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Lerone Murphy vs Calvin Kattar – Excellent performance from Lerone Murphy, who showed how well-rounded his game is tonight against an elite level striker! Who's next? Well Calvin Kattar finds himself ranked #10 and on a 3-fight losing streak, which makes him the man to shoot for. Lerone Murphy remains undefeated in picking up the biggest win of his career tonight to snatch Edson’s #12 ranking – you can bet he’ll only have one thing on his mind now, and that’s cracking the top 10 at someone like Calvin Kattar’s expense… easier said than done, though, against such another high volume boxer.
Edson Barboza vs Diego Lopes – A top draw main card fight for any Brazilian event, this should be an all-action fight between a fast-rising and very exciting star and a true stalwart of the division – and yes, it will have rankings implications with Edson previously occupying the #12, and Diego Lopes having recently broken into the rankings at #13. A big, big fight for the South American fight scene, if Lopes can get through Edson, he’s going places fast!
Khaos Williams vs Uros Medic – Two welterweights with real power, Uros Medic recently disposed of Tim Means in the first round, adding the veteran warhorse to a résumé already including Matthew Semelsberger and Omar Morales. Finishing Semelsberger is something Khaos Williams was not able to do, for all the power he throws with, that fight going to a decision much like other fights with Rolando Bedoya and losing efforts to Randy Brown and Michel Pereira. Can Uros Medic put in a pin in Khaos Williams’ balloon, or does Khaos keep rolling on towards that top 15? Either way… this will be a banger!
Carlston Harris vs Nursulton Ruziboev – Both coming off tough losses, Nursulton’s return to 170 was inauspicious as he dropped a decision to highly-ranked Joaquin Buckley, while submission expert Carlston Harris was dropped HARD by the comparably powerful Khaos Williams. Victory for either highly experienced fighter would represent a career-best win, as we pit South America against Central Asia. And a finish? Highly likely!
Themba Gorimbo vs Preston Parsons – Two 4-fight UFC veterans, Themba Gorimbo is 3-1, Preston Parsons is 2-2, and both really need to start showing out with a few finishes. Gorimbo’s performance tonight will not inspire too many UFC fans, and I doubt it convinces them to give him a step up in competition either. A good, strong athlete, can Gorimbo beat Parsons, who has out-wrestled both Semelsberger and Elder, as well as (arguably) Trevin Giles in an ultimately losing effort. Probably best to stick with this remit as Gorimbo tries to make improvements.
Ramiz Brahimaj vs Rhys McKee – Rhys McKee is looking for that all-elusive first UFC win, and Ramiz may (or may not) be tailor made to get that win. Both guys will be eyeing each other up like a rack of ribs knowing this is a fantastic chance to arrest their slides into obscurity and MMA oblivion.
Adrian Yanez vs Cody Garbrandt – Adrian Yanez got the win and the finish he so badly wanted to snap a two-fight skid, but I’m not interested in seeing him compete against the top 15 on the back of that win, he needs to earn himself a bit more credit. Cody Garbrandt is the biggest name in the unranked bantamweight shark tank, and it’s a big enough fight to feature on a significant card – perhaps in a prime prelim spot. The easy pick is Yanez to score the KO, but write off Cody in a spot like this at your peril…
Vinicius Salvador – CUT! 0-3, 1 weight miss, Salvador was fun but ultimately just another limited DWCS striker.
Angela Hill vs Amanda Ribas – They’ve tried to book this a couple of times in the past when Ribas could have used a win over Hill to climb the ladder, now the opposite is true! Angela Hill, after back-to-back wins over Denise Gomes and Luana Pinheiro, deserves a chance to fight up the ladder and Ribas is an interesting opponent for a still-improving ‘Overkill’! Both bested Luana pretty comfortably.
Luana Pinheiro vs Jaqueline Amorim – Luana Pinheiro probably should not have been ranked #9, her only really creditable win is over Michelle Waterson-Gomez who is enduring a horrendous tailspin in her latter years. Since then, comprehensive defeats to Amanda Ribas and Angela Hill have her looking like an imposter in the top 15. Is she? A loss to BJJ ace Jaqueline Amorim would likely displace her, and after back-to-back finishes and a ton of hype, Amorim looks like the right person for that spot. If not, maybe Yazmin Jauregui. But someone unranked-but-promising to test her mettle.
Tom Nolan vs Jai Herbert – I think the temptation will be to push Tom Nolan, but picking the right spots is critical for a guy with a 7-1 record who has already fought a pair of 18 fight veterans. Jai Herbert might just be the sweet spot, potentially giving Nolan a decent shot at a relevant win, without making anything too easy for the Aussie striker. Herbert won’t look kindly on being in a position like this, though, as only very good fighters have beaten him in his UFC career. Book it for Australia!
Victor Martinez vs Viacheslav Borshchev – 2 UFC fights, 2 R1KO defeats for Victor Martinez… it simply doesn’t get much worse than that. Viacheslav Borshchev is a guy who just had a horror show against Chase Hooper and will need a rebound win. I think while both have pretty low stock, this is a good time to pull the trigger on a fight like this. It should still be fun, and a finish is on the cards for the winner. Loser leaves town, too? Most likely.
Oumar Sy vs Nicolae Negumereanu – There are a few fighters to try to ‘feed’ to Oumar Sy, who looks a nightmarish match up, but you’re probably looking at someone with a decent UFC record (4-2) and who still isn’t that critical to the division’s future. Unfortunately for the Romanian, he is one of a few fighters who fit that description. Negu could pull off an impressive win if he can hurt Sy and keep this on the feet, but all eyes will be on the Frenchman and whether he can bring an intriguing new look to a division lacking in grapplers, especially grapplers who finish.
Tuco Tokkos vs Antonio Trocoli – Maybe Tokkos can punish the man that dropped out of this fight and left him in the unenviable position of making a very short notice UFC debut against an undefeated prospect like Sy – that man is Antonio Trocoli, a 6’5 Brazilian that has been booked twice, pulled out twice, failed a drug test, and not fought since 2021... An awful record for a man who hasn’t even stepped foot in the octagon.
Melissa Gatto vs Chelsea Chandler – I like the idea of Gatto fighting at bantamweight, she looked great tonight and halted a 2-fight losing streak. There aren’t so many promising bantamweights waiting to break into the top 15, so why not try it for a fight or two and see how it goes? Gatto is only 28 after all. Give her Chelsea Chandler, if she wins, stay where she is, if she loses, drop back down to 125.
Alternatively: Melissa Gatto vs Julija Stoliarenko – The rebuild attempts for Gatto should go through someone like Stoliarenko next, a dangerous specialist who can spring an upset if her opponents don’t mind their P’s and Q’s.
Tamires Vidal vs Irina Alekseeva – Despite an impressive UFC debut win over Stephanie Egger by kneebar, Alekseeva has otherwise been unimpressive having missed weight in that bout and then lost easily to Melissa Mullins. If she’s got the ability to hang at this level, she’ll beat Vidal and she’ll make weight. Fail on either count, and the Russian is struggling.
Abus Magomedov vs Rodolfo Vieira – Definitely two of the most talented fighters outside the UFC top 15 at middleweight, Abus Magomedov showed us he can be a menace from the top and dictate where a fight goes against someone like Warrley, but in that regard Rodolfo Vieira is an entirely different proposition. Two very heavy handed strikers, to boot, this one will be a war while it lasts. Will their improved gas tanks hold up? Winner gets another well-earned crack at a ranked opponent.
Warlley Alves – CUT! Warlley Alves slumps to 14-8 with 4 straight losses, and while none of them are a disgrace and the matchmaking has been pretty rough, you can sense the UFC will feel they will have better options coming out of Brazil right now, and further into DWCS season.
Ariane Carnelossi vs Vanessa Demopoulos – Not the way Ariane would have wanted to win pre-fight, and in truth it probably won’t move her up the rankings either. Give her Vanessa Demopoulos, another winner earlier on in the night (thanks to some favourable judging IMO), two fighters who like to move forward and pressure. Should be a reasonable scrap!
Piera Rodriguez vs Elise Reed – Piera looked like she was going to win the fight against Carnelossi, then launches a double headbutt assault on the ground, the second coming after a clear warning from the referee. She has only herself to blame for losing by DQ. She’s still worth trying to build after this disappointment, though, so give her the Elise Reed test. Elise Reed is a game opponent, but has been finished in all 4 of her defeats in the UFC, and if Piera needs anything, it’s a finish to banish the memories of tonight’s showing. But, don’t discount Reed…
Alateng Heili vs Da’Mon Blackshear – Alateng Heili wrestles his way to victory over a dangerous striker and was able to rely on a bread-and-butter approach. Heili might not be able to dominate a powerful opponent like Da’Mon Blackshear like that, especially given Blackshear has some legitimate chops on the ground. This would be a fun clash of styles, and it would be interesting to see who could dominate which aspects, and it would also be a meaningful win for either.
Kleydson Rodrigues vs Gaston Bolanos – A pretty poor showing for Kleydson, who looked great on the feet but hopeless on the mat. A suffocating approach from Alateng Heili obviously didn’t favour Kleydson in the latter rounds, but he still didn’t show enough. Give him a kickboxer in Peru’s Gaston Bolanos. Neither has been too impressive so far in their respective UFC careers, even if both have shown flashes of ability.
Vanessa Demopoulos vs Ariane Carnelossi (see above)
Emily Ducote vs Ketlen Souza – Ketlen is 1-1 in the UFC, Emily falls to 2-3 courtesy of some pretty harsh judging. Ducote hasn’t had the impact that seemed to be expected of her when she was installed as a slight favourite against Angela Hill, and it now falls to her to play gatekeeper in my opinion. Ketlen Souza, to her credit, has a pretty big record overall, even if many of her wins on the regionals aren’t the highest level. After comfortably beating Marnic Mann, we’re still figuring out exactly where she fits into the strawweight division. This fight should give us some further clarity.
Edson Barboza vs Diego Lopes – A top draw main card fight for any Brazilian event, this should be an all-action fight between a fast-rising and very exciting star and a true stalwart of the division – and yes, it will have rankings implications with Edson previously occupying the #12, and Diego Lopes having recently broken into the rankings at #13. A big, big fight for the South American fight scene, if Lopes can get through Edson, he’s going places fast!
Khaos Williams vs Uros Medic – Two welterweights with real power, Uros Medic recently disposed of Tim Means in the first round, adding the veteran warhorse to a résumé already including Matthew Semelsberger and Omar Morales. Finishing Semelsberger is something Khaos Williams was not able to do, for all the power he throws with, that fight going to a decision much like other fights with Rolando Bedoya and losing efforts to Randy Brown and Michel Pereira. Can Uros Medic put in a pin in Khaos Williams’ balloon, or does Khaos keep rolling on towards that top 15? Either way… this will be a banger!
Carlston Harris vs Nursulton Ruziboev – Both coming off tough losses, Nursulton’s return to 170 was inauspicious as he dropped a decision to highly-ranked Joaquin Buckley, while submission expert Carlston Harris was dropped HARD by the comparably powerful Khaos Williams. Victory for either highly experienced fighter would represent a career-best win, as we pit South America against Central Asia. And a finish? Highly likely!
Themba Gorimbo vs Preston Parsons – Two 4-fight UFC veterans, Themba Gorimbo is 3-1, Preston Parsons is 2-2, and both really need to start showing out with a few finishes. Gorimbo’s performance tonight will not inspire too many UFC fans, and I doubt it convinces them to give him a step up in competition either. A good, strong athlete, can Gorimbo beat Parsons, who has out-wrestled both Semelsberger and Elder, as well as (arguably) Trevin Giles in an ultimately losing effort. Probably best to stick with this remit as Gorimbo tries to make improvements.
Ramiz Brahimaj vs Rhys McKee – Rhys McKee is looking for that all-elusive first UFC win, and Ramiz may (or may not) be tailor made to get that win. Both guys will be eyeing each other up like a rack of ribs knowing this is a fantastic chance to arrest their slides into obscurity and MMA oblivion.
Adrian Yanez vs Cody Garbrandt – Adrian Yanez got the win and the finish he so badly wanted to snap a two-fight skid, but I’m not interested in seeing him compete against the top 15 on the back of that win, he needs to earn himself a bit more credit. Cody Garbrandt is the biggest name in the unranked bantamweight shark tank, and it’s a big enough fight to feature on a significant card – perhaps in a prime prelim spot. The easy pick is Yanez to score the KO, but write off Cody in a spot like this at your peril…
Vinicius Salvador – CUT! 0-3, 1 weight miss, Salvador was fun but ultimately just another limited DWCS striker.
Angela Hill vs Amanda Ribas – They’ve tried to book this a couple of times in the past when Ribas could have used a win over Hill to climb the ladder, now the opposite is true! Angela Hill, after back-to-back wins over Denise Gomes and Luana Pinheiro, deserves a chance to fight up the ladder and Ribas is an interesting opponent for a still-improving ‘Overkill’! Both bested Luana pretty comfortably.
Luana Pinheiro vs Jaqueline Amorim – Luana Pinheiro probably should not have been ranked #9, her only really creditable win is over Michelle Waterson-Gomez who is enduring a horrendous tailspin in her latter years. Since then, comprehensive defeats to Amanda Ribas and Angela Hill have her looking like an imposter in the top 15. Is she? A loss to BJJ ace Jaqueline Amorim would likely displace her, and after back-to-back finishes and a ton of hype, Amorim looks like the right person for that spot. If not, maybe Yazmin Jauregui. But someone unranked-but-promising to test her mettle.
Tom Nolan vs Jai Herbert – I think the temptation will be to push Tom Nolan, but picking the right spots is critical for a guy with a 7-1 record who has already fought a pair of 18 fight veterans. Jai Herbert might just be the sweet spot, potentially giving Nolan a decent shot at a relevant win, without making anything too easy for the Aussie striker. Herbert won’t look kindly on being in a position like this, though, as only very good fighters have beaten him in his UFC career. Book it for Australia!
Victor Martinez vs Viacheslav Borshchev – 2 UFC fights, 2 R1KO defeats for Victor Martinez… it simply doesn’t get much worse than that. Viacheslav Borshchev is a guy who just had a horror show against Chase Hooper and will need a rebound win. I think while both have pretty low stock, this is a good time to pull the trigger on a fight like this. It should still be fun, and a finish is on the cards for the winner. Loser leaves town, too? Most likely.
Oumar Sy vs Nicolae Negumereanu – There are a few fighters to try to ‘feed’ to Oumar Sy, who looks a nightmarish match up, but you’re probably looking at someone with a decent UFC record (4-2) and who still isn’t that critical to the division’s future. Unfortunately for the Romanian, he is one of a few fighters who fit that description. Negu could pull off an impressive win if he can hurt Sy and keep this on the feet, but all eyes will be on the Frenchman and whether he can bring an intriguing new look to a division lacking in grapplers, especially grapplers who finish.
Tuco Tokkos vs Antonio Trocoli – Maybe Tokkos can punish the man that dropped out of this fight and left him in the unenviable position of making a very short notice UFC debut against an undefeated prospect like Sy – that man is Antonio Trocoli, a 6’5 Brazilian that has been booked twice, pulled out twice, failed a drug test, and not fought since 2021... An awful record for a man who hasn’t even stepped foot in the octagon.
Melissa Gatto vs Chelsea Chandler – I like the idea of Gatto fighting at bantamweight, she looked great tonight and halted a 2-fight losing streak. There aren’t so many promising bantamweights waiting to break into the top 15, so why not try it for a fight or two and see how it goes? Gatto is only 28 after all. Give her Chelsea Chandler, if she wins, stay where she is, if she loses, drop back down to 125.
Alternatively: Melissa Gatto vs Julija Stoliarenko – The rebuild attempts for Gatto should go through someone like Stoliarenko next, a dangerous specialist who can spring an upset if her opponents don’t mind their P’s and Q’s.
Tamires Vidal vs Irina Alekseeva – Despite an impressive UFC debut win over Stephanie Egger by kneebar, Alekseeva has otherwise been unimpressive having missed weight in that bout and then lost easily to Melissa Mullins. If she’s got the ability to hang at this level, she’ll beat Vidal and she’ll make weight. Fail on either count, and the Russian is struggling.
Abus Magomedov vs Rodolfo Vieira – Definitely two of the most talented fighters outside the UFC top 15 at middleweight, Abus Magomedov showed us he can be a menace from the top and dictate where a fight goes against someone like Warrley, but in that regard Rodolfo Vieira is an entirely different proposition. Two very heavy handed strikers, to boot, this one will be a war while it lasts. Will their improved gas tanks hold up? Winner gets another well-earned crack at a ranked opponent.
Warlley Alves – CUT! Warlley Alves slumps to 14-8 with 4 straight losses, and while none of them are a disgrace and the matchmaking has been pretty rough, you can sense the UFC will feel they will have better options coming out of Brazil right now, and further into DWCS season.
Ariane Carnelossi vs Vanessa Demopoulos – Not the way Ariane would have wanted to win pre-fight, and in truth it probably won’t move her up the rankings either. Give her Vanessa Demopoulos, another winner earlier on in the night (thanks to some favourable judging IMO), two fighters who like to move forward and pressure. Should be a reasonable scrap!
Piera Rodriguez vs Elise Reed – Piera looked like she was going to win the fight against Carnelossi, then launches a double headbutt assault on the ground, the second coming after a clear warning from the referee. She has only herself to blame for losing by DQ. She’s still worth trying to build after this disappointment, though, so give her the Elise Reed test. Elise Reed is a game opponent, but has been finished in all 4 of her defeats in the UFC, and if Piera needs anything, it’s a finish to banish the memories of tonight’s showing. But, don’t discount Reed…
Alateng Heili vs Da’Mon Blackshear – Alateng Heili wrestles his way to victory over a dangerous striker and was able to rely on a bread-and-butter approach. Heili might not be able to dominate a powerful opponent like Da’Mon Blackshear like that, especially given Blackshear has some legitimate chops on the ground. This would be a fun clash of styles, and it would be interesting to see who could dominate which aspects, and it would also be a meaningful win for either.
Kleydson Rodrigues vs Gaston Bolanos – A pretty poor showing for Kleydson, who looked great on the feet but hopeless on the mat. A suffocating approach from Alateng Heili obviously didn’t favour Kleydson in the latter rounds, but he still didn’t show enough. Give him a kickboxer in Peru’s Gaston Bolanos. Neither has been too impressive so far in their respective UFC careers, even if both have shown flashes of ability.
Vanessa Demopoulos vs Ariane Carnelossi (see above)
Emily Ducote vs Ketlen Souza – Ketlen is 1-1 in the UFC, Emily falls to 2-3 courtesy of some pretty harsh judging. Ducote hasn’t had the impact that seemed to be expected of her when she was installed as a slight favourite against Angela Hill, and it now falls to her to play gatekeeper in my opinion. Ketlen Souza, to her credit, has a pretty big record overall, even if many of her wins on the regionals aren’t the highest level. After comfortably beating Marnic Mann, we’re still figuring out exactly where she fits into the strawweight division. This fight should give us some further clarity.
