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Virna Jandiroba vs Weili Zhang – I’m on board for this! And just think it should have been Tatiana Suarez fighting Amanda Lemos tonight, and she could have been celebrating cementing a title shot! But no, I think it swings towards Virna now, leaving Suarez to face Yan Xiaonan as she looks to secure a title shot of her own. Ironically, it’s inactivity that will punish Suarez, while constant activity gets a BIG reward for Virna!
Amanda Lemos vs Angela Hill/Tabatha Ricci Winner – Some will remember Lemos holds a win over Hill – but only by Split Decision – while the Brazilian has yet to face ‘Baby Shark’, one of Brazil’s newest, surging strawweights! Lemos will have to fend off either fighter, whoever wins, as they look to establish themselves in the top 5 – which would be a wild, crazy story for 39 year old Hill, but hey… who knows?!
Steve Garcia vs Jack Shore – Garcia wanted Ige, but everyone wants Ige, and frankly I still don’t see a win on Garcia’s record that makes him worthy of a ranked opponent. Harsh? Maybe. Garcia is super fun, and very aggressive, but I do think Jack Shore is better than anyone on his record at this point. Shore has only been beaten by very competent opponents, Ricky Simon at bantamweight and Joanderson Brito at featherweight, so if Garcia can get it done against the Welshman then yes… a ranked opponent will be in his future. But Shore is talented and he has good fight IQ. Shore might be the favourite here…
Seung Woo Choi vs Christian Rodriguez – ‘Sting’ once put together a nice 3-fight win streak, but sadly is now 4-6 in the UFC and probably hanging on by a thread. Choi is also getting finished lately, though never faster than tonight, when he lasted just 96 seconds against ‘Mean Machine’. Still, Choi is a fun fighter and will always bring it, so I’m giving him another run out this time against the former bantamweight prospect-killer Christian ‘CRod’ Rodriguez who lost in a brawl of his own against veteran Julian Erosa last time. I’m hoping these two remain intrepid and bring it here! I believe in them both to deliver!
Kurt Holobaugh vs Brad Riddell – Kurt Holobaugh registers his second UFC win in a gut check fight against Kaynan Kruschewsky, and while the 37 year old won’t ever climb to the top of the ladder, he’s here for some fun scraps. Now that he’s got a little bit of job security, I’d like him to take a fight against Brad Riddell. The Australian is on a 3-fight skid and hasn’t been seen since November 2022, though he was scheduled to compete against Thiago Moises earlier this year, only for it to fall through. Riddell is now the one with his back against the wall and needing to prove he still belongs. Should be a war!
Kaynan Kruschewsky vs Francisco Prado – Kruschewsky is yet to record a win in the UFC and is now 0-2, but is still being treated as a veteran fighter and getting experienced opposition. I see no real reason to step him down too far, so I’m thinking 1-2 Argentine Francisco Prado (jokingly compared to Drew Dober looks-wise) would make for a fun opponent in a must-win fight for both men. Amazingly, Prado is 11 years younger than Kruschewsky, but they look to match up nicely for a fun high-stakes scrap at the bottom end of the division.
Bruno Silva vs Matheus Nicolau – HUGE win on his return for ‘Bulldog’ Silva who showed he’s never out of a fight no matter the pace or momentum. While it’s been a long time since he last fought, Silva has won 4 in a row and has been ranked before. The guy is a rare regular finisher at flyweight, and Nicolau is susceptible to being finished himself… but he’s not a top 10 fighter by mistake. Overlook Nicolau at your peril, otherwise strap in for some all-Brazilian action featuring two very different styles.
Cody Durden vs Asu Almabayev – Asu may lose the #15 spot at Flyweight almost as quickly as he was awarded it, but if he wants it back I think he likely has to go through Cody Durden next. Always pushing a frenetic pace, Durden has the ability but can get caught – and Almabayev will be confident of putting him away with one of his vaunted chokes. Durden, for his part, has lost 5 fights total, 4 by… choke submission…
Doo Ho Choi vs Andre Fili – When a guy is crazy inactive like ‘The Korean Superboy’ it is harder to pick fights for them – but if Choi can turn it around relatively quickly, more’s the better, as he looked great after a rough first round! Andre Fili is another veteran fighter that matches up nicely with Choi, and ironically his most recent fight was against Cub Swanson and it was FOTN – something Doo Ho Choi knows all about! Both also holds win over Algeo.
Bill Algeo vs Charles Jourdain – Two very talented fighters who don’t always translate that talent into wins, Algeo and Jourdain should pair up nicely for a striking battle that would be pretty hard to pick IMO. While both guys can do some nice work, both also have a habit of giving away opportunities to opponents, perhaps explaining why they each have quite a few defeats on their UFC records.
Hyder Amil vs Fernando Padilla – What an epic brawl that was! Hyder Amil got much the better of it, pinned The Korean Tiger to the fence, and just UNLOADED! That’s some crowd pleasing fun right there, and can you believe that’s Hyder’s second straight standing TKO finish?! The only downside on the undefeated Amil right now is his age: at 34 he isn’t exactly young, so it’s now or never for a run up the ladder. Padilla is a few rungs above Jeong Yeong Lee, the 6’1 Mexican is also a lethal finisher with 14 finishes from 16 fights and a bunch of R1 finishes to boot! Let’s go!
Jeong Yeong Lee vs Jeka Saragih – Jeong Yeong Lee came to entertain but got on the wrong end of a wild brawl. Give him an all-Asian fight next, maybe in Singapore or somewhere like that, Korea vs Indonesia, two fun fighters whose fights generally don’t last – but if it does go the distance, it’s likely advantage Lee, as Jeka has only ever been to a decision once in 18 fights! May the best Asian prospect prevail.
Cody Gibson vs Davey Grant – The UFC had this fight lined up in March before Grant pulled out injured. I think it makes much more sense now that Cody has that elusive win under his belt. Gibson outclassed Kelleher tonight and looked HUGE! Davey Grant is the type of warrior who won’t go away easily, though, and will swing for the bleachers. At 38, it’s a possibility Grant starts to slow down, but there haven’t been too many signs of that just yet…
Brian Kelleher – RETIRE – Kelleher was outclassed for the fourth straight fight, and that was his fourth straight first round finish defeat. Kelleher has been a fun fighter during his UFC tenure, but that’s all over now. Hopefully Kelleher isn’t one of those guys who goes to BKFC, and just enjoys his retirement. Thanks for the fights!
Miranda Maverick vs Montana De La Rosa – How crazy is it that Montana is just 29 years old? It feels like she’s been around forever, but unfortunately it doesn’t appear to be translating to major improvements. Montana’s most recent win against Andrea Lee (who Maverick also beat recently) was much-needed on the back of a 3-fight skid, but it was hardly a career-defining performance. Pit her against the slightly younger Maverick, who has fought far more frequently in the UFC, and looks to have the higher ceiling.
Dione Barbosa vs Gabriella Fernandes – Gabriella Fernandes lost her first two UFC fights against Jasmine Jasudavicius and Tereza Bleda but bounced back with a win over rookie Carli Judice last time out. She will hope to build on that win, but 32 year old Barbosa is much fancied as a prospect and will likely walk in the favourite. Both really need to start collecting wins and building momentum, so what’s fairer than matching them up and seeing who sinks and who swims? A second win in a row for Gabi would be huge, but ‘The Witch’ will be looking to make a statement of her own.
Trey Ogden vs Nasrat Haqparast – Nasrat Haqparast has quietly amassed a 4-fight win streak, but he barely squeaked past Jared Gordon last time out. Trey Ogden might consider himself just a little fortunate that the judges didn’t score Loik’s strikes a little more heavily, and he seemed to admit Round Three ended up too close for comfort in his post-fight interview. Nonetheless, Ogden has now won 2 in a row, and is starting to rack up wins over veterans. The winner here edges closer to the top 15, although without a statement finish they’ll probably need a couple more wins.
Loik Radzhabov vs Terrance McKinney – Loik wanted to bang but was out-wrestled for large spells tonight and he will need to show he can improve that takedown defence if he’s to push onwards in this stacked UFC lightweight division. Another man that flatters to deceive with impressive finishes is Terrance McKinney, almost an archetypal one round monster. I want to see that first round and see which of these hard-hitting scrappers can get it done.
Luana Carolina vs Veronica Hardy – Luana has now won 3 in a row, but the level of competition has been low with both Pudilova and Stoliarenko possessing losing records in the UFC. Let’s not talk about rankings, let’s just give her Veronica Hardy, another fighter on a 3-fight win streak herself, let’s see who makes the most of their momentum here.
Lucie Pudilova – CUT! In a losing effort there just didn’t seem to be any urgency or aggression from Pudilova. She’s 0-3 in this recent UFC run, and she looks like she’ll lose decisions endlessly at this level. She does not belong.
Thomas Petersen vs Robelis Despaigne – With both fighters 1-1 in the UFC, this is one I would like to see next. Petersen certainly had the crisper striking and better technique tonight and he could potentially parlay that into a takedown-heavy strategy against Despaigne if he wanted, but Robelis is a huge dude, a devastating finisher, and a tremendous athlete – can Petersen once again show technique > athleticism?
Mohammed Usman vs Caio Machado – I have a strong feeling the UFC will try for a softball opponent next, but Machado isn’t that bad from a technical standpoint despite being 0-2 in the UFC. I would not be overly confident picking Usman here, but it’s hard to find a lower ranked opponent currently in the UFC – and I don’t think they’ll wait around for DWCS, either. Loser may just get cut.
Amanda Lemos vs Angela Hill/Tabatha Ricci Winner – Some will remember Lemos holds a win over Hill – but only by Split Decision – while the Brazilian has yet to face ‘Baby Shark’, one of Brazil’s newest, surging strawweights! Lemos will have to fend off either fighter, whoever wins, as they look to establish themselves in the top 5 – which would be a wild, crazy story for 39 year old Hill, but hey… who knows?!
Steve Garcia vs Jack Shore – Garcia wanted Ige, but everyone wants Ige, and frankly I still don’t see a win on Garcia’s record that makes him worthy of a ranked opponent. Harsh? Maybe. Garcia is super fun, and very aggressive, but I do think Jack Shore is better than anyone on his record at this point. Shore has only been beaten by very competent opponents, Ricky Simon at bantamweight and Joanderson Brito at featherweight, so if Garcia can get it done against the Welshman then yes… a ranked opponent will be in his future. But Shore is talented and he has good fight IQ. Shore might be the favourite here…
Seung Woo Choi vs Christian Rodriguez – ‘Sting’ once put together a nice 3-fight win streak, but sadly is now 4-6 in the UFC and probably hanging on by a thread. Choi is also getting finished lately, though never faster than tonight, when he lasted just 96 seconds against ‘Mean Machine’. Still, Choi is a fun fighter and will always bring it, so I’m giving him another run out this time against the former bantamweight prospect-killer Christian ‘CRod’ Rodriguez who lost in a brawl of his own against veteran Julian Erosa last time. I’m hoping these two remain intrepid and bring it here! I believe in them both to deliver!
Kurt Holobaugh vs Brad Riddell – Kurt Holobaugh registers his second UFC win in a gut check fight against Kaynan Kruschewsky, and while the 37 year old won’t ever climb to the top of the ladder, he’s here for some fun scraps. Now that he’s got a little bit of job security, I’d like him to take a fight against Brad Riddell. The Australian is on a 3-fight skid and hasn’t been seen since November 2022, though he was scheduled to compete against Thiago Moises earlier this year, only for it to fall through. Riddell is now the one with his back against the wall and needing to prove he still belongs. Should be a war!
Kaynan Kruschewsky vs Francisco Prado – Kruschewsky is yet to record a win in the UFC and is now 0-2, but is still being treated as a veteran fighter and getting experienced opposition. I see no real reason to step him down too far, so I’m thinking 1-2 Argentine Francisco Prado (jokingly compared to Drew Dober looks-wise) would make for a fun opponent in a must-win fight for both men. Amazingly, Prado is 11 years younger than Kruschewsky, but they look to match up nicely for a fun high-stakes scrap at the bottom end of the division.
Bruno Silva vs Matheus Nicolau – HUGE win on his return for ‘Bulldog’ Silva who showed he’s never out of a fight no matter the pace or momentum. While it’s been a long time since he last fought, Silva has won 4 in a row and has been ranked before. The guy is a rare regular finisher at flyweight, and Nicolau is susceptible to being finished himself… but he’s not a top 10 fighter by mistake. Overlook Nicolau at your peril, otherwise strap in for some all-Brazilian action featuring two very different styles.
Cody Durden vs Asu Almabayev – Asu may lose the #15 spot at Flyweight almost as quickly as he was awarded it, but if he wants it back I think he likely has to go through Cody Durden next. Always pushing a frenetic pace, Durden has the ability but can get caught – and Almabayev will be confident of putting him away with one of his vaunted chokes. Durden, for his part, has lost 5 fights total, 4 by… choke submission…
Doo Ho Choi vs Andre Fili – When a guy is crazy inactive like ‘The Korean Superboy’ it is harder to pick fights for them – but if Choi can turn it around relatively quickly, more’s the better, as he looked great after a rough first round! Andre Fili is another veteran fighter that matches up nicely with Choi, and ironically his most recent fight was against Cub Swanson and it was FOTN – something Doo Ho Choi knows all about! Both also holds win over Algeo.
Bill Algeo vs Charles Jourdain – Two very talented fighters who don’t always translate that talent into wins, Algeo and Jourdain should pair up nicely for a striking battle that would be pretty hard to pick IMO. While both guys can do some nice work, both also have a habit of giving away opportunities to opponents, perhaps explaining why they each have quite a few defeats on their UFC records.
Hyder Amil vs Fernando Padilla – What an epic brawl that was! Hyder Amil got much the better of it, pinned The Korean Tiger to the fence, and just UNLOADED! That’s some crowd pleasing fun right there, and can you believe that’s Hyder’s second straight standing TKO finish?! The only downside on the undefeated Amil right now is his age: at 34 he isn’t exactly young, so it’s now or never for a run up the ladder. Padilla is a few rungs above Jeong Yeong Lee, the 6’1 Mexican is also a lethal finisher with 14 finishes from 16 fights and a bunch of R1 finishes to boot! Let’s go!
Jeong Yeong Lee vs Jeka Saragih – Jeong Yeong Lee came to entertain but got on the wrong end of a wild brawl. Give him an all-Asian fight next, maybe in Singapore or somewhere like that, Korea vs Indonesia, two fun fighters whose fights generally don’t last – but if it does go the distance, it’s likely advantage Lee, as Jeka has only ever been to a decision once in 18 fights! May the best Asian prospect prevail.
Cody Gibson vs Davey Grant – The UFC had this fight lined up in March before Grant pulled out injured. I think it makes much more sense now that Cody has that elusive win under his belt. Gibson outclassed Kelleher tonight and looked HUGE! Davey Grant is the type of warrior who won’t go away easily, though, and will swing for the bleachers. At 38, it’s a possibility Grant starts to slow down, but there haven’t been too many signs of that just yet…
Brian Kelleher – RETIRE – Kelleher was outclassed for the fourth straight fight, and that was his fourth straight first round finish defeat. Kelleher has been a fun fighter during his UFC tenure, but that’s all over now. Hopefully Kelleher isn’t one of those guys who goes to BKFC, and just enjoys his retirement. Thanks for the fights!
Miranda Maverick vs Montana De La Rosa – How crazy is it that Montana is just 29 years old? It feels like she’s been around forever, but unfortunately it doesn’t appear to be translating to major improvements. Montana’s most recent win against Andrea Lee (who Maverick also beat recently) was much-needed on the back of a 3-fight skid, but it was hardly a career-defining performance. Pit her against the slightly younger Maverick, who has fought far more frequently in the UFC, and looks to have the higher ceiling.
Dione Barbosa vs Gabriella Fernandes – Gabriella Fernandes lost her first two UFC fights against Jasmine Jasudavicius and Tereza Bleda but bounced back with a win over rookie Carli Judice last time out. She will hope to build on that win, but 32 year old Barbosa is much fancied as a prospect and will likely walk in the favourite. Both really need to start collecting wins and building momentum, so what’s fairer than matching them up and seeing who sinks and who swims? A second win in a row for Gabi would be huge, but ‘The Witch’ will be looking to make a statement of her own.
Trey Ogden vs Nasrat Haqparast – Nasrat Haqparast has quietly amassed a 4-fight win streak, but he barely squeaked past Jared Gordon last time out. Trey Ogden might consider himself just a little fortunate that the judges didn’t score Loik’s strikes a little more heavily, and he seemed to admit Round Three ended up too close for comfort in his post-fight interview. Nonetheless, Ogden has now won 2 in a row, and is starting to rack up wins over veterans. The winner here edges closer to the top 15, although without a statement finish they’ll probably need a couple more wins.
Loik Radzhabov vs Terrance McKinney – Loik wanted to bang but was out-wrestled for large spells tonight and he will need to show he can improve that takedown defence if he’s to push onwards in this stacked UFC lightweight division. Another man that flatters to deceive with impressive finishes is Terrance McKinney, almost an archetypal one round monster. I want to see that first round and see which of these hard-hitting scrappers can get it done.
Luana Carolina vs Veronica Hardy – Luana has now won 3 in a row, but the level of competition has been low with both Pudilova and Stoliarenko possessing losing records in the UFC. Let’s not talk about rankings, let’s just give her Veronica Hardy, another fighter on a 3-fight win streak herself, let’s see who makes the most of their momentum here.
Lucie Pudilova – CUT! In a losing effort there just didn’t seem to be any urgency or aggression from Pudilova. She’s 0-3 in this recent UFC run, and she looks like she’ll lose decisions endlessly at this level. She does not belong.
Thomas Petersen vs Robelis Despaigne – With both fighters 1-1 in the UFC, this is one I would like to see next. Petersen certainly had the crisper striking and better technique tonight and he could potentially parlay that into a takedown-heavy strategy against Despaigne if he wanted, but Robelis is a huge dude, a devastating finisher, and a tremendous athlete – can Petersen once again show technique > athleticism?
Mohammed Usman vs Caio Machado – I have a strong feeling the UFC will try for a softball opponent next, but Machado isn’t that bad from a technical standpoint despite being 0-2 in the UFC. I would not be overly confident picking Usman here, but it’s hard to find a lower ranked opponent currently in the UFC – and I don’t think they’ll wait around for DWCS, either. Loser may just get cut.
