Fights to Make After Fight Night Cortes-Acosta vs Walker

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen

Sportz Nation - 11/9/2026

Johnny Walker vs

Alexander Volkov

Zak Drapeau -

Is it possible for Johnny Walker to get shot up to the very top of the Heavyweight division in only his 3rd fight? I think he has the name value and exciting style to do so. And kucky enough for him, Alexander Volkov is in limbo for a title shot seemingly forever and would be a great matchup for Walker as a very long, strike-heavy fighter as well.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs

Valter Walker

Matt Hylen -

Well, this fight went exactly like I thought it would. I figured Waldo Cortes-Acosta would have his moments, but for him to run out of gas and get caught by a Walker strike that would eventually put him out. This is a big losing skid for someone who was previously thought of as the next big thing in the Heavyweight division, so I think I fight down makes sense.

I mean, Acosta already faight one Walker, why not fight another? This fight makes a ton of sense to me; Valter Walker deserves a major step up after the string of grappling dominance he’s been on, while also giving Acosta a huge opportunity to demonstrate that his cardio isn’t as bad as it looked against Johnny Walker. If Acosta wants to prove he isn’t plateauing, he has to beat a prospect like Valter Walker and beat him decisively.

Tatiana Suarez vs

Mackenzie Dern

Zak Drapeau -

So now the question is.. Will Weili Zhang get an immediate title shot when she gets back in the Octagon? I think that after a year off and not having fought at 115 since February of 2025, she should need a title eliminator which would make Tat Suarez the next challenger for Mackenzie Dern's title.

Virna Jandiroba vs

Denise Gomes

Matt Hylen -

Burns Jandiroba didn’t look horrible on Saturday, but he did get outclassed at her own game. She stayed competitive, even winning a round in my opinion, but she has to find a way to execute better on the feet to set up takedowns.

I would love to see what Jandiroba can do against a dangerous striker like Denise Gomes, who is in need of a grappling challenge to prove she’s worthy of a title shot. This sort of fight gives Jandiroba the opportunity to showcase her defensive striking and offensive grappling while giving Gomes a huge name to put on her resume in her path to the belt.

Elijah Smith vs

Aiemann Zahabi

Zak Drapeau -

Smith is now 4-0 in the UFC with 3 finishes in a row. His latest 1-minute knockout of Davey Grant showed not only his power but that he's getting better every time he gets in the ring. At the same time, #9 ranked Bantamweight Aiemann Zahabi hasn't fought since June when he got blasted by Suga Sean, so I think he should take this fight to prove he can stand up to another knockout artist as Elijah Smith's ascent to the top continues.

Lucas Fernando vs

Dustin Jacoby

Matt Hylen -

Lucas Fernando looked great on Saturday. Sure, he does need to work on his cardio if he wants to beat the big names, but overall it was a dominant performance against a game opponent.

Considering how bad Fernando burnt out against Elekana in the first round, I think the UFC should wait to give him a ranked opponent until he proves he can withstand a full three round fight without looked gassed so early. Dustin Jacoby is a volume striker that is coming off a loss and could give Fernando exactly the fight he needs to get a ranked opponent next.

Mitch Raposo vs

Alex Perez

Zak Drapeau -

I was at a cross for Mitch's next fight to be either versus Steve Erceg or Alex Perez, and while I think he should have a claim to either ranked man, I am going with Perez because I don't think Mitch needs to rush. Now on a 3-fight win streak and just having turned 28, he has time to progress through the rankings without jumping into the ring with a former title challenger. Perez is a great fighter, veteran and another wrestler and this fight would do him good to take.

Karine Silva vs

Tracy Cortez

Matt Hylen -

This wasn’t really an entertaining win to say the least, but Karine Silva was able to get the job done. I would like to see what she can do on the ground against a grappler like Tracy Cortez, who is in need of a rebound fight. Both have the talent on the ground but need to prove more in terms of output on the feet and execution on the ground, making this a great stylistic matchup in my eyes.

Murtazali Magomedov vs

Nathaniel Wood

Zak Drapeau -

Magomedov is now a perfect 12-0, (2-0 in the UFC) and only 27-years old. His grappling is already showing to be elite even in his limited exposure to UFC fans so his next fight needs to be around that 20-25 mark and against another wrestler. Let's say Losene Keita, fresh off a ranked fight-loss in a short notice effort. Both guys should welcome the challenge to get a possible ranked fight next for the winner.

Austin Bashi vs

Jack Jenkins

Matt Hylen -

Austin Bashi looked really solid on Saturday night, getting a much needed victory in very dominant fashion. This sort of round one finish deserved a step up in competition for the young prospect, so I would like to see how he could handle a wildcard in Jack Jenkins, who is always take for a crazy fight.

Other Fights to Make

Davey Grant vs Otari Tanzilovi

Billy Elekana vs Brendson Ribeiro

Nina Milosevic vs Daria Zheleznyakova

Marcos Degli vs Clayton Carpenter

Ollie Schmid vs

Thomas Petersen vs Ante Delija

Gabriella Fernandes vs Carli Judice

Jose Delano vs Dakota Hope

Seokhyeon Ko vs Muslim Salkikhov