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The UFC's first trip to Atlanta, Georgia since 2019 went down last night. While the event wasn't overly memorable, some fighters definitely shone.
UFC Fight Night: Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley was short on finishes, but it's definitely fair to say that we saw some strong performances.
So what's next for these fighters? As always, that'll be down to the promotion's matchmaking team.
For now, though, here are five fights to make following UFC Fight Night: Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley.
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#5. UFC bantamweight bout: Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Davey Grant
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One fighter who definitely made some noise in Atlanta last night was bantamweight prospect Malcolm Wellmaker.
'The Machine' waylaid Kris Moutinho in the first round of their preliminary bout, claiming his second $50k bonus award in as many UFC fights.
Wellmaker is still relatively raw at 10-0, and with the potential he's shown, the temptation would definitely be there to shunt him up the ladder.
However, bantamweight is a stacked division, and really, there's no need to rush such a promising talent.
Therefore, a good foe for him might be the UK's Davey Grant, a veteran of over a decade in the UFC.
'Dangerous Davey' was scheduled to fight in April, only for his opponent to withdraw due to injury, scrapping the bout. His last fight saw him outpoint Ramon Taveras in December, taking his octagon record to 7-6.
Grant is a tough fighter with skills in all areas, but he's also beatable and at 39, is probably past his best. That should make him the perfect opponent for a bright young prospect like Wellmaker.
#4. UFC bantamweight bout: Raoni Barcelos vs. Patchy Mix
After kickstarting his 2025 by knocking off one of the UFC's hottest prospects in the form of Payton Talbott, Raoni Barcelos again won big last night.
This time, the Brazilian put an end to the hopes of a resurgence for former bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt, bullying 'No Love' for a clear-cut three-round decision.
Barcelos is due a step up now, but at 38 years old, there wouldn't be much point in matching him with a ranked fighter right now.
Therefore, it might make sense to pit him against former Bellator champ Patchy Mix.
Mix - who, coincidentally, shares a nickname with Garbrandt - lost his octagon debut in disappointing fashion to Mario Bautista last weekend.
He'll be desperate to rebound, and in Barcelos, he'd be facing a dangerous, yet beatable opponent. Barcelos, meanwhile, would gain plenty of momentum in his own right if he could get past Mix.
This fight would make for a great Fight Night co-headliner, and ought to be booked for the second half of 2025.
#3. UFC middleweight bout: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Joe Pyfer
Once considered one of the UFC's hottest middleweight prospects, Edmen Shahbazyan fell off badly between 2020 and 2023, losing four of his five fights.
'The Golden Boy' now looks to be back on track, though, and impressed in a three-round decision win over the dangerous Andre Petroski last night. At 27 years old, he may be in his physical prime now, and could be ready for another run towards the top.
That's why Joe Pyfer could be an interesting test for him next.
'Bodybagz' entered the UFC with a lot of hype and quickly dispatched his first three foes before hitting a ceiling in the form of Jack Hermansson.
Pyfer has since rebounded with wins in his last two fights, and he looked genuinely excellent in his win over Kelvin Gastelum last weekend.
A fight with Shahbazyan would pit two like-minded fighters against one another, as both men are better on offense than defense and much prefer to strike. The winner would move up the ladder, while the loser would still have time to turn things around again.
Therefore, it could make sense to book this one for the later stages of 2025.
#2. UFC flyweight bout: Rose Namajunas vs. Alexa Grasso
While it wasn't her most flashy performance by a long way, Rose Namajunas did at least pick up a win over Miranda Maverick in last night's co-headliner.
There is still a train of thought that suggests 'Thug Rose' might be better off moving back to 115 pounds, but if she remains at 125 pounds, there are options too.
One good option for her to face next could be former flyweight champ Alexa Grasso in what would be a very intriguing fight.
Like Namajunas, Grasso once sat at the top of the UFC mountain before being dethroned by Valentina Shevchenko. Most recently, the Mexican favorite was upset by Natalia Silva in a bit of a disappointing showing.
Given Grasso is ranked at No.3, this fight would give Namajunas the chance to vault back into flyweight title contention. It'd also give Grasso the chance to get back on track in her own right by beating a former UFC champion.
This fight could easily headline a Fight Night card, and could be worth putting together in the near future.
#1. UFC welterweight bout: Kamaru Usman vs. Ian Machado Garry
Last night's biggest winner was undoubtedly Kamaru Usman. He picked up his first win since 2021 by dominating Joaquin Buckley in the headliner, proving that he's still a force to be reckoned with in the welterweight division.
Usman has since stated that the win should earn him a shot at the welterweight title, but realistically, the UFC shouldn't go in that direction.
'The Nigerian Nightmare' had lost his last three fights prior to last night, meaning that both Sean Brady and Shavkat Rakhmonov should still be ahead of him in the queue for a title shot.
A better fight for Usman, then, could be against No.6-ranked Ian Machado Garry.
'The Future' bounced back from the first defeat of his career to outpoint the dangerous Carlos Prates earlier this year, but his earlier loss to Rakhmonov means he's a little bit further back in the queue.
If he could knock off a former champ like Usman, though, the matchmakers may well see him as leapfrogging his fellow contenders towards a title shot.
Could Machado Garry find a way to stop Usman's takedowns - something Buckley failed to do last night? It'd be fascinating to see, and this fight could easily headline a big Fight Night or co-headline a pay-per-view later this year.
