Fights to Make after Fight Night Rosas v Barcelos
by Zak Drapeau
Sportz Nation - 9/28/2026
12Raul Rosas Jr. vs
Marlon Vera
Matt Hylen -
Wow, what an absolute war Raul Rosas Jr just initiated. I did say that whoever wins this fight likely won’t get the jump up people expect, and I still believe that now, but Rosas Jr’s grit and improved striking definitely has him on the right path.
I think a big challenge for Rosas Jr would be Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. Chito is coming off a nice win of his own against Charles Jourdain, finally performing to the level we know he can perform at. With that said, Chito’s age and track record prior to this win likely won’t see him in any upward trajectory, so another prove it fight may be in the cards.
Chito gives Vera a challenge on the feel that Rosas Jr hasn’t faced before. Chito’s length and kicking ability on top of his top tier experience will really show if Rosas has what it takes to become a legitimate contender. If he can beat the version of Vera we just saw, it’ll convince me that Rosas Jr’s offense and defense on the feet is good enough to warrant a high ranked opponent next.
13Raoni Bareclos vs
Time Away
Zak Drapeau -
Barcelos was winning the fight on all 3 judges' scorecards before the unfortunate scene happened in the middle of the final round. The official statement from the UFC and medical staff is that a sudden illness took Barcelos in the fight and he fell unconscious and was thus rushed to a Level 1 trauma center.
It's tough to admit with how Barcelos' career has panned out what his future is. The 39-year old truly has never looked better and was mere minutes away from a 6th straight victory and a Top-10 ranking. First and foremost, his coaches and medical staff says he is going to be okay even though he is still in the hospital. He will likely be taking time off to assess whatever condition he has and at his age, there is a chance he takes precautions and steps away from the sport.
5Ailin Perez vs
Joselyne Edwards
Matt Hylen -
After what was a very controversial victory, Ailin Perez finds herself in a very weird position. Most of the fighters on top of the rankings are inactive, but her fight was so inactive itself that it doesn’t warrant a title shot in my opinion.
Considering her last fight was also a low action decision victory over Norma Dumont, Joselyne Edwards makes for the perfect title eliminator opponent for Perez. Both Perez and Edwards still haven’t gotten that signature finish to really get people excited about them getting a title shot, so why not pair them against one another and hope that one can find a finish of some sort.
4Norma Dumont vs
12Michelle Montague
Zak Drapeau -
Dumont has lost 2 in a row now to both Edwards and Perez who you can make a good argument for being the Top-2 contenders at 135. Nonetheless, she is a soon to be 36-year old on a 2-fight skid so a fight down should be called for.
When I say fight down though, I still want Dumont to be among the players in this division and Michelle Montague would be a great fight. Montague is 2-0 in the UFC and a meteor in this division. She may be ranked #12 right now but she's showing everything you'd want to see to make a Top-5 fight next. For Dumont, she gets the chance to keep her Top-5 ranking, while putting away a riser and against a fighter that she should be favored against.
Luis Hernandez vs
Oumar Sy
Matt Hylen -
It is crazy to think about how dominant Luis Hernandez was coming in on just two days notice and not fighting full time. Granted, Sedriques Dumas may be the worst fighter in the entire promotion, but I have a lot of respect for a guy who does what Hernandez just did.
As a reward, I am hoping to see a major step up in completion for Hernandez. The fans clearly seem to like his showmanship, which is something the UFC usually will capitalize on. Thus, I think a guy like Oumar Sy is a great matchup candidate. Sy is a long rangy grappler who is in a big losing skid and in need of a major step down in competition. With that said, I still think their is something left in the tank of Sy, which is why I would like to see how Hernandez approaches Sy’s style.
Brady Hiestand vs
Ricky Simon
Zak Drapeau -
Hiestand looked great this weekend in his first fight in 834 days with a RNC win in the 2nd round. His more than 2-year layoff was due to tearing his ACL twice and also taking time to help fight wildfires in Spokane this Summer... what a story.
Hiestand is now on a 4-fight streak and only 27-years old and as long as he can keep his legs healthy, should get one step closer to a ranked eliminator. I chose Ricky Simon because the timelines will match up after Simon lost on this card as well but also because he is a much better test for Hiestand. The 9-year UFC veteran may have an up and down career but is a great test for any rising bantamweight and complete in his martial arts skills.
Rodolfo Vieira vs
Kelvin Gastelum
Matt Hylen -
Rodolfo Vieira was supposed to be the next great grappling contender in the Middleweight division, but this win doesn’t resemble that hype for me. He just looks like an aging veteran who is satisfied doing what he needs to do to win. It hasn’t gotten him very far in the UFC, and I don’t think this win will mean much.
I would consider giving Vieira a fellow aging veteran in Kelvin Gastelum and see if he can get a finish. Vieira’s style isn’t exciting enough to move him upward, making me believe a guy who is very far past his prime like Gastelum could give Vieira an opportunity to get a good name on his resume and a finish as well.
Christian Edwards vs
Roman Dolidze
Zak Drapeau -
THAT was the Christian Edwards we wanted to see when he made his lackluster debut in the UFC this Summer. Edwards made a statememnt against another Light Heavyweight we thought was on the cusp of being ranked so next, you better believe Edwards will get a ranked eliminator.
A fight with Dolidze would be a banger and will show us everything we'd need to see out of the 28-year old. Dolidze is tough, good at grappling and a veteran that's seen everything in the cage. Dolidze looked not so great in his 205-debut a few months ago but should still be thought of in the 20-range of the division and a worthy test for Edwards next.
Montel Jackson vs
Charles Jourdain
Matt Hylen -
Montel Jackson is finislly back in the right track after avenging his previous loss to Ricky Simon. Jackson looked like a different fighter out there. He was patient, composed, and very calculated as he sniped his way to victory. This version of Jackson is scary in the best way, which is why I think a step up is needed.
With Charles Jourdain recently coming off a loss to the ranked Marlon Vera, I think a fight against a striker in Jackson makes a lot of sense. Jourdain can challenge a lot of Jackson’s strengths, while also giving Jackson the opportunity to get back in the ranked conversation with a victory.
Yazmin Jauregui vs
13Amanda Ribas
Zak Drapeau -
Did anyone else think Jauregui looked like Chuck Liddell in that fight... Or was it just me? Jauregui might not be well-rounded enough to be among the top of this stacked division but that 62-second knockout was very impressive.
Her style is exciting enough to garner attention from the top brass and so I've given her a ranked fight next against Amanda Ribas who's on a 3-fight skid and at 33, definitely past her prime. This would be a way for the UFC to introduce a younger and more exciting fighter to the attention of the rankings at 135 and it just makes a lot of sense. We'll see how geared up the UFC is to make woman's fights in 2027 but this is a fight I could realistically see happening even before the new year.
Other Fights to Make
Sedriques Dumas vs Brendson Ribeiro
Ilimbek Akylbek vs Ricky Turcois
Mahammadali Osmanli vs Colby Thicknesse
Valesca Machado vs Talita Alencar
Melissa Amaya vs Elise Reed
Rinya Nakamura vs Mark Vologdin
Robert Bryczek vs
Rodolfo Bellato vs
Elves Brener vs
Josiah Harrell vs
Alateng Heili vs
John Castaneda vs Muin Gafurov
Vanessa Demopoulos vs Ivanna Petrovic
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