Bautista (10-2) picked up one of his biggest wins at UFC Vegas 57, and he made it look very easy. It took the 28-year-old less than three minutes to submit UFC veteran Brian Kelleher. It was a very short night for Bautista, something he did not expect.

“I anticipated like kind of a, I don’t mean this like, disrespectfully, but like a harder fight. But it just proved that I trained really hard for this and I deserve it. And, you know, I’m a top prospect in this division,” Bautista told the media, including Cageside Press, during his UFC Vegas 57 post-fight interview. “I pictured a three-round war, to be honest.”

And while he pictured a three-round war with Kelleher, Bautista knew he didn’t want to be in the cage with “Boom” for three rounds because he knew how dangerous he is.

“You don’t want to be in there with Brian, all three rounds, because he has power all the way through, so you don’t want to be messing around there. So, you know, I set my pace right away. And he just couldn’t keep up with me,” Bautista said.

As for who is next, Bautista wants one of the bantamweights that fought on the card beside him. If he had his choice, he would pick Umar Nurmagomedov because of his name, but Sergey Morozov, who also won, also makes sense to him.

Bautista is now riding a two-fight win streak since suffering a knockout loss to Trevin Jones.

Watch the rest of Mario Bautista’s UFC Vegas 57 post-fight interview above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

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Bantamweight Morozov (18-5) was up against Brazil’s Raulian Paiva in the fight that saw the Kazakh fighter rocked in the opening minute. That, needless to say, was not part of the plan.

“The plan was moving, cut the distance, like jab, hook. The first round, I completely lost,” he told Cageside Press, speaking via translator following the fight. “I don’t understand what’s going on with me. No focus, no power. First round, I just tried to live. After first round, I felt good, I started working, I heard my corners, and I do all of [what they asked].”

Morozov went on to win a unanimous decision, winning both of the next two rounds. “I’m good, I’m back. After first round, I’m very happy with that,” he stated.

Sharing the card with Shavkat Rakhmonov, Morozov didn’t expect his countryman have any difficulty with Neil Magny. “I’m thinking that Shavkat [will win] this fight, because nobody can [exactly copy] his skills. I don’t think he’s got a problem with this guy.”

Turns out, that prediction was right on the money. Rakhmonov wound up submitting Magny in the second round of UFC Vegas 57’s co-main event.

As for Morozov, he plans to fight again before the end of the year, but isn’t concerned with who that will come against just yet.

“Really I don’t know, I don’t think about it, but I wanna go home, be with my family. End of the year. I’m thinking I will be fighting before the end of the year. But I don’t know who it will be. I’m not thinking about it, I want to be with my family right now. After that, I will think about it.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 57 post-fight interview with Sergey Morozov above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

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Let’s take a look at some potential match-ups for the main card winners.

Mateusz Gamrot

Scramble mania. A main event that gave us everything we could’ve hoped for. An extremely closely contested bout seems to be the norm these days, when it comes to Fight Night main events between contenders. There is no doubt the MMA community will be scrutinizing the scorecards over the weekend and finding complaints in the ways that the 3 judges scored the contest. But regardless of the complaints, it will be the former KSW Lightweight champion, “Gamer” Gamrot, who will be the beneficiary of a top 5 contender in his next outing.

There are several potential match-ups for the Pole, but one in particular I would love to see is Fiziev vs. Gamrot. The possibility of that match-up alone sends shivers down my spine. And it is one that we may well see, depending on the outcome of Dos Anjos vs. Fiziev on July 10. The “Highlight Reel,” Justin Gaethje may also be in search of new blood, however, he may not be setting his sights as low as rank 12.

Gamrot’s next fight: Winner of RDA vs Fiziev

Shavkat Rakhmonov

The “Nomad” gets even more terrifying by the fight. After going to 16-0, with all wins coming by way of finishes, Rakhmonov has become one of the most feared fighters across all weight divisions. Magny is by far Shavkat’s toughest test to date, and he passed it with flying colours, completely unscathed. Wherever the fight goes, Rakhmonov is a truly dominant martial artist. In round one, Magny threatened with a heel hook, but he never fully had it locked in as the Kazakh stayed calm and collected. The 27-year-old is still yet to see the third round in the UFC, as in the dying embers of round two, he managed to cinch the neck of Magny, getting the secnd round submission victory.

The terrifying prospect came locked and loaded with a name that he wants to meet in the Octagon next time out, Stephen Thompson. The possibility of that fight though doesn’t enthrall me too much. I would instead prefer to see Rakhmonov face the winner of Luque vs. Neal, as that would for sure be a barnburner.

Rakhmonov’s next fight: Winner of Luque vs Neal 

Josh Parisian

In the only Heavyweight fight at UFC Vegas 57, Josh Parisian faced a great deal of adversity to battle his way to a second round stoppage. From the first bell, Heavyweight leather was being slung and midway through round one, Parisian was dropped from a big uppercut in the clinch by Baudot. Despite having to weather the storm for the remaining minutes of the first round, he managed to finish round one with a big takedown of his own. Round two began how the first had ended, with a Parisian takedown. He didn’t just score the takedown, but he also reigned down extremely viscous ground-and-pound, subsequently scoring the second round stoppage.

William Knight has recently returned to the heavyweight division and a potential fight between the two could produce fireworks.

Parisian’s next fight: William Knight 

Thiago Moises

The Brazilian got back into the win column after back-to-back losses to top Lightweight contenders. The Contender Series alum hasn’t had the easiest of rides in his UFC tenure, however, he may have earned himself a ranked opponent next after his first round submission victory. Early in the fight, Moises managed to get the fight against the cage, subsequently jumping on the back of Giagos, only needing to sink in one arm under the chin of the 32-year-old, tapping him out.

Guram Kutateladze came up short against Damir Ismagulov at UFC Austin, and a fight between the “Georgian Viking” and Moises makes a whole lot of sense. The time works out well also.

Moises’ next fight: Guram Kutateladze

Umar Nurmagomedov

The Bantamweight division gets deeper and deeper by the week. Not only did Umar Nurmagomedov move to 15-0, but he did it in pretty flawless fashion against a tough opponent. There was never any doubt in Umar’s ability to out-wrestle his opponent, but there may have been a small question mark over his striking ability. During his bout with Maness, he exhibited that he will also likely hold an advantage on the feet against several top Bantamweight contenders.

The Russian was set to enter the home territory of Jack Shore back in March, however the bout fell through. With the Welsh contender set to face Ricky Simon in mid July, a bout between Nurmagomedov and the winner of the aforementioned fight may be on the horizon.

Nurmagomedov’s next fight: Winner of Ricky Simon vs. Jack Shore

Chris Curtis

“The Action Man” made it three wins in three UFC fights on Saturday night with another tremendous performance, this time against Jiu-Jitsu specialist Rodolfo Vieira. Curtis’ investment in body strikes paid off for him over 15 minutes, as after the first 10 minutes, Vieira began to visibly tire. In 20 takedown attempts, Vieira failed to complete a single one, with Curtis showing excellent takedown defence throughout. Despite him being behind after the first five minutes due to being second in the striking exchanges, he made the adjustments through rounds two and three, getting the win via unanimous decision.

In his first three fights under the UFC banner, Chris Curtis has fought and beat some stiff competition, and in some cases in emphatic fashion. With the Middleweight division being stacked from top to bottom, Curtis has shown he is able to hang with the upper echelon of the division. Although Joaquin Buckley is also coming off the back of a great win himself and has called for a fight with training partner Curtis, former champion Chris Weidman is also looking to get back into competition before the year is out, after recovering from a brutal leg break. A fight between Weidman and Curtis makes sense from all angles.

Curtis’ Next Fight: Chris Weidman

The post What’s Next: UFC Vegas 57 Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

Arman Tsarukyan

Tsarukyan is now 5-2 in the UFC with his only losses being against Gamrot and Islam Makhachev. This loss should knock him back a few spots in the rankings and he should be looking to fight someone on the backside of the top 15 in his next fight.

Diego Ferreira will be fighting Drakkar Klose on July 30th. Klose is right on the outside of the top 15 and Ferreira is currently ranked number 15 in the lightweight division. Fighting the winner of that fight will help Tsarukyan keep his name in the mix as an up-and-coming lightweight.

Tsarukyan’s next fight: Winner of Ferreira versus Klose 

Neil Magny

Before his loss this past weekend, Magny was ranked number ten in the welterweight division. His loss to Rakhmonov should push him back a little but Magny is still 5-2 in the past two years and has looked exceptional in his last few fights. One of those two losses was a decision loss to Michael Chiesa in 2021.

Magny has always been known as a good grappler but seems to be getting out grappled by high-level grapplers like Chiesa and Rakhmonov. Fighting Chiesa again and actually being able to hang with him on the mat would help Magny stay relevant in the stacked welterweight division.

Magny’s next fight: Rematch Michael Chiesa 

Alan Baudot

It’s not looking good for French heavyweight Alan Baudot, who lost his third fight in the UFC on Saturday, this time against Josh Parisian. 0-3 is bad, what’s worse is that Baudot would be 0-4 were it not for Rodrigo Nascimento failing a drug test.

That’s not to say Baudot is a bad fighter, but it’s a bad spot to be in. It’s likely that’s the end of his UFC deal, and the only reason he’d be kept around at this point is to have another French fighter available for UFC Paris in September.

If that’s the case, give him a newcomer.

Baudot’s next fight: outside the UFC, or a promotional newcomer.

Christos Giagos

Christos Giagos was submitted by Thiago Moises in the first round of his lightweight bout at UFC Vegas 57. This loss puts him at 4-4 in the UFC and he is also on a two-fight losing streak. He is in a dire need of a win and should be looking to fight an up-and-coming guy in his next bout.

Terrance McKinney lost his last fight but before that was 2-0 in the UFC with two finishes. McKinney has a 100% finish rate and is one of the most exciting up-and-coming lightweights in the UFC today. A win over McKinney would be big for his career and would definitely save his spot in the UFC. McKinney faces Erick Gonzalez next, so the loser of that fight (or just McKinney even off a win).

Giagos’ next fight: Terrance McKinney 

Nate Maness

Nate Maness was not the first to lose to Umar Nurmagomedov, and he won’t be the last. The loss marks his first setback in the UFC, and snapped a four-fight win streak. Bantamweight is hot these days, and Maness can get right back in the thick of things.

Mongolia’s Danaa Batgerel just lost to Kyung Ho Kang earlier this month, and is 3-3 in the promotion. Let’s see how Maness weathers that “Storm.”

Maness’ next fight: Danaa Batgerel

Rodolfo Vieira

Rodolfo Vieira is another fighter in a tough spot following UFC Vegas 57. Chris Curtis won a decision over Vieira this past weekend and this makes Vieira 3-2 in the UFC. Vieira has incredible grappling credentials and went 7-0 early in his MMA career before losing two of his last three fights. In his next fight, he needs to make a statement if he wants to remain in the UFC.

With that being said, Jacob Malkoun would be an exciting fight for Vieira. They both have similar professional records but Vieira is definitely the better grappler. Malkoun is tough as nails and has knockout power in his hands. A win over Malkoun would help Vieira solidify himself as more than just a grappler in the UFC.

Vieira’s next fight: Jacob Malkoun 

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Ulberg picked up his second win in the promotion at UFC Vegas 57 when he knocked out Tafon Nchukwi in the first round. The last time he fought in the UFC Apex, the 31-year-old suffered his first professional loss, but he exacted his revenge inside the building and was happy to do so.

“Yeah, 100% [it felt good]. And, you know, I came back here; I thought this was gonna be haunting. But you know, we got that one,” Ulberg told Cageside Press in his post-fight interview. “I love the Apex man, and it proved that it loved me too.”

Ulberg has two nicknames, “Ladies Night” and “Black Jag,” but he prefers the latter. He explained the meaning of both of them.

“Well, Black Jag was something that I grew up with. I love jaguars, black jaguars, and I grew up with that name playing the PlayStation,” Ulberg said. “Pretty much everything results from being a kid and having it as [my] alter ego.”

As for “Ladies Night,” it has an interesting backstory.

“I used to do ladies nights in Australia. I used to travel around Australia and New Zealand doing ladies nights and strip pretty much, so yeah, that’s how I got my name ‘Ladies Night,'” Ulberg said. “Oh, actually, a guy who announces back home locally, he had heard of that, and he gave me that name. Shout out to Danny Hennessy.”

Ulberg wasn’t the only ex-stripper on the card. Vannessa Demopoulos stripped up until her second UFC fight. The fighter from New Zealand said he had fun partying and doing ladies nights, but when he found out he was good at fighting, he left it behind.

“Black Jag” will stay in Las Vegas to help his teammates Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, and Brad Riddell prepare for their upcoming fights, and hopes to get another fight later this year.

Watch the rest of Carlos Ulberg’s UFC Vegas 57 post-fight interview above. More coverage of the event can be found below.

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“The Action Man” picked up his third UFC win by defeating Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Rodolfo Viera via unanimous decision to extend his winning streak to eight.

Immediately after his win, Joaquin Buckley called him out on social media, writing, “Give me Chris Curtis next.”

Give Me Chris Curtis Next 👊🏿#UFCVegas57

— Joaquin New Mansa Buckley (@Newmansa94) June 26, 2022

Curtis was a little taken back by the call-out because the pair of middleweights trained with each other not too long ago.

“That’s weird; he was just training with us before like, alright, that’s whatever. Not really thinking about Joaquin Buckley right now, but alright, weird flex,” Curtis said in response to the Tweet, speaking to Cageside Press during his UFC Vegas 57 post-fight interview. “In hindsight, me and Joaquin Buckley would be a fun fight. Joaquin Buckley knows I like Joaquin Buckley, so like it’d be a fun fight that would be a bonus fight.”

Curtis was confused about the call-out, but he thinks he has an idea as to why Buckley wants to fight.

“I think he may be mad about him fighting Albert [Duraev], and I’m like, I have nothing to do with that. Like I thought we were friends. It’s fine, whatever,” Curtis said. “But you know, at the end of the day, I’ll fight my friends; it’s no biggie. Like, you know, I’ll fight my mom if you guys paid me enough. So it’s nothing. It happens…But you know, I’ll keep [the fight] on my radar, but right now I don’t really give a fu*k about Joaquin Buckley right now.”

Buckley would follow up his first tweet an hour later, doing a call back to Curtis’ media day interview, in which Curtis called himself petty.

Bitch You Petty… Bitch I’m Petty Too
Tag The @ufc To Make This Fight Happen #KingPetty #TakeTheThrone #EveryBodyATarget🎯 pic.twitter.com/WJY6vYdvma

— Joaquin New Mansa Buckley (@Newmansa94) June 26, 2022

The 34-year-old wants at least three more fights this year, which, if he is anything like he was in 2021, is completely possible. Curtis added that he wants to fight as much as possible because he has just four or five years left in his career, and with him getting to the UFC so late, he is making up for lost time.

Watch the rest of Chris Curtis’ UFC Vegas 57 post-fight interview above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

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With his back firmly against the wall and his job on the line, fighting on the last fight of his initial contract, Parisian came up big and stopped Alan Baudot in the second round after getting dropped in round one.

In his UFC Vegas 57 media day interview on Wednesday, Parisian (15-5) said he hasn’t been happy with any of his performances, including his first UFC win against Roque Martinez. His mind didn’t really change after picking up a big win on Saturday.

“No, [I’m not proud of this win]. I keep getting hit, and I keep getting messed up,” Parisian told Cageside Press in his post-fight interview at the UFC Apex. “I just want to go out there and have a clean knockout and be like, ‘oh my God, that guy’s really good.’ I’m really proud that I’m mentally tough. And maybe it’s just the competitor in me. But I always want more for myself, I want to do more. I want to be better. And I think maybe even though it’s a disappointing way to be for myself, I think that will make me better in the long run.”

While Parisian isn’t proud of his performance, he does feel like he finally belongs in the UFC, although he knows he has to continue his finishing ways.

“I mean, I gotta finish in the UFC. I feel like getting to the UFC that’s not enough. It’s going out there, winning, and winning by finish. My first [UFC] win by finish just helps me feel secure that I belong here,” Parisian said.

The 32-year-old heavyweight is now 2-2 in the UFC and will most likely be getting a phone call with a new contract. He also picked up a Performance of the Night bonus for his latest win.

Watch the rest of Josh Parisian’s UFC Vegas 57 post-fight interview above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

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Brazil’s Moises (16-6) picked up a big win at UFC Vegas 57, snapping the first two-fight losing streak of his career. He submitted Christos Giagos in just three minutes to remind everyone that he is someone to watch.

Immediately after his fight, Moises was extremely emotional. He explained why in his post-fight interview.

“I screamed, and I cried. I was so emotional because I was coming from two losses in a row. You know, it was very hard, was a very difficult moment in my life, but I kept working,” Moises told Cageside Press in his post-fight interview, back stage at the UFC Apex. “And when I was walking through the cave, the song that I chose, this guy was saying, that he left his school, to just keep working and play music. I did the same, you know, I left school to play sports, to train jiu-jitsu, or to train striking.”

“I was so tired during school, in the beginning, I couldn’t study. So I sacrificed my whole life to this moment. Also, coming from two losses, that’s why this was so important to me.”

Moises asked for a fight with Joe Solecki during his in-cage interview with Michael Bisping on Saturday. “Joe Solecki, I want to fight you next, man,” he called out on the mic. “Don’t hide.”

The Brazilian later expanded on his callout.

“We are both young guys and are both coming up. And also, I think that the winner of that fight could get a top 15 spot,” Moises said.

The 27-year-old wants to return to action as quickly as possible, and with Solecki coming off a win a few weeks ago, their timetables line up almost perfectly.

Watch the rest of Thiago Moises’ UFC Vegas 57 post-fight interview above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

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Paired up with veteran Neil Magny, Rakhmonov locked up a guillotine choke with just seconds left in the second round. The win was cause for celebration, but even more impressive than the victory was that it extended Rakhmonov’s finishing streak.

With a 16-0 record as a pro, he’s finished all 16 fights. A 100% finish rate is almost unheard for fighters with more than 10 wins. Since 2014, Rakhmonov has basically been batting 1.000.

“I’m very happy to make my country proud,” Rakhmonov said following the win, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press at the UFC Apex. “I beat a top 10 guy; step by step, we’re going to get to the title.”

Getting the finish against Magny, he explained, was a matter of patience. “He was a good opponent, that’s why I wasn’t forcing the action, wasn’t rushing. Just was waiting for him to make a mistake, and to catch him.”

With his fourth UFC win secured, Rakhmonov is primed for big things — but he’s not rushing into a fight. “As always, I’m not going to rush. I’m going to take my time, rest, and assess everything with my team,” he said, adding “but the names I want to face are Stephen Thompson, Nate Diaz, [Jorge] Masvidal. Let’s go.”

Wonderboy, Gamebred, or a Diaz brother. That’s quite the list. One other name was suggested to Shavkat Rakhmonov, and he’s down for that also: Sean Brady.

Like Rakhmonov, Brady is undefeated as a pro, sporting a 15-0 record.

“He’s very good, very good fighter, also undefeated, Rakhmonov agreed. “I think the time will come and we’ll face each other. So it’s up to the UFC.”

Asked if he’d like a Khamzat Chimaev style build-up, given the lack of a promotional push he’s had to date, Rakhmonov appeared willing to let the boss decide.

“It’s up to Dana White.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 57 post-fight press scrum with Shavkat Rakhmonov above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

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At UFC Vegas 57, Nurmagomedov improved to 15-0, dominating Nate Maness over the course of three rounds. Maness had entered the night a sizable underdog; in this case, the odds-makers were on point.

Umar is far from the only undefeated Nurmagodov: cousin Khabib, of course, retired at 29-0, having won the UFC’s lightweight championship. Brother Usman is 14-0 himself, and currently competes in Bellator.

But another Nurmagomedov just arrived in the world: ahead of Umar Nurmagomedov’s most recent triumph, his son was born. Due to the timing of his fight, Nurmagomedov wasn’t there for the birth, but despite being away, he was more happy than stressed.

“You know, this is not stress, this is more happy. I’m excited to go home and see him,” Nurmagomedov said following his win over Maness, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press. “God gives me a son — it’s crazy, crazy feeling. I’m excited.”

His son will carry a familiar name: Abdulmanap. Named for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, who served as mentor and coach to many Dagestani fighters. The elder Abdulmanap passed away in 2020, after contracting COVID-19.

“My father chose this name, he said I’m going to give him my uncle’s name, Abdulmanap,” Umar said, tearing up.

Nurmagomedov had plenty of reasons to be upbeat following the win, even if the memory of his uncle had him emotional. He’s now started to be looked at as a real contender at bantamweight, though he’s in no rush.

“If they give me [a ranked opponent], I’m ready,” Nurmagomedov said when asked about fighting someone in the rankings. “But I don’t want to say someone’s name. Step by step, I think I come close, I think I come to be inside the top 10, top five. And then fighting for the belt. Slowly, slowly. I improve everything, it’s going to be great.”

“I don’t care, if they give me a quick road, I’m ready. If they go slowly, I’m ready,” he continued. “For me, it’s important to win every one of my fights. At the end of the day, it’s going to happen. You have to become champion.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 57 post-fight press scrum with Umar Nurmagomedov above.

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