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The UFC's latest event is in the bag. The Fight Night event, which took place at the Las Vegas APEX, ended up losing its headlining bout.
UFC Fight Night: Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber was a major disappointment - so should the promotion re-book the cancelled main event? That's a big question for the matchmakers, as is what should be next for some of the other fighters on the card.
Here are five fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber.
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#5. UFC light-heavyweight bout: Dustin Jacoby vs. Nikita Krylov
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Dustin Jacoby was one of last night's few big winners. The highly-rated kickboxer knocked out Bruno Lopes in under two minutes, scoring a highlight reel moment for his career.
Jacoby was previously ranked in the UFC's top fifteen at 205 pounds, but dropped out after back-to-back losses to Alonzo Menifield and Dominick Reyes between 2023 and 2024.
Last night's win should probably give him a crack at a ranked foe again. With that in mind, a good opponent could be No.10 ranked Nikita Krylov.
'The Miner' is a strong fighter with well-rounded skills, but he's only fought once since 2023, losing to Reyes via KO in April. Essentially, the Ukrainian needs to prove himself just as much as Jacoby does, and this fight would be a good test for both men.
It'd allow Jacoby a chance to break back into the elite, and it'd give Krylov the opportunity to prove he still belongs at the top. It'd be perfect for a Fight Night co-headliner later in the year.
#4. UFC bantamweight bout: Ketlen Vieira vs. Raquel Pennington
Last night's event was full of weight-cutting issues, and one such issue affected the planned bantamweight clash between Ketlen Vieira and Macy Chiasson. Vieira informed the UFC she couldn't reach the 135 pound mark before Friday's weigh-in, resulting in the bout being changed to a 145 pound fight instead.
In the end, Vieira looked pretty solid in a three-round decision victory, and as it was the first time she'd missed weight since 2021, it hopefully won't be held against her. If that's the case, then a rematch with former titleholder Raquel Pennington might work in terms of her next fight.
'Rocky' and 'Fenomeno' fought back in January 2023, with Pennington claiming a split decision that many fans thought should've gone to Vieira. Pennington of course won the vacant title in her next fight.
If Vieira could beat 'Rocky' in a rematch, though, she'd arguably be next in line for the winner of Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison, even though she was edged out by the latter last year.
Assuming she can put her weight issues behind her, this would be a good fight to make next.
#3. UFC bantamweight bout: Maycee Barber vs. Norma Dumont
The big story coming out of last night's event was the cancellation of the headliner between flyweight contenders Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber.
Barber was forced out after reportedly suffering a seizure backstage, but there's no doubt that the medical issue will probably be linked back to her disastrous weight cut.
'The Future' missed the 125 pound flyweight mark on Friday and looked awful at the weigh-in, bringing into question what might lie ahead for her.
Barber is a fantastic talent, but right now, it just doesn't seem like she can make 125 pounds safely. Therefore, a move to 135 pounds might make sense for her.
If she can adjust well to it, then 'The Future' could easily move right into title contention there too, as the talent pool in the UFC at bantamweight is relatively thin.
A good test for her could be No.4 ranked Norma Dumont, who is on a five-fight win streak, with victories over Germaine de Randamie and Irene Aldana.
Dumont would undoubtedly test Barber, and if 'The Future' could get past her, then she'd be right into title contention. If she were to fall, meanwhile, she could take some time off to consider moving back to 125 pounds.
Regardless of the opponent, though, Barber's next fight has to be at 135 pounds.
#2. UFC flyweight bout: Erin Blanchfield vs. Natalia Silva
Given the late-notice cancellation of her headline bout with Maycee Barber, it was no surprise to see Erin Blanchfield frustrated following last night's event.
'Cold Blooded' hit out at Barber, clearly suggesting her poor weight cut was to blame for the issue, and then stated she had no interest in the fight being rebooked.
Given the fight between Blanchfield and Barber was expected to produce a potential title challenger at flyweight, then, there's an obvious move for the UFC to make next.
Assuming strawweight champ Weili Zhang is indeed moving up to challenge 125-pound champ Valentina Shevchenko, Blanchfield ought to be matched with No.1 ranked Natalia Silva.
Silva defeated former titleholder Alexa Grasso last month to move into the top contender's spot, but just isn't a big enough name to claim a title shot just yet.
A win over Blanchfield in a Fight Night headliner would give her that momentum, though. A win for 'Cold Blooded', meanwhile, would allow her to leapfrog the Brazilian and take her title shot away.
Essentially, this fight would make perfect sense as a top contender's clash as soon as possible.
#1. UFC lightweight bout: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Arman Tsarukyan
The biggest winner at last night's event was definitely Mateusz Gamrot. 'Gamer' proved why he's considered a dark horse at 155 pounds by easily outpointing Ludovit Klein in a fight that acted as a de facto headliner.
Still ranked at No.7 in the division, Gamrot can clearly mix it with the elite, and this fight helped to erase the memories of a disappointing loss to Dan Hooker last year. So what could be next for the Polish fighter?
One option could be a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan. Gamrot defeated the Armenian back in June 2022, and since then, Tsarukyan has won four straight to climb into the No.1 spot.
Tsarukyan is looking for a fight following his withdrawal from a planned title bout earlier this year. However, he has also been linked to a clash with Paddy Pimblett.
With most of the other top fighters in the division also tied up, Gamrot's best option may well be the one he mentioned at last night's press conference - a bout with Benoit Saint-Denis.
'The God of War' is ranked at No.13 and broke a two-fight losing streak last month, and so a fight with Gamrot would give him another opportunity to move up the ladder.
With 'Gamer' not mincing his words - saying he'd change the Frenchman's nickname to "God of Comfort Zone" - this could prove to be a fun fight to make in the latter half of 2025.
