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Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall – There is no other fight to make. There is no other fight for Jon Jones to take. This is the one, the only one, the best fight of the current era.
Stipe Miocic – RETIRE! – Thank you, Stipe. Forget this fight, it’s nothing.
Charles Oliveira vs Max Holloway II – Max Holloway said he was probably done at 145 shortly after losing to Ilia Topuria, and after a succession of failed title shots, that’s probably the best move. Technically he still holds the BMF paper belt, which while meaningless is generally used as an excuse to book fun fights simply because they’re just that: fun. Do Bronx actually has a loss to Max Holloway, but a freak injury cost Oliveira, and I’m sure it’s one he’d like to avenge. Tell me you ain’t tuning in!
Michael Chandler vs Benoit St Denis – Michael Chandler showed some real fight in R5 and despite landing numerous illegal shots, he had Charles Oliveira in a bad spot. Ultimately it wasn’t enough, and if Chandler has the heart to keep fighting, he should take the most relevant fights he can get that play to his trademark style. BSD is as fun to watch as anyone else in the division, and if he has a major weakness it’s his cardio. If tonight is anything to go by, Chandler can take advantage of that in spades, and possibly score a big win.
[Oh God, Mike called out Conor… CRINGE… see you in 6 years if that’s your plan]
Bo Nickal vs Chris Weidman – Bo Nickal lost a bit of hype tonight and incurred boos and chants of “overrated”, but he’s still a rookie let’s be real about this. He fought Paul Craig, who is not a good striker, and did marginally better. Give him Chris Weidman next because we need a sideways step rather than a leap forward. If he can beat Weidman, he’s starting to add some really recognizable names to his resume, and that’s more than enough while he accrues experience.
Paul Craig vs Andre Petroski – Paul Craig’s poor results are nudging him ever closer to the trapdoor of oblivion. He needs to turn this round, and if he cannot produce something more than a few body kicks any time he faces a pure wrestler, is there really any point keeping him around? He’s already retired once. Give him Petroski. It’s now or never for Paul Craig to stem the blood loss.
Viviane Araujo vs Jessica Andrade – Both these women lost recent decisions to Natalia Silva and are #9 and #8 in the flyweight rankings respectively. Another all-Brazilian affair, this would be great on a card in Rio or similar, and Araujo underscored the reason she’s been a top 10 fighter this whole time. Both need some momentum after suffering defeats to highly touted opposition of late, and it should be a well-matched fight between two talented UFC veterans.
Karine Silva vs Jasmine Jasudavicius – Tough one for Karine Silva tonight, some will question her decision making and stamina when she seemed to be cruising on the feet for the first half of the bout, but hey… these things happen, and Karine has the chance to go back and do some serious revision. After losing, it’s only fitting that she defends her #11 ranking against a fighter on a win streak. JJ has won her last 3, and only ranked opposition have beaten her so far in the UFC. She’s worthy.
Mauricio Ruffy vs Alexander Hernandez – Alexander Hernandez looks like a tailor made opponent for Ruffy. He has some name value, he is kinda slow on the feet, he has never beaten a recognisable striker, he was an early career victim of Drew Dober… honestly, aside from the fact anyone can win an MMA fight, Ruffy should be able to use a fight like this to really put himself over with the UFC fans. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, or that we should keep giving Ruffy gimme fights, because this represents the next level and Ruffy still has to prove he can keep winning and climbing the ladder – but I think this is an ideal fight for him. Pump the breaks on the massively high level call outs, though, this guy is still on a DWCS deal and dropped a round tonight against a guy with zero UFC wins.
James Llontop vs Matt Frevola – 0-3, 2 weight misses, but you know what? Kid comes to fight and did the UFC a solid tonight facing Ruffy on short notice. He absolutely must make weight AND win his next fight if he’s to stick around, but that doesn’t mean it should be easy. Give him Matt Frevola next. Frevola has lost two straight, but only against quality opposition. Can Llontop pile on further misery for the Steamrolla, or does Frevola bounce back? One thing’s for sure… the way Frevola fights go, this might be one where Llontop doesn’t make the judges win OR lose.
Marcus McGhee vs Kyler Phillips – Make no mistake, that was a gift for McGhee. I doubt he’s a rankings-ready fighter, but he didn’t need to be tonight. That said, he’s done exactly what’s been asked of him, so there’s really nothing to knock. Tonight, Jonathan Martinez just walked in there and sorta gave up. A late rally with leg kicks is worth absolutely nothing. Give Marcus McGhee another talented striker in Kyler Phillips. Who knows, Kyler might actually attack McGhee and we might get a fight.
Jonathan Martinez vs NOBODY – Give this guy a year off. He is broken and needs to seek out ways to heal. Aldo beat the fight out of this guy.
Jim Miller vs Kurt Holobaugh – Jim Miller cinched in an watertight guillotine (Millertine?) to choke out a very experienced grappling expert in Damon Jackson, and that was that! 41 year old Miller says there’s “still tread left on the tyres”, and as long as he’s wanting to fight, I’d be happy to keep booking him. He’s still super lucid and obviously in phenomenal shape. Give him Kurt Holobaugh next, the TUF 31 season winner who has gone 2-1 in the UFC in his most recent run. Holobaugh is 38, so in the exact ballpark we should be looking for Miller to occupy at this stage of his career.
Damon Jackson vs Claudio Puelles – It’s sink or swim time for Damon Jackson who is 1-4 in his last 5. I still think he has something to offer, but he’s struggled badly of late, and this is last chance saloon for him. Claudio Puelles has sometimes looked slick, sometimes looked extremely limited, but if he can pull off a win over Jackson, that will be a significant statement.
David Onama vs Chepe Mariscal – Chepe is probably the surprise package of the featherweight division going 4-0 so far, and his win over Damon Jackson is only undermined by the weight miss. Onama missed weight in his previous victory over Jonathan Pearce, both those fights representing these guys’ best wins. Now, pit them against each other. If both make weight, the winner will be right on the brink of the top 15 – but not before.
Roberto Romero vs Timothy Cuamba – Timothy Cuamba might be 0-2 in the UFC, but I don’t think he’s a lost cause. I don’t think Roberto Romero is either at this stage after coming in and putting on a very fun fight against David Onama in what many expected to be a complete mismatch. What works against them both is their weak records. 8-4-1 vs 8-3 doesn’t look good, but I think this could be a fun entry-level fight – and crucially a fair assignment for both. May the best man pick his first UFC win.
Marcin Tybura vs Mick Parkin – Mick quietly entered the top 15 recently, and after going 4-0 in the UFC and battering Lukasz Brzeski recently, it’s time for him to get a step up. Parkin isn’t like Diniz, he isn’t as one dimensional, but this is still a very tough fight for anyone who doesn’t have masses of experience. Tybura can make you look silly if you’re unable to stop him doing what he does best – get on top of you and make your life miserable.
Jhonata Diniz vs Junior Tafa – Beating Karl Williams is one thing, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready for a ranked opponent – and Diniz was found wanting tonight. That said, why give up on the Brazilian kickboxer? Put him against Junior Tafa in an all-ex-GLORY affair. There are much worse low level heavyweight fights to make, this is actually a pretty damn good one, and since there’s no reason to protect either, pull the damn trigger.
Ramiz Brahimaj vs Charlie Radtke – Ramiz battered Gall tonight and looked very comfortable and confident en route to an R1KO. That said, I’m not sure anybody in the UFC has a worse win column than Ramiz. He needs someone credible and quick. Charlie Radtke might not be the highest level, but he’s a bit of a brute, and he’ll match up pretty nicely with this version of Ramiz. Winner moves on to something bigger and better, but keep it here for now. Let’s not rush anything.
Mickey Gall – CUT! – I’ll never really know why they brought Gall back, but… it’s definitely time to call it a day, Mickey. 7-7 in this day and age is nuts, I know he debuted in the UFC which is fairly unique, but yeah… it’s not getting any better.
Oban Elliott vs Court McGee – It’s time to give Oban Elliott a step up after 3 wins over 3 similarly situated opponents. Court McGee snapped a 3-fight skid when he tapped Tim Means in the first round but repeating that feat against the surging “Welsh Gangster” will be easier said than done. Generally McGee’s strategy is pretty well telegraphed, but it’s been a hot minute since he lost to a rookie. This would be a solid scalp and recognizable name for Oban – if he can get it done, of course.
Bassil Hafez vs Kevin Jousset – Disappointing performance from Bassil Hafez who didn’t really show any variety of attack, and he’s not going to be able to dine out on that close fight with JDM for long. He needs a win quickly, but that won’t come easy against Frenchman Kevin Jousset who lost his last fight to Bryan Battle. Jousset might well walk in a solid favourite here, but both have the same assignment here: get back into the win column quick sharp.
Eduarda Moura vs Tereza Bleda – Tereza Bleda’s fight with ranked Casey O’Neill fell through, and I think that’s unfortunate for the Czech because she probably isn’t getting that opportunity again without getting another win under her belt. She is just 2-1 in the UFC after all, much like Eduarda, and both have had similar runs. This is a close one on paper, and should be give us some good data on both fighters
Veronica Hardy vs Luana Santos – Luana Santos saw her assault on the rankings repelled by Casey O’Neill, while Veronica Hardy had her 3-fight win streak snapped by Eduarda Moura after spending 3 years out between 2020 and 2023. You could run this in England, Hardy’s current home, or South America, or obviously the US – plenty of options for a fight between two sub-30 year olds sat in the peloton outside the rankings.
Stipe Miocic – RETIRE! – Thank you, Stipe. Forget this fight, it’s nothing.
Charles Oliveira vs Max Holloway II – Max Holloway said he was probably done at 145 shortly after losing to Ilia Topuria, and after a succession of failed title shots, that’s probably the best move. Technically he still holds the BMF paper belt, which while meaningless is generally used as an excuse to book fun fights simply because they’re just that: fun. Do Bronx actually has a loss to Max Holloway, but a freak injury cost Oliveira, and I’m sure it’s one he’d like to avenge. Tell me you ain’t tuning in!
Michael Chandler vs Benoit St Denis – Michael Chandler showed some real fight in R5 and despite landing numerous illegal shots, he had Charles Oliveira in a bad spot. Ultimately it wasn’t enough, and if Chandler has the heart to keep fighting, he should take the most relevant fights he can get that play to his trademark style. BSD is as fun to watch as anyone else in the division, and if he has a major weakness it’s his cardio. If tonight is anything to go by, Chandler can take advantage of that in spades, and possibly score a big win.
[Oh God, Mike called out Conor… CRINGE… see you in 6 years if that’s your plan]
Bo Nickal vs Chris Weidman – Bo Nickal lost a bit of hype tonight and incurred boos and chants of “overrated”, but he’s still a rookie let’s be real about this. He fought Paul Craig, who is not a good striker, and did marginally better. Give him Chris Weidman next because we need a sideways step rather than a leap forward. If he can beat Weidman, he’s starting to add some really recognizable names to his resume, and that’s more than enough while he accrues experience.
Paul Craig vs Andre Petroski – Paul Craig’s poor results are nudging him ever closer to the trapdoor of oblivion. He needs to turn this round, and if he cannot produce something more than a few body kicks any time he faces a pure wrestler, is there really any point keeping him around? He’s already retired once. Give him Petroski. It’s now or never for Paul Craig to stem the blood loss.
Viviane Araujo vs Jessica Andrade – Both these women lost recent decisions to Natalia Silva and are #9 and #8 in the flyweight rankings respectively. Another all-Brazilian affair, this would be great on a card in Rio or similar, and Araujo underscored the reason she’s been a top 10 fighter this whole time. Both need some momentum after suffering defeats to highly touted opposition of late, and it should be a well-matched fight between two talented UFC veterans.
Karine Silva vs Jasmine Jasudavicius – Tough one for Karine Silva tonight, some will question her decision making and stamina when she seemed to be cruising on the feet for the first half of the bout, but hey… these things happen, and Karine has the chance to go back and do some serious revision. After losing, it’s only fitting that she defends her #11 ranking against a fighter on a win streak. JJ has won her last 3, and only ranked opposition have beaten her so far in the UFC. She’s worthy.
Mauricio Ruffy vs Alexander Hernandez – Alexander Hernandez looks like a tailor made opponent for Ruffy. He has some name value, he is kinda slow on the feet, he has never beaten a recognisable striker, he was an early career victim of Drew Dober… honestly, aside from the fact anyone can win an MMA fight, Ruffy should be able to use a fight like this to really put himself over with the UFC fans. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, or that we should keep giving Ruffy gimme fights, because this represents the next level and Ruffy still has to prove he can keep winning and climbing the ladder – but I think this is an ideal fight for him. Pump the breaks on the massively high level call outs, though, this guy is still on a DWCS deal and dropped a round tonight against a guy with zero UFC wins.
James Llontop vs Matt Frevola – 0-3, 2 weight misses, but you know what? Kid comes to fight and did the UFC a solid tonight facing Ruffy on short notice. He absolutely must make weight AND win his next fight if he’s to stick around, but that doesn’t mean it should be easy. Give him Matt Frevola next. Frevola has lost two straight, but only against quality opposition. Can Llontop pile on further misery for the Steamrolla, or does Frevola bounce back? One thing’s for sure… the way Frevola fights go, this might be one where Llontop doesn’t make the judges win OR lose.
Marcus McGhee vs Kyler Phillips – Make no mistake, that was a gift for McGhee. I doubt he’s a rankings-ready fighter, but he didn’t need to be tonight. That said, he’s done exactly what’s been asked of him, so there’s really nothing to knock. Tonight, Jonathan Martinez just walked in there and sorta gave up. A late rally with leg kicks is worth absolutely nothing. Give Marcus McGhee another talented striker in Kyler Phillips. Who knows, Kyler might actually attack McGhee and we might get a fight.
Jonathan Martinez vs NOBODY – Give this guy a year off. He is broken and needs to seek out ways to heal. Aldo beat the fight out of this guy.
Jim Miller vs Kurt Holobaugh – Jim Miller cinched in an watertight guillotine (Millertine?) to choke out a very experienced grappling expert in Damon Jackson, and that was that! 41 year old Miller says there’s “still tread left on the tyres”, and as long as he’s wanting to fight, I’d be happy to keep booking him. He’s still super lucid and obviously in phenomenal shape. Give him Kurt Holobaugh next, the TUF 31 season winner who has gone 2-1 in the UFC in his most recent run. Holobaugh is 38, so in the exact ballpark we should be looking for Miller to occupy at this stage of his career.
Damon Jackson vs Claudio Puelles – It’s sink or swim time for Damon Jackson who is 1-4 in his last 5. I still think he has something to offer, but he’s struggled badly of late, and this is last chance saloon for him. Claudio Puelles has sometimes looked slick, sometimes looked extremely limited, but if he can pull off a win over Jackson, that will be a significant statement.
David Onama vs Chepe Mariscal – Chepe is probably the surprise package of the featherweight division going 4-0 so far, and his win over Damon Jackson is only undermined by the weight miss. Onama missed weight in his previous victory over Jonathan Pearce, both those fights representing these guys’ best wins. Now, pit them against each other. If both make weight, the winner will be right on the brink of the top 15 – but not before.
Roberto Romero vs Timothy Cuamba – Timothy Cuamba might be 0-2 in the UFC, but I don’t think he’s a lost cause. I don’t think Roberto Romero is either at this stage after coming in and putting on a very fun fight against David Onama in what many expected to be a complete mismatch. What works against them both is their weak records. 8-4-1 vs 8-3 doesn’t look good, but I think this could be a fun entry-level fight – and crucially a fair assignment for both. May the best man pick his first UFC win.
Marcin Tybura vs Mick Parkin – Mick quietly entered the top 15 recently, and after going 4-0 in the UFC and battering Lukasz Brzeski recently, it’s time for him to get a step up. Parkin isn’t like Diniz, he isn’t as one dimensional, but this is still a very tough fight for anyone who doesn’t have masses of experience. Tybura can make you look silly if you’re unable to stop him doing what he does best – get on top of you and make your life miserable.
Jhonata Diniz vs Junior Tafa – Beating Karl Williams is one thing, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready for a ranked opponent – and Diniz was found wanting tonight. That said, why give up on the Brazilian kickboxer? Put him against Junior Tafa in an all-ex-GLORY affair. There are much worse low level heavyweight fights to make, this is actually a pretty damn good one, and since there’s no reason to protect either, pull the damn trigger.
Ramiz Brahimaj vs Charlie Radtke – Ramiz battered Gall tonight and looked very comfortable and confident en route to an R1KO. That said, I’m not sure anybody in the UFC has a worse win column than Ramiz. He needs someone credible and quick. Charlie Radtke might not be the highest level, but he’s a bit of a brute, and he’ll match up pretty nicely with this version of Ramiz. Winner moves on to something bigger and better, but keep it here for now. Let’s not rush anything.
Mickey Gall – CUT! – I’ll never really know why they brought Gall back, but… it’s definitely time to call it a day, Mickey. 7-7 in this day and age is nuts, I know he debuted in the UFC which is fairly unique, but yeah… it’s not getting any better.
Oban Elliott vs Court McGee – It’s time to give Oban Elliott a step up after 3 wins over 3 similarly situated opponents. Court McGee snapped a 3-fight skid when he tapped Tim Means in the first round but repeating that feat against the surging “Welsh Gangster” will be easier said than done. Generally McGee’s strategy is pretty well telegraphed, but it’s been a hot minute since he lost to a rookie. This would be a solid scalp and recognizable name for Oban – if he can get it done, of course.
Bassil Hafez vs Kevin Jousset – Disappointing performance from Bassil Hafez who didn’t really show any variety of attack, and he’s not going to be able to dine out on that close fight with JDM for long. He needs a win quickly, but that won’t come easy against Frenchman Kevin Jousset who lost his last fight to Bryan Battle. Jousset might well walk in a solid favourite here, but both have the same assignment here: get back into the win column quick sharp.
Eduarda Moura vs Tereza Bleda – Tereza Bleda’s fight with ranked Casey O’Neill fell through, and I think that’s unfortunate for the Czech because she probably isn’t getting that opportunity again without getting another win under her belt. She is just 2-1 in the UFC after all, much like Eduarda, and both have had similar runs. This is a close one on paper, and should be give us some good data on both fighters
Veronica Hardy vs Luana Santos – Luana Santos saw her assault on the rankings repelled by Casey O’Neill, while Veronica Hardy had her 3-fight win streak snapped by Eduarda Moura after spending 3 years out between 2020 and 2023. You could run this in England, Hardy’s current home, or South America, or obviously the US – plenty of options for a fight between two sub-30 year olds sat in the peloton outside the rankings.
