UFC Matchmaking: What's Next After UFC Vegas 110
- Sportz Nation Staff
- 3 days ago
- 10 min read
by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen 11/5/2025 Sportz Nation
(Zak Drapeau)
Steve Garcia vs Brian Ortega
David Onama vs Aaron Pico
Alright, first things first: Steve Garcia has earned a Top-10 ranking but still hasn't faced anybody in the Top-10, so let's give him Brian Ortega. This fight is perfect because Ortega is looking for a Top-10 guy to fight as well, to bounce back from his losing streak.
On the other hand, David Onama looked bad in the octagon this weekend, and even though he is still #14 at 145, he should fight someone outside next. Aaron Pico would be a terrific opponent. Pico's only fight in the UFC was a KO loss to Lerone Murphy, and you know the UFC wants to put him in a spot to be ranked as well. The winner of the fight is in, loser falls out.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Jailton Almeida
Ante Delija vs LOSER of Spivac vs Gaziev
What an odd sequence that saw Waldo Cortes-Acosta beat Delija after seemingly stopping the fight. It was allowed to go on because of an eye poke, and WCA made him pay. After a brutal knockout like that against one of the "Next Big Things" in the division, give Acosta a Top-5 guy like Almeida. Almeida himself is coming off the split loss to Alexander Volkov and will need to reprove his worth to the top of the pile at 265.
You know Delija and his team are mad after celebrating the win only to be told the fight's still going on... then losing. Either way, his hype train is derailed for the moment but will undoubtedly get another Top-10ish guy next. With the upcoming bout between Serghei Spivac and Shamil Gaziev likely to have the loser fall right around the #10 mark, it would be an excellent fight for both men trying to cling on to their ranking.
Jeremiah Wells vs Sam Patterson
Themba Gorimbo vs Phil Rowe
A fight that, in the grand scheme of things, won't make many waves in the 170-division, Jeremiah Wells won a VERY tight contest with Gorimbo to stop his losing streak. The next move for Wells, who currently ranks #47 on Tapology for World Welterweight rankings, is to fight someone around his ranking to prove the judges' decision wasn't a fluke. A guy like Sam "The Future" Patterson would be a good one, as Patterson hasn't fought anyone of Wells' caliber yet, and it's a chance for Wells to prove he can string wins together.
I know Gorimbo is pissed about the judges' decision, but that's why you don't leave it in their hands. Anyway, Themba is a vet and may be looking more towards a great fight rather than his rankings, and I believe fellow Vegas 110-fighter Phil Rowe would make an excellent bout with him that would also excite fans.
Yadier Del Valle vs Christian Rodriguez
Isaac Dulgarian vs Lawsuits
This is the fight everyone is talking about, and we'll get there... but for now, Del Valle is 2-0 in the UFC and might look for a step up in competition for his next fight. A fighter like Rodriguez has faced good competition but struggled against them and would be a great test for Del Valle to see if he belongs closer to the rankings.
Isaac Dulgarian was flagged for suspicious betting activity before and after his bout with Del Valle. After his first-round submission loss, he was cut from the UFC and is being investigated by multiple parties, including the FBI. Dulgarian was a -60 favorite in certain betting lines and is being investigated for purposefully throwing the fight to enhance betting lines he "speculatively" made money from or had others make money from.
Allan Nascimento vs Charles Johnson
Cody Durden vs Lone'er Kavanaugh
Nascimento is now on a 4-fight win streak and on the cusp of hitting the Flyweight rankings, so I am here for giving him his chance. In a division where the gap between #10 and #20 is razor-thin, giving Nascimento a guy like Charles Johnson would show how the former would contend with a true veteran and give Johnson a chance to extend his win streak, which would make the UFC have to give him a higher-ranked fighter next.
Cory Durden may have gotten choked out, but he is still right there when it comes to the Top 25 of the division. A guy like Kavanaugh is also right there, and with both fighters coming off a loss, they would both be desperate to win this one.
Billy Elekana vs Jimmy Crute
Kevin Christian vs Uran Satybaldiev
Currently #25 on Tapology's World Light Heavyweight Rankings, Elekana has now won 2 in a row and is ready for a ranked fight eliminator. Now, I don't know if this is too great of a test for him, but Jimmy Crute also needs an eliminator, and I think their fighting styles make this a must-watch fight.
Kevin Christian was fighting above his "weight class," in a manner of speaking, and needs his next fight to be someone further from a ranked fight as well. Fade to Satybaldiev, who is 1-1 in the UFC, had a good win in his last fight and is around the same status as Christian; good potential but needs to string some wins together first.
Norma Dumont vs Raquel Pennington
Ketlen Vieira vs Ailin Perez
No respect for the women again as this Top-5 fight went 4th from the top in the prelims of this card. Norma Dumont got the huge win and has now not lost in over 3 years. Her next fight could easily be Kayla Harrison if the champ wants to take a fight before the Nunes-Superfight, but since I don't believe that will happen, give Dumont the other contender at 135, Raquel Pennington, where the winner gets Kayla next.
Ketlen Vieira kept that fight close, but it's back to the drawing board for the veteran, and with her ranking now dipping to #4, I think it's right to give her the fastest rising star of the division. Ailin Perez is now 5-1 in the UFC and on a 5-fight streak and looking to claim her first Top-5 ranking. This fight makes a lot of sense based on how the Top-10 is currently at 135 unless the UFC wanted to keep the Top-5 together and could see Vieira take on Julianna Pena for a bounce-back fight.
(Matt Hylen)
Steve Garcia vs Yair Rodriguez
David Onama vs Dan Ige
After beating David Onama in dominant fashion, Steve Garcia deserves something big next. I feel the perfect matchup for Garcia could be a guy who is a little stuck at the top of the rankings in Yair Rodriguez. Though he may not be the most active anymore, Rodriguez is a very dangerous striker that can beat up a fighter in a variety of unique ways. This could be the sort of test Garcia needs in order to solidify himself as one of the next in line for a title fight. As for Rodriguez, he has been ranked in the top 5 for a long time, so he needs a fight to prove he still belongs there. This would be an incredibly intriguing fight stylistically that likely will stay on the feet.
For David Onama, this was a tough loss. For someone who was one of the more thought-of up-and-comers in this division, losing in the way that he did will set him back significantly. With that said, Dan Ige (though not an up-and-comer anymore) is also in a similar boat, with a loss halting his upward progress significantly. A matchup between Onama and Ige would allow the world to see who still has gas left in the tank to work upwards versus who is the newest gatekeeper of the featherweight division.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Curtis Blaydes
Ante Delija vs Valter Walker
What a gutsy performance by Waldo Cortes-Acosta. Fighting through a pretty brutal eye-poke to get that sort of TKO victory made a massive statement. So, to reward this incredible performance, I think Cortes-Acosta deserves a fight in the top 5. Curtis Blaydes' balanced style of fighting would give Cortes-Acosta his biggest test yet, and with a win, he would likely put himself in title conversations. I could see either the winner of this fight getting a title eliminator next or this fight being a title eliminator itself.
For Ante Delija, though the TKO loss after poking his opponent in the eye is not a great look, I do not think all is lost for him. He still showed he is a talented fighter who deserves to be a ranked contender. However, he may need a fight down the ranks before making his way back up again. Enter Valter Walker. Walker provides a type of fight Delija has not fought yet in the UFC. With 4 straight wins by heel hook submission, Walker is widely considered arguably the best prospect and up-and-comer in this division. This not only makes sense for Walker, but provides a prove-it fight for Delija to get back on track.
Jeremiah Wells vs Charles Radtke
Themba Gorimbo vs Max Griffin
After winning his fight by decision, I went ahead and matched up Jeremiah Wells against another winner on this card, Charles Radtke. Both are a fight away from a potential ranked opponent, and will have a similar timeline in terms of when their next fight will be. Both are great jiu-jitsu-based fighters who will provide an interesting stylistic test for their opponent. This makes a ton of sense in my eyes for two fighters looking to start a win streak.
For Themba Gorimbo, this marks his second loss in a row and, as a 34-year-old, marks a make it or break it fight his next time out. So, why not put him in the octagon against another fighter on a two-fight losing streak in Max Griffin? Neither Gorimbo nor Griffin is considered a serious threat to make a run at the rankings right now, so this could be a fight to determine who has any chance of possibly fighting upwards in the future.
Yadier Del Valle vs Morgan Charrière
Isaac Dulgarian vs the Justice System
Yadier Del Valle should absolutely be considered an elite up-and-comer now. He is 3-0 in the UFC and 10-0 as a pro, with no real sign of a true weakness. The guy can grapple at an elite level, which makes me believe he is a fight away from a ranked opponent. Matching him up against another up-and-comer in Morgan Charrière makes perfect sense in my opinion. Both are coming off dominant wins in their last fights and should be considered a fight away from a ranked opponent. Charrière is also a balanced fighter with a solid ground game and heavy hands, which could provide a big test for Del Valle.
As for Dulgarian, not much to say here. Until he is proven to be innocent or guilty of fixing the fight against Del Valle, it is hard to create a future for him when he may not have one in combat sports in general.
Allen Nascimento vs Rafael Estevam
Cody Durden vs Hyun Sung Park
Allan Nascimento has been on a tear lately and is much deserving of a ranked opponent next. With Nascimento being such a good grappler, let's see what he can do against a balanced fighter in Rafael Estevam. Both fighters need to make a statement to solidify themselves in the rankings and start a climb upward. This would do wonders for not only Nascimento's resume but also to prove Estevam is legit.
For Cody Durden, having been a fight away from a possible ranked opponent somehow, I think a clash with Hyun Sung Park makes sense. Both are on losing streaks but have what it takes to turn their careers around. Durden needs a win to stay relevant in this division, so giving him a test in a dangerous fighter like Park can prove he still has gas left in the tank.
Billy Elekena vs Omar Sy
Kevin Christian vs Cody Brundage
I don't think this win puts Elekena in the ranked conversation just yet, but rather in a position to fight for a ranked opponent. With Omar Sy being in the same position, this sort of "prospect eliminator" could benefit both sides here. Elekena does a great job mixing up strikes, while Sy has some of the heavier hands in the division when he lands. This could be a really fun fight that gets the winner a ranked opponent next.
As for Kevin Christian, I think a fight against Cody Brundage could make sense. Brundage is a recognizable name in the division that could get Christian back to where he was prior to the Elekena loss. As for Brundage, his situation in terms of his standing in the division is quite precarious. Thus, giving him a solid matchup with Christian could make his relevancy more clear.
Norma Dumont vs Juliana Peña
Ketlen Vieira vs Irene Aldana
There is no doubt in my mind that Norma Dumont deserves a title shot, or at the very least, a title eliminator. With champ Kayla Harrison likely to fight Amanda Nunes next, I think a matchup between Dumont and Julianna Peña could determine the challenger for the next title fight. If Harrison does not fight Nunes, give her the title shot; otherwise, I feel she deserves the highest-ranked opponent next, which would be Julianna Peña.
As for Ketlen Vieira, I think putting her up against another victim of Norma Dumont, Irene Aldana, would benefit both fighters. Having both lost to Dumont their last time out, both Vieira and Aldana are facing the same speed bump in their path to the title. The winner of this fight would put their name right back in the title talks, while the other would need a fight down to solidify their relevancy at the top of the division.
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-Z.D. (@DrapeauZak)
Matt Hylen (@matthylen_)