What's Next After UFC Qatar?`

Sportz Nation Staff
1 day ago
9 min read

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen 11/25/2025 Sportz Nation

Zak Drapeau's

Matchmaking

Photo by Mark J. Rebilas/ USA Today Sports

Armen Tsarukyan

vs Max Holloway

(Vacant Lightweight Title)

Dan Hooker

vs Benoit Saint Denis

Not sure if this is controversial or if most think like me, but I don't think Topuria wants to "waste his time" with Tsarukyan. I believe he's likely to move up to 170 to fight Makhachev at the White House, which leaves Tsarukyan as the obvious choice for the next champion at 155.

The way the current 155 rankings are, there should be no other opponent than Blessed. Holloway is still at the very top and in his prime, and this fight would be the best vs. the best of the division.

(Extra Snippet: The winner of this and subsequent champion will likely face Topuria at the end of 2026 after he loses to Makhachev and comes back down...)

As for Hooker, staying at #6 is a great spot for him, and it's time to give him some well-deserved BANGERS. I see Benoit Saint Denis just below him in the division and would make for an incredible Fight Night Main Event, as you know these two would go down swinging with fireworks.

Ian Machado Garry

vs Michael Morales

Belal Muhammed

vs Carlos Prates

When planning out the next fights for these incredible 170ers, I had to matchmake for the entire Top 7 of the division due to almost all of them fighting in the last 2 weeks. So here it is:

CMakhachev vs CTopuria

1JDM vs 3Rakhmonov

2Garry vs 4Morales

5Muhammad vs 6Prates

I can defend all of them, but as for the two Co-Main Eventers from Qatar, Garry has proved he's ready for a title eliminator, and his battle with the undefeated Michael Morales is exactly that, with the winner likely to fight Makhachev in Q4 2026 or Q1 2027. (Another way to go is to pit Garry vs JDM next if Rakhmonov's leg injury keeps him out for 6+ months, which it very well might.)

For Muhammad, he needs to defend his Top 5 ranking, and a battle with Carlos Prates would pit two HAYMAKERS against each other as well as the new guard vs the old guard. Makes too much sense.

Volkan Oezdemir

vs Jamahal Hill

Volkan Oezdemir just won't go away and now has 3 Light Heavyweight wins inside the Top 15 in his last 4 fights after TKO-ing Alonzo Menifield in the 1st round. Even then, his only loss was to the now-#3 Carlos Ulberg, so I say give him another shot at someone ahead of him. A fight with Jamahal Hill is what both fighters need. Oezdemir is looking for his first trip back into the Top 5 of the division since 2018, and Jamahal Hill is just looking for a win after dropping 3 in a row, including his title defense against Pereira last year.

Myktybek Orolbai

vs Jake Matthews

Spoiling the veteran Jack Hermansson's welterweight debut was the Kyrgyz Mykytek Orolbai, who has now won 4 of his 5 UFC fights and is slowly becoming a contender in the welterweight division. He's not ready for a ranked eliminator just yet, but a fight with Jake Matthews will really show us where Orolbai belongs with regards to one of the deepest divisions in the sport.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta

vs Curtis Blaydes

After his last loss to Pavlovich, Cortes-Acosta's momentum was briefly stopped but picked back up with a first-round KO of Shamil Gaziev last week. The now-#5 ranked heavyweight should get another chance at a guy ahead of him, and the way the division is currently, Curtis Blaydes is the most obvious choice. Blaydes is the most experienced "big fighter" in this division and will be an incredible test for Acosta in showing his ability to fight more experienced guys as well as his ability to wrestle and/or stop takedowns.

Kyoji Horiguchi

vs Kai Kara-France

After more than 9 years away from the UFC, Kyoji Horiguchi came back and submitted Ulanbekov, putting the flyweight division on notice. Placed at #8 in the rankings, I think he deserves to fight someone ahead of him, and a fight with Kara-France makes my mouth water. Both of these veterans want to get in your face and throw all night, and it makes sense for both.

Luke Riley

vs Jack Jenkins

There was a lot of hype around Luke Riley, and after he came out flat in the 1st round, I was ready to give up on it... but BOY was that an overreaction. His CLEAN knockout of Bogdan Grad in the 2nd round was a perfect display of his boxing, and I can't wait to see this 26-year-old start taking on more experienced guys like Jack Jenkins. Jenkins is a 6-fight UFC veteran with his own burgeoning career and would relish an opportunity to fight a guy so new to his own career.

Asu Almabayev

vs Amir Albazi

Very impressively, Almabayev submitted Alex Perez last weekend and has proved he is ready for another fight atop the division. As of now, Amir Albazi has no scheduled fight and is himself coming off a loss. This is a fight that will test Almabayev more than any since his loss to Manel Kape and will give him a second chance to get a Top-5 spot.

Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev

vs Marcin Prachnio

Yakhyaev now has 2 sub-minute finishes in the UFC and is a KILLER in the 205 division, so it's time for him to get a big test. Marcin Prachnio is one of those guys around the #15-20 rankings and could even be a ranked eliminator for Yakhyaev if he continues to finish his opponents in such spectacular fashion.

Aleksandre Topuria

vs Douglas Silva de Andrade

So the younger Topuria is not as good as the champ, but he definitely has a future in the sport and in the bantamweight division. I believe the UFC will try to rocket him up the rankings and give him a gatekeeper like de Andrade, even though, in my opinion, the older brother should ease his way up the rankings after only his 8th professional fight.

Matt Hylen's

Matchmaking

Armen Tsarukyan

vs Ilia Topuria

Dan Hooker

vs Rafael Fiziev

For Armen Tsarukyan, no other fight makes sense than a championship fight. I think he poses the biggest threat to Ilia Topuria in the lightweight division, so it makes no sense to take any other fight at this point. Whether or not Topuria is moving up to fight Makhachev is still undetermined, but based on what is known right now, Armen undisputedly has earned a title shot next.

If Topuria were to move up, I like Zak's shout of matching him up against Max Holloway for the title, but I think a fight against Paddy Pimblett for the title makes more sense. Armen has proven he can beat any striker thrown at him, so though Paddy may not be the most deserving, he might be the biggest threat to Armen due to his grappling ability.

As for Dan Hooker, I think it was pretty clear that he tried to bite off more than he could chew. Having not fought since August of 2024, fighting a guy like Tsarukyan probably was not the best move for him. Due to the division being so loaded at the top, he may need a fight below him in order to put himself back in top-5 talks.

Rafael Fiziev feels to be in a similar spot to Hooker in my eyes; he is coming off his first win after losing 3 in a row and needs another fight to put himself back in contention. Combine that with the fact this fight could be super entertaining on the feet, and it makes too much sense in my eyes.

Ian Machado Garry

vs Islam Makhachev

Belal Muhammed

vs Gabriel Bonfim

Ian Machado Garry is in pretty much the same spot as Tsarukyan in my mind. Yes, Carlos Pratas and Michael Morales' last wins were stunning finishes, but Machado Garry has beaten Pratas and has a better resume than Morales. For me, Garry is the best chance the division has (if Topuria does not move up) of beating Islam Makhachev. Machado Garry's takedown defense is among the best in the entire UFC, while also possessing the IQ regarding how to win fights. Machado Garry should, at the very least, settle for nothing less than a title shot next.

As for Belal Muhammad, with age not on his side and the division being as stacked as it is at the top, he probably gets a fight beneath him next. I think a balanced fighter like Gabriel Bonfim could pose a challenge to Muhammad, but also give him the ability to get back on track. Bonfim deserves a fight up, while Muhammad could be on the verge of retirement soon, which is also why this makes sense to me.

Volkan Oezdemir

vs Khalil Rountree Jr.

Man, when Volkan Oezdemir is at the top of his game, there is very little that can stop him. His accuracy matched with his insane power is an extremely intriguing prospect in this division, and he is ultimately deserving of a fight up the ladder. I feel a fight against Khalil Rountree Jr., who is coming off a KO loss to Jiří Procházka, could be a huge legacy fight for Oezdemir. Both are incredible strikers with heavy hands, but a fight away from becoming true contenders again. If Oezdemir can outstrike Rountree Jr., he could be looking at a title eliminator in his next fight.

Myktybek Orolbai

vs Michael Chisea

Myktybek Orolbai made a huge statement in his KO victory against Jack Hermansson. He proved he made the right decision by moving up a weight class, finding a home where he could do some major damage. I think he is still a fight away from a ranked opponent, so giving him a guy like Michael Chiesa next makes sense. Chiesa is on a three-fight winning streak and also a fight away from a ranked opponent, making the prospect of an Orolbai matchup very interesting.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta

vs Alexander Volkov

If it weren't for what happened in the last Heavyweight championship fight, I would likely say Waldo Cortes-Acosta deserves a title shot next. However, that is not the reality we live in, so I think a title eliminator makes sense. Cortes-Acosta says he wants to fight in mid-December of this year, which does align with Volkov's timeline if he were to be interested. Cortes-Acosta has done so much for the Heavyweight division this year, so it is time to reward him with the biggest fight of his life.

Kyoji Horiguchi

vs the winner of Brandon Royval/Manel Kape

I was so impressed with the way Kyoji Horiguchi looked against Tagir Ulanbekov. Having not fought in the UFC in 9 years and defeating a ranked opponent who is on the rise is nothing short of incredible. Thus, I think Horiguchi deserves a title eliminator-type fight next, making the winner of Royval and Kape very interesting. Regardless of who wins, a matchup against Horiguchi, for both Royval and Kape, would solidify them as the undisputed next championship challenger.

Luke Riley

vs Andre Fili

Luke Riley has arrived in a BIG way, making me believe the UFC could fast-track him a little bit. Andre Fili may be a win-loss fighter, but he still poses a dangerous threat on the feet as well as the ground. The winner of this fight could see a ranked opponent next depending on how they get the victory. Regardless, Luke Riley should be considered one of the best prospects in the Featherweight division.

Asu Almabayev

vs loser of Brandon Moreno/Tatsuro Taira

After this victory, Asu Almabayev absolutely deserves a fight in the top 5 next. I think the loser of Moreno/Taira could be a very interesting fight for Almabayev, who matches up well against both of them stylistically. Not only would this give Almabayev a fight he has earned, but eliminate a borderline contender (with the loss) from title contention for the immediate future.

Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev

vs Rodolfo Bellato

I mean, talk about a dominant performance. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev lived up to every bit of hype coming out of Dana White's Contender Series, which puts him in an interesting position going forward. With that said, he is still very young and inexperienced at the pro level and should not be fast-tracked just yet. I think a fight against a guy like Rodolfo Bellato would pose a fair challenge for Yakhyaev and put another veteran on his resume.

Aleksandre Topuria

vs Ricky Simon

Following in his brother's footsteps, Alexandre Topuria is off to a great start in the UFC. He has more than shown he is ready for a step up, which makes his next opponent interesting to determine. He is massive for the Bantamweight division, so I would not be shocked if he moved up. However, for now, I would give him a fight against a seasoned veteran and dangerous striker in Ricky Simon. This puts Topuria in a position to deserve a ranked opponent next if he were to win.