5 fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Rafael Fiziev vs. Mateusz Gamrot

Last night sxaw the UFC visit its Las Vegas base for its latest Fight Night event, and while it didn’t receive much fanfare, it was a solid enough show.

After UFC Fight Night: Rafael Fiziev vs. Mateusz Gamrot, then, what’s next for the event’s big names and winners? As always, the promotion’s matchmakers have all kinds of options for most of these fighters, with no end of potentially entertaining bouts on tap.

With that in mind, here are five fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Rafael Fiziev vs. Mateusz Gamrot.

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#5. UFC featherweight division: Charles Jourdain vs. Cub Swanson

Charles Jourdain is a reliable action fighter at 145lbs [Image Credit: @ufc on Twitter]

One of last night’s most impressive performers was definitely featherweight contender Charles Jourdain. He dispatched opponent Ricardo Ramos in the first round with a guillotine choke, earning an extra $50k in the process.

Jourdain has been around the UFC now for a long time, dating back to his debut in 2019. He may never climb into title contention at 145 pounds, but with the majority of his fights – win or lose – ending before the distance, he’s a reliable action fighter.

Therefore, it makes sense to match him with a fellow veteran action fighter, so why look further than near-legendary brawler Cub Swanson?

‘Killer’ is coming off a controversial win over Hakeem Dawodu, and while he’s set to turn 40 years old in November, he still seems to have plenty to offer.

More to the point, his high-octane style would mesh well with ‘Air’, and so this could produce a thrilling fight for the fans to watch.

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#4. UFC heavyweight bout: Mohammed Usman vs. Marcin Tybura

Mohammed Usman needs a higher-level test at this point [Image Credit: @ufc on Instagram]

TUF 29 winner Mohammed Usman didn’t get the finish he would’ve wanted last night, but he did pick up an important win over Jake Collier, particularly on late notice.

The brother of former UFC welterweight champ Kamaru is now 3-0 in the octagon, and due to his athletic gifts, looks like a potential contender.

Therefore, it’s probably worth pushing him against a ranked opponent next time out, and one foe who could make sense is the No.11-ranked Marcin Tybura.

The Polish fighter lost badly in his last fight against Tom Aspinall, but he’s still a highly tricky veteran who makes up for his lack of explosiveness with plenty of experience and skill.

Usman would probably look to use his power and wrestling ability to win this fight, but there’s no doubt that Tybura would test him further than any of his previous opponents – and so that makes this fight well worthwhile.

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#3. UFC featherweight bout: Bryce Mitchell vs. Josh Emmett

Bryce Mitchell could take on Josh Emmett next [Image Credit: @ufc on Instagram]

Featherweight contender Bryce Mitchell might’ve had his post-fight interview cut off by Michael Bisping last night, but his impressive skills were on display in his win over Dan Ige.

Not only did ‘Thug Nasty’ survive some heavy shots from his hard-hitting foe, showing that his chin is better than his previous fight suggested, but his grappling was on point. He took Ige down with relative ease and dominated him on the mat.

Mitchell is already ranked at No.10 in the division, but until he’s proven he can get past an opponent with heavy hands and solid takedown defense, it’s hard to consider him a legit title contender.

With that in mind, a good match for him could well be Josh Emmett. The former interim title challenger lost to Ilia Topuria last time out and hasn’t won since 2022. However, he’s still highly ranked at No.6 and possesses the kind of style that could definitely push ‘Thug Nasty’.

Given Mitchell’s outspoken persona, the promotion could easily use this bout to headline a lower-end Fight Night event and hope for fireworks.

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#2. UFC strawweight bout: Marina Rodriguez vs. Carla Esparza

Marina Rodriguez could look to rematch Carla Esparza next [Image Credit: @ufc on Twitter]

While her victory didn’t come in either of the headline bouts, it’s arguable that last night’s biggest winner was strawweight contender Marina Rodriguez.

The Brazilian destroyed Michelle Waterson, dispatching her in violent fashion in the second round. Considering ‘The Karate Hottie’ had taken her five rounds in their first bout, it was hard not to be impressed.

Rodriguez isn’t likely to rise in the rankings due to this win, but there are plenty of viable foes in the 115-pound division for her. One fascinating opponent could be Carla Esparza, who remains ranked at No.1 in the division.

‘Cookie Monster’ narrowly edged past Rodriguez in a semi-controversial bout in 2020, but hasn’t fought since losing the strawweight title to Weili Zhang last November.

Essentially, this would be a huge opportunity for Rodriguez to prove that she’s improved since their first clash, and if she could win, she’d definitely be considered a legitimate title threat.

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#1. UFC lightweight bout: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dustin Poirier

Mateusz Gamrot deserves a shot at a top five opponent [Image Credit: @ufc on Twitter]

While his victory didn’t come in the best fashion, Mateusz Gamrot still got his hand raised in last night’s headline bout.

After a back-and-forth first round, ‘Gamer’ saw his opponent Rafael Fiziev blow out his knee in the second stanza, resulting in the event ending anticlimactically.

Despite this, there’d be no point in matching Gamrot with an opponent lower on the totem pole next time out. At the end of the day, with wins over the likes of Jalin Turner and Arman Tsarukyan, the Polish fighter has earned a shot at a top five foe.

The issue with this is the fact that the lightweight division’s upper echelon is filled with big names and big stars, and right now, Gamrot has neither. That means that said stars may well want to avoid him.

However, in this case, the promotion ought to force someone’s hand, and that means that Dustin Poirier would make an excellent opponent for ‘Gamer’.

Everyone knows what ‘The Diamond’ brings to the table – phenomenal pressure boxing, ridiculous toughness and an underrated grappling game.

Could Gamrot really compete with such a proven, dangerous fighter? It’s hard to tell, but the fact is that he’s earned his shot, and the UFC ought to give it to him.