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Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev/Aleksandar Rakic Winner – There aren’t any other fights to make, Po Atan has to now face down the winner of this high level fight – and I doubt he’s concerned about doing so. It’s BIG.
Khalil Rountree vs Jan Blachowicz – Khalil is a war horse, Jan Blachowicz is a war horse, let’s have some fun.
Julianna Pena vs Kayla Harrison – That was a chore, but Kayla hopefully puts more pressure on Julianna. Kayla didn’t look spectacular tonight against a decent opponent, but she has looked brutal when able to impose her will. Pena has to shut that all down and make a statement. Julianna’s callout of Amanda Nunes seemed desperate.
Raquel Pennington vs Norma Dumont – It feels like this division is always a fight away from something interesting breaking out, and maybe Kayla vs Norma is what the 135 division needs. But, Norma has to beat Rocky, Kayla has to beat Pena, they are a couple of big obstacles, let’s see who gets there in the end.
Mario Bautista vs Marlon Vera – I didn’t have an issue with the decision, but I did have an issue with any talk of Bautista being anywhere near a title shot – come on… give him Marlon Vera, I wouldn’t call him a younger Jose Aldo or anything, but I would call him another heavy-hitting athletic veteran with real durability. Makes perfect sense to me, I’d hope they would book this one!
Jose Aldo vs Dominick Cruz – Now that Aldo’s hopes of a title chase are effectively over (for good this time), let’s do this shit. WEC legend vs WEC legend. Cruz isn’t going to fight ‘just anyone’, Aldo shouldn’t be forced to fight any more ‘just anyone’s’, this is a legacy fight that actually matters and has real resonance not just in terms of past accomplishments but in terms of the here and now – both are ranked, both are elite, both are huge names, BOOK THIS THING!
Roman Dolidze vs Brendan Allen – Dolidze is within his rights to call out someone like Khamzat/Whittaker, but he’s not there, and tonight’s injury TKO against an unranked middleweight unfortunately doesn’t make it happen. This is the vicious reality about why you have to select opponents carefully. Give the #10 Dolidze the #8 Allen. Allen saw his 7-fight win streak snapped by Imavov in France, while Dolidze has beaten a LHW and an unranked MW (#15 WW) back-to-back. It’s a good opportunity for both, and a DAMN interesting fight as both can kinda do it all.
Kevin Holland vs Bryan Battle – Please keep Kevin at 170, excursions to 185 aren’t likely to pay off, but that said I do admire this man’s fighting spirit. Give him some time, let him recover, his injury tonight was unfortunate, then give him Bryan Battle. I asked for Battle-Magny last time, I prefer this fight WAY more, it’s just that Holland wasn’t available at the time. Line it up, wait for it, make it happen.
Kayla Harrison vs Julianna Pena (see above)
Ketlen Vieira vs Macy Chiasson – Ketlen is tough, she showed she’s well rounded, she’s not going to be dominated easily by anyone, and she is an ideal test for anyone who thinks they’re a legit top 3 bantamweight in the UFC. Macy Chiasson, having beaten Mayra Bueno Silva, is right on the fringe of that top 3, and rather than pit Ketlen against either of tonight’s co-main athletes, I want to see this next in a battle of two not-quite-elite records.
Joaquin Buckley vs Kamaru Usman – I love this call out! Kamaru might not like it so much, but assuming the UFC can get this together, it’s a very intriguing fight! Buckley gets a little overlooked because he’s not always watertight, but damn, this guy has fight-altering power and is perfect at welterweight in the UFC. I think Gilbert Burns is also another good fight, but that doesn’t move Buckley as close to the belt as he’d like I’m sure. But yeah, either Kamaru or Gilbert.
Stephen Thompson vs Khaos Williams – First off, Wonderboy looked very good tonight, but perhaps his evasiveness isn’t there at the age of 41. Joaquin Buckley came headhunting looking for that finish and found it – give Wonderboy Khaos Williams next. Wonderboy vs Khaos sounds like a superhero movie title, and this is a pretty damn good Fight Night main event as we see if Thompson can bounce back.
Iasmin Lucindo vs Amanda Lemos – Iasmin beats one 37 year old, I’d like her to move on to another – yes, let’s see if the youngest woman (22) on the UFC roster can keep knocking off these much older strawweights. Lemos is a monstrously tough challenge, but so was Marina in theory, and Lucindo got it done. Keep the ball rolling.
Marina Rodriguez vs Angela Hill – It’s an odd time for a UFC veteran to get the Angela Hill challenge, but honestly… Marina is dropping fights left, right and centre, and her only win since 2022 was Michelle Waterson-Gomez. That’s just not good enough. Is it age, fight IQ, ability, or all 3? At one point, Marina beat Ribas, Dern and Yan Xiaonan as part of a 4-fight win streak, but those exciting heights are well behind her now. She needs to beat Hill to prove she’s still worthy of a ranking IMO having seen her form drop off a cliff.
Alexander Hernandez vs Michael Johnson – That is not the performance that implies Hernandez is going anywhere fast, but that’s no reason to be disrespectful in terms of booking. Give him the veteran with the fast hands, but ultimately the man who is equally inconsistent in Michael Johnson. I actually do like this fight, I know it won’t move the needle in a big way, but it’s a solid prelim on any UFC show.
Austin Hubbard vs Christos Giagos – Two guys who have both had two separate stints in the UFC, Hubbard and Giagos are surviving rather than flourishing in the UFC. It’s a shame in a way, since neither is awful, both have ability, but the results just aren’t there. Loser leaves town? Certainly for Giagos (4 defeats in 5 fights), Hubbard might be able to afford another loss, but not if he wants to be in any way relevant. Must win for both men.
Cesar Almeida vs Jose Medina – That was so bad I can’t move Cesar forward. The guy can strike, he has some other dimensions to his game that seem to be improving, but he should have been disqualified tonight. Fight Jose Medina and close your damn fists, dummy, then we’ll think about a better opponent.
Ihor Potieria vs Dylan Budka – Know that I would cut Ihor had that fight been in any way fair, but the pathetic standard of refereeing and persistent fouls just leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. Just give him one more. Sink or swim, Dylan Budka, loser leaves town, it’s the least the UFC can do.
Ryan Spann vs Oumar Sy – Ryan Spann talked about showing consistency. All right, let’s see it. 28 year old undefeated Frenchman Oumar Sy just beat Da Un Jung, and is surging up the wafer-thin ranks at 205, it’s a matter of time before he gets a ranked opponent, BUT FIRST – Ryan ‘Superman’ Spann, a do or die, kill or be killed monster who rarely goes to a decision. Whoever wins benefits from what I assume will be a quick finish in a telling fight for both men’s trajectories.
Ovince St Preux – CUT! OSP’s contract is at an end, and he got rinsed quickly tonight. I see no reason to offer him anything more at the age of 41, but I do respect what he’s done and say thanks to OSP!
Tecia Pennington vs Lupita Godinez – Tecia Pennington (still feels weird typing that) got a bit of hate for the decision, but only one of those scorecards seemed off to me, the egregious 30-27. Nonetheless, Tecia isn’t really someone I think to hate, I really like her, that isn’t the best match up for her in terms of excitement, but she’s fun, fast, and full of heart. Give her #10 Lupita Godinez next. It’s a fresh fight and would be a feather in the cap for Loopy if she can get the W. That Tecia isn’t ranked is weird, she certainly shouldn’t be fighting inexperienced or unranked opponents, so this feels right. Expect a high pace.
Carla Esparza – RETIREMENT – Carla’s accomplishments are impressive regardless of what some people might wanna say, a two-time UFC champion, TUF champion, she is a trailblazer, let’s just leave it at respect, thank you!
Court McGee vs Gunnar Nelson – Respect to Court for getting the R1Sub, that’s a heck of a feelgood trip for him. Since he didn’t retire, I can only really recommend another inactive veteran like Gunnar Nelson, someone who will offer Court a different look. Gunnar has karate-style stand up as well as quality BJJ, but I wouldn’t book him against anyone he can derail at this point. If these two do choose to fight again, hopefully they fight each other.
Tim Means – CUT! I think realistically this was a loser leaves town fight, but I was rather hoping the loser would retire gracefully. Sorry, Tim, but I’d hate to see you go elsewhere, especially BKFC. You’re better than that. Maybe that’s a wrap?
Khalil Rountree vs Jan Blachowicz – Khalil is a war horse, Jan Blachowicz is a war horse, let’s have some fun.
Julianna Pena vs Kayla Harrison – That was a chore, but Kayla hopefully puts more pressure on Julianna. Kayla didn’t look spectacular tonight against a decent opponent, but she has looked brutal when able to impose her will. Pena has to shut that all down and make a statement. Julianna’s callout of Amanda Nunes seemed desperate.
Raquel Pennington vs Norma Dumont – It feels like this division is always a fight away from something interesting breaking out, and maybe Kayla vs Norma is what the 135 division needs. But, Norma has to beat Rocky, Kayla has to beat Pena, they are a couple of big obstacles, let’s see who gets there in the end.
Mario Bautista vs Marlon Vera – I didn’t have an issue with the decision, but I did have an issue with any talk of Bautista being anywhere near a title shot – come on… give him Marlon Vera, I wouldn’t call him a younger Jose Aldo or anything, but I would call him another heavy-hitting athletic veteran with real durability. Makes perfect sense to me, I’d hope they would book this one!
Jose Aldo vs Dominick Cruz – Now that Aldo’s hopes of a title chase are effectively over (for good this time), let’s do this shit. WEC legend vs WEC legend. Cruz isn’t going to fight ‘just anyone’, Aldo shouldn’t be forced to fight any more ‘just anyone’s’, this is a legacy fight that actually matters and has real resonance not just in terms of past accomplishments but in terms of the here and now – both are ranked, both are elite, both are huge names, BOOK THIS THING!
Roman Dolidze vs Brendan Allen – Dolidze is within his rights to call out someone like Khamzat/Whittaker, but he’s not there, and tonight’s injury TKO against an unranked middleweight unfortunately doesn’t make it happen. This is the vicious reality about why you have to select opponents carefully. Give the #10 Dolidze the #8 Allen. Allen saw his 7-fight win streak snapped by Imavov in France, while Dolidze has beaten a LHW and an unranked MW (#15 WW) back-to-back. It’s a good opportunity for both, and a DAMN interesting fight as both can kinda do it all.
Kevin Holland vs Bryan Battle – Please keep Kevin at 170, excursions to 185 aren’t likely to pay off, but that said I do admire this man’s fighting spirit. Give him some time, let him recover, his injury tonight was unfortunate, then give him Bryan Battle. I asked for Battle-Magny last time, I prefer this fight WAY more, it’s just that Holland wasn’t available at the time. Line it up, wait for it, make it happen.
Kayla Harrison vs Julianna Pena (see above)
Ketlen Vieira vs Macy Chiasson – Ketlen is tough, she showed she’s well rounded, she’s not going to be dominated easily by anyone, and she is an ideal test for anyone who thinks they’re a legit top 3 bantamweight in the UFC. Macy Chiasson, having beaten Mayra Bueno Silva, is right on the fringe of that top 3, and rather than pit Ketlen against either of tonight’s co-main athletes, I want to see this next in a battle of two not-quite-elite records.
Joaquin Buckley vs Kamaru Usman – I love this call out! Kamaru might not like it so much, but assuming the UFC can get this together, it’s a very intriguing fight! Buckley gets a little overlooked because he’s not always watertight, but damn, this guy has fight-altering power and is perfect at welterweight in the UFC. I think Gilbert Burns is also another good fight, but that doesn’t move Buckley as close to the belt as he’d like I’m sure. But yeah, either Kamaru or Gilbert.
Stephen Thompson vs Khaos Williams – First off, Wonderboy looked very good tonight, but perhaps his evasiveness isn’t there at the age of 41. Joaquin Buckley came headhunting looking for that finish and found it – give Wonderboy Khaos Williams next. Wonderboy vs Khaos sounds like a superhero movie title, and this is a pretty damn good Fight Night main event as we see if Thompson can bounce back.
Iasmin Lucindo vs Amanda Lemos – Iasmin beats one 37 year old, I’d like her to move on to another – yes, let’s see if the youngest woman (22) on the UFC roster can keep knocking off these much older strawweights. Lemos is a monstrously tough challenge, but so was Marina in theory, and Lucindo got it done. Keep the ball rolling.
Marina Rodriguez vs Angela Hill – It’s an odd time for a UFC veteran to get the Angela Hill challenge, but honestly… Marina is dropping fights left, right and centre, and her only win since 2022 was Michelle Waterson-Gomez. That’s just not good enough. Is it age, fight IQ, ability, or all 3? At one point, Marina beat Ribas, Dern and Yan Xiaonan as part of a 4-fight win streak, but those exciting heights are well behind her now. She needs to beat Hill to prove she’s still worthy of a ranking IMO having seen her form drop off a cliff.
Alexander Hernandez vs Michael Johnson – That is not the performance that implies Hernandez is going anywhere fast, but that’s no reason to be disrespectful in terms of booking. Give him the veteran with the fast hands, but ultimately the man who is equally inconsistent in Michael Johnson. I actually do like this fight, I know it won’t move the needle in a big way, but it’s a solid prelim on any UFC show.
Austin Hubbard vs Christos Giagos – Two guys who have both had two separate stints in the UFC, Hubbard and Giagos are surviving rather than flourishing in the UFC. It’s a shame in a way, since neither is awful, both have ability, but the results just aren’t there. Loser leaves town? Certainly for Giagos (4 defeats in 5 fights), Hubbard might be able to afford another loss, but not if he wants to be in any way relevant. Must win for both men.
Cesar Almeida vs Jose Medina – That was so bad I can’t move Cesar forward. The guy can strike, he has some other dimensions to his game that seem to be improving, but he should have been disqualified tonight. Fight Jose Medina and close your damn fists, dummy, then we’ll think about a better opponent.
Ihor Potieria vs Dylan Budka – Know that I would cut Ihor had that fight been in any way fair, but the pathetic standard of refereeing and persistent fouls just leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. Just give him one more. Sink or swim, Dylan Budka, loser leaves town, it’s the least the UFC can do.
Ryan Spann vs Oumar Sy – Ryan Spann talked about showing consistency. All right, let’s see it. 28 year old undefeated Frenchman Oumar Sy just beat Da Un Jung, and is surging up the wafer-thin ranks at 205, it’s a matter of time before he gets a ranked opponent, BUT FIRST – Ryan ‘Superman’ Spann, a do or die, kill or be killed monster who rarely goes to a decision. Whoever wins benefits from what I assume will be a quick finish in a telling fight for both men’s trajectories.
Ovince St Preux – CUT! OSP’s contract is at an end, and he got rinsed quickly tonight. I see no reason to offer him anything more at the age of 41, but I do respect what he’s done and say thanks to OSP!
Tecia Pennington vs Lupita Godinez – Tecia Pennington (still feels weird typing that) got a bit of hate for the decision, but only one of those scorecards seemed off to me, the egregious 30-27. Nonetheless, Tecia isn’t really someone I think to hate, I really like her, that isn’t the best match up for her in terms of excitement, but she’s fun, fast, and full of heart. Give her #10 Lupita Godinez next. It’s a fresh fight and would be a feather in the cap for Loopy if she can get the W. That Tecia isn’t ranked is weird, she certainly shouldn’t be fighting inexperienced or unranked opponents, so this feels right. Expect a high pace.
Carla Esparza – RETIREMENT – Carla’s accomplishments are impressive regardless of what some people might wanna say, a two-time UFC champion, TUF champion, she is a trailblazer, let’s just leave it at respect, thank you!
Court McGee vs Gunnar Nelson – Respect to Court for getting the R1Sub, that’s a heck of a feelgood trip for him. Since he didn’t retire, I can only really recommend another inactive veteran like Gunnar Nelson, someone who will offer Court a different look. Gunnar has karate-style stand up as well as quality BJJ, but I wouldn’t book him against anyone he can derail at this point. If these two do choose to fight again, hopefully they fight each other.
Tim Means – CUT! I think realistically this was a loser leaves town fight, but I was rather hoping the loser would retire gracefully. Sorry, Tim, but I’d hate to see you go elsewhere, especially BKFC. You’re better than that. Maybe that’s a wrap?
