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Sergei Spivac vs Jailton Almeida – Sergei restores parity against Tybura with a big win and a quick submission, and as one of the more mobile heavyweight grapplers, I’d like to see how he matches up against Jailton Almeida next. Almeida is an absolute beast, and will look to take Spivac down and make quick work of him on the ground, but only Aspinall and Gane have beaten him in the past 4 years… that’s not bad company if you can join them! Jailton will use a second successive win to springboard his way towards the top 5 – which is about to lose both Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic if rumours are accurate…
Marcin Tybura vs Shamil Gaziev – Tybura loses to Spivac and slides below him in the rankings, tying them up at 1-1. I’d like to see him face Shamil Gaziev next, the Russian looking strong last time out against Don’Tale Mayes, his only career defeat coming in a 5 rounder against the dangerous Jairzinho Rozenstruik. This would be an opportunity for Gaziev to circumnavigate Jairzinho in what might just be a more suitable stylistic challenge.
Chepe Mariscal vs Sodiq Yusuff – Chepe Mariscal’s unlikely UFC run extends itself to 4 straight wins, his toughness, cardio and scrambling giving him the opportunity to beat down Damon Jackson in what was eventually a pretty lopsided bout. I’d say that’s the biggest win over Mariscal’s career, an old fight with Youssef Zalal aside, and I’d like to see if he can keep it going against ‘Super’ Sodiq Yusuff, a formerly ranked featherweight on a two-fight skid. It’s not easy beating Yusuff, though, only the likes of Arnold Allen, Edson Barboza and Diego Lopes have got it done in the UFC.
Damon Jackson vs Jack Shore – Shore got blitzed by Joanderson Brito, but have no doubts he’s a skilled featherweight who out-worked and submits most of his opponents. Damon Jackson is no stranger to submission wins, and has some sneaky weapons (tonight he landed plentiful knees, for example), but is starting to show his age and while his durability is there, he has shown he will fade later on in fights. Can he put Shore away, or does the pattern continue? Both guys need a win to show they have divisional relevance.
Danny Barlow vs Sam Patterson – Danny Barlow squeaked past Veretennikov in a pretty mundane, low-action striking battle. Barlow does have real finishing ability, though, and I’d like to see him face something totally different next time. Sam Patterson got blitzed in his UFC debut against Yamal Ashmouz, but has made quick work of back-to-back opponents with R1SUB chokes. Does Barlow get back to KOing opponents? Or does Patterson and his very tidy grappling keep rolling?
Nikolay Veretennikov vs Charles Radtke – Two guys who are already 34 despite making their UFC debuts only recently, these two can be rough and rugged, but tonight wasn’t really a showcase performance from the Kazakh. Both now coming off a loss, does Chuck Buffalo get back to winning ways after being out-matched against Carlos Prates, or can Nikolay show he truly belongs in the UFC?
Chris Gutierrez vs Said Nurmagomedov – Chris Gutierrez did enough to get the decision without really standing out too much. It was a relatively safe performance, heavy on leg kicks as always, but he still conceded R2 after being taken down by the debutant Le. I’d like to see him face Said Nurmagomedov next, hopefully Said can draw Chris into more of a firefight, both guys have a ton of UFC wins, can be exciting, and should be chasing down the top 15 – especially Chris, who was once ranked himself. Beating Said will be a huge challenge though. That said, his teammate Jonathan Martinez got it done.
Quang Le vs Bernardo Sopaj – Le certainly looked like he belonged, even if the experience of Gutierrez ultimately paid off. I’d like to see Le back in there pretty quickly if possible, this time against an entry level guy like Albanian Bernado Sopaj – also 0-1 in the UFC. Sopaj did score 3 takedowns on Lok Dog before being put away in R3, so he’s no slouch himself, this could be a sleeper fight on any Fight Night card… it might just steal the show, or at least the prelims!
Yana Santos vs Miesha Tate – There’s no question Yana looked much improved tonight after over a year out. Her kicking game was on full display, she didn’t let Chandler bully her against the cage at all, she sniped that leg really well… just a good performance against a less experienced opponent. Give her Miesha Tate next. Miesha won her last fight in December against Julia Avila by Submission, let’s see how she fares against a fellow veteran whom she hasn’t faced before!
Chelsea Chandler – CUT! Two weight misses in a row suggests Chandler cannot make Bantamweight, the heaviest division in the UFC. Why beat around the bush? She was well beaten tonight despite coming in FIVE POUNDS OVER, I think she’s probably just earned herself a ticket back to Invicta.
Toshiomi Kazama vs Kleydson Rodrigues – What a back-and-forth fight! Kazama came out with the all-action Jiu Jitsu attack, then got hammered early in the second round, before sinking in a fight-ending triangle on an exhausted Grigoriou. He’s 1-2 in the UFC, Kleydson is 1-3, but both have faced some beasts already in their UFC careers. I’d like to see them matched up, should be an all-action bout, can these guys start to string wins together?
Charalampos Grigoriou vs Gaston Bolanos – Grigoriou did show aggression in R2, but that gas tank seemed to go empty way too fast! He’s 0-2 in the UFC now and doesn’t really look like he belongs, still, give him Gaston Bolanos the ex-Bellator veteran and Peruvian kickboxer who is 1-1 in the UFC. Should be a stand up affair, with both guys really needing to show out and bring the aggression here. The pressure is on!
Karol Rosa vs Mayra Bueno Silva – Bueno Silva is #6 coming off 2 losses, Rosa is #8 coming off a win. Bueno Silva is one of only two Brazilian female bantamweights to have been in the UFC longer than Rosa, and they still haven’t met yet. Rosa looked far too much for Pannie Kianzad tonight, busting up her leg AND her face, something Bueno Silva knows all about after losing by doctor’s stoppage last time out. This should be a pretty violent one in the bantamweight division, I would not recommend sleeping on this one!
Pannie Kianzad vs Tainara Lisboa – After 3 straight losses and getting beat up tonight, the tough Swede is probably going to be playing gatekeeper in any future UFC fighters. Lisboa is 2-0, beat Jessie-Rose Clark in her UFC debut, then bested fellow Brazilian Ravena OIiveira – she’s still just 7-2 in MMA, but don’t forget she’s been in there with Valentina Shevchenko twice in Muay Thai and Kickboxing, and her debut was against Norma Dumont – so she’s not going to be in over her head, necessarily. Let’s see if she sinks or swims against an increasingly desperate Pannie Kianzad.
Jhonata Diniz vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta – Diniz moves to 2-0 in the UFC, out-pointing Williams pretty comfortably despite getting taken down and looking a bit lost late in R3. Diniz looked big, strong, and too powerful for Williams, I’d like to see how he stacks up against Waldo Cortes-Acosta next. WCA is 5-1 in the UFC but isn’t ranked and while he out-wrestled Robelis Despaigne, if Diniz can keep improved his takedown defence and keep this standing, we’re gonna get two big old dudes throwing bombs at one another – which is why we watch heavyweight MMA! Winner gets a ranked opponent.
Karl Williams vs Jamal Pogues – Jamal Pogues is 2-1 in the UFC and, like Williams, can wrestle when he needs to. I’m not really sure how this one would go, either, which as they seem to be pretty well-matched. Would the wrestling cancel itself out? Does either fighter hold a significant advantage in the striking? Let’s find out.
Youssef Zalal vs Daniel Pineda – Youssef Zalal needs a step up in competition after submitting Errens pretty easily, and out-striking him for the duration of their R1 fight. Don’t sleep on Pineda being another easy opponent though – Pineda is a lethal finisher despite being 39 years old and has only been losing to respectable opposition. It’s a stepping stone-style fight for Zalal, but one that poses a decent amount of danger for him. Pineda has a 100 % finish rate for a reason. That must be negotiated as Zalal tries to climb that ladder.
Jarno Errens vs Westin Wilson – That’s 4 fights for Jarno and he’s just 1-3 – he’s in danger of being cut, but assuming they keep him on the strength of a recent win over Steven Nguyen, I’d like to see him face 1-2 Westin Wilson next. There’s a good chance both get given DWCS opponents, but this fight seems fair and would give someone the chance to get that elusive second win under their belt.
Stephanie Luciano vs Shauna Bannon – Luciano sniped Talita and ‘avenged’ their DWCS draw, a fight Luciano clearly won. She’s still green, but clearly has a bit of upside. Shauna Bannon doesn’t quite look UFC level to me, but she’s still coming off a win, and is similarly underexperienced also at 6-1. Luciano will be a big favourite, but she must get the win to build that much-needed momentum.
Talita Alencar vs Melissa Martinez – Remember Martinez? She hasn’t been seen since 2022, after losing her UFC debut in an underwhelming outing. Much was expected of her, though, and similarly of the BJJ ace Talita Alencar. While it hasn’t quite happened for either fighter, it’s still early days, and a break out performance in a fun fight for either woman would get fans onside. Run it!
Marcin Tybura vs Shamil Gaziev – Tybura loses to Spivac and slides below him in the rankings, tying them up at 1-1. I’d like to see him face Shamil Gaziev next, the Russian looking strong last time out against Don’Tale Mayes, his only career defeat coming in a 5 rounder against the dangerous Jairzinho Rozenstruik. This would be an opportunity for Gaziev to circumnavigate Jairzinho in what might just be a more suitable stylistic challenge.
Chepe Mariscal vs Sodiq Yusuff – Chepe Mariscal’s unlikely UFC run extends itself to 4 straight wins, his toughness, cardio and scrambling giving him the opportunity to beat down Damon Jackson in what was eventually a pretty lopsided bout. I’d say that’s the biggest win over Mariscal’s career, an old fight with Youssef Zalal aside, and I’d like to see if he can keep it going against ‘Super’ Sodiq Yusuff, a formerly ranked featherweight on a two-fight skid. It’s not easy beating Yusuff, though, only the likes of Arnold Allen, Edson Barboza and Diego Lopes have got it done in the UFC.
Damon Jackson vs Jack Shore – Shore got blitzed by Joanderson Brito, but have no doubts he’s a skilled featherweight who out-worked and submits most of his opponents. Damon Jackson is no stranger to submission wins, and has some sneaky weapons (tonight he landed plentiful knees, for example), but is starting to show his age and while his durability is there, he has shown he will fade later on in fights. Can he put Shore away, or does the pattern continue? Both guys need a win to show they have divisional relevance.
Danny Barlow vs Sam Patterson – Danny Barlow squeaked past Veretennikov in a pretty mundane, low-action striking battle. Barlow does have real finishing ability, though, and I’d like to see him face something totally different next time. Sam Patterson got blitzed in his UFC debut against Yamal Ashmouz, but has made quick work of back-to-back opponents with R1SUB chokes. Does Barlow get back to KOing opponents? Or does Patterson and his very tidy grappling keep rolling?
Nikolay Veretennikov vs Charles Radtke – Two guys who are already 34 despite making their UFC debuts only recently, these two can be rough and rugged, but tonight wasn’t really a showcase performance from the Kazakh. Both now coming off a loss, does Chuck Buffalo get back to winning ways after being out-matched against Carlos Prates, or can Nikolay show he truly belongs in the UFC?
Chris Gutierrez vs Said Nurmagomedov – Chris Gutierrez did enough to get the decision without really standing out too much. It was a relatively safe performance, heavy on leg kicks as always, but he still conceded R2 after being taken down by the debutant Le. I’d like to see him face Said Nurmagomedov next, hopefully Said can draw Chris into more of a firefight, both guys have a ton of UFC wins, can be exciting, and should be chasing down the top 15 – especially Chris, who was once ranked himself. Beating Said will be a huge challenge though. That said, his teammate Jonathan Martinez got it done.
Quang Le vs Bernardo Sopaj – Le certainly looked like he belonged, even if the experience of Gutierrez ultimately paid off. I’d like to see Le back in there pretty quickly if possible, this time against an entry level guy like Albanian Bernado Sopaj – also 0-1 in the UFC. Sopaj did score 3 takedowns on Lok Dog before being put away in R3, so he’s no slouch himself, this could be a sleeper fight on any Fight Night card… it might just steal the show, or at least the prelims!
Yana Santos vs Miesha Tate – There’s no question Yana looked much improved tonight after over a year out. Her kicking game was on full display, she didn’t let Chandler bully her against the cage at all, she sniped that leg really well… just a good performance against a less experienced opponent. Give her Miesha Tate next. Miesha won her last fight in December against Julia Avila by Submission, let’s see how she fares against a fellow veteran whom she hasn’t faced before!
Chelsea Chandler – CUT! Two weight misses in a row suggests Chandler cannot make Bantamweight, the heaviest division in the UFC. Why beat around the bush? She was well beaten tonight despite coming in FIVE POUNDS OVER, I think she’s probably just earned herself a ticket back to Invicta.
Toshiomi Kazama vs Kleydson Rodrigues – What a back-and-forth fight! Kazama came out with the all-action Jiu Jitsu attack, then got hammered early in the second round, before sinking in a fight-ending triangle on an exhausted Grigoriou. He’s 1-2 in the UFC, Kleydson is 1-3, but both have faced some beasts already in their UFC careers. I’d like to see them matched up, should be an all-action bout, can these guys start to string wins together?
Charalampos Grigoriou vs Gaston Bolanos – Grigoriou did show aggression in R2, but that gas tank seemed to go empty way too fast! He’s 0-2 in the UFC now and doesn’t really look like he belongs, still, give him Gaston Bolanos the ex-Bellator veteran and Peruvian kickboxer who is 1-1 in the UFC. Should be a stand up affair, with both guys really needing to show out and bring the aggression here. The pressure is on!
Karol Rosa vs Mayra Bueno Silva – Bueno Silva is #6 coming off 2 losses, Rosa is #8 coming off a win. Bueno Silva is one of only two Brazilian female bantamweights to have been in the UFC longer than Rosa, and they still haven’t met yet. Rosa looked far too much for Pannie Kianzad tonight, busting up her leg AND her face, something Bueno Silva knows all about after losing by doctor’s stoppage last time out. This should be a pretty violent one in the bantamweight division, I would not recommend sleeping on this one!
Pannie Kianzad vs Tainara Lisboa – After 3 straight losses and getting beat up tonight, the tough Swede is probably going to be playing gatekeeper in any future UFC fighters. Lisboa is 2-0, beat Jessie-Rose Clark in her UFC debut, then bested fellow Brazilian Ravena OIiveira – she’s still just 7-2 in MMA, but don’t forget she’s been in there with Valentina Shevchenko twice in Muay Thai and Kickboxing, and her debut was against Norma Dumont – so she’s not going to be in over her head, necessarily. Let’s see if she sinks or swims against an increasingly desperate Pannie Kianzad.
Jhonata Diniz vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta – Diniz moves to 2-0 in the UFC, out-pointing Williams pretty comfortably despite getting taken down and looking a bit lost late in R3. Diniz looked big, strong, and too powerful for Williams, I’d like to see how he stacks up against Waldo Cortes-Acosta next. WCA is 5-1 in the UFC but isn’t ranked and while he out-wrestled Robelis Despaigne, if Diniz can keep improved his takedown defence and keep this standing, we’re gonna get two big old dudes throwing bombs at one another – which is why we watch heavyweight MMA! Winner gets a ranked opponent.
Karl Williams vs Jamal Pogues – Jamal Pogues is 2-1 in the UFC and, like Williams, can wrestle when he needs to. I’m not really sure how this one would go, either, which as they seem to be pretty well-matched. Would the wrestling cancel itself out? Does either fighter hold a significant advantage in the striking? Let’s find out.
Youssef Zalal vs Daniel Pineda – Youssef Zalal needs a step up in competition after submitting Errens pretty easily, and out-striking him for the duration of their R1 fight. Don’t sleep on Pineda being another easy opponent though – Pineda is a lethal finisher despite being 39 years old and has only been losing to respectable opposition. It’s a stepping stone-style fight for Zalal, but one that poses a decent amount of danger for him. Pineda has a 100 % finish rate for a reason. That must be negotiated as Zalal tries to climb that ladder.
Jarno Errens vs Westin Wilson – That’s 4 fights for Jarno and he’s just 1-3 – he’s in danger of being cut, but assuming they keep him on the strength of a recent win over Steven Nguyen, I’d like to see him face 1-2 Westin Wilson next. There’s a good chance both get given DWCS opponents, but this fight seems fair and would give someone the chance to get that elusive second win under their belt.
Stephanie Luciano vs Shauna Bannon – Luciano sniped Talita and ‘avenged’ their DWCS draw, a fight Luciano clearly won. She’s still green, but clearly has a bit of upside. Shauna Bannon doesn’t quite look UFC level to me, but she’s still coming off a win, and is similarly underexperienced also at 6-1. Luciano will be a big favourite, but she must get the win to build that much-needed momentum.
Talita Alencar vs Melissa Martinez – Remember Martinez? She hasn’t been seen since 2022, after losing her UFC debut in an underwhelming outing. Much was expected of her, though, and similarly of the BJJ ace Talita Alencar. While it hasn’t quite happened for either fighter, it’s still early days, and a break out performance in a fun fight for either woman would get fans onside. Run it!
