had happened at UFC Kansas City. Either way the true end did come ten seconds later. In the second, Flick was bloodied, and Schnell found the opening to go after a guillotine of his own, but was unable to land it. Flick then took the fight to the fence, looking for a takedown then threatening with a guillotine, which was quickly becoming both men’s weapon of choice. Schnell would work to the back at the end of the round, putting on a body triangle, but was slipping off and couldn’t quite find the choke.

A wild, competitive fight in the end went to the scorecards, where Schnell took it with 29-28 scores from all three judges. That’s his first UFC win since 2022.

Official Result: Matt Schnell def. Jimmy Flick by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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What’s Next: UFC Vegas 97 Losers

Jay Anderson — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 19:08:19 +0000

The UFC was back in action at the Apex in Las Vegas for UFC Vegas 97, where Sean Brady picked up a decision win over Gilbert Burns in the main event. Natalia Silva collected her own decision over Jessica Andrade in the co-headliner, leaving two high-profile UFC stars in need of regrouping. We’ll play a little matchmaker now and see what comes next for those and other fighters who struck out on the main card.

Gilbert Burns

At 38-years old, Gilbert Burns is on the tail end of his career. That’s just the reality of it. After challenging for welterweight gold in 2021, Burns is 3-4 in the promotion. That’s not dreadful, but three of those four losses have come about consecutively across his last three fights.

Burns is unlikely to ever get another crack at gold, and the UFC being the UFC, will likely now be booked against a number of younger stars, much like Brady. If they do go that route, it wouldn’t be surprising to see someone like Michael Morales booked against Burns. Unfortunate, but not surprising. That said, the man Morales just beat, Neil Magny, is the preferable option here. He remains ranked, at #15, and has been trading wins and losses the past few years. He’s 37. He did lose to Burns in January 2023, but if you book this, say, four months on down the line, that’s two years between fights, and not the worst rematch. Preferable to feeding the old(er) to the young.

Burns’ next fight: Neil Magny rematch

Jessica Andrade

Former women’s strawweight champ Jessica Andrade is far from old, but she’s got a lot of mileage on her these days, and a lot of outside distractions. Ahead of UFC Vegas 97, word broke that she was suing a former coach for embezzling millions of dollars. Previously, she tried her hand at OnlyFans, only to see explicit photos leak to the public.

Despite having two straight wins at strawweight, Andrade returned to flyweight at UFC Vegas 97, only to lose a decision to Natalia Silva. In all honesty, if she can handle the weight cut still, the move is still strawweight. And if you kind of discount the loss at 125lbs, she’s still a player there, and has yet to face another fellow Brazilian in Amanda Ribas. Coincidentally, Ribas also just dropped a fight at flyweight, to Rose Namajunas, but before that had a win at strawweight. Book these two, 115lbs, and maybe have them stick with strawweight for the time being.

Andrade’s next fight: Amanda Ribas

Kyle Nelson

What an unfortunate turn of events for Kyle “The Monster” Nelson. Sitting on a solid win streak, the unranked featherweight had been granted a shot against a big name in Calvin Kattar, only for Kattar to drop out of UFC Vegas 97. Steve Garcia stepped in, Nelson missed weight, and to add insult to injury, Garcia picked up the TKO victory.

Now, there’s an argument to be made that Garcia deserves the Kattar fight. As for Nelson, he’ll have to lower his aim a fair bit. Jamall Emmers could fit the bill; he’s coming off a loss to Nate Landwehr, and has been trading wins and losses of late.

Nelson’s next fight: Jamall Emmers

Matt Schnell

Fare thee well Matt “Danger” Schnell. The flyweight left his gloves in the octagon following a third consecutive loss at UFC Vegas 97, in this case to Cody Durden. We all know what that means.

Schnell’s next fight: retirement

Trevor Peek

A 2022 Contender Series winner, lightweight Trevor Peek fell to 2-3 under the UFC banner this past Saturday, taken to a decision by Yanal Ashmouz. He’s now lost two straight and three of his last four, and this early in his career with the 2024 Contender Series underway, that could be a death sentence (or more accurately a pink slip).

Should the UFC keep Peek around for another shot, an incoming Contender Series fighter wouldn’t be a bad call. Peek’s fought three to four times a year the past few years, so one more towards the end of 2024 isn’t a bad idea, against an early DWCS Season 8 winner looking to make a quick debut.

Peek’s next fight: 2024 DWCS winner

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Cody Durden Brawls, Catches Anaconda Choke For Win

Eddie Law — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 23:56:38 +0000

UFC APEX – Losing streaks are never fun, but must-win bouts can be as flyweights turned into bantamweights when Matt Schnell and Cody Durden fought at UFC Vegas 97.

Schnell (16-8) lost his original opponent just days before UFC Vegas 97 and was lucky Durden was able to step up. The short-notice bout comes as Schnell needs a win coming in with a two-fight losing streak dropping fights to Matheus Nicolau and Steve Erceg.

Durden (16-6-1) took the short-notice opportunity to end his own losing streak coming off losses to Tagir Ulanbekov and Bruno Silva.

Round 1: These guys showed up to take someone’s head off! Big shots traded seconds in and for the first couple minutes it was rock em’ sock em’ robots. Durden kept landing big right hooks until he ate one that clearly rang his bell for a second.

Durden kept landing nasty right hooks that rocked Schnell, but Schnell refuses to back up. Schnell began to mix it up landing calf kicks along with big shots up top. He began to avoid some of the bigger swings from Durden. Schnell ate a right hand and got a cut around his left eye. The round ended with a Durden right hand landing.

Round 2: Schnell came right out with a left hook that landed and forced Durden back. Then he shot in for a takedown and Durden grabbed the ninja choke and forced the tap!

The short-notice risk by Durden pays off big at UFC Vegas 97.

Note: Matt Schnell left his gloves inside the octagon and walked out after the decision was read. This may have been it for Schnell.

Result: Cody Durden def. Matt Schnell via R2 SUB (Anaconda Choke), 0:29

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What’s Next: UFC Vegas 87 Losers

Jay Anderson — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 17:27:20 +0000

It was a rough, rough night at the office for several key members of the UFC Vegas 87 card on Saturday. Those included card opener Matt Schnell, co-main event star Tyson Pedro (who retired following his loss to Vitor Petrino), and headliner Shamil Gaziev, who some have accused of quitting in the fight.

There’s a lot to unpack before we get to what comes next for these athletes, so let’s get to work!

Shamil Gaziev

In the eyes of many a fan and pundit, Shamil Gaziev was the heavy favorite heading into UFC Vegas 87, where he faced Surinamese kickboxer Jairzinho Rozenstruik. A lot of that likely came down to Gaziev’s undefeated record, but looks can be deceiving. There are a lot of 0-0, 1-0, and 2-0 records belonging to the Bahraini’s opponents on his resume; through his first seven fights, he didn’t face anyone with more than five fights’ worth of experience, and even that was an outlier. Pro fight number seven, Gaziev was fighting someone making their pro debut.

A lot of that matchmaking comes down to where Shamil was competing and how thin heavyweight is. So not knocking him, just the reality is, not all undefeated records are created equally. Even when he got to stiffer competition, Darko Stosic is barely a heavyweight (he fought at 205 in the UFC).

As for Gaziev quitting in this fight, it comes down to an argument between fighter and corner about being unable to see between rounds. Here’s what quashes the quitting argument: at the end of it all, Gaziev appeared ready to soldier on for the fifth round. Nor was he trying to get the ref’s attention, as he wasn’t speaking English. Credit to ref Marc Goddard for having the presence of mind to a) recognize something was wrong and b) demand the translator explain what was going on. He made the right call in stopping the fight. Gaziev made the right call in telling his corner. The only fault really is his corner urging him to carry on with impaired vision, but even that is understandable in the heat of the moment.

Ultimately Shamil will now regroup and probably needs a slower path up the division. He was exposed pretty badly by Jair Rozenstruik’s jab, and there are obvious cardio issues. When Gaziev is ready to rumble again, let’s go with someone outside of the rankings. The loser of Josh Parisian vs. Olympian Robelis Despaigne at UFC 299 works.

Gaziev’s next fight: Josh Parisian vs. Robelis Despaigne loser

Tyson Pedro

Australian light heavyweight Tyson Pedro retired after his loss to Vitor Petrino, so we don’t need to do any matchmaking for him. But Pedro’s retirement has sparked the fighter pay debate yet again, just over six weeks out from the UFC heading to the biggest fight in company history: not UFC 300, but an antitrust lawsuit that sees them risking the loss of over a billion dollars, and the possibility that some of their business practices be deemed illegitimate.

Since fighter pay is no longer disclosed in Nevada, it’s hard to say what Pedro made on Saturday. That’s a black mark on the Nevada Athletic Commission, which never should have caved to pressure from promoters to hide fighter pay behind the curtain (in short, fighter’s no longer have a point of reference as to what their peers make when negotiating contracts with the promotion, and it keeps the unseemly low pay of high level athletes out of the public eye). But in 2023, Pedro fought twice, going 1-1. Right off the bat, that means he earned 75% of his potential salary, because of the show/win system. Beyond that, he had travel expenses, gym fees, and taxes. While Pedro cited the need to be with his family as a factor in retiring, he also joked that he’d need to mug someone in the parking lot after losing half his paycheck on Saturday.

This is a very bad look for the UFC, though the usual pack of dimwits rushed to Dana White’s defense, blaming Pedro for accepting a bad deal. That brings us back to the antitrust suit, which alleges the UFC used their market dominance to force a bad deal on pretty much everyone. At least from 2011 to 2017. Pedro joined the promotion in 2016, so he is part of the class period and entitled to compensation should the outcome favor the fighters. But that fact is, it’s 2024, and entry-level UFC fighters are making the same money they were a decade ago, despite soaring inflation. Mid-tier fighters barely earn enough to squeak by. Playing in the Canadian Football League gives you a more reliable paycheck than the UFC at this point. It’s shameful.

And the timing is really, really bad for the UFC, as it just reminds everyone of the upcoming lawsuit, as settlement talks remain ongoing.

Pedro’s next fight: Retirement

Alex Perez

Ex-flyweight title challenger Alex Perez looked decent in a loss to top-flight prospect Muhammad Mokaev at UFC Vegas 87, and some have suggested he even exposed “The Punisher” to some degree. Let’s not get too crazy, but it was a competitive fight. Perez doesn’t lose too much shine from the loss itself, but rather from having dropped three straight, and his lack of activity, fighting three times in four years.

This would be a good time to rebook the Matt Schnell fight. It’s fallen through more than once, it feels like there’s unfinished business there, and Schnell fought and lost on the same card.

Perez’s next fight: Matt Schnell

Bekzat Almakhan

You land your UFC debut, and it’s against Umar Nurmagomedov. Man, what a gut punch. But Bekzat Almakhan didn’t hesitate, where a number of UFC veterans did. Credit to the Kazakh for taking the fight, and even knocking down Nurmagomedov early in the bout. He was dominated from there, but let’s see how he looks against someone not from the Nurmagomedov clan before we pass judgement.

Daniel “Willycat” Santos is 2-1 in the UFC and doesn’t have a fight booked. Let’s see how that goes.

Almakhan’s next fight: Daniel Santos

Matt Schnell

Matt Schnell was flatlined by Steven Erceg in the UFC Vegas 87 card-opener. That’s something you don’t see often at flyweight. Now seems like the perfect time to get that fight with Alex Perez back on the books, as we’ve already discussed. They both lost on the same night so the timing works out, though Schnell might need a slightly longer layoff to heal up.

Schnell’s next fight: Alex Perez

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UFC Vegas 87: Flyweight Steve Erceg Scores One-Punch KO Of Matt Schnell

Jay Anderson — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 21:32:37 +0000

Flyweights Steve Erceg and Matt Schnell kicked off the UFC Vegas 87 main card on Saturday, with Schnell returning from a fifteen-fight layoff.

A bit of a feeling out process played out in the night’s first flyweight bout, with Erceg looking to find his timing. Roughly 90 seconds in, he seemed to, landing a couple of shots in a combination while slipping some of Schnell’s own counters. With Erceg picking his spots well, and mixing up his attacks, Schnell was soon busted up, bleeding around his left eye. Erceg then wobbled Schnell a couple of times, but Matt wasn’t ready to go away quietly, and answered back by landing a couple of strikes of his own.

In the final minute, Erceg changed levels for a takedown, which Schnell defended and Steve Erceg bailed on.

Round two, Steve Erceg didn’t need to bail on anything, because he turned out the lights on Schnell. The left hook connected clean, and Schnell dropped to his back, out of it. A one-punch KO at flyweight, and the first finish for Erceg in the UFC. Following the win, he called out former champ Brandon Moreno. The Australian has also won 11 straight fights.

Official Result: Steve Erceg def. Matt Schnell by KO, Round 2, 0:26

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What’s Next: UFC Orlando Losers

Jamie Theodosi — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 16:30:51 +0000

Fight fans got their wish this weekend, as the UFC finally returned with a live show outside of the energy zapping Apex, returning to Orlando for the first time in three years.

In the UFC Orlando main event, fan favorites Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland locked horns in what turned out to be one of the best fights this calendar year. Let’s take a look at what could be next for the losers of the blockbuster event.

Kevin Holland

“Big Mouth” and Thompson came into this fight with a huge amount of respect for eachother, and it actually made for an extremely wholesome lead up to their fight. Since his UFC debut in 2018, he has been the most active fighter in that time frame, with this fight marking his 17th fight in that four year period. Last time out, he was facing the almost impossible task of fighting Khamzat Chimaev on short notice, with this matchup with Thompson being a more favourable one for him.

The fight that proceeded to play out was one of the best this year. A back and fourth standup affair, exactly as both men said it would be. Holland struggled to get anything going outside of round 1 and admitted that “Wonderboy’s” speed took him completely by surprise. As he always does, Thompson used his lengthy strikes almost impeccably with his arsenal of kicks causing Holland a whole lot of problems. Whilst on the stool after round 4, Holland asked his cornermen to take off his right glove as he feared his hand was broken. Props to his team as they did just that, telling Dan Miragliotta that their fighter could not continue.

Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Kevin Holland, UFC Orlando weigh-in Credit: Youtube/UFC

Although this fight didn’t go the 30-year-olds way, there is still a lot for him to give in the welterweight division. I’d like to see Holland take a much needed long hiatus to recuperate and heal up properly, instead of jumping back into the fire too soon.

Holland was scheduled to take on Daniel Rodriguez before he ended up being matched up with Chimaev on short notice, and that is a fight that could now make sense again, with both fighters coming off a loss.

Kevin Holland’s Next Fight: Daniel Rodriguez

Bryan Barberena

Coming in off three consecutive impressive victories, “Bam Bam” Barberena was hopeful he could take out yet another legend of the sport. Unfortunately for him though, Rafael dos Anjos continues to roll back the years with perfect performances.

Barberena’s hope was that he could keep the fight standing, and out-box dos Anjos, like he has in his last three outings. The Brazilian’s well roundedness though, was too much for Barberena, and it will now see the Californian fight back down the rankings, instead of possibly finding himself with a number next to his name.

A standup affair between Barberena and Salikhov could be phenomenal for fight fans.

Bryan Barberena’s Next Fight: Muslim Salikhov

Matt Schnell

In this case, Schnell came up short, a lot like his hair, and now finds himself with three losses in his last four fights. Nicolau has pushed himself ever closer to the title picture after the impressive win, but as for Schnell, the next fight is one that is going to have to be well planned.

Coming in off the amazing come from behind victory against Sumudaerji, spirits were high for Schnell, and he believed he had enough tools to dispatch of the streaking Nicolau. The cut to 125lbs is something fight fans are always wary of when it comes to Schnell, as on the scales, the flyweight looks extremely drained. That was no different this time out, and it took a quick haircut change to cut the last 0.5lbs. Unfortunately for him though, the cut may have already took its toll on him, and Nicolau’s skill was too much for him to handle.

Brit, Muhammad Mokaev, is constantly calling out top 10 fighters, so why not Matt Schnell?

Matt Schnell’s Next Fight: Muhammad Mokaev

Tai Tuivasa

A quick Tuivasa turnaround turned out to be not the most sensible of things to do. Especially when you factor in just how powerful Sergei Pavlovich is. Pavlovich now holds the record for the most knockdowns per 15 minutes with 6.67, over two more than second place. Tuivasa though, has admitted that he doesn’t want to fight in Perth in February, and wants to take off some much needed time.

Tai Tuivasa, UFC Orlando Media Day. Credit: UFC/YouTube

The top of the heavyweight division is arguably the most exciting it has been in a very long time, and that is due to fighters like “Bam Bam” Tuivasa. British fighter, Tom Aspinall, will be making his much anticipated return from injury, hopefully in the first quarter of the new year. Tuivasa vs Aspinall on the undercard of the British card in March could make a lot of sense for all parties.

Tai Tuivasa Next Fight: Tom Aspinall

Jack Hermansson

Unfortunately for Hermansson, he was once again facing a late change of opponent, and ultimately, that in itself doesn’t help proceedings.

Factor in that the change in opponent was a terrifying Roman Dolidze, coming in with a lot of momentum. On paper, the consensus was that Hermansson held the advantage when the fight ended up on the mat. That assumption though, was wrong. After some beautifully executed sweeps from Dolidze, Hermansson soon found out, that Dolidze is definitely a contender at 185lbs.

Picking Hermansson’s next opponent becomes relatively tough, factoring in that he will still have a number next to his name, and isn’t getting any younger. A fight with Andre Muniz could possibly be on the horizon.

Kyle Daukaus

Kyle Daukaus couldn’t get his wrestling game going this past weekend against Anders, and ultimately struggled to deal with Anders’ athleticism.

In round 1, Daukaus looked as though he was just trying to find his rhythm in the fight, and his striking looked fast and accurate. The power of Eryk Anders though is always present, and in round 2, Daukaus was on the receiving end of that power.

Andre Petroski is a fighter who is growing in name value, and it may be time for him to up his level of competition. A fight between these two men could be beneficial for whoever the victor may be.

Niko Price

Niko Price continues to be must see TV. Whenever “The Hybrid” fights, you know it has the potential to be fight of the night. His fight with Phill Rowe was no different.

Going into the third and final round, Price knew that he most likely needed a finish to win the fight, as the scorecards wouldn’t be in his favour. In true Price fashion, he came out swinging, and has Rowe extremely compromised. The 33-year-old put his all into getting the finish, and when it didn’t come, found himself weathering. The power of Rowe took its toll and he managed to get Price out of there in the final round.

A fight with Trevin Giles would be a whole lot of fun.

Niko Price’s Next Fight: Trevin Giles

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