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Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka II – No problem if they go Pereira-Hill, but if they can squeeze in a rematch I’d be even happier! Prochazka had no complaints in real time, but the stoppage was just a little bit quick, and we possibly got robbed of a more decisive win. Book it again, give Jamahal a little bit longer to recover, and the winner takes on Hill for all the marbles.
Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira II – (see above)
Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane – With Jon Jones out, we move to Aspinall vs Gane, with Miocic probably waiting for the all-time fight with Jones later in 2024. Aspinall vs Gane is a legitimate contender to headline or co-headline UFC 300, and with this much dynamite in a UFC heavyweight fight, I doubt anyone will complain. Aspinall, in particular, looks like the real deal.
Sergei Pavlovich vs Jailton Almeida – Given Pavlovich vs Volkov looks unlikely to happen without a title on the line, imagine this one as a co-main on any UFC event: Pavlovich vs Almeida. Two bad, bad dudes with different styles and different frames – Pavlovich will fancy the KO, but Almeida has shown he can wrestle even the most powerful heavyweights – despite starting his UFC journey as a 205er!
Jessica Andrade vs Carla Esparza – This fight absolutely must happen before one or both of these fighters retire, and given Carla is coming off a loss after dropping her title to Zhang Weili, now is as good a time as any. Andrade ends a 3-fight skid by battering Mackenzie Dern, and putting some of her personal issues behind her. Neither are probably first in line for a title shot, but this is a high-level contender eliminator.
Mackenzie Dern vs Lupita Godinez - Great win tonight for Loopy, who passed the ‘Baby Shark’ test albeit causing herself some problems along the way. Keep the ball rolling with another step up in Mackenzie Dern, a fighter that at one point was considered a top contender. As Loopy rolls, she earns every opportunity to fight higher up the ladder. Dern is a world class grappler, but can Godinez make her fight a different kind of fight – and beat her at it?
Benoit St Denis vs Jalin Turner – Two monsters with unreal finishing ability, the massive Jalin Turner has been turned back from a higher ranking by Mateusz Gamrot and Dan Hooker – but can he in turn repel the surging Benoit St Denis? Battle of the 155 killers with the #11 spot on the line!
Matt Frevola vs Grant Dawson – Grant Dawson dropped out of the rankings with a loss to Bobby Green, it’s possible Frevola drops out after tonight’s defeat by Benoit St Denis. Frevola will look to take Dawson’s head off, but Dawson is a slippery customer at times… can he get the takedown and submission in a near-perfect modern version of striker vs grappler?
Diego Lopes vs Alex Caceres – What a win! That was serious, and Lopes not only continues to impress every time he’s in there, but he’s also winning in more and more extravagant fashion! Give him perennial #15 Alex Caceres next. Caceres is a fantastic acid test, and these two are guaranteed to put on a barnburner! (Wrinkle: Caceres tapped Sabatini in grappling recently, so it’s a pseudo-common opponent)
Pat Sabatini vs Alexander Hernandez – As Sabatini appears to hit his ceiling, or at least struggle to find the next gear, give him another fighter who has been in that position in Alexander Hernandez. Two game fighters, there’s a real chance this could be a sleeper bout on any prelim card.
Steve Erceg vs Tatsuro Taira (if he beats Hernandez) – It’s a shame Taira is booked to fight Carlos Hernandez, because Erceg is a much better fight that could give him a rankings spot right away. Neither are perfect, both have flaws, but this would be a good fight for both to try and maintain their momentum – given that neither are likely on the cusp of a title shot any time soon. Erceg isn’t so impressive, Taira isn’t so tested. Not much to lose here.
Alessandro Costa vs Jesus Santos Aguilar – Costa flatters to deceive at times, but hasn’t displayed a game to really make a mark as yet. He had good moments against Erceg, and made this one a scrap, but I think the UFC could do worse than matching him up with Aguilar – another prospect with a decent upside – and working a little more closely with the winner.
Loopy Godinez vs Mackenzie Dern - (see above)
Tabatha Ricci vs Angela Hill – Hill beats fighters that aren’t quite there yet, and despite the lower ranked fighter, Ricci has it all to prove after losing to Godinez – who herself lost to Hill. Should Hill be ranked higher? Is Ricci too highly ranked? We learn a lot in this clash of styles where MMAth counts for very little!
Mateusz Rebecki vs Joel Alvarez – If you want to see Rebecki get a step up without going overboard, what better fight than Joel Alvarez? Rebecki is clearly a very talented fighter and a great grappler, but those plaudits also belong to Alvarez. Winner for sure gets a top 15 talent, and this fight likely is fun as hell.
Roosevelt Roberts vs Trevor Peek – Roberts might not be UFC level, but he’s still a decent fighter. He didn’t get to show it tonight, but he might against someone like Peek – otherwise, Peek KO’s him and keeps rolling. Either way, fine outcome.
Nazim Sadykhov vs TJ Brown – Nazim looked great in R2, but lost the majority of the fight against a talented kickboxer – a game he was happy to play. I’d like to see him face TJ Brown next, veteran TJ has been there, done that, bought the tshirt despite not having been in the UFC for too long. He’s a great gatekeeper in Nazim’s efforts to reach the next level, and I reckon this one is multi-levelled.
Viacheslav Borshchev vs Melsik Baghdasaryan – Borshchev is good, damn good, and so close to being a very relevant UFC lightweight – but he makes mistakes, I don’t know if it’s concentration or whatever, but his UFC record is overall pretty mediocre as a result of his flaws. UFC might not want to pit too recent DWCS products against each other, but it’s just a bit too good of a fight on paper for me to overlook. I’d love to see this!
Jared Gordon vs Kurt Holobaugh – Why not? 20-6 plays 20-7, Holobaugh has the hype after his TUF win, but Gordon is the guy who many feel should have beaten Paddy Pimblett and just R1KO’d Mark O. Madsen. Both are worth a push, and this is a nice, if slightly quiet, way of propelling the winner to a much bigger fight IMO. If Kurt wins, what better way to build on his TUF success, but if Gordon wins, he’s kinda on a roll… which is probably the better outcome.
Mark O. Madsen vs Chris Gruetzemacher – People will be telling both guys they’re done, and they’re both kind of inactive despite advancing years. So whatever: just book a fun middle-of-the-pack lightweight scrap between two guys who are absolutely game, if not quite as durable as they once were. Could be fun as a prelim on pretty much any Fight Night!
John Castaneda vs Julio Arce – 20-6 vs 18-6, two veterans who have been around the block without ever setting the world on fire, but there’s no question these boys belong in the best bantamweight division in the world. Castaneda is 4-1 in his last 5, but Arce has fought a higher level of competition losing to the likes of Montel Jackson, Song Yadong, and Hakeem Dawodu. This one looks well-pitched.
Kyung Ho Kang vs Aiemann Zahabi – It feels like forever ago that Zahabi was talking about being more active, which is kinda nuts. Will you or won’t you? Aiemaan is 35, he’s been around forever, and is 4-2 in the UFC. Kang is 8-4 in the UFC, and probably isn’t making a run at the title at 36 years of age. It might have an exhibition feel to it, but I think it’s a well-balanced fight where the winner could possibly still make a move towards the rankings – especially Zahabi.
Joshua Van vs CJ Vergara – It’s too early to say what Van’s ceiling is, but he went hell-for-leather with Borjas. He’s 2-0 in the UFC, and I want to see him get a step up without giving him a yawning chasm to cross. CJ Vergara is good, he’s 3-2 in the UFC, and he’s 10 years Van’s elder. If he wins, no shame for Van, if Van wins, man, the momentum will be hard to ignore.
Kevin Borjas vs Daniel Lacerda – Borjas earned himself a winnable fight, and 0-4 UFC flyweight Daniel Lacerda must be that guy after Lacerda’s rematch with Edgar Chairez fell through due to a Lacerda medical. Borjas is someone worth giving opportunities to, but if Lacerda wins, fair play to him for hanging tough.
Jamall Emmers vs Jose Mariscal – Jamall Emmers is game, he’s a tough out at featherweight, and was rightly the favourite against Buzukja. Chepe Mariscal is a guy I pick quite a lot on here, and the reason is he’s come in and is 2-0 against decent opposition. He’s fun, he brings the heat, and he’s proven he can face different styles with real success. Emmers might want to aim higher, but after 3 UFC newcomers (1 fight or less) in a row (2-1 record), this genuinely is an appropriate step up.
Dennis Buzukja vs Erik Silva – And just like that, Buzukja’s dream of making it in to the UFC is in jeopardy. Already 0-2, Buzukja needs to turn it round right away, and I’d like to match him with a submission specialist next time. Buzukja has a real chance, but if he’s not good enough, Silva will notch his first proper UFC submission. Win-win.
Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira II – (see above)
Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane – With Jon Jones out, we move to Aspinall vs Gane, with Miocic probably waiting for the all-time fight with Jones later in 2024. Aspinall vs Gane is a legitimate contender to headline or co-headline UFC 300, and with this much dynamite in a UFC heavyweight fight, I doubt anyone will complain. Aspinall, in particular, looks like the real deal.
Sergei Pavlovich vs Jailton Almeida – Given Pavlovich vs Volkov looks unlikely to happen without a title on the line, imagine this one as a co-main on any UFC event: Pavlovich vs Almeida. Two bad, bad dudes with different styles and different frames – Pavlovich will fancy the KO, but Almeida has shown he can wrestle even the most powerful heavyweights – despite starting his UFC journey as a 205er!
Jessica Andrade vs Carla Esparza – This fight absolutely must happen before one or both of these fighters retire, and given Carla is coming off a loss after dropping her title to Zhang Weili, now is as good a time as any. Andrade ends a 3-fight skid by battering Mackenzie Dern, and putting some of her personal issues behind her. Neither are probably first in line for a title shot, but this is a high-level contender eliminator.
Mackenzie Dern vs Lupita Godinez - Great win tonight for Loopy, who passed the ‘Baby Shark’ test albeit causing herself some problems along the way. Keep the ball rolling with another step up in Mackenzie Dern, a fighter that at one point was considered a top contender. As Loopy rolls, she earns every opportunity to fight higher up the ladder. Dern is a world class grappler, but can Godinez make her fight a different kind of fight – and beat her at it?
Benoit St Denis vs Jalin Turner – Two monsters with unreal finishing ability, the massive Jalin Turner has been turned back from a higher ranking by Mateusz Gamrot and Dan Hooker – but can he in turn repel the surging Benoit St Denis? Battle of the 155 killers with the #11 spot on the line!
Matt Frevola vs Grant Dawson – Grant Dawson dropped out of the rankings with a loss to Bobby Green, it’s possible Frevola drops out after tonight’s defeat by Benoit St Denis. Frevola will look to take Dawson’s head off, but Dawson is a slippery customer at times… can he get the takedown and submission in a near-perfect modern version of striker vs grappler?
Diego Lopes vs Alex Caceres – What a win! That was serious, and Lopes not only continues to impress every time he’s in there, but he’s also winning in more and more extravagant fashion! Give him perennial #15 Alex Caceres next. Caceres is a fantastic acid test, and these two are guaranteed to put on a barnburner! (Wrinkle: Caceres tapped Sabatini in grappling recently, so it’s a pseudo-common opponent)
Pat Sabatini vs Alexander Hernandez – As Sabatini appears to hit his ceiling, or at least struggle to find the next gear, give him another fighter who has been in that position in Alexander Hernandez. Two game fighters, there’s a real chance this could be a sleeper bout on any prelim card.
Steve Erceg vs Tatsuro Taira (if he beats Hernandez) – It’s a shame Taira is booked to fight Carlos Hernandez, because Erceg is a much better fight that could give him a rankings spot right away. Neither are perfect, both have flaws, but this would be a good fight for both to try and maintain their momentum – given that neither are likely on the cusp of a title shot any time soon. Erceg isn’t so impressive, Taira isn’t so tested. Not much to lose here.
Alessandro Costa vs Jesus Santos Aguilar – Costa flatters to deceive at times, but hasn’t displayed a game to really make a mark as yet. He had good moments against Erceg, and made this one a scrap, but I think the UFC could do worse than matching him up with Aguilar – another prospect with a decent upside – and working a little more closely with the winner.
Loopy Godinez vs Mackenzie Dern - (see above)
Tabatha Ricci vs Angela Hill – Hill beats fighters that aren’t quite there yet, and despite the lower ranked fighter, Ricci has it all to prove after losing to Godinez – who herself lost to Hill. Should Hill be ranked higher? Is Ricci too highly ranked? We learn a lot in this clash of styles where MMAth counts for very little!
Mateusz Rebecki vs Joel Alvarez – If you want to see Rebecki get a step up without going overboard, what better fight than Joel Alvarez? Rebecki is clearly a very talented fighter and a great grappler, but those plaudits also belong to Alvarez. Winner for sure gets a top 15 talent, and this fight likely is fun as hell.
Roosevelt Roberts vs Trevor Peek – Roberts might not be UFC level, but he’s still a decent fighter. He didn’t get to show it tonight, but he might against someone like Peek – otherwise, Peek KO’s him and keeps rolling. Either way, fine outcome.
Nazim Sadykhov vs TJ Brown – Nazim looked great in R2, but lost the majority of the fight against a talented kickboxer – a game he was happy to play. I’d like to see him face TJ Brown next, veteran TJ has been there, done that, bought the tshirt despite not having been in the UFC for too long. He’s a great gatekeeper in Nazim’s efforts to reach the next level, and I reckon this one is multi-levelled.
Viacheslav Borshchev vs Melsik Baghdasaryan – Borshchev is good, damn good, and so close to being a very relevant UFC lightweight – but he makes mistakes, I don’t know if it’s concentration or whatever, but his UFC record is overall pretty mediocre as a result of his flaws. UFC might not want to pit too recent DWCS products against each other, but it’s just a bit too good of a fight on paper for me to overlook. I’d love to see this!
Jared Gordon vs Kurt Holobaugh – Why not? 20-6 plays 20-7, Holobaugh has the hype after his TUF win, but Gordon is the guy who many feel should have beaten Paddy Pimblett and just R1KO’d Mark O. Madsen. Both are worth a push, and this is a nice, if slightly quiet, way of propelling the winner to a much bigger fight IMO. If Kurt wins, what better way to build on his TUF success, but if Gordon wins, he’s kinda on a roll… which is probably the better outcome.
Mark O. Madsen vs Chris Gruetzemacher – People will be telling both guys they’re done, and they’re both kind of inactive despite advancing years. So whatever: just book a fun middle-of-the-pack lightweight scrap between two guys who are absolutely game, if not quite as durable as they once were. Could be fun as a prelim on pretty much any Fight Night!
John Castaneda vs Julio Arce – 20-6 vs 18-6, two veterans who have been around the block without ever setting the world on fire, but there’s no question these boys belong in the best bantamweight division in the world. Castaneda is 4-1 in his last 5, but Arce has fought a higher level of competition losing to the likes of Montel Jackson, Song Yadong, and Hakeem Dawodu. This one looks well-pitched.
Kyung Ho Kang vs Aiemann Zahabi – It feels like forever ago that Zahabi was talking about being more active, which is kinda nuts. Will you or won’t you? Aiemaan is 35, he’s been around forever, and is 4-2 in the UFC. Kang is 8-4 in the UFC, and probably isn’t making a run at the title at 36 years of age. It might have an exhibition feel to it, but I think it’s a well-balanced fight where the winner could possibly still make a move towards the rankings – especially Zahabi.
Joshua Van vs CJ Vergara – It’s too early to say what Van’s ceiling is, but he went hell-for-leather with Borjas. He’s 2-0 in the UFC, and I want to see him get a step up without giving him a yawning chasm to cross. CJ Vergara is good, he’s 3-2 in the UFC, and he’s 10 years Van’s elder. If he wins, no shame for Van, if Van wins, man, the momentum will be hard to ignore.
Kevin Borjas vs Daniel Lacerda – Borjas earned himself a winnable fight, and 0-4 UFC flyweight Daniel Lacerda must be that guy after Lacerda’s rematch with Edgar Chairez fell through due to a Lacerda medical. Borjas is someone worth giving opportunities to, but if Lacerda wins, fair play to him for hanging tough.
Jamall Emmers vs Jose Mariscal – Jamall Emmers is game, he’s a tough out at featherweight, and was rightly the favourite against Buzukja. Chepe Mariscal is a guy I pick quite a lot on here, and the reason is he’s come in and is 2-0 against decent opposition. He’s fun, he brings the heat, and he’s proven he can face different styles with real success. Emmers might want to aim higher, but after 3 UFC newcomers (1 fight or less) in a row (2-1 record), this genuinely is an appropriate step up.
Dennis Buzukja vs Erik Silva – And just like that, Buzukja’s dream of making it in to the UFC is in jeopardy. Already 0-2, Buzukja needs to turn it round right away, and I’d like to match him with a submission specialist next time. Buzukja has a real chance, but if he’s not good enough, Silva will notch his first proper UFC submission. Win-win.
