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The UFC’s latest visit to its Las Vegas APEX took place last night and the event saw some big wins and some nasty finishes up and down the card.
UFC Fight Night: Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev did not feature too many big names, but it should still give the matchmakers plenty to think about going forward.
So what’s next for the stars of this event? Only time will tell, but whatever is put together should be entertaining.
Here are five fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev.
#5. UFC flyweight bout: Steve Erceg vs. Alex Perez
Top 15-ranked flyweights Steve Erceg and Alex Perez both competed at last night’s event and saw very different results.
Erceg turned out the lights on Matt Schnell in violent fashion, while Perez was well beaten by highly-rated prospect Muhammad Mokaev.
However, despite the UFC’s tendency to avoid winner vs. loser fights, this one would actually make a lot of sense. Erceg is likely to jump above Schnell in the next rankings update but is unlikely to climb above No.7 ranked Perez.
More importantly, the former title challenger would still stand as Erceg’s toughest test to date. Perez was unable to really hurt Mokaev, but he did make him work hard for his victory and still has potent skills in all areas.
Thus far in his three octagon wins, Erceg has shown that he could have elite-level skills, but this fight would allow the Aussie to potentially prove that, and move into title contention with a win.
#4. UFC flyweight bout: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Kai Kara-France
Unbeaten flyweight star Muhammad Mokaev picked up arguably the biggest win of his UFC career to date last night by largely whitewashing former title challenger Alex Perez.
Sure, ‘The Punisher’ didn’t manage to finish Perez, but he did basically shut him down and bully him over three rounds, and the victory should propel him into the lower half of the top five at 125 pounds.
However, with the top end of the division locked up slightly, the Dagestan-born fighter will probably need to fight again before he takes a shot at current champ Alexandre Pantoja.
Therefore, a good possible fight for him would be against Kai Kara-France.
‘Don’t Blink’ has lost his last two bouts, but he’s still ranked at No.4 in the division and is still highly regarded. If Mokaev could dispatch him, then it’d almost certainly be fair to give him a shot at glory – allowing him to attempt to become one of the youngest titleholders in UFC history in the process.
#3. UFC light-heavyweight bout: Vitor Petrino vs. Ryan Spann
Light-heavyweight prospect Vitor Petrino might not have been able to finish Tyson Pedro last night as he’d done to his last two opponents in the UFC, but he was still impressive.
‘Icao’ shut down the aggressive Australian over three rounds, basically doing just enough to edge a decision on the scorecards.
It wasn’t his most entertaining showing, but it was still a strong one overall, and at 11-0, it’s probably time for the promotion to let him attempt to climb into the top fifteen.
One good potential opponent, then, could be No.11 ranked Ryan Spann. ‘Superman’ has not fought since his August loss to Anthony Smith, and has not actually won since 2022.
However, his wild style usually leads to a finish whether he wins or loses, and after Petrino failed to produce much excitement last night, a crazy foe like Spann might be just what he needs.
If ‘Icao’ could dispatch ‘Superman’, then it’d be fair to call him the real deal at 205 pounds, and hopefully, the fight would be fun to watch, too.
#2. UFC bantamweight bout: Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Cory Sandhagen
Unbeaten bantamweight prospect Umar Nurmagomedov was finally back in action last night, stepping into the octagon for the first time since January 2023.
However, largely due to other fighters looking to avoid him, ‘Young Eagle’ was forced to face – and defeat – UFC newcomer Bekzat Almakhan rather than a ranked foe.
Sure, he didn’t always find it easy – being knocked down in the opening round – but he clearly won in the end, and showed off his usual powerful grappling skills in the process.
The cousin of legendary former lightweight kingpin Khabib, Nurmagomedov is clearly due a step up, so who will be willing to fight him? One possibility would be Cory Sandhagen.
‘The Sandman’ already agreed to fight ‘Young Eagle’ before the fight fell apart due to injuries, and the fact that the Dagestani was knocked down last night will probably give him confidence.
This would not only be a fantastic bout, but it could also produce a genuine title contender, and so hopefully, the UFC can put it together soon.
#1. UFC heavyweight bout: Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Derrick Lewis
After suffering a pretty bad defeat at the hands of Jailton Almeida, veteran heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik got back into the winning column in his latest headliner last night.
‘Bigi Boy’ picked Shamil Gaziev apart with his technical strikes across four hard-hitting rounds, eventually forcing him to quit on his stool before the fifth round.
The performance once again showed that the Suriname native is one of the most dangerous strikers in the heavyweight division, even if he has still not really developed his ground game.
That issue means he can’t be considered a true title contender, but despite that, he’s still a viable headliner for the promotion going forward.
One good opponent for him, then, would be a fighter who is in the same boat as he is – longtime contender Derrick Lewis.
A bout between Rozenstruik and Lewis would pit two of the UFC’s heaviest hitters against one another, and the chances of the fight going the distance would be very slim.
Either Rozenstruik’s technical striking would come out on top, or he’d succumb to the brutal power of ‘The Black Beast’. Regardless, the fight would be a lot of fun to watch, and it could easily headline a Fight Night event later this year.
