Renato Moicano

It was nice to see Moicano bounce back from his back-to-back losses from last year. He was on a hot streak before running into Islam Makhachev and dropping the ball against Beneil Dariush. A win here doesn’t propel him back to the front of the line, but it does put him back on track. I wouldn’t be against booking the Paddy Pimblett fight, which seemed to be next when Moicano defeated Benoit Saint Denis back in 2024. For now, I think rebooking the Brian Ortega rematch is the right call.

Moicano’s next fight: Brian Ortega

Virna Jandiroba

It will be difficult for Jandiroba to fight her back into title contention, but if she was to do it, it had to start with a win on Saturday. Knowing Loopy Godinez has already lost to Mackenzie Dern, I’m doubtful that she would get the next shot even with a win at UFC 327. So if Godinez is victorious next Saturday, I believe she will have to face Jandiroba next. If Tatiana Suarez gets her hand raised, I think she will earn her shot, meaning Jandiroba will most likely face Gillian Robertson in the meantime. I think the Brazilian’s next bout will be determined by the result of the upcoming Suarez/Godinez bout.

Jandiroba’s next fight: Loopy Godinez (if victorious at UFC 327) or Gillian Robertson

Abdul-Rahman Yakhyaev

Judging by the way he fights, the 25-year-old light-heavyweight clearly understands that he isn’t paid by the hour. At this age, Yakhyaev should be focused on getting as many reps in the octagon as he can so as to sharpen his skills before having the face the top of the division. With his fighting style, he’s in and out so quickly that he doesn’t absorb a lot of damage, which should allow him to jump back into the cage fairly quickly. I think the promotion should look to keep sending him fighters who create car crashes to test Yakhyaev’s ability to work his way through them. Someone like Ibo Aslan perfectly fits that description.

Yakhyaev’s next fight: Ibo Aslan

Ethyn Ewing

After upsetting the highly touted Malcolm Wellmaker on short notice at Madison Square Garden, Ethyn Ewing has now taken the ‘0’ off Rafael Estevam. Ewing has gone from unknown prospect to hyped contender in just two UFC outings. I think the promotion should try and make the most out of the momentum he has garnered in just five and a half months. Giving him someone like Bryce Mitchell not only keeps testing Ewing’s skills, but also gives him the opportunity to beat a known name.

Ewing’s next fight: Bryce Mitchell

Tommy McMillen

Who’s to say what Tommy McMillen’s true ceiling is? But for now, the young American seems to fit the action-oriented approach that the promotion has clearly been favoring in this new Paramount era. The UFC should try to find fighters who will indulge McMillen in his firefight type of style without being too challenging. There are a few names like this at featherweight, I settled on John Yannis.

McMillen’s next fight: John Yannis

Jose Delano

Jose Delano had a fairly impressive showing in his promotional debut, outstriking the former two-time KSW champion Robert Ruchala 107 to 67. He landed 62% of his strikes, while limiting Ruchala to just 33% striking accuracy. Any name could be thrown at Delano, but I think the returnee Kai Kamaka III, who was victorious in the card’s opening bout, who make for a fun scrap.

Delano’s next fight: Kai Kamaka III

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Chris Duncan

(#10) Renato Moicano showed that he was still a legitimate force to be reckoned with as he dropped, battered and submitted the streaking unranked Chris Duncan, in the main event on Saturday. “The Problem” now falls to 6-2 in the UFC and loses the momentum of his four-fight win streak.

Chris has some options for his next bout since this was a huge step-up fight for him. A fight against Nasrat Haqparast is a very attractive option. Only thing that doesn’t really work is timing as Haqparast was last in the cage back in October. Haqparast is 10-5 with the UFC, but has gone 4-1 in his last five and was also finished in his most recent bout just like Duncan. These guys are in a similar spot, and this is a good fight to make that could sneak onto the main card of a Fight Night.

Giving Chris the loser of Mateusz Gamrot vs. Esteban Ribovics could make a lot of sense as a backup. That bout would match up well timing-wise as it’s slated for UFC 327 on April 11. Gamrot is inside the top 10 but has gone 1-2 in his last three bouts. He’s lost to Dan Hooker, and in his most recent bout, was submitted by Charles Oliveira. Gamrot would be 1-3 in his last four leading into his fight with Chris (and have just lost to an unranked fighter). Esteban is currently 4-2 with the promotion and has gone 3-1 in his last four. Ribovics is similar to Duncan in getting this opportunity at a ranked matchup as he’s impressed recently, earning three straight Fight of the Night honors

Duncan’s next fight: Nasrat Haqparast or Mateusz Gamrot vs. Esteban Ribovics Loser

Tabatha Ricci

(#3) Virna Jandiroba out grappled (#7) Tabatha Ricci on her way to a fairly routine victory in a huge strawweight fight in the co main event of UFC Vegas 115. Ricci now falls to 3-3 in her last six bouts as she has stepped up in competition. Her losses over this nearly three-year, six-fight stretch are to Lupita Godinez, Yan Xiaonan and now Virna Jandiroba. Ricci was not stopped in any of those bouts.

Ricci’s next matchup should be against (#11) Fatima Kline. Fatima is just outside the top ten at 115lbs. and is 3-0 with the promotion since her short notice promotional debut loss in 2024. Her last fight was against Angela Hill in November of last year where she scored a unanimous decision victory. Timing wouldn’t work the best here, but it’s still an excellent fight to make and could do some heavy lifting for both fighters. A halfway decent backup would be Amanda Lemos, who just fought and lost last month to Gillian Robertson. As mentioned in that loser’s article, the UFC won’t be doing Lemos any favors anytime soon. Fans could expect to see the nearly 40-year-old fighter against a younger lesser-known fighter, and Ricci somewhat fits that bill.  Fight could easily be on the main card of a fight night card with the winner moving into the top five.

Ricci’s next fight: Fatima Kline or Amanda Lemos

Brendson Ribeiro

Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev stayed perfect Saturday, scoring a rear naked choke victory and becoming the third fighter in a row to finish Brendson Ribeiro in the first round.  This was Brendson’s fifth time facing an undefeated fighter either with the UFC or the Contender Series. Ribeiro is now 2-3 (one of those victories was on the CS). Brendson is now on a 3-fight skid and is 2-5 with the UFC.

It’s debatable whether Brendson is in danger of being cut considering that he is within one of the weakest divisions in the UFC. More likely than not, Brendson will be kept with the promotion. His next bout should be against Julius Walker or Urlan Satybaldiev. Julius Walker is 1-2 with the UFC and last fought in February when he fell to Dustin Jacoby via second round stoppage. Urlan is 1-1 with the promotion. Julius vs Urlan was a matchup featured on a past Losers article, as the bout been made before. If that fight doesn’t materialize, Brendson is a good backup for either light heavyweight.

Ribeiro’s next fight: Julius Walker or Urlan Satybaldiev

Rafael Estevam

Ethyn Ewing stayed perfect on Saturday as he found the liver with a perfectly placed hook in his fight against Rafael Estevan in the third round. Devastating loss for Rafael as it’s the first loss of his 15-fight career and he’s now 3-1 with the UFC. Rafael has UFC victories over Charles Johnson, Jesus Aguilar and Felipe Bunes. Also worth noting here: Estevam has struggled heavily on the scale. Rafael has missed weight three times in the UFC, and now across two different weight divisions.

Lots of potential matchups for Rafael here as flyweight-featherweight has lots of guys who are forced up in weight classes. Best fight for here is to matchup Rafael with the loser of Aorquileng vs Cody Haddon.

Everyone knows how the UFC feels about fighters who miss weight, especially repeatedly. Nothing special will be done for Estevam. He should stay at bantamweight, make weight, and look for the loser of that May 30th bout. Aoriquileng would be 4-5, 1 no contest if he loses to Cody. While Haddon would be 1-1 with the UFC. Haddon was matched up against Malcom Welmaker for his second fight before breaking his foot and forcing the Ethyn Ewing short notice coming out party. Aoriquileng’s record may look spotty but he’s lost to names like Cody Durden, Aiemann Zahabi, and most recently, Raul Rosas Jr. Great fight to make and would provide endless action.

Estevan’s next fight: Aoriquileng vs Cody Haddon Loser

Manolo Zecchini

Tommy McMillen melted Manolo Zecchini with punches and knees in the first round of their mini war on the main card of UFC Vegas 115. The fight was under four minutes but still secured fight of the night honors, a rare feat in the UFC. Manolo came up short against an undefeated prospect and now falls to 0-2 with the promotion. Zecchini has been on the shelf a while, as his debut came back in September of 2023 when he was finished in the first round via body kicks by Morgan Charriere. That was also Morgan’s promotional debut, and he has gone 2-3 since then, only losing to top competition (Chepe Mariscal, Nathaniel Wood, Melquizael Costa).

Easiest fight to make here is to simply pair Manolo up with Robert Ruchala. Robert fought just before Manolo on the main card of UFC Vegas 115 on Saturday. They have identical records with the promotion, and both fighters were paired up against tough guys for their promotional debuts. Their standup styles also mix well. This matchup has the potential to be a nice scrap that could land on the undercard of a fight night.

Zecchini’s next fight: Robert Ruchala

Robert Ruchala

Jose Delano pieced up Robert Ruchala on the feet on his way to a unanimous decision victory to open the main card of UFC Vegas 115 on Saturday. Jose, a 2025 Contender Series product was making his much-anticipated UFC debut. 27-year-old Ruchala, on the other hand, falls to 0-2 with the promotion. He dropped his debut against a tough nosed William Gomis via decision last September.

Best fight to make here is Robert vs Manolo.  Despite these two not getting into the win column while with the UFC, it’s doubtful either of them faces the axe just yet.

Ruchala’s next fight: Manolo Zecchini

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McMillen, a teammate of Sean O’Malley, met Maolo Zecchini on the main card of UFC Vegas 115 on Saturday. For McMillen, it was the first fight in what looks to be a promising career; Italy’s Zecchini, one of two Italians on the UFC roster (the other being Marvin Vettori) was returning to action for the first time since 2023.

In his time away, Zecchini had undergone a complete shoulder reconstruction.

You’d forgive Zecchini for being a little rusty, but he still hung in there with McMillen, who found the finish with a knee and follow-up strikes in the third round. That effort saw the featherweight pair share Fight of the Night honors at UFC Vegas 115, pocketing $100,000 for their efforts.

Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Vegas 115 went to Alice Pereira and Alessandro Costa. Pereira, the youngest female on the roster, landed a nasty step-in knee to put out Hailey Cowan on the preliminary card, securing her first victory in the promotion in the process. Flyweight Costa, also fighting on the prelims, put away Stewart Nicoll with a body shot.

All four fighters will take home $100,000 U.S. for their efforts at the UFC Apex on Saturday. The remaining finishers at UFC Vegas 115, including headliner Renato Moicano, taking home an extra $25,000.

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The two lightweights were sharing time at American Top Team during preparation for the fight. Duncan didn’t shy away from their history in the lead-up, openly admitting that Moicano had gotten better of him in the gym before.

Still, Duncan made it clear this would be a different test, entering the bout determined to prove how far he had come over the last five years and that he was no longer the same fighter Moicano once bested on the practice mats.

Renato Moicano took the center of the octagon to begin round one, Duncan taking the outside, peppering the lead leg of Moicano. After about the third leg kick from “The Problem”, Moicano had begun downloading information, now timing up Duncan’s next attempt with a straight punch, sending the Scottish fighter to the cage. Moicano continued to punish Chris Duncan as he targeted his front leg, checking back-to-back kicks, turning defense into offense.

Duncan landed a stellar high kick halfway through the round, starting to get comfortable on the feet after denying a few takedown attempts from Renato Moicano. Though the success was short-lived for Duncan, as Moicano’s hands got going late, taking an overwhelming lead on the volume in round one.

Round two started with a much more violent Duncan, the Scottish lightweight meeting the Brazilian with a stiff straight right followed by an exchange of hooks.

Though perhaps Chris Duncan was too aggressive, as Renato Moicano landed a short left hook right on the chin of Duncan, sending him to one knee as the Brazilian rushed in to take advantage of the dominant position on the ground.

Work ensued as the jiu-jitsu specialist Moicano got to the back of the labored Chris Duncan, quickly finding the choke (ruled a face crank).

Renato Moicano gets back on track with this one, claiming the throne at American Top Team, protecting his ranking, and moving to 13-7 under the UFC banner. Post-fight, he ripped off a blistering speech full of f-bombs while citing his faith in Jesus, addressed the election in his native Brazil, asked for a big fight next while threatening retirement, and said ‘f*ck the fans’ when told he was a fan favorite before asking that they nevertheless follow him on Youtube.

A very “Money” Moicano speech.

Wouldn’t be a Moicano win without a Moicano speech #UFCVegas115 pic.twitter.com/W7Ah2Ayghj

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) April 5, 2026

Official Result: Renato Moicano def. Chris Duncan by submission (face crank), Round 2, 3:14

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Jandiroba entered the fight #3 in the weight class, coming off a title fight loss to Mackenzie Dern. Ricci was ranked #7, with the fight a massive opportunity to jump into the title picture.

“Baby Shark” Ricci was heavy on lateral movement early, moving side-to-side on the outside, with Jandiroba doing a good job cutting off her exits. The former Invicta champ soon had Ricci down, but to her credit Tabatha was quickly back up. Only to be dragged down a second time.

Once again, Ricci was soon back to her feet, but if nothing else the message had been sent. Jandiroba also found success on her feet, while Ricci landed kicks and threatened with a knee, takedowns no doubt in mind. Still, Jandiroba closed the distance and took the back, climbing up Ricci while she was among the fence. Virna was at risk of falling over the top, but was able to adjust, and would spend the rest of the round controlling Ricci.

Ricci touched the outside leg with a kick early, but 30 seconds into round two, Jandiroba landed another takedown. Ricci was way out in the center of the cage, looking to push off and create space, to no avail. Jandiroba spent a good amount of time in half guard, working on an arm-triangle choke. Even when it wasn’t to be had, she was mixing in the odd striking and completely dominating on top. At least until Ricci finally scrambled free with about a minute still on the clock. And even back on the feet, Ricci had to contend with some spirited offense from Jandiroba before they tied up again. One final takedown from Virna followed.

Ricci was going to need a finish in round three if she wanted to come away from UFC Vegas 115 with a win. To her credit, she was able to fend off a takedown early, but Jandiroba went to her back, luring Ricci in. Not necessarily her best path to victory, all things considered. And Jandiroba was soon in control, though Ricci did return to her feet. From there, a solid couple of minutes of stand-up action ensued, before Jandiroba earned yet another takedown, quickly taking the back. Given she was holding her own on the feet, there was little question as to who was winning the fight. Ricci was out of time, and Jandiroba easily back in the win column.

Official Result: Virna Jandiroba def. Tabatha Ricci by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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At 8-0 to start the night, Yakhyaev found Ribeiro coming off back-to-back losses, both finishes, most recently against Oumar Sy.

The 205-pounders started with heavy action, meeting in the center of the octagon to trade. Despite being the massive underdog, it was Ribeiro who found early success striking.

A beautiful high kick from Ribeiro landed directly on the chin of Yakhyaev, though surprisingly it didn’t affect the undefeated prospect; as Yakhyaev caught Ribeiro in a position of imbalance, driving him down to the canvas.

It wasn’t long before Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev started showing his grappling prowess once he brought Ribeiro to the ground, punishing the Brazilian with ground and pound before finding an opening for the finish, submitting Brendson Ribeiro in the first round with a rear-naked choke.

Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev extends his unbeaten streak to nine, and is likely in prime position for a big opportunity next. While he’s still new to the division and not yet a contender, the vacant light heavyweight title is on the line next week at UFC 327 between Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg, with the weight class feeling wide open.

Official Result: Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Brendson Ribeiro by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:52

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Ewing had shocked fight fans by derailing the previously undefeated Malcolm Wellmaker in his short-notice promotional debut last year, and was getting a second undefeated foe in his sophomore outing in the octagon.

Estevam, meanwhile, missed weight for the fight, coming in a pound heavy.

The first round began with Ewing using forward pressure to find a big shot. Estevam retreated throwing kicks from the outside. Ewing landed a big hook followed by a front kick that stunned Estevam. Almost immediately Estevam shot a takedown but was unsuccessful getting Ewing to the floor. Midway through the round Ewing landed an accident groin strike that stopped the action momentarily. When the fight resumed, Ewing landed a solid jab to right hand combination near the fence. Estevam was again unsuccessful attempting a takedown in self defense. Ewing blitzed Estevam near the end of the round knocking him down and nearly ending the fight.

In the second round, Estevam landed a few shots to start the round before shooting another takedown. Ewing defended again stopping all five of the takedowns from his opponent so far. Starting to walk down his opponent, Ewing landed massive shots against the cage. Ewing was in complete control of the fight putting massive volume on Estevam who seemed to be fading. A completely dominant performance through ten minutes.

The final frame saw Ewing again piecing up Estevam while walking downhill on the undefeated fighter. Midway through the round Ewing landed a massive body shot followed by ground and pound that ended the contest. After his impressive performance over Malcom Wellmaker, Ewing is quickly becoming a household name to fight fans showcasing his elite striking skills once again.

Official Result: Ethyn Ewing def. Rafael Estevam by TKO, Round 3, 1:44

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Featherweight McMillen was 9-0 entering the promotion, while Zecchini had lost his promotional debut back in 2023, and was returning for the first time since that fight.

The fight opened at a frantic pace, with Zecchini charging forward aggressively. McMillen met him head-on, snapping off a clean one-two as both fighters quickly abandoned any real concern for defense. It turned into a chaotic exchange early, but McMillen was the one landing with more consistency, even buckling Zecchini in the opening moments.

That same wildness gave Zecchini opportunities, though, as McMillen’s aggression bordered on reckless. A brief pause came after McMillen landed an accidental groin strike, but once action resumed, they went right back to trading in tight quarters.

McMillen’s corner was urging him to embrace the chaos, and he did just that—starting to separate himself as the exchanges piled up. He backed Zecchini to the cage and unleashed a barrage: body kicks, straight punches, and knees up the middle to both the head and body. The sustained offense overwhelmed Zecchini, forcing the stoppage and earning McMillen a TKO victory.

A true barnburner, but ultimately one where Zecchini couldn’t keep up with McMillen’s pace and power.

Official Result: Tommy McMillen def. Manolo Zecchini by TKO (punches and knees), Round 1, 3:57

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Ruchala had dropped his own debut to William Gomis last year.

The fight opened with both men measuring distance, each looking to establish range. Delano was the first to land clean, snapping Ruchala’s head back with a crisp one-two. Ruchala tried to close the distance and tie up, but Delano shrugged him off with ease. Early on, Delano’s movement stood out—sharp defensively, slipping and ducking punches while angling off effectively.

Ruchala was clearly intent on getting the fight to the mat, but he paid for those attempts in the clinch, eating knees for his efforts. He mixed in solid volume on the feet, repeatedly going to the head kick, but Delano’s composure and fluidity gave him a slight edge in the round.

In the second, Ruchala returned to his kicking game, staying active. Delano answered with a stiff right hand that forced Ruchala backward, immediately making his presence felt. Ruchala found moments of success with spinning attacks, including a clean body kick, but Delano began to settle in. A sharp right-left combination into a leg kick highlighted his rhythm, and his left hand, in particular, started landing with consistency. The Brazilian looked more cohesive with his combinations, pulling ahead through cleaner, more effective striking.

Heading into the final round, the fight felt up for grabs. Both fighters engaged quickly, exchanging with urgency. Delano landed a nice body-head combination, while Ruchala continued to target the head with kicks—even when blocked—staying committed to the attack. He also found the body with a pair of hooks and another spinning strike to the midsection.

Delano responded in kind, digging to the body with a straight left and following up with kicks. As the round progressed, Ruchala looked to slow the pace in the clinch, but a costly mistake—grabbing the fence—resulted in a point deduction that loomed large. In the final minute, Delano invested heavily to the body and capped things off with a clean one-two.

It was a highly competitive, back-and-forth fight that delivered action throughout.

Official Result: Jose Delano def. Robert Ruchala by unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27)

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Petersen had traded wins and losses since arriving in the UFC following his 2023 victory on Dana White’s Contender Series, while Pat was a perfect 6-0 as a pro and coming off a decision victory in his UFC debut.

Round 1 – Pat started on the front foot, eating a leg kick but throwing a fast head kick that was partially blocked. A rear body kick for Pat followed, but Petersen rushed in and closed the distance, getting Pat in a clinch on the cage. After an unsuccessful trip, Petersen maintained control with one hook in. Pat finally separated and landed a nice pair of leg kicks, but was very flat-footed. Petersen timed another blitz after a leg kick, landing a nice left hook on the way in. The two stayed in a clinch, where a sweep opened up a body knee for Petersen before the end of a very low volume first-round.

Round 2 – Petersen rushed in again for an early takedown, but still couldn’t manage to get the fight to the floor. Pat broke off and went on the front foot, but stayed too patient. Another head kick was blocked by Petersen, with both staring more than throwing. Petersen stepped into a jab, but Pat let him off the hook. A pair of jabs landed for Petersen as he advanced again, landing a nice body kick not long after. Pat countered with a left hook, finally opening up with a combination in the pocket, but nothing landed clean, and Petersen grabbed him against the cage once more. With double under hooks, Petersen still couldn’t find success getting Pat down. When at distance again, Pat landed a nice leg kick, but Petersen returned with a body knee.

Round 3 – Petersen opened Round 3 more aggressively, snatching the leg of Pat and dropping him with a short right hook against the cage. Pat ate an elbow while working back up, but was dropped again by an uppercut when he went to exchange. Petersen unloaded with elbows and punches from the top, causing a cut on Pat’s face. Petersen slowed down after a barrage of ground-and-pound, but still mixed in some clean elbows. Pat didn’t have any sense of urgency on his back, being quickly shut down on any get-up attempts. Petersen focused on controlling while mixing in some hammerfists, and stayed in top half guard until the bell sounded.

Come the scorecards, one judge had it a draw, but was overruled with the remaining two siding with Thomas Petersen.

Official Result: Thomas Petersen def. Guilherme Pat by Majority Decision (28-28, 29-27, 29-27)

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