We’ve got a little bit of everything on this edition of Losers matchmaker, from fighters likely facing the promotional axe to fighters suffering their first ever loss.

Lerone Murphy

(#1) Movsar Evloev relied on his endless gas tank and grappling base to narrowly edge out (#3) Lerone Murphy via majority decision in the main event on Saturday. The loss was Lerone’s first of his entire pro MMA career and his UFC record now falls to 17-1-1.

Given how this one went down, five rounds, close fight, Murphy took some damage with at least an injured hip and a nasty gash. Best pairing here would be to match him up against the loser of Steve Garcia vs Diego Lopes.  That fight goes doesn’t go down till mid-June, so it’d give Lerone plenty of time put still present a worth adversary.

If Diego loses, he’s lost three of his last four yes, but two of those being matchups against the Volk for the belt. If Steve loses, he’s still ripped off a seven-fight win streak with six finishes, with one stumble against a highly ranked guy. Both fighters would add nothing but legitimacy to Murphy’s already stellar record and present a good amount of time to heal up. Easy main event of a Fight Night or on a main card of a numbered event.

Murphy’s next fight: Steve Garcia vs Diego Lopes Loser

Michael Aswell Jr.

Luke Riley landed the more damaging shots on his way to a unanimous decision victory over Michael Aswell Jr. in the co main event of UFC London. Aswell was landing punches, but Riley was able to walk through them and return shots that forced big reactions out of Aswell. Michael is now 1-2 in the UFC since being signed and making his promotional debut on short notice last May.

Michael should take on either Kurtis Campbell or Yi Zha. Just depends on if it the matchmakers want to give Campbell another tall task or a more manageable one. Michael Aswell is no easy fight in the featherweight division, but he is a fight that’d be on Campbell’s level. A good back up would be Yi Zha. Yi Zha is 1-2 with the UFC after coming off of Road top UFC in 2023. He’s lost two of his last three fights with his lone victory coming against Westin Wilson who is no longer with the promotion.  Yi Zha does have over 30 pro fights despite his 1-3 UFC record, so it’s a good challenge for Aswell.

Aswell’s next fight: Kutis Campbell or Yi Zha

Sam Patterson

Michael Page out pointed Sam Patterson on Saturday in a very disappointing and lackluster standup affair. Despite the fight not living up to the hype, Patterson still logged a loss, which was his second in the UFC. Sam was actually riding a four-fight win streak where he had stopped every opponent in round one. Tough break for the 29-year-old 2022 Contender Series alum as he losses all his momentum and slips to 4-2 with the UFC.

Good next fight for Sam would be for him to take on Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani. Jean-Paul is a 2025 Contender Series vet that is 1-0 with the promotion. He defeated Phil Rowe in his debut back in February via split decision. Rowe was cut after the bout, though it’s worth mentioning that he did miss weight. Jean-Paul was supposed to draw former Bellator standout, Austin Vanderford in his UFC debut, before Austin withdrew. So obviously, the matchmakers expect a lot out of him. Patterson seems like an excellent matchup for Lebosnoyani, despite coming off of a loss.

Patterson’s next fight: Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani

Austen Lane

Iwo Baraniewski starched Austen Lane in under 30 seconds to earn a performance bonus on the main card of UFC London on Saturday. Terrible showing for Lane who had been out of the octagon for nearly a year and was making his debut at 205lbs. Lane now has the incredibly ugly UFC record of 1-5 with 1 no contest. Lane’s lone win, and the reason why he’s still with the promotion, came in October of 2024 when he derailed the hype train that was Robelis Despaigne by logging a unanimous decision victory.

Lane should fight the loser of the Brendson Ribeiro vs. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev fight. That fight goes down on April 4th so potentially the timing could work. If Ribeiro loses it’d be perfect as he’d be 2-5 with the UFC. If Abdul were to lose, he’d be 1-1 with the UFC. This is also assuming that Lane stays with the UFC and at 205lbs.

Lane’s next fight: Brendson Ribeiro vs. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev Loser

Roman Dolidze

Christian Leory Duncan looked quick and dangerous on the way to his unanimous decision victory over Roman Dolidze on Saturday. The loss is devastating for Dolidze as CLD entered the fight unranked while Roman was ranked at #11 in the middleweight division. Even worse, Dolidze is now riding a two-fight losing streak and is 9-5 within the UFC. Dolidze’s other loss was to Anthony Hernandez via submission in August of last year.

Little bit of a weird pick here but it could make sense. Jared Cannonier. Cannonier hasn’t fought since last August when he lost a unanimous decision to Micheal Page. He’s lost three of his last four fights despite being ranked at #10 in the division currently. Jared recently turned 42 and is likely looking upwards in the rankings for fights. But the two were matched up to fight in 2023 before Cannonier injured his knee, cancelling the bout. Cannonier is 1-3 since then with a win over Gregory Rodrigues in February 2025. Dolidze is 2-3 in the division (3-3 total) in that time period. Still could be main card territory of a fight night, especially if Dolidze stays in the rankings.

Doldize’s next fight:  Jared Cannonier

Kurtis Campbell

Danny Silva kicked off UFC London’s main card with a bang on Saturday, as he flattened undefeated Kurtis Campbell in “The Pink Panther’s” UFC debut. The loss was the first of 23-year-old Liverpool native’s pro MMA career as he falls to 8-1.

The UFC obviously expect a lot out of the youngster as Silva went the distance with newly ranked featherweight, (#10) Kevin Vallejos, last August. ‘The Pink Panther’ should take on Michael Aswell Jr or Kaan Ofli. Michael lost earlier on the card to an undefeated prospect, so it’d be right up his alley.  Or if the UFC wants to continue to push the youngster they could match him against Kaan Ofl. Kaan is 2-2 with the UFC. Olfi is an The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 runner-up, and even though he’s riding a two-fight win streak, one of those fighters is no longer with the promotion (Ricardo Ramos).

Campbell’s next fight:  Michael Aswell Jr. or Kaan Ofli

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Fighting at home, the Brit had acknowledged during Fight Week the trust the UFC had placed in him, giving him co-main event billing in just his second assignment with the promotion. Aswell, for his part, was 1-1 under the UFC banner and coming off a win over Lucas Almeida.

In the opening moments of the bout, Aswell rushed to the side of Riley to take center Octagon and pressure the Liverpool native. Riley started with a big shot to the body of Aswell in the pocket, which was returned by a quick right hook to the chin of Riley. Aswell, now controlling the pace, wrapped Luke Riley up along the cage and landed short shots. Once the two broke, they exchanged blazing hooks in the middle, both landing flush to the head. Michael Aswell clinched up again, but Luke Riley escaped quickly, landing a combination to the head and body of Aswell that got a significant reaction from the Texas Kid.

Continuing to trade, Riley seemingly entered the zone, landing back-to-back right hooks to flush the face of Aswell, taking center Octagon and putting Aswell on the back foot. Picking apart his opposition now, Luke Riley ended the round with a clean left hook as the horn sounded.

This time, the two met in the middle to start round two, Riley landing a disgusting combination finishing with a right hand to the body of Aswell, followed by a straight shot to the body, and then returning to the chin of Aswell with another hook. Michael Aswell clinched up to try to neutralize the pressuring Riley, but again the English striker was able to escape his opponent.

Finally getting a strong reaction out of the crowd, both featherweights continued connecting with ease inside the pocket. Aswell, finally finding some comfort in his hooks, got a read on Riley as round two started to wear on. Though as time came to a close, it was Luke Riley who landed a beautiful combination, working in a slapping body kick to put a stamp on the round.

Aswell, now likely down 2-0 to the undefeated Luke Riley, came out strong in the third, again swarming Riley as soon as the round began. Aswell was able to clinch up along the cage, landing some knees to the body of Riley, but the Englishman proved too tricky along the fence.

Riley continued to put in work on Michael Aswell on the feet, mixing up his strikes to both the head and body. Unable to get a hold of Riley and simply not quick enough to keep pace, Aswell was struggling to catch up with his opposition.

Leading the dance the rest of the way, Luke Riley fully took over the third round, cruising to a unanimous 30-27 decision victory.

Following another statement win, former Cage Warriors champion Luke Riley picked up his second victory in the big show, improving his undefeated record to 13-0. On the losing side, Michael Aswell dropped below .500 in the UFC at 1-2.

As Riley continues to grow in popularity, you can only imagine the rising star is on the brink of a ranked opponent in his next trip to the Octagon.

Official Result: Luke Riley def. Michael Aswell Jr. by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)

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Almeida was looking to bounce back from a split decision loss to Danny Silva in his last outing.

Aswell pressed off the opening bell, but had to contend with a sharp Almeida leg kick. Still, Aswell appeared to clip Almeida a couple of times with right hands; Almeida was circling, but moments later was clipped again, falling to the ground off another right hand. The Brazilian recovered, only to be clipped and drop again! Almeida got up, but looked dazed, and went back down moments later. Aswell got on, dropping a few elbows, and Almeida simply was not defending remotely well enough to stay in the fight.

Silencing the crowd, Michael Aswell, “The Texas Kid,” strolled into Rio de Janeiro and upset the Brazilian favorite, taking the fight to his opponent off the opening bell and never letting up. Aswell improved to 11-3 overall with his first UFC victory, and silenced the Brazilian crowd with his performance.

Speaking with Michael Bisping after the win, Aswell called it “the first of many,” then asked for a spot on the final UFC PPV of 2025 in Las Vegas, so he could fight alongside best pal Joshua Van.

Official Result: Michael Aswell Jr. def. Lucas Almeida by TKO, Round 1, 1:42

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Among the Rio additions, heavyweight action will see Valter Walker (14-1), whose brother Johnny just had a triumphant night in Shanghai, take on one half of another UFC sibling duo in Mohammed Usman (11-4). Ricardo Ramos (17-7), meanwhile, will face Kaan Ofli (11-4-1) at featherweight.

In another promising booking, welterweight action has Gabriel Bonfim (18-1) paired up with Randy Brown (20-6). Lucas Almeida (15-4) gets Michael Aswell (10-3) in another featherweight addition to the UFC Rio card.

Thanks to the frankly barren landscape at heavyweight in the UFC, Valter Walker is already ranked #14 in the weight class. Usman (brother of ex-welterweight champ Kamaru) is not ranked. None of the remaining aforementioned fighters are currently ranked in their divisions, though for names like Brown, that’s more a matter of depth.

UFC Rio takes place on October 11, 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the Farmasi Arena. Charles Oliveira and Rafael Fiziev headline, with the following match-ups reported for the card to date:

• Charles Oliveira vs. Rafael Fiziev
• Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Montel Jackson
• Vicente Luque vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
• Jhonata Diniz vs. Mário Pinto
• Vitor Petrino vs. Thomas Petersen
• Jafel Filho vs. Clayton Carpenter
• Lucas Rocha vs. Stewart Nicoll
• Julia Polastri vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
• Beatriz Mesquita vs. Irina Alekseeva
• Lucas Almeida vs. Michael Aswell
• Valter Walker vs. Mohammed Usman
• Gabriel Bonfim vs. Randy Brown
• Ricardo Ramos vs. Kaan Ofli

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The lightweight fight was the second bout of the night at the UFC Apex, in the final event at the venue prior to the UFC going on an extended road trip. Known as the “Texas Kid,” Aswell had come up short on the Contender Series in 2024, but had bounced back with a win on the regional scene back in December.

A DWCS winner himself, Oki was 1-1 in the UFC to date, entering the night looking to rebound from a submission loss to Chris Duncan.

Round One: The fight opened with a sharp right hand from Oki, immediately setting the tone. He followed up with a power jab upstairs and to the body, mixing in heavy leg kicks. Oki kept the pressure on, landing a crisp one-two and a clean left that caught Aswell flush. He wasn’t wasting any time, ripping a nasty body shot that clearly had intent behind it.

Aswell stayed composed but was consistently getting beat to the punch. He did manage to land a clean right hand, one that the commentary team missed, that appeared to earn Oki’s respect. Aswell followed it up with another right, slowly working his way back into the fight.

Oki began to settle in, picking his shots more deliberately. His jab was sharp, especially to the body. Aswell’s chin held up under the pressure, which allowed him to clip Oki a few times and stay competitive. He closed the round strong with a right-left combination that briefly stumbled Oki. It was a solid round overall, but Oki likely did just enough to edge it with the volume and quality of his offense.

Round Two: Oki came out throwing heat, launching a spinning backfist into a head kick—blocked, but enough to give Aswell a different look. He continued to attack the body well, digging in with his left hook and sneaking in a knee.

Oki landed another hard leg kick, but Aswell answered with a sharp right. Aswell stayed active with his hands, throwing one-twos and pumping the jab, even if much of it wasn’t getting through clean.

Still, Oki’s relentless forward pressure and precision striking were starting to separate him. He found success with his right hook and kept the pace high. Aswell remained game, but Oki wasn’t fading the way he may have expected him to.

Round Three: Oki opened the final round with a massive right hand that would’ve dropped most fighters, but Aswell’s toughness was on full display. Oki maintained a relentless work rate, continuing to mix up his strikes and coming forward with purpose.

His head movement and ability to dip off the centerline before firing the right hand were impressive, showcasing his technical polish. Aswell had some nice boxing moments of his own, but struggled to land consistently or with the same impact.

As the round wore on, it became clear that Oki was simply too fast, too powerful, and too defensively sound. He carried the higher offensive output and the sharper striking throughout, closing out a strong performance. In the end, it was Oki coming away with the decision win.

Official Result: Bolaji Oki def. Michael Aswell by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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The latest installment of the Contender Series featured two returning fighters in Marco Tulio and Bogdan Grad, while Oklahoma State wrestler Nick Piccininni, a four-time Big 12 conference champ, looked to break into the UFC against fellow undefeated flyweight Jack Duffy. With a long history of wrestlers making a big splash in the promotion, could Piccininni be next? As for Duffy, he had seen two opponents fall through (including Mitch Raposo, who jumped straight to the UFC) for this DWCS fight.

Where to Watch DWCS Season 8, Week 3

As always, this week’s Contender Series installment takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV and streams on ESPN+ in the U.S., and SportsNet/UFC Fight Pass in Canada. The action gets underway at 8PM ET, 5PM PT. Full results can be found below.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 8, Week 3 Results

Middleweight: Andrey Pulyaev def. Liam Anderson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight: Bogdan Grad def. Michael Aswell by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Middleweight: Marco Tulio def. Matthieu Letho Duclos by TKO, Round 2, 2:38
Bantamweight: Malcolm Wellmaker def. Adam Bramhald by KO, Round 1, 2:29
Flyweight: Nick Piccininni def. Jack Duffy by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Contract Winners: Malcolm Wellmaker, Marco Tulio, Bogdan Grad, Andrey Pulyaev

Nick Piccininni and Jack Duffy offered a rematch in week 10, Michael Aswell offered a short-notice opportunity when one comes up.

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“The maturity for me has more to do with the first coach I ever had. I was trained by coach Saul Soliz – one of the OG veterans of the game,” Aswell said of the late great coach. “A lot of what I learned was old school.”

Known to many as the Godfather of Texas MMA, Soliz grew to fame by training many of the big names in the sport. From Tito Ortiz to Ricco Rodriguez and from Cris Cyborg to Rampage Jackson – so many greats cut their teeth with Soliz in their corner. Being around that presence when he was in his formative years really helped Aswell to grow into the fighter he is today.

“Back in the day, there was none of this flashy stuff – just a hard-nosed grind type of work,” he said. “I feel like it kind of pulled me to a more mature state. Learning how to fight through adversity and not get broken as much as you’re getting broken in every practice.”

The chance encounter with Soliz’s gym was a blessing in disguise. Having had one of his usual physical outlets taken away from him, he looked to find a new spot and found precisely what he needed.

“I was just an all-around athlete. I never knew I wanted to fight specifically. I did all the sports – football, baseball, basketball. You name it and I pretty much played it all. But there was one year where I wasn’t really playing football, there was a requirement about age or weight where I really couldn’t play. I had a dead year of just kind of nothing and I’m just active, so I have to be doing something,” he recalled. “The girls who cheered for my football team were doing jiu jitsu at the time at coach Saul Soliz’s gym. I went over there and tried my first class. I remember getting choked out like four or five times by purple belts.”

But it was more than just the competition that kept Aswell there. Aswell recalls a time, having been training for a while, where Soliz voiced his confidence in his abilities. That not only helped push him into this career, but sticks with him even to this day.

“If you know coach Saul, he didn’t play any games. If he told you something, that’s really what he believed,” Aswell said. “[He] kind of pulled me aside in his office and told me that he sees something special in me and that I could be great – he could make me a champion if I keep putting in the work.”

Aswell looks to take the next big step in achieving the goals of his late coach this Tuesday on Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series. When he takes on Bogdan Grad, I’m sure his coach will be looking down proudly on him.

You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 2:29.

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Middleweight, Andrey Pulyaev (8-2) vs. Liam Anderson (6-2)

Notable Notes

• This will be the first time for Pulyaev fighting out of Russia.
• Anderson has a 100% finish rate.
• Pulyaev has a negative 3-5 amateur record.
• Anderson went 8-0 as an amateur.
• Pulyaev has six first-round finishes.
• Both are riding four-fight win streaks.

Prediction: It’s a shame that out of all the Russian fighters the matchmakers could get for DWCS it’s Pulyaev. He is riding a win streak but every time he’s had a step up in competition he’s lost. Even Anderson is disappointing. He’s coming off a head kick knockout and I’d imagine that’s why he got this opportunity. If the matchmakers actually looked into these guys I don’t think this fight would be happening.

Neither guy is likely to make it in the UFC because both are too flawed and do not have enough upside. With Pulyaev all I can say is he has a good liver kick. Even saying that, he throws naked kicks and doesn’t set anything up. You mix that in with poor cardio and striking defense and that’s a recipe to get slept. Anderson is coming off a knockout but he’s particularly a grappler. As long as Anderson protects his body he should take this. He’s the more physical fighter, has more tools, and has more ways to win. I got Anderson by second-round submission and I’m 40% confident.

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Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with Contender Series featherweight, Michael Aswell. Aswell talks about getting into MMA at an early age and working with famed coach Saul Soliz. The talks about the belief that the late coach instilled in him and how he carries those ideals with him today. Plus, he details the road he went through to find another training camp, which had it’s own bumps along the way. Finally at home at 4oz Fight Team, he has found his groove and he’s ready to turn that into a UFC Contract. Aswell will fight just a few weeks after UFC 304 on week 3 of Contender Series.

Fights, Dogs, and Parlays: UFC 304 (18:38)

After UFC Vegas 94 in the Apex, the UFC gets back on the road for UFC 304. We head over to London, where both British champions look to defend their belt. Will Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall keep it ‘and still’? Or is it time for Belal Muhammad or Curtis Blaydes to get the strap for the very first time? We break down all that action and give you an underdog and parlay to make your wallet fat this weekend. Don’t miss it! For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Corinne Laframboise Interview (26:36)

Closing out this UFC 304 edition of TTP is our interview with Contender Series flyweight, Corinne Laframboise. Laframboise was originally slatted to fight on the 2022 edition of Contender Series when she got some wild news from her fight week medicals – she was pregnant. She recounts the story of how she found out and discusses what it’s like to train as a new mother. Plus, she shares her thoughts on why her game is well suited for the UFC. She will fight on an unannounced date in September against an opponent still to be named.

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