Matchmaking After Fight Night Baku: Fiziev KOs Torres
- Sportz Nation Staff
- Jun 29
- 7 min read
by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen
Sportz Nation - 6/29/2026
11Rafael Fiziev vs
9Dan Hooker
Zak Drapeau -
Fiziev is definitely a better fighter when in front of his home country of Azerbaijan because he looked phenomenal this weekend. His leg kicks were razor-sharp and set up the knockout spinning head kick beautifully. I don't think this win automatically brings him back to a path to the title, but it definitely keeps him in the Top 10.
And what a way to return to the Top 10 than with a war with one of the most exciting warriors in the division, Dan Hooker. Absolutely worthy of another Fight Night Main Event, Fiziev and Hooker would be a proverbial "money fight" and a classic. Both of the men in this one will pop the crowd and create another moment in this fight, and the winner will be right in the sweet spot of the division with so many electric fights to make at the top of it.
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15Manuel Torres vs
WINNER of Ludovit Klein/Tofiq Musayev
Matt Hylen -
I still think Manuel Torres has a chance and the tools to be a contender in the lightweight division, but he did meet his match on Saturday. He was outclassed on the feet and he paid for it, but it should nevertheless be a learning experience that he should bounce back from.
In terms of what is next, I think fighting the winner of Ludovit Klein/Tofiq Musayev makes a lot of sense for Torres. Whoever wins between Klein and Musayev will need a ranked opponent next, making Torres the perfect gatekeeper towards the upward progression of whoever he would fight in this situation. With that said, a win against one of these fighters would put him right back on the upward climb within the rankings.
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Shara Magomedov vs
14Roman Dolidze
Zak Drapeau -
Shara is technical and extremely intelligent in stand-up wars, which is exactly why he destroyed Pereira this weekend and why he'll get a ranked fight next. Unfortunately for him, the Middleweight division's 15-10 ranked fighters are in such disarray between fighters with fights booked and other fighters who plan on moving up a division that there isn't anyone higher to match him with than Dolidze.
No disrespect to the Georgian kickboxer because he is another technically sharp fighter. He is also in much need of a high-profile win, so a fight with an unranked guy with Shara's popularity might be his best option moving forward too. The winner of this fight may also end up with a ranking close to 10 or 11 when Whittaker leaves the division and Cannonier possibly retires after his August fight with CLD.
Michel Pereira vs
Retirement or Ateba Gautier
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Matt Hylen -
When thinking about next steps for Michel Pereira, retirement should be his first option. He had a nice career that was filled with highlight-level moments, but he has unfortunately gotten to the point where his age and the losing streak he is on no longer justify him remaining in the UFC.
With that said, in the event Pereira does not retire, I would like to see him take on a prospect. Ateba Gautier is one of, if not the biggest prospect in all of the UFC. So, with Gautier needing a big name before really making a push towards the rankings, Pereira could be the guy to give Gautier his biggest challenge yet. Pereira is a seasoned veteran who can come in flashes, making me believe he is a very solid opponent for a prospect like Ateba Gautier.
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Matheus Camilo vs
Nasrat Haqparast
Zak Drapeau -
I wrote how impressive I believed Camilo to be on the ground, but I truly never saw this coming, as he knocked out the hometown boy Sadykhov with a flush left-hand KO. Now on a 2-fight win streak and likely inside the Lightweight Top 30, let's give the 25-year-old another test.
Camilo vs. Haqparast is a really good matchup to me and makes sense for both guys. Obviously, Camilo wants to use this weekend's fight to boost him up the rankings, while Haqparast is still lost after being knocked out by Salkild 9 months ago. Both of these guys will use this fight as a stepping stone to the ranked eliminator fight that Haqparast would have gotten had he beaten Salkild, and Camilo sure showed that he is gunning for it sooner rather than later.
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9Asu Almabayev vs
5Kyoji Horiguchi
Matt Hylen -
Asu Almabayev looked about as good as he has ever looked inside the octagon on Saturday. He did whatever he wanted to do against Charles Johnson and did it in dominant fashion, proving that he deserves a big step up in competition.
With Flyweight so crowded at the top, I think Almabayev facing off against a guy who just fought in a title eliminator in Kyoji Horiguchi makes a ton of sense. Horiguchi just fought the week before, so their timelines match up, but the two present a unique challenge anywhere the fight goes that could make for a very entertaining fight. A win against a proven fighter like Horiguchi would put Almabayev right inside the title conversation, while a win over a guy like Almabayev would help Horiguchi's case to get back to where he was before the Manel Kape loss.
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Ikram Aliskerov vs
LOSER of 7Hernandez/9Rodrigues
Zak Drapeau -
Here we go again with another Middleweight contender trying to surge up the rankings of a division that has no sense of continuity to it. Aliskerov has been moved on and off the rankings a few times over the past few months, and with this most recent win, he should find himself at 15 or even 14 (that is on the media rankings and not the new Meta rankings, where he's already 14).
Aliskerov truthfully may not be deserving of this big of a jump, and he may not even be ready, but it's probably the best move based on how the rankings are and where the loser of the Fluffy/Robocop fight will be. Either Hernandez loses 2 in a row, or Rodrigues loses his first fight against a ranked opponent since he lost to Cannonier last year. Either way, whoever loses should relish an opponent like Aliskerov, who could be the "easiest" ranked fight to get back to their winning ways. For Ikram, he should jump all over a fight within the Top-10 of the division, especially with how deep the list of Middleweight contenders is.
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Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev vs
WINNER of 12Nikita Krylov/10Robert Whittaker
Matt Hylen -
I mean, is this guy insane or what??
Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev did it again on Saturday, but this time doing it in the seventh fastest time in UFC history. This win confirms that Yakhyaev needs to be done being handed this level opponent; it's time for Yakhyaev to get a major step up and be tested against a ranked opponent.
With Nikita Krylov and Robert Whittaker being no more than gatekeepers at this point of their careers, whoever wins this fight will present a prime opportunity for Yakhyaev to make a statement against someone ranked. Whether it is Krylov or Whittaker, fighting a prospect as highly touted as Yakhyaev could be the best move for whomever the winner may be. All three are balanced fighters who can fight on the feet or the ground, so it would be interesting to see how either Krylov or Whittaker would be able to handle the freight train that is Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev. Regardless, a win against either one of these two would help Yakhyaev make a name for himself and cement his status in the rankings.
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Nursulton Ruziboev vs
Abus Magomedov
Zak Drapeau -
In my 3rd installment of how cluttered the Middleweight contenders are... this is my favorite one because the stars actually align. A true ranked eliminator will pit two winners from last weekend from two different and impressive, 1st-round submissions.
Magomedov has run roughshod through this division besides a sole loss to now #7 contender Joe Pyfer, and Ruziboev now has 5 very impressive wins with his only loss coming to #10 Welterweight Joaquin Buckley. With both of these guys ready to take the next step but also needing a little something extra to prove they deserve it more than the other men trying to make the Top-15, this fight is not only necessary but is an incredible fight waiting to happen.
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Daniil Donchenko vs
Muslim Salikhov
Matt Hylen -
Daniil Donchenko looked fantastic in his fight against Theodor Berggren. He hunted down Berggren the entire fight and was able to get a finish quite quickly. Considering the fashion in which he was able to finish his opponent, Donchenko definitely deserves a fight in an upward trajectory.
Personally, it makes sense to me to give Donchenko a veteran of the sport whom he could add to his resume in his push for ranked contention. Donchenko is still a fight or two away from the idea of the rankings, so fighting a guy like Muslim Salikhov would allow him to build that resume. Salikhov may be extremely old, but still possesses great power and a dangerous threat on the feet. He is coming off a loss in a ranked eliminator fight against Uros Medic, but I think he still has some gas left in the tank to take on a prospect like Donchenko. I think this could be a very entertaining fight that could end in a finish for either party.
Other Fights to Make
Nazim Sadykhov vs Daniel Zellhuber
Charles Johnson vs Jose Ochoa
Brunno Ferreira vs Baisangur Susurkaev
Michal Oleksiejczuk vs Marco Tulio
Farman Hasanov vs Nikolay Veretennikov
Juius Walker vs Uran Satybaldiev
Andrey Pulyaev vs Ryan Gandra
Kaan Ofli vs Julian Erosa
Javier Reyes vs Gaston Bolanos
Theodor Berggren vs Eric Nolan
Jean Matsumoto vs Ricky Simon
Bekzat Almakhan vs Bernardo Sopaj
Tahir Abdullayev vs Jack Hermansson
Jefferson Nascimento vs Niko Price
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Make sure to stay tuned as we continue coverage of the UFC Every Monday for Matchmaking and Friday for Predictions.
-Z.D.
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