What To Do After Fight Night: Sterling vs Zalal: UFC Matchmaking

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen

Sportz Nation - 4/27/2026

Photo by Jeff Bottari/ Zuffa LLC

Aljamain Sterling vs

WINNER of Lopes vs Garcia

Zak Drapeau -

Aljo has now won 2 in a row and is likely one win away from being in line for a title shot. With Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia being another fight for a Top-5 billing at Featherweight on the White House card, this seems like a fitting opponent for the former champion at 135.

With Evloev getting the likely next shot, it would be likely that Sterling's name and wrestling acumen could make him a strong #1 contender and up next for this title.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Yousssef Zalal vs

Kevin Vallejos

Matt Hylen -

After his performance against Sterling on Saturday night, I think Youssef Zalal bit off a little more than he could chew. He simply was not ready for that level of competition yet, and it showed, as Sterling dominated him during the entire 25 minutes.

With that said, it does not mean he cannot get back there, but instead needs to prove himself against solid opponents before taking on that elite tier. A fight against Kevin Vallejos, who is arguably the biggest and most dangerous prospect in the entire UFC, could be an opportunity for Zalal to make a statement on his resume and start making that push up the ranks again.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Joselyne Edwards vs

Raquel Pennington

Zak Drapeau -

The Women's Bantamweight division is hot right now, and Joselyne Edwards is one of its top prospects after beating Norma Dumont. In a very close fight, Edwards scored her 6th and most important win that will bump her into the Top-5 of the division and right up there in the title picture.

So now we go into total-division matchmaking to plan the next moves. We have Edwards (likely #5) battling Pennington (#2) next, Peña (#1) fighting Ailin Perez for the interim belt, and the other Top-5 fight will be in Matt's hands later on this list.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Norma Dumont vs

Yana Santos

Matt Hylen -

Dumont got a bit robbed in my opinion. Sure, the stats do favor Edwards, but I did not feel that the damage Edwards put out was overpowering compared to Dumont's control. Nevertheless, it still was not a great look, especially considering she now has lost to an 11-ranked fighter who was coming in on short notice.

Since Dumont did not look terrible in the fight, I think the UFC should just run it back and match up Dumont against Yana Santos again. This was the opponent Dumont was supposed to face before Santos pulled out, so why not make it again and see what happens. They will likely both be around the same ranking, with a draw already set in place.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Rafa Garcia vs

Igancio Bahamondes

Zak Drapeau -

Rafa Garcia has, in my mind, put himself in a position where he either fights for a ranking or a ranked eliminator next, and I would like that fight to be a banger worthy of Garcia's skills.

Why not put him in a war with another warrior like Ignacio Bahamondes, who himself needs to live up to his billing of being someone close to the rankings? The fight between these two will likely set the winner up for a ranked fight, especially if it ends in fireworks like I think it will.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Davey Grant vs

Santiago Luna

Matt Hylen -

Davey Grant looked very solid on Saturday night. Though I think he could have been a little more aggressive, he did a great job of counter punching as well as countering while on the back foot. Yet, considering his age, he seems to be more of a gatekeeper to the rankings than actually making a push for a rank himself.

So, I think a very exciting fight could be if Grant matched up against Santiago Luna. Luna is an undefeated and young prospect who has already made waves in the UFC, making him deserving of a gatekeeper-level opponent next. I feel that this fight would be a chess match on the feet with a lot of action and striking.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Raoni Barcelos vs

Vinicius Oliveira

Zak Drapeau -

Raoni Barcelos is a heck of a story and will likely get a number next to his name at 39 years old come tomorrow. With one final run in his future, I'd have to give Barcelos a fight with Vinicius Oliveira next to see how high the veteran can go while giving Oliveira a fight against a ranked guy who, in the UFC's mind, is a winnable one.

A stand-up war between two great kickboxers that some could really make comparisons between if they wanted to, this fight may be one of Barcelos' last, and I think it would be a fitting way to go.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ryan Spann vs

Marcin Tybuya

Matt Hylen -

I was very impressed by Ryan Spann's performance. His rise to Heavyweight has completely revitalized his career, making him arguably the best unranked fighter the division has at this moment in time. Spann is deserving of a ranked opponent next, so a gatekeeper like Marcin Tybura could make a lot of sense. Both fighters like to stand-and-bang with their KO ability, but it also gives Spann the opportunity to send the message that he is one to watch in this division.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Michelle Montague vs

Nora Cornolle

Zak Drapeau -

Another ranked fight prediction in the bantamweight division. Montague may have beaten #12, but in my eyes and a lot of others, he still needs another win to go after a Top-10 opponent.

Nora Cornolle is in a similar situation after her loss to Joselyne Edwards 2 months ago, but she is still deserving of a Top-15 fight. The winner of this fight wouldn't move much at all in the rankings but would set the winner up for a move up the rankings.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Erik McConico vs

Kelvin Gastellum

Matt Hylen -

I was surprised by how good Erik McConico's defense looked on Saturday. He fended off one of the best BJJ artists of all time in Rodolfo Vieira, which propelled him back into the unranked relevancy. Giving McConico a seasoned veteran like Kelvin Gastelum makes a lot of sense to me. Gastelum is in the twilight of his career, with McConico still trying to prove he belongs in the UFC.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Other Fights to Make

Alexander Hernandez vs Terrence McKinney

Juan Adrian Martinetti vs Javid Basharat

Montel Jackson vs Rob Font

Marcus Buchecha vs Guhilherme Pat

Cory Durden vs Brian Kelleher

Jackson McVey vs Torrez Finney

Mayra Bueno Silva vs Darya Zheleznyakova

Jafel Filho vs Ode Osbourne

Francis Marshall vs Kyle Nelson

Victor Valenzuela vs Santiago Ponzinibbio

Max Griffin vs Evan Elder

Talita Alencar vs Angela Hill Julia Polastri vs Shanelle Dyer