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Alex Pereira (c) vs Jiri Prochazka II – Strike while the iron is hot and while UFC 300 is still fresh in people’s minds. Jiri channelled his inner warrior to finish Aleksandar Rakic, and his fights are always fun. A rematch might feel a little soon, but I love the narrative, and I love the prospect of the fight, too. This isn’t one of those pointless rematches nobody wants, this is the best there is stylistically. How does Jiri respond to getting vanquished last time? Can Alex Pereira roll ever onwards? Let’s find out!
Jamahal Hill vs Magomed Ankalaev – There’s no way Ankalaev is the number one contender like he claims, I think that’s more media nonsense from the manager. 1 win in 3 just doesn’t do it, and Ankalaev already blew his chance once. Give him Jamahal Hill. May the best man win. Hill got starched tonight, but he's still up there, and would be a big win for Magomed.
Weili Zhang (c) vs Tatiana Suarez – I don’t like the idea that Suarez getting a title shot after pulling out of a fight, but these things happen, and it’s the obvious next defence in my eyes. This is a good fight between two very experienced martial artists, Suarez doesn’t have quite as much money-in-the-bank in terms of MMA experience, but she’s got a bunch of accolades behind her. She’s also undefeated and tapped Jessica Andrade last time out. She’s a threat.
Yan Xiaonan vs Jessica Andrade – Yan Xiaonan got choked out in R1, but it was missed somehow, and she fought on like a warrior. She didn’t get the nod, but she could get a high level strawweight bout next against a fresh opponent in Jessica Andrade. A huge fight for both.
Max Holloway vs Ilia Topuria (c) – Man, oh man, Max bossed UFC 300! He made this show truly, truly special! His boxing, the spinning back kicks, the volume, the ringmanship, the KNOCK OUT SHOT – this was Holloway at his absolute finest without needing to land 400+ strikes against an overmatched opponent. He moved up a weight class, he won in one-of-a-kind fashion, he absorbed some heavy shots too – give him Topuria. It might be his last ever UFC title shot but give it to that man and let him have a crack at getting that belt back at long last!
Justin Gaethje vs Benoit St Denis – I think it’s either BSD or Dan Hooker, and I know which fight I’d prefer! Gaethje is so god damn enjoyable, I’d like to see him face someone with that same nasty disposition and a real intensity for finishing fights. Maybe it won’t be for that stupid BMF belt, but it’s kinda the same thing, right? It gives BSD a second chance to score a career-best win and elevate himself to the elite level, but it also gives Justin the chance to look amazing in a WAR – against the self-professed ‘God of War’. Yes please.
Arman Tsarukyan vs Islam Makhachev (c) II – Great outing for Arman Tsarukyan, he takes the #1 contender spot and should face Islam Makhachev next. Given that Ali Abdelaziz didn’t get Islam-Dustin over the line (nice try…), I think we can move past that attempt now, and just book Islam against Arman in a rematch. You don’t beat Charles and not get a title shot, and if you do, you certainly don’t lose that title shot to someone who lost to Gaethje but then beat Benoit St Denis, the lowest ranked contender anyone in the top 5 fought recently. That makes no sense. Sorry, Dustin.
Charles Oliveira vs Mateusz Gamrot – One of the big winners tonight might just be Mateusz Gamrot, one of the tidiest grapplers in the UFC – he could now get a chance to face one of the best submission artists in the UFC, in what should be a barn-burner! The back-and-forth in this fight could be legendary, and now that it makes sense from a matchmaking perspective, I’d try to pull the trigger immediately. Gamrot has won 6 of 7, including beating Arman Tsarukyan.
Bo Nickal vs Jacob Malkoun – I’ve got to be honest, I have no real investment in Bo right now, I don’t know why Bo is talking about Anthony Hernandez when he’s looking so unimpressive in terms of Jiu Jitsu. Hernandez is far, far, far better than Bo, to the point Bo taking Hernandez down only works against him. Give him Jacob Malkoun, someone similar to Brundage but with more heart and desire. Malkoun isn’t necessarily lightyears ahead of Brundage technically, but he’s definitely harder to beat. This is going to be a slow burn, hopefully Bo can learn and develop into a fighter of interest, but watching him learn basics on the job is a real turn off. That sounds awfully negative, I’m sorry.
Cody Brundage – CUT! Cody doesn’t belong in the UFC, I don’t need to see him lose even more fights to prove it, he’s not horrible, but he’s just not got that dog in him. There’s just no point.
Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira II (see above)
Aleksandar Rakic vs Nikita Krylov – Rakic is good, he’s technical, he’s aggressive, but he couldn’t deal with Jiri walking him down despite taking a ton of damage, and that proved the difference tonight. Rakic had been out nearly two years, is now on a 2-fight skid, and I’d like to see him get a fight with Krylov next. Krylov has won 3 straight, he deserves the step up, Rakic needs the step down in competition (but only slightly), this is #5 vs #6 and it’s a fresh match up. Book it!
Aljamain Sterling vs Movsar Evloev – Assuming Topuria-Evloev isn’t somehow in the works, I’d love to see Movsar get a crack at a former UFC champion. For Movsar, it’s not so much proving he’s a contender, it’s more about getting a really top name on his résumé because, let’s be honest, he hasn’t got one as it stands. This could either be the win that puts Movsar over the top, or Aljamain announces his arrival into the top 5 at featherweight. It’s a win-win for the UFC, in all honesty. May the best grappler win!
Calvin Kattar vs Diego Lopes – Diego Lopes has rinsed 3 straight opponents with R1KO’s, and tonight’s performance against Sodiq Yusuff was nothing short of extraordinary. His uppercuts landed twice and shut Sodiq down both times. All right, kid, let’s see if you can do the same against a man that has been a perennial top 10 at featherweight, without ever really establishing himself as an elite contender. Calvin Katter got out-grappled tonight, but when he establishes an advantage he tends to run away with contests. Can he test Lopes by dragging the Brazilian killer out of R1? Most likely…
Kayla Harrison vs Raquel Pennington (c) – Does anyone really want to see Pennington defend against Julianna Pena more than they want this fight? Because I want to see the exciting new monster shoot for the top right away. No messing around. The UFC have got an animal on their hands who might just breath new life into the bantamweight division.
Holly Holm vs Norma Dumont – Holly Holm got her tactics wrong, but that didn’t stop Kayla Harrison absolutely beasting ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ with some excellent Judo and world class ground and pound. Holm could use a little bit of a break from elite competition and face an up-and-comer like Norma next. Let’s see how good Dumont really is.
Diego Lopes vs Calvin Kattar (see above)
Sodiq Yusuff vs Pat Sabatini – Yusuff might just fall out of the featherweight rankings after this defeat and given his best win in the past 5 years is Alex Caceres, I think that would be justified. He needs a slight step down in competition without totally pulling the rug from under him, and I think Sabatini looks about right. Both have struggled against a higher level of competition, both coming off losses (2 in a row for Yusuff), I think this is fair on the pair of them.
Renato Moicano vs Beneil Dariush – Moicano climbs above Jalin Turner in the rankings despite getting all-but-starched in Round One, but he’s not going to worry about that. The Brazilian has won 3 in a row, Brad Riddell, Drew Dober, and now Jalin Turner as he cuts a swathe straight through the lightweight division’s striking fraternity. Give him Dariush next. Dariush has been stopped by R1KO twice in a row and has to prove he’s still got something in the tank as the #7 at 155. Beating Moicano would show he still belongs.
Jalin Turner vs Fares Ziam – Jalin Turner tried the walk off KO and BOY did it backfire! Turner suffers his third defeat in four fights through sheer bad decision making, and that’s the kind of performance that leaves him needing to prove he’s worthy of being a ranked fighter in my opinion. Give him surging Frenchman Fares Ziam, 5-2 in the UFC, 3 wins in a row, let’s see if he can turn it up and claim that rankings spot.
Jessica Andrade vs Yan Xiaonan (see above)
Marina Rodriguez vs Loma Lookboonmee – I know Loma has lost a couple of fights against higher level competition, but she’s looked great lately and is a 3-fight win streak. Her striking is serious, and Marina is sure to strike with her, making a potentially fun fight, plus you have to factor in Marina has pretty much fought everyone in the strawweight top 10, and we need a new challenge for her as she loses for the third time in four fights. I wouldn’t be surprised if Loma got a lower level opponent because this is a huge step up, but you know what? She’s 28 now, let’s see where she’s at.
Bobby Green vs Paddy Pimblett – Bobby Green called for it, he said he’d head over to Manchester, and he said he’d kick Paddy’s ass – well, Paddy has been right here on Sherdog demanding a ranked opponent, and I don’t think for a second he’d back down. The timing feels right, the match itself is super fun, Bobby is a great boxer, Paddy is a lethal grappler, there’s a ranking spot on the line, let’s go to war!
Jim Miller vs Tony Ferguson – Ferguson tied the longest losing streak in UFC history, and he certainly won’t want to become the absolute holder of that record – but he’ll have to get through someone like Jim Miller to avoid that ignominy. Ferguson said he wants to ‘fight until the wheels fall off’, well maybe this will be his last, maybe it won’t, but I doubt anyone would complain if these two JBG legends made it a double retirement – or just carried on… either way, fun fight at this stage!
Deiveson Figueiredo vs Petr Yan – Deiveson Figueiredo puts Cody Garbrandt away with an awesome display of grappling, getting the second round submission against a guy in Garbrandt that history does not get tapped. I’d like to see him move straight into contention for the top 5 and see him matching up nicely with Yan. Yan snapped a three-fight losing streak against Song Yadong last time out, and I see this as such a high level fight that the winner is immediately in the frame for a shot at the belt – perhaps this fight isn’t a contender eliminator, but it’s certainly close to it. And it’s mouth-watering!
Cody Garbrandt vs Raoni Barcelos – Many will remember these as ‘the guys that beat Trevin Jones’ – okay, okay, I’m joking, but the reality is we’re looking at two uber-veterans who have struggled for high level wins but are still fun as hell and legitimately high level. If Cody wants to keep fighting and is aiming for those ranking spots, a win over Raoni puts him back in the discussion. If he loses, it could be time to call it a day, as Raoni is one of those guys you kind of have to beat at this stage of his career, without being any kind of push over.
Jamahal Hill vs Magomed Ankalaev – There’s no way Ankalaev is the number one contender like he claims, I think that’s more media nonsense from the manager. 1 win in 3 just doesn’t do it, and Ankalaev already blew his chance once. Give him Jamahal Hill. May the best man win. Hill got starched tonight, but he's still up there, and would be a big win for Magomed.
Weili Zhang (c) vs Tatiana Suarez – I don’t like the idea that Suarez getting a title shot after pulling out of a fight, but these things happen, and it’s the obvious next defence in my eyes. This is a good fight between two very experienced martial artists, Suarez doesn’t have quite as much money-in-the-bank in terms of MMA experience, but she’s got a bunch of accolades behind her. She’s also undefeated and tapped Jessica Andrade last time out. She’s a threat.
Yan Xiaonan vs Jessica Andrade – Yan Xiaonan got choked out in R1, but it was missed somehow, and she fought on like a warrior. She didn’t get the nod, but she could get a high level strawweight bout next against a fresh opponent in Jessica Andrade. A huge fight for both.
Max Holloway vs Ilia Topuria (c) – Man, oh man, Max bossed UFC 300! He made this show truly, truly special! His boxing, the spinning back kicks, the volume, the ringmanship, the KNOCK OUT SHOT – this was Holloway at his absolute finest without needing to land 400+ strikes against an overmatched opponent. He moved up a weight class, he won in one-of-a-kind fashion, he absorbed some heavy shots too – give him Topuria. It might be his last ever UFC title shot but give it to that man and let him have a crack at getting that belt back at long last!
Justin Gaethje vs Benoit St Denis – I think it’s either BSD or Dan Hooker, and I know which fight I’d prefer! Gaethje is so god damn enjoyable, I’d like to see him face someone with that same nasty disposition and a real intensity for finishing fights. Maybe it won’t be for that stupid BMF belt, but it’s kinda the same thing, right? It gives BSD a second chance to score a career-best win and elevate himself to the elite level, but it also gives Justin the chance to look amazing in a WAR – against the self-professed ‘God of War’. Yes please.
Arman Tsarukyan vs Islam Makhachev (c) II – Great outing for Arman Tsarukyan, he takes the #1 contender spot and should face Islam Makhachev next. Given that Ali Abdelaziz didn’t get Islam-Dustin over the line (nice try…), I think we can move past that attempt now, and just book Islam against Arman in a rematch. You don’t beat Charles and not get a title shot, and if you do, you certainly don’t lose that title shot to someone who lost to Gaethje but then beat Benoit St Denis, the lowest ranked contender anyone in the top 5 fought recently. That makes no sense. Sorry, Dustin.
Charles Oliveira vs Mateusz Gamrot – One of the big winners tonight might just be Mateusz Gamrot, one of the tidiest grapplers in the UFC – he could now get a chance to face one of the best submission artists in the UFC, in what should be a barn-burner! The back-and-forth in this fight could be legendary, and now that it makes sense from a matchmaking perspective, I’d try to pull the trigger immediately. Gamrot has won 6 of 7, including beating Arman Tsarukyan.
Bo Nickal vs Jacob Malkoun – I’ve got to be honest, I have no real investment in Bo right now, I don’t know why Bo is talking about Anthony Hernandez when he’s looking so unimpressive in terms of Jiu Jitsu. Hernandez is far, far, far better than Bo, to the point Bo taking Hernandez down only works against him. Give him Jacob Malkoun, someone similar to Brundage but with more heart and desire. Malkoun isn’t necessarily lightyears ahead of Brundage technically, but he’s definitely harder to beat. This is going to be a slow burn, hopefully Bo can learn and develop into a fighter of interest, but watching him learn basics on the job is a real turn off. That sounds awfully negative, I’m sorry.
Cody Brundage – CUT! Cody doesn’t belong in the UFC, I don’t need to see him lose even more fights to prove it, he’s not horrible, but he’s just not got that dog in him. There’s just no point.
Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira II (see above)
Aleksandar Rakic vs Nikita Krylov – Rakic is good, he’s technical, he’s aggressive, but he couldn’t deal with Jiri walking him down despite taking a ton of damage, and that proved the difference tonight. Rakic had been out nearly two years, is now on a 2-fight skid, and I’d like to see him get a fight with Krylov next. Krylov has won 3 straight, he deserves the step up, Rakic needs the step down in competition (but only slightly), this is #5 vs #6 and it’s a fresh match up. Book it!
Aljamain Sterling vs Movsar Evloev – Assuming Topuria-Evloev isn’t somehow in the works, I’d love to see Movsar get a crack at a former UFC champion. For Movsar, it’s not so much proving he’s a contender, it’s more about getting a really top name on his résumé because, let’s be honest, he hasn’t got one as it stands. This could either be the win that puts Movsar over the top, or Aljamain announces his arrival into the top 5 at featherweight. It’s a win-win for the UFC, in all honesty. May the best grappler win!
Calvin Kattar vs Diego Lopes – Diego Lopes has rinsed 3 straight opponents with R1KO’s, and tonight’s performance against Sodiq Yusuff was nothing short of extraordinary. His uppercuts landed twice and shut Sodiq down both times. All right, kid, let’s see if you can do the same against a man that has been a perennial top 10 at featherweight, without ever really establishing himself as an elite contender. Calvin Katter got out-grappled tonight, but when he establishes an advantage he tends to run away with contests. Can he test Lopes by dragging the Brazilian killer out of R1? Most likely…
Kayla Harrison vs Raquel Pennington (c) – Does anyone really want to see Pennington defend against Julianna Pena more than they want this fight? Because I want to see the exciting new monster shoot for the top right away. No messing around. The UFC have got an animal on their hands who might just breath new life into the bantamweight division.
Holly Holm vs Norma Dumont – Holly Holm got her tactics wrong, but that didn’t stop Kayla Harrison absolutely beasting ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ with some excellent Judo and world class ground and pound. Holm could use a little bit of a break from elite competition and face an up-and-comer like Norma next. Let’s see how good Dumont really is.
Diego Lopes vs Calvin Kattar (see above)
Sodiq Yusuff vs Pat Sabatini – Yusuff might just fall out of the featherweight rankings after this defeat and given his best win in the past 5 years is Alex Caceres, I think that would be justified. He needs a slight step down in competition without totally pulling the rug from under him, and I think Sabatini looks about right. Both have struggled against a higher level of competition, both coming off losses (2 in a row for Yusuff), I think this is fair on the pair of them.
Renato Moicano vs Beneil Dariush – Moicano climbs above Jalin Turner in the rankings despite getting all-but-starched in Round One, but he’s not going to worry about that. The Brazilian has won 3 in a row, Brad Riddell, Drew Dober, and now Jalin Turner as he cuts a swathe straight through the lightweight division’s striking fraternity. Give him Dariush next. Dariush has been stopped by R1KO twice in a row and has to prove he’s still got something in the tank as the #7 at 155. Beating Moicano would show he still belongs.
Jalin Turner vs Fares Ziam – Jalin Turner tried the walk off KO and BOY did it backfire! Turner suffers his third defeat in four fights through sheer bad decision making, and that’s the kind of performance that leaves him needing to prove he’s worthy of being a ranked fighter in my opinion. Give him surging Frenchman Fares Ziam, 5-2 in the UFC, 3 wins in a row, let’s see if he can turn it up and claim that rankings spot.
Jessica Andrade vs Yan Xiaonan (see above)
Marina Rodriguez vs Loma Lookboonmee – I know Loma has lost a couple of fights against higher level competition, but she’s looked great lately and is a 3-fight win streak. Her striking is serious, and Marina is sure to strike with her, making a potentially fun fight, plus you have to factor in Marina has pretty much fought everyone in the strawweight top 10, and we need a new challenge for her as she loses for the third time in four fights. I wouldn’t be surprised if Loma got a lower level opponent because this is a huge step up, but you know what? She’s 28 now, let’s see where she’s at.
Bobby Green vs Paddy Pimblett – Bobby Green called for it, he said he’d head over to Manchester, and he said he’d kick Paddy’s ass – well, Paddy has been right here on Sherdog demanding a ranked opponent, and I don’t think for a second he’d back down. The timing feels right, the match itself is super fun, Bobby is a great boxer, Paddy is a lethal grappler, there’s a ranking spot on the line, let’s go to war!
Jim Miller vs Tony Ferguson – Ferguson tied the longest losing streak in UFC history, and he certainly won’t want to become the absolute holder of that record – but he’ll have to get through someone like Jim Miller to avoid that ignominy. Ferguson said he wants to ‘fight until the wheels fall off’, well maybe this will be his last, maybe it won’t, but I doubt anyone would complain if these two JBG legends made it a double retirement – or just carried on… either way, fun fight at this stage!
Deiveson Figueiredo vs Petr Yan – Deiveson Figueiredo puts Cody Garbrandt away with an awesome display of grappling, getting the second round submission against a guy in Garbrandt that history does not get tapped. I’d like to see him move straight into contention for the top 5 and see him matching up nicely with Yan. Yan snapped a three-fight losing streak against Song Yadong last time out, and I see this as such a high level fight that the winner is immediately in the frame for a shot at the belt – perhaps this fight isn’t a contender eliminator, but it’s certainly close to it. And it’s mouth-watering!
Cody Garbrandt vs Raoni Barcelos – Many will remember these as ‘the guys that beat Trevin Jones’ – okay, okay, I’m joking, but the reality is we’re looking at two uber-veterans who have struggled for high level wins but are still fun as hell and legitimately high level. If Cody wants to keep fighting and is aiming for those ranking spots, a win over Raoni puts him back in the discussion. If he loses, it could be time to call it a day, as Raoni is one of those guys you kind of have to beat at this stage of his career, without being any kind of push over.
