Lerone Murphy

While “The Miracle” kept his win streak going with this unanimous decision win over Josh Emmett, it wasn’t a performance that will have people raving about it for weeks. Despite being undefeated and on an eight-fight heater, Murphy still doesn’t have what you would call a signature win. His last finish came in October of 2021… He’s on a Belal Muhammad and Leon Edwards type of run where if he keeps winning, he will eventually become undeniable, but the UFC is in no hurry to push him to the front of that line. Beneil Dariush had also won 8 fights in a row when the promotion had him fight Charles Oliveira. I feel like Murphy is in a very similar position.

He called out Brian Ortega, but it’s still unclear whether “T-City” will opt to move up to lightweight or stay at featherweight. For that reason, I don’t feel comfortable matchmaking for Ortega until we get more clarity on his status. I think Murphy will end up fighting Arnold Allen. His fellow Englishman is ranked #7 and is coming off a win over Giga Chikadze. The fight makes sense and can headline a UK show or fit nicely on a Pay-Per-View main card.

Murphy’s next fight: Arnold Allen

Pat Sabatini

Sabatini came in and thoroughly dominated the 2-to-1 betting favourite Joanderson Brito over all three rounds. This is his first time winning consecutive fights in the UFC since his 4-0 run when he initially entered the promotion. Yes, he has fallen to Damon Jackson and Diego Lopes, but the Philadelphia fighter is now quietly 7-2 in the UFC.

Before we book him against a ranked fighter, he needs to distance himself from other fighters in his current tier who also have solid UFC records. Names like Gabriel Santos, Hyder Amil and Muhammad Naimov could all make sense, but I ultimately went with Melquizael Costa who was victorious last week and is on a nice run of his own.

Sabatini’s next fight: Melquizael Costa

Chang Ho Lee

After winning Road to the UFC last June in a hard-fought split decision, Lee earned a second-round finish and a performance bonus, this time around. It was an impressive and entertaining outing for the 30-year-old.

Even though Gaston Bolaños and Serhiy Sidey are both currently booked, they would produce sure-fire action fights with the Korean prospect. Either of them is a great option, but I slightly prefer the Sidey matchup. And should Cam Smotherman get his hand raised in Des Moines, then he can fight Lee as well.

Lee’s next fight: Smotherman/Sidey winner

Brad Tavares

It’s wild that Brad Tavares and Gerald Meerschaert had never faced off before UFC Vegas 105 on Saturday. Two veterans of similar calibre who have been around forever, you would think they’d have at least been booked in the past.

The Hawaiian earned a unanimous decision win after stuffing all eight of Meerschaert’s takedown attempts. Despite the win, this doesn’t necessarily move Tavares up the ladder. He instead gets to keep playing the role of gatekeeper at middleweight and serve as a litmus test for up-and-comers. One of the fighters who have been making noise in this weight class is former professional kickboxer Cesar Almeida. The Brazilian is 3-1 in the UFC and has bounced back nicely from his split decision loss to Roman Kopylov last June. This seems like an appropriate test for him.

Tavares’ next fight: Cesar Almeida

Ode’ Osbourne

Osbourne was probably at risk of being handed his walking papers had he lost on Saturday. Instead, with his back against the wall, the Jamaican knocked out the undefeated Luis Gurule in the second round, earning a performance bonus in the process.

Not unlike Tavares, this win is nice for Osbourne, but it doesn’t exactly change his role within his division. Though I wouldn’t be opposed to having him fight a Lone’er Kavanagh, a Rafael Estevam or an Andre Lima next, how about we give Osbourne a break from fighting prospects? There is a fun scrap going down later this month in Kansas City between Matt Schnell and Jimmy Flick. These are two fighters that bring it every time and should make for a fun matchup with Osbourne.

Osbourne’s next fight: Schnell/Flick winner

Torrez Finney

Judging by social media engagement, it wouldn’t be outlandish to say that Finney might have been the biggest story on the UFC Vegas 105 card. He came in as the only fighter to win three times on the Contender Series and his fight had the most talked-about scorecards of the night.

Finney set the middleweight record for least number of significant strikes landed in a decision victory with four. Despite getting eight takedowns, Finney was out struck by Robert Valentin nearly 8-to-1. It was this disparity in damage inflicted that had judge Tony Weeks score the fight 30-27 in favour of the Swiss. For someone nicknamed “The Punisher”, calling this performance flat or uninspired would be an understatement.

However, we must keep in mind that Finney is 26 and doesn’t even turn 27 until late October. He has all the time in the world, especially in this division, to learn from this and put on more refined performances in the future. This is why we should be looking for give him nothing but layups, for now. Fighters like José Medina and Antonio Trocoli shouldn’t offer too much resistance, and that is why I’d look to them as potential opponents for Finney.

Finney’s next fight: José Medina

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Josh Emmett

Lerone Murphy out pointed Josh Emmett to win a unanimous decision in the main event on Saturday. Josh Emmett has now lost three of his last four fights stemming from his unsuccessful interim title bout in 2023.

Emmett entered the bout with a #8 ranking at 145lbs, while Murphy was ranked at #10. Josh, who turned 40 years old about a month ago, is in a precarious position as he will likely be teetering on the edge of the top 10 come Tuesday.

Emmett should fight the winner of the Dan Ige vs Sean Woodson fight at UFC 314 on April 12th. The timing would be great. Ige is currently ranked at #15 in the featherweight division, while Woodson is unranked. Woodson has been a spectacular prospect with the promotion. The 2019 Contender Series vet is 7-1-1 and riding a 7-fight unbeaten streak. Ige is a tried and tested veteran that has faced the top of the division (including Emmett in 2021). The 2017 Contender Series alum has struggled recently, having lost three of his last four bouts. Either matchup, the fans win. Both Ige and Woodson are strikers with real fight-stropping power. Fans could either get a rematch between two veterans or a veteran vs an up-and-coming rangy striker. Winner of this fight would guarantee themselves a spot in the rankings while the loser would likely end up falling just outside #15.

Emmett’s next fight: Winner of Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson

Joanderson Brito

Joanderson Brito was nearly shut out in what was a textbook display of grappling dominance from Pat Sabatini. The loss was Brito’s second in a row, after he dropped a split decision to Williiam Gomis last September. Prior to that, Brito was riding high on a 5-fight win streak that saw him finish every opponent and land two performance bonuses.

This one is an easy one. Joanderson should fight Do Ho Choi next. These two guys were made to fight each other, and I could see a potential fight of the night out of the matchup. Choi went 3-3 thru his first six fights from 2014 to 2019. ‘The Korean Superboy’ landed five straight performance bonuses including his legendary scrap against Cub Swanson making him a fan favorite. Momentum slowed for Choi after he broke his arm in 2019 in his loss against Charles Jourdain. Choi was further delayed as he had to serve mandatory military service as a South Korean.

Since Choi returned in 2023, he has experienced a career resurgence going 2-0-1. He’s a crisp counter striker that’s not afraid of a battle and at 34 he’s still got a few more wars in the tank. Choi was last in action back in December when he put away Nate Landwehr in the final round. Great dance partner for a fighter like Brito that likes to move forward and throw venom. Sign me up.

Brito’s next fight: Doo Ho Choi

Cortavious Romious

Chang Ho Lee melted Cortavious Romious with some devastating ground and pound to get the second round TKO at UFC Vegas 105. Romious is now 0-2 under the UFC promotional banner. The two-time Contender Series competitor was signed last year after his unanimous decision win over Michael Imperato.

Cortavious also missed weight prior to the fight by 3.5lbs so he is in a very tough position. Next fight for Romious, if he gets one, should be against Josias Musasa. ‘The KO Wizard’ is also 2024 Contender Series veteran. Like Cortavious, Josias is also winless with the UFC and struggled on the scale. Musasa was submitted in his debut by Carlos Vera last month in the first round of their bout. Josias also missed weight for that bout coming in at 136.5lbs. Good matchup here, that makes sense for both fighters with the loser potentially facing an axe from the promotion.

Romious’ next fight: Josias Musasa 

Gerald Meerschaert

Gerald Meerschaert dropped a hard-fought unanimous decision to Brad Tavares at UFC Vegas 105 Saturday.  It was Meerschaert’s second loss in a row after he was submitted by UFC newcomer, Reinier de Ridder, last November.

Meerschaert now has a UFC record of 12-11 and has anchored his position as a gatekeeper within the promotion’s middleweight ranks.

Couple different options are available for Meerschaert. Hes fought nearly everyone. Meerschaert could take a compelling rematch against a guy like Eryk Anders. The pair first fought in 2019 with Anders snagging a split decision. Since that bout, Anders is 5-4 and Meerschaert is 7-7. Eryk may have won his last two fights, but they were against guys who are no longer with the promotion (Jamie Pickett and Chris Weidman). Gerald’s been more active against more competitive guys. All things considered; this is a matchup that could be revisited.

Or perhaps, what makes more sense is to have Gerald take on the winner of Zach Reese vs Dusko Todorovic who are slated to fight on May 31st. Zack is a 2023 Contender Series vet that is 2-2 thru four bouts with the promotion. Dusko Todorovic is 3-5 with the UFC and came off the 2019 season of the Contender Series. Winner of this striking battle should take on Gerald as both are still under the prospect tag currently. This option gives fans a great striking vs grappling matchup with the winner proving their relevancy within the division. Leaning towards the winner of Reese vs. Todorovic but it really depends on the direction the UFC wants to go in.

Meerschaert’s next fight: Eryk Anders II or Winner of Dusko Todorovic vs. Zach Reese

Luis Gurule

Ode Osbourne upset Luis Gurule at UFC Vegas 105, handing him the first loss of his professional MMA career, in what was the 31-year-old’s promotional debut. Luis earned a contract off of a split decision victory over Nick Piccininni on the Contender Series last year.

A prior edition of losers had targeted former UFC flyweight, CJ Vergara, for the loser of this bout. However, Vergara was released by the promotion following his third loss in row to last week.

Instead, Luis should take on Felipe dos Santos in his next fight. Felipe is 1-3 with the promotion and has lost his last two fights. Felipe was last in action a couple of weeks ago when he a dropped a unanimous decision to hot prospect, Lone’er Kavanagh. Despite his UFC record, Felipe has had some solid showings inside the cage. His UFC debut was against Manel Kape, and though he lost, the Brazilian fighter still put in a fight of the night winning effort. Felipe has had some tough opponents. The 24-year-old flyweight is also a veteran of the LFA and a fight between these two would be nonstop action. Winner of this fight would establish a foothold within the division, while the loser could easily be released.

Gurule’s next fight: Felipe dos Santos 

Robert Valentin

Robert Valentin dropped a split decision to Torrez Finney in a wrestling heavy bout to kick off the UFC Vegas 105 main card.  Valentin became the runner up of the 32nd season of The Ultimate Fighter last year with his loss to Ryan Loder.

A prior edition of losers had targeted former UFC middleweight, Julian Marquez, for the loser of this bout. However, Marquez has since been released from the UFC following his fourth straight loss last month.

The perfect matchup for Valentin would be Jose Medina. Jose is in a similar position to Valentin. Medina lost his Contender Series bout in 2023 to Magomed Gadzhiyasulov by unanimous decision. However, thanks to his tenacity, Jose snagged a UFC contact from the performance anyways. Medina dropped to middleweight for his UFC debut losing a unanimous decision to Zach Reese last August. In his last fight, Jose was on the opposite end of a first-round highlight reel KO courtesy of Ateba Gautier. Considering both fighters situations, this high-stakes bout is bound to deliver. Two guys who are likely on their final chances with the promotion, loser gets cut.

Valentin’s next fight: Jose Medina 

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The last time the UFC deemed any fight worthy of Fight of the Night honors was UFC 313, when Justin Gaethje defeated Rafael Fiziev for the second time. That lightweight war was no doubt a hard act to follow, but it’s rare to see the promotion forgo a Fight of the Night bonus for this long.

In the ensuing weeks, UFC Vegas 104, UFC London, UFC Mexico City, and now UFC Vegas 105 instead saw only Performance of the Night bonuses handed out. On each occasion, four Performance bonuses were awarded instead, and that’s the case again this week.

Collecting $50,000 in bonus money at UFC Vegas 105 were Ode Osbourne, Rhys McKee, Dione Barbosa, and Chang-Ho Lee. They happen to be the only fighters on the Fight Night card, an underwhelming one to say the least, who actually had finishes. In other words, the pickings were a bit slim.

Barbosa submitted Diana Belbita in the opening round of their featured prelim, contested at flyweight. Osbourne, meanwhile, knocked out newcomer Luis Gurule in violent fashion (is there any other way to knock someone out?) on the main card. Chang Ho-Lee got it done against Cortavious Romious with a TKO in the second round, while Rhys McKee laid a beatdown on Contender Series alum Daniel Frunza that was so bad, the doctor stopped the fight prior to round two commencing.

For what it’s worth, Frunza weathered a category five storm and managed to finish the round in somewhat competitive fashion, but the damage to his eye was so bad, the doctor really had no choice.

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The main card tilt found both fighters looking to get back in the win column. Tavares had lost two straight, while Meerschaert was looking to bounce back from a loss to ONE Championship star Reinier de Ridder.

If there was a roadmap to victory most assumed would be open to Meerschaert, it was on the ground, with a submission. And though he was willing to stand and trade in the opening moments of the fight, it was under a minute when Meerschaert moved forward, pressed Tavares into the cage, and looked for the takedown. Tavares fought off the attempt, reset, then fought off a second as Meerschaert punched his way inside. Little confidence boosters for the Hawaiian Tavares.

A single leg attempt by Meerschaert left Tavares hopping, but again, “GM3” couldn’t complete the takedown. Solid balance and defense by Brad Tavares, who was forcing Meerschaert to fight standing up. And while the pair would trade head kicks to close out the round, there was little question Tavares had the edge on the feet.

Round two saw Meerschaert a little more desperate to take the fight down. Unable to just lure Tavares into his guard in the opening seconds, he pressed forward, throwing a few wild punches. Still, despite getting Tavares back to the fence, Meerschaert could not get the fight to the ground. Back at center, Tavares fired a front kick up top. And as the round wore on, Tavares again started to show a clear edge in striking.

Round three saw Meerschaert pursue a takedown almost right out of the gate, and he nearly landed it. Even with Tavares staying up, “GM3” stayed on him, keeping the Hawaiian tied up. For the first time in the fight, Meerschaert appeared to have the edge, but after being unable to make much happen for the bulk of the third round, ref Mike Beltran restarted the action with under a minute remaining. Meerschaert would put Tavares’ back on the fence one more time, before he broke free; Meerschaert fired a few kicks before the horn, but it might have been too little, too late.

As it turned out it was. With a unanimous decision victory, Brad Tavares tied Michael Bisping’s middleweight wins record at 16.

Official Result: Brad Tavares def. Gerald Meerschaert by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Gurule was a perfect 10-0 to start his pro career, which had taken him from LFA to the Contender Series.

Round one began with a cautious feeling-out process, as both fighters relied heavily on feints but offered little actual offense. Early on, Gurule missed on a takedown attempt, but midway through the round, he secured a well-timed shot and landed in side control. Despite the advantageous position, he couldn’t mount much offense at all. Osbourne eventually gained side control ever so briefly, eating a few elbows in the process, but managed to return to his feet just before the bell. In a slow-paced round, Gurule’s takedown stood out as the most significant moment.

About a minute into round two, Gurule shot in on a single leg, but Osbourne defended well. While Osbourne found success with his hands when he let them go, the constant threat of the takedown seemed to keep him slightly off-rhythm. That changed quickly when he timed Gurule perfectly with a counter left hand, dropping him hard. Initially hesitant to follow up, Osbourne eventually committed, swarming with strikes until the referee stepped in for the stoppage.

Official Result: Ode Osbourne def. Luis Gurule by TKO (Punches), Round 2, 1:54

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Valentin told Cageside Press ahead of the fight that he saw the bout as a bigger opportunity than most, given the following he and Finney had grown through TUF and the Contender Series.

The first round began with Finney immediately applying pressure on Valentin. He shot in on the legs, lifted Valentin, and walked him across the cage before slamming him down in his corner. Although Valentin quickly returned to his feet, Finney stayed locked on and took him down again. Valentin managed to work back to his knees and stand, but Finney remained relentless, scoring two more takedowns against the cage. To his credit, Valentin repeatedly got back up, but he couldn’t shake Finney’s grip. While the damage was minimal, Finney effectively neutralized Valentin’s offense with constant takedown pressure and control.

Round two opened with Finney landing a big scoop slam just seconds in. Valentin looked to threaten with a kimura, but Finney’s strength easily nullified the attempt. Valentin then transitioned to an armbar, but Finney powered out by slamming him on his head. Valentin eventually worked up to a knee, trying to stand, but Finney attempted to take the back—slipping off in the process. Still, he managed to latch onto a leg and maintain control. The round closed with little action, but Valentin was once again pressed against the cage as the buzzer sounded.

Knowing he needed a finish, Valentin came out aggressive in round three, letting his hands go. Finney wanted no part of the striking exchange and quickly pressed Valentin against the cage, securing another takedown. While Finney continued to dominate in the wrestling department, he struggled to control Valentin on the ground, allowing him to return to his feet over and over. The referee separated them, but Finney immediately closed the distance and drove Valentin back to the cage. Another brief break from the ref followed, only for Finney to shoot again—this time lifting and planting Valentin with authority. Valentin once more managed to stand, prompting yet another separation from the referee, who appeared visibly frustrated. Still undeterred, Finney clinched again and ended the fight with Valentin pinned against the cage.

The result of the fight after 15 minutes felt like a forgone conclusion. Judge Tony Weeks, who has a boxing background, apparently saw something no one else did however. He awarded all three rounds to Valentin, while the remaining two judges scored the fight a more reasonable 29-28 for Torrez Finney.

Official Result: Torrez Finney def. Robert Valentin by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

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The early part of the opening round saw quick, crisp exchanges thrown between the pair, with both mixing in kicks. Belbita was landing more frequently, though Barbosa had some power behind a head kick that was blocked inside the first two minutes. It was punches in punches from Diana Belbita consistently, almost never throwing less than three at a time. Barbosa looked to land counters, firing less, but with more power.

The back half of the frame saw Diana Belbita connect with an overhand right and a push kick. Barbosa then flipped the script, backing Belbita up to the fence and landing the fight’s first takedown. She almost immediately moved the mount; Belbtia clamped down on an arm, but Barbosa found herself in position to lock up an arm-triangle choke. In an attempt to break free, or at least create space, Belbita attempted to roll over herself, but she couldn’t break the hold and was forced to tap moments later.

The win sees Barbosa rebound from a loss to Miranda Maverick last July.

Official Result: Dione Barbosa def. Diana Belbita by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 1, 4:13

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While McKee was in must-win territory in the fight, Frunza was looking to extend a five-fight win streak dating back to 2022.

Frunza opened the fight aggressively, throwing a mix of kicks and punches. McKee welcomed the firefight and traded right back. Both fighters exchanged heavy shots until McKee dropped Frunza first with a left hand, then again with a right. Still visibly rocked, Frunza blitzed forward, only to get sat down a third time by a stiff jab.

Despite being busted up and clearly hurt, newcomer Frunza stayed on his feet and kept throwing, albeit wildly. McKee stayed composed, mixing shots to the body and head while showcasing slick head movement and superior technique. Even as he gave Frunza chances in the pocket, McKee consistently got the better of the exchanges.

By the end of the round, Frunza had been knocked down three times and looked like he’d been through a full three-round war. His eye was swollen badly, never a good sign.

In between rounds, the doctor called a stoppage to the fight due to all the damage Frunza was wearing on his face. That gave Rhys McKee his first win in the promotion, on his second stint, and snapped a two-fight skid.

Official Result: Rhys McKee def. Daniel Frunza via TKO (Doctor Stoppage), Round 1, 5:00

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The strawweight fight found Nunes at 0-4 in the promotion, a rather surprising number considering she’d be kept around for a fifth out, one that was almost certainly do or die.

An exchange of kicks opened up Saturday’s strawweight affair, or “kicked it off,” pardon the pun. Lookboonmee looked sharper there, but Nunes was no slouch either. And about two minutes in, Nunes caught a kick and threatened to dump the Thai fighter. Lookboonmee stayed upright; seconds later, the fight was halted for an eye poked endured by Nunes.

The back half of the round continued to be competitive, with both fighters throwing hard. Surprisingly it was Lookboonmee initiating a takedown, which backfired as she went to the ground first, pulling Nunes down on top of her. Nunes mount up on top, threatening to pass to mount as a result, though Lookboonmee would regain guard.

Round two saw the fight move into grinding territory along the fence, with Istela Nunes putting her weight on Lookboonmee, controlling her. Lookboonmee stayed on her feet as Nunes sought out a takedown, with the Brazilian being warned more than once for having her fingers in the fence. When they did hit the mat, it was Lookboonmee on top, though Nunes had soon locked up a leg, looking for a heel hook.

The opening minute of round three was another battling along the fence, with Lookboonmee landing a takedown, settling down into Nunes’ guard. The rest of the round would play out there, with Lookboonmee in the driver’s seat, but little in the way of action unfolding. When the scores were read, all three judges had it for Lookboonmee, leaving Istela Nunes looking incredulous and exclaiming “what?!?” before exiting the cage.

Lookboonmee said following the win that she hoped to stay active in 2025 after missing most of last year due to a broken hand that required surgery.

Official Result: Loma Lookboonmee def. Istela Nunes by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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Making his promotional debut on very short notice, Satybaldiev was at a disadvantage not only in prep time, but weight. The undefeated fighter from Kyrgyzstan, an LFA light heavyweight champ, weighed in at just 222.5lbs at Friday’s official weigh-in.

Buday? He maxed out the heavyweight limit, a full 266lbs.

In round one, Satybaldiev came out with high volume, letting his hands go early. Buday was the one pressing forward, looking to use his size by backing Satybaldiev against the cage. He managed to do so briefly, but Satybaldiev broke free and fired off a sharp combination, showing little respect for Buday’s power. Still, Buday remained composed, and when he landed, it was clear his shots carried more weight. He also found success with chopping leg kicks throughout the round. It was competitive, but Buday edged it by landing the more impactful strikes.

In round two, Satybaldiev came out aggressive, pushing Buday against the cage and unloading up top. However, once his output slowed, Buday slowly worked his way back inside and returned the favor, pinning Satybaldiev against the fence. Despite the size disadvantage, Satybaldiev was able to circle out. He stayed busy with his hands but lacked variety in his attack. Buday stayed calm, continually landing jabs and leg kicks. In another close round, Buday finished stronger, doing good work in the clinch and likely stealing the frame.

The final round started with urgency from Satybaldiev, who landed a clean one-two that backed Buday up. His offense came in bursts, though, and once he paused, Buday again walked him down and pressed him to the cage. Buday didn’t hold him there long, and Satybaldiev resumed letting his hands go. Though he hadn’t seemed to hurt Buday much throughout the fight, he finally stunned him with a right hand that left Buday on shaky legs. Oddly, Satybaldiev then opted to shoot for a takedown against the bigger man. Buday stuffed it with ease and had time to recover. From there, Buday controlled the clinch until the ref separated them. In the final minute, Buday landed the cleaner offense and closed the fight on a strong note. No surprise come the scorecards, with Buday winning a unanimous decision.

Official Result: Martin Buday def. Uran Satybaldiev by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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