Matchmaking After Fight Night Kape v Horiguchi

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen

Sports Nation - 6/23/2026

Photo Credits to Chris Unger via Zuffa LLC

Manel Kape vs

WINNER of Van v Pantoja

Matt Hylen -

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Kyoji Horiguchi vs

WINNER of Almabayev v Johnson

Zak Drapeau -

Horiguchi is in a vulnerable state of his career after being dismantled this weekend and will be turning 36 years old soon but still has a lot to give this division. After tearing up promotions around the world and then dazzling in his first two UFC fights before this loss, it's clear that Horiguchi still deserves a shot to prove himself within the Top 5.

There were two marquee fights in the Flyweight division I was eyeing for Horiguchi's next opponent, including the loser of Royval vs. Kavanaugh, which I'm leaning more towards Tatsuro Taira. The only other option was the winner of Almabayev vs. Johnson this upcoming weekend. The winner should be Top 7 and should not only be a tune-up fight for the Japanese star but a Main Card or even Co-Main fight as well.

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Navajo Stirling vs

WINNER of Bogdan Guskov vs Jan Błachowicz

Matt Hylen -

With Johnny Walker and Jamahal Hill moving up to Heavyweight, it is very likely that Navajo Stirling is a ranked fighter as a result. Thus, I think he deserves to face an opponent that'll give him his biggest test yet.

Jan Błachowicz has moved all the way down to #15 with the new ranking system, with Bogdan Guskov not being much other than a gatekeeper at this point. I think whoever loses that fight will fall out of the rankings, with the winner still in that gatekeeper role rather than getting a step up. Stirling is one of, if not the best, prospects this division has, so giving him a real test against a veteran gatekeeper makes total sense to me.

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Ion Cutelaba vs

Rodolfo Bellato

Zak Drapeau -

His fight with Stirling started off really well but ended up with Cutelaba basically conceding the fight in the corner, so now what? Rodolfo Bellato is the best matchmaking partner for Cutelaba in the sense that anyone below him has the distinction of going nowhere, and I still believe Cutelaba can mix it up with the somebodies of this division.

The Light Heavyweight division is absolutely packed with burgeoning stars, heavy hitters, and future title challengers, and Cutelaba seems to be the perfect test for most of them. Rodolfo Bellato is on the cusp of those up-and-comers, and with both fighters falling to the low-20s or high-30s in this already shallow division, they both need this fight to stay afloat.

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Christian Rodriguez vs

Giga Chikadze

Matt Hylen -

I think Christian Rodriguez turned a lot of heads on Saturday. The way he finished that fight, in the emphatic fashion in which he did, was extremely impressive and deserves to be recognized with a big fight next.

With Giga Chikadze having lost four of his last five fights, he needs a significant step down from the opponents he has been getting. His time in the rankings is likely over, making him sort of a gatekeeper for up-and-coming unranked fighters. This matchup gives Rodriguez a chance to prove himself against a fighter with high-level experience and matchups, while allowing Chikadze a chance to remain in the UFC as a whole.

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Murtazali Magomedov vs

Hyder Amil

Zak Drapeau -

Another Russian lightweight who looks to be part of the future of the UFC is here, and his name is Murtazali Magomedov. With a now perfect 11-0 record after his UFC debut ended in a 1st round Twister submission, Magomedov continues his streak of finishing every man he's ever been in the cage with, either by punches or submission.

Magomedov's relentless pressure, grappling, and punishment should easily make him the next "boogeyman" of the division, where he continuously gets ducked by opponents. I believe we will see him in the Top-15 by the end of 2027, and that's only because people won't want to accept a fight with him soon enough to get him there any earlier.

Hyder Amil may be one of the crazy ones who will get in the ring, not only because he just lost this weekend and needs to prove himself, but because he has a reputation and attitude that no fighter is good enough for him not to fight. Be careful what you wish for...

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Vinicius Oliveira vs

Steve Garcia

Matt Hylen -

The move up in weight class definitely paid off; Vinicius Oliveira looked extremely good at featherweight. He looked sharp, accurate, and most of all, fresh and energized.

With Oliveira's only loss being to a top Bantamweight contender in Mario Bautista, I think Oliveira deserves to be a ranked fighter at Featherweight. Given the skill set he possesses, I would like to see what he can do against a guy like Steve Garcia. Garcia is coming off a KO loss at the White House, so the timelines match up. Plus, Garcia and Oliveira's styles are quite similar, so I could see this being an extremely entertaining striking affair that likely won't see the final horn.

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Luana Santos vs

Norma Dumont

Zak Drapeau -

Santos is now 6-for-7 in the UFC at only 26 years old with a ranked fighter win under her belt. She is also in the middle of a very weird time for the Women's Bantamweight division where almost nothing is planned ahead of schedule, and the division is dying for some new blood and attraction from viewers.

If Santos is truly on the way up (along with another contender we'll talk about shortly), then why not throw her to the wolves? Norma Dumont just lost a razor-close decision to future title challenger Joselyne Edwards, who herself had a meteoric rise in the division, so why not give her a second chance? Can Santos prove she's one of the future stars in this very bright division, and is this Dumont's last chance to play with the big girls?

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Beatriz Mesquita vs

Ailin Perez

Matt Hylen -

I mean, is Bia Mesquita legit or what?!

Sure, she did get rocked in that first round, but she recovered almost immediately and went right back to what she does best in the octagon: submitting her opponents. Mesquita's grappling and finishing ability is otherworldly and warrants a top contender fight next.

In all honesty, I really liked the callout Mesquita made, so why not give her Ailin Perez. Perez still needs one more win before truly competing for a title, with Mesquita needing someone big on her resume to really make a name for herself in the UFC. Both are elite grapplers with finishing ability and submission skills, so I would love to see who would win the control time on the ground. Given Mesquita's dominance against the lower-level fighters, I think it is time to really give her a test and a real shot at becoming a top contender.

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Mitch Raposo vs

Tagir Ulanbekov

Zak Drapeau -

Fall River's favorite son Mitch Raposo is now on a 2-fight streak after his HUGE underdog win over Allan Nascimento, and at 27 years old, he should be ready to jump into the pool with the top of the division.

Tagir Ulanbekov may not be ranked now but spent almost 2 years between 10 and 15 and has fought some of the best in the world. His cardio and grappling will be an excellent test for Raposo, who showed in his last two fights his own grappling expertise as well as his heart to stay strong even when the going gets tough. It's a win-win; Raposo would get a ranked fight after a win here, and Ulanbekov is back in the hunt if he were to win after his sad loss to Horiguchi last year.

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Other Fights to Make

Melsik Baghdasaryan vs Robert Ruchala

Andre Fili vs Gaston Bolanos

Andre Lima vs Dong Hun Choi

Melissa Dixon vs Alice Pereira

Allan Nascimento vs Imanol Rodriguez

Michael Aswell vs Yizha

Levan Chokheli vs Gunnar Nelson

Leon Shahbazyan vs Francisco Prado

Karol Rosa vs Michelle Montague

Shane Collins vs Losene Keita

Otari Tanzilovi vs Harry Hardwick

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Check out fansonlysportz.com/news for more sports media content posted daily.

Make sure to stay tuned as we continue coverage of the UFC every Monday for Matchmaking and Friday for Predictions.

-Z.D.

-Matt Hylen