Matchmaking after Fight Night266: Bautista v Oliveira

Sportz Nation Staff
40 minutes ago
6 min read

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen

Sportz Nation 2/11/2026

8 Mario Bautista

vs Song Yadong

After winning his first Main Event last week in dominant fashion, Bautista is ready for a Top-5 fight. While I like his shoutout to Cory Sandhagen, I think his next opponent should be Song Yadong.

Yadong has lost two of his last three fights now after losing to O'Malley in January and probably needs someone further down the rankings than Sandhagen would. In comes Bautista, who has won nine of his last ten, including 2-1 against ranked fighters.

The timing works out well between these two, who could square off sometime in early summer, with Yadong needing to prove his Top-5 status and Bautista earning his first shot at that glory.

- Zak Drapeau

12 Vinicius Oliveira

vs Payton Talbott

A potential matchup between Vinicius Oliveira and Payton Talbott could serve as a prove-it fight for both fighters. Looking at Oliveira, he got dominated. Regardless of his potential injuries coming into the fight, he was not ready for top competition and needs to work vigorously on his takedown defense and overall ground game.

With that said, I view Oliveira in the same light the UFC viewed Mauricio Rua. Rua was also dominated by competition he simply wasn't ready for, but still had enough talent to bounce back and make his way back. Oliveira can do the same thing if he follows the same path as Rua.

Payton Talbott is the ideal matchup for Oliveira. Talbott is also an up-and-coming prospect that is a fight away from really making his mark in the division. Both are strike-first fighters; however, Oliveira has a chance to show improved takedown defense if Talbott decides to show his improved grappling. This could be a very intriguing fight that would allow both fighters to make a mark and start trending upwards.

- Matt Hylen

5 Kyoji Horiguchi

vs Brandon Royval

If I'm being honest, I thought Horiguchi was a cool story of coming back to the UFC, but he would get outmatched by one of the younger and hungrier contenders.

NOPE.

Horiguchi steamed through Amir Albazi last week and now deserves a real contender fight in the Flyweight division. Unfortunately for him, the division's elite are all tied up with the title picture as we wait for the next championship fight to be announced while also waiting for Pantoja's injury.

So without knowing who will get the next shot between Kape and Taira, I'm giving Kyoji Horiguchi and Brandon Royval something to do that could make them next in line for a title eliminator once the rest of the division catches up.

- Zak Drapeau

7 Amir Albazi

vs Alex Perez

Amir Albazi simply got outclassed in every facet. Though I, for one, am personally not very surprised due to his inactivity and injury history, Albazi will need a step down in order to regain his standing within this division as a potential top contender.

I feel a fight against Alex Perez makes sense. Perez is coming off a TKO win against Charles Johnson at UFC 324, so their return timeline matches up pretty nicely. Perez deserves a fight up the rankings, making Albazi the perfect candidate since he needs a step down.

Stylistically, this could be another opportunity for Albazi to showcase how much he has improved on the feet, if that would be the case. With the top of the division very clustered at the moment, it may be what both fighters need to put themselves as one of the next in line for a title eliminator. Albazi still has gas left in the tank, but will need to show it against a tough striker like Perez to remind the UFC.

- Matt Hylen

6 Rizvan Kuniev

vs Sergei Pavlovich

Okay everyone, time to meet the newest star in the UFC's Heavyweight division, Rizvan Kuniev. The Dagestani beat up on Jailton Almeida last week and showed an uncanny ability to stuff takedowns, defending 21 of the 23 takedowns he's faced in his 2 UFC fights.

Now that Kuniev is among the bloated top 6 of the division, a natural place for him will be against another fighter who's around 1-2 fights away from the title. There are a few of them, but I like Pavlovich next.

Two reasons: the first is the stylistic matchup of these two strikers should be awesome and gives them both an excellent chance to showcase their talents. The second is to keep the division moving after the obvious problems with the top of the division right now. The winner of this fight would get immediately thrown into the title shot conversation.

- Zak Drapeau

8 Jailton Almeida

vs WINNER of Tybura vs V. Walker

I know what you're thinking, and trust me, I feel the same. YIKES.

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for Jainton Almeida, they got much, much worse. Of course, everyone knows Almeida's entire fight identity relies on his takedown ability, and the fighter I saw on Saturday when that was not working was absolutely brutal.

With a performance like that and the style in which he fights, I find it unlikely Almeida gets any upper competition anytime soon. With that said, his top-10 ranking will likely see him become more of a gatekeeper than anything else. The winner of Marcin Tybura and Valter Walker will be first in line to face a gatekeeper, making Almeida a prime candidate to get that nod.

- Matt Hylen

Michal Oleksiejczuk

vs Marvin Vettori

Oleksiejczuk has been in the UFC for almost 9 years and has finally hit his prime and could very well see his stock elevated soon. After beating Andre-Barriault last weekend to extend his win streak to 3 in a row, I believe he should be challenged with someone right on the outskirts of the rankings.

The Middleweight is the most stacked division when it comes to the 16-25 range of fighters trying to make their way into the ranking so there is plenty to choose from. I'm going with Marvin Vettori though, a former title-challenger and someone who hasn't fought outside of the rankings in almost 8 years.

A necessary battle for both of these guys as they try to prove they should have a number next to their name in the midst of one of the most competitive divisions in the sport.

- Zak Drapeau

Farid Basharat

vs Said Nurmagomeov

While I wouldn't be surprised if Farid Basharat got a ranked opponent next, I don't think he is quite ready yet. The fight against Jean Matsumoto was not a convincing win in any stretch of the imagination, which is why I think he needs one more fight before any ranked competition.

So, matching up Basharat against one of the other prospects in Said Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov is coming off two losses in a row, which is why he may need a fight down in order to regain himself as a contender for a ranking. This would be a sort of eliminator, with the winner being undeniable for a ranked opponent next.

- Matt Hylen

Wang Cong

vs Tracy Cortez

Cong is one of the best-kept secrets of the Women's 125 division. With one hiccup aside in her 6-fight UFC career, she has basically dominated everyone she's faced. Now that she has a 3-fight streak within the 12-20 range of contenders, let's give her her first Top-10.

At the same time, Tracy Cortez has been all over the rankings in the last year and a half, after losing to top contenders Erin Blanchfield and Rose Namajunas, with a win over Viviane Araujo in the middle.

Cong is looking to move up, and Cortez should be forced to defend her spot. This works out pretty great, even though Cong should be a pretty sizable favorite.

- Zak Drapeau

14 Dustin Jacoby

vs Jamahal Hill

Dustin Jacoby has been on an absolute tear. When it seemed like his time in the UFC may be over, Jacoby went on a run of three TKO/KO finishes in a row to cement himself as a ranked contender.

With Jacoby being the entertainer that he is inside the octagon, I could absolutely see him getting a big test to open up the White House card. Thus, a big step up against a sliding Jamahal Hill makes sense to me. Hill is a former champion who has been on a brutal skid recently, making a fight down the most likely of options. If the UFC wants to put Jacoby on the White House card, I suspect he gets matched up against another heavy-hitting striker, making Hill a prime candidate.

- Matt Hylen