MACAU, CHINA – NOVEMBER 22: Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil poses on the dimensions through the UFC Battle Night time weigh-in at Andaz Macau on November 22, 2024 in Macau, China. (Picture by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
UFC Macau featured a particular early struggle card for North American viewers who had been rewarded with an absolute deal with in the event that they tuned in. This card was motion packed from begin to end and the 13-fight card featured six finishes. The 6-fight principal card additionally delivered with half of the fights ending in finishes. There have been comebacks, upsets and naturally, numerous violence. Most dropping fighters on this principal card are in fascinating positions resulting from age and positions of their respective weight lessons.
Deiveson Figueiredo
Petr Yan utterly shut out former UFC Flyweight Champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, in a five-round thrashing. The loss marks Figueiredo’s first defeat at bantamweight within the UFC. Figueiredo was an ideal 3-0 on the 135lbs. since shifting up in January of final 12 months. Figueiredo has defeated Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt and Marlon Vera within the time since then.
Deiveson entered the struggle ranked at #5 within the UFC’s bantamweight division, whereas his opponent, Petr Yan, was ranked at #3. This loss and the best way Figueiredo misplaced undoubtedly impacts his trajectory within the division. Figueiredo turns 37 subsequent month which can sign Figueiredo must make an pressing marketing campaign to the belt.
With that in thoughts, Figueiredo ought to struggle Music Yadong in his subsequent struggle. Music can also be coming off a unanimous resolution loss to Petr Yan at UFC 299, again in March. Yadong is at the moment ranked at #8 within the UFC’s bantamweight division and has appeared promising in his 14 struggle UFC tenure.
Winner of this struggle may presumably be a win or two away from a title shot within the clogged higher ranks of the bantamweight division. Producing a end on this matchup can be a profession assertion and doubtlessly place the victor in quick title shot conversations. To not point out Figgy is 10 years older than Music, good previous blood vs new blood.
Deiveson’s subsequent struggle: Music Yadong
Tabatha Ricci
Tabatha Ricci was totally outclassed on the ft by high ranked Xiaonan Yan, in a unanimous resolution defeat within the UFC Macau co-main occasion. Ricci is now 2-1 within the 2024 calendar 12 months having defeated Tecia Pennington by cut up resolution and most lately Angela Hill by unanimous resolution.
Tabatha Ricci began the struggle ranked at #10 whereas her opponent, Yan Xiaonan, entered the struggle ranked at #2. This was an enormous present for Ricci, and sadly, she fumbled on the aim line.
Logically, it is smart to provide Tabatha extra of a step again at this level. Ricci’s subsequent struggle ought to be towards Marina Rodriguez. Marina is at the moment ranked at #9 within the strawweight division however has been on a little bit of a slide lately. Rodriguez has misplaced 4 of her final 5 fights relationship again to late 2022. Her solely win in that point interval was towards a now retired Michelle Waterson-Gomez (struggling losses to Amanda Lemos, Virna Jandiroba, Jessica Andrade and Iasmin Lucindo). Rodriguez was final in motion at UFC 307 in October when she dropped a cut up resolution to Iasmin Lucindo. Excellent struggle to see the place Marina is as a competitor as earlier than that five-fight stretch, she had received towards Mackenzie Dern and Xiaonan Yan. Could be one other strong measuring stick for Tabatha as properly.
Tabatha’s subsequent struggle: Marina Rodriguez
Kenan Music
Kenan Music was on the receiving finish of a spotlight reel spinning heel kick KO courtesy of his opponent, Muslim Salikhov. Music has struggled closely lately as he’s gone 2-3 since March of 2023. Music has fought and misplaced to strong names throughout that point together with each Ian Machado Garry and Kevin Jousset.
It’s a tricky loss, to a 40-year-old in Salikhov, but it surely doubtless says extra in regards to the skillset of his opponent (particularly that approach) than it does about Music.
Jerimiah Wells can be a aggressive subsequent matchup for Music. Wells is a 6-fight UFC veteran that’s at the moment on a two-fight dropping skid. Jerimiah pulled out of his UFC 302 bout with Niko Value again in June due to an undisclosed damage. Wells was final within the octagon again in March when he dropped a cut up resolution to Max Griffin. It’d be a strong matchup to see which fighter can get again on the successful monitor.
Muslim’s subsequent struggle: Jerimiah Wells
Cong Wang
Cong Wang suffered the primary defeat of her professional MMA profession at UFC Macau on Saturday. Her opponent, Gabriella Fernandes, pulled off an inconceivable comeback to upset Wang. Now Cong might want to take a look at how she will proceed to boost her inventory. Wang is now 1-1 with the UFC.
Wang, has star energy as she received a kickboxing world championship over present UFC girls’s flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko, in 2015 (albeit controversially). That being mentioned, Wang ought to draw a fighter like Veronica Hardy in her subsequent struggle. Hardy has been within the UFC since 2016 and although she is 4-5 with the promotion, has heated up lately. Hardy is 3-1 in her final 4 fights, having misplaced in her final outing towards Eduarda Moura, at UFC 309 earlier this month. Nice struggle to ebook because it provides Wang one other fighter with a full MMA arsenal and UFC tenure however not too excessive up of a step for her.
Cong’s subsequent struggle: Veronica Hardy
Volkan Oezdemir
Volkan Oezdemir turned in a tough fought fifteen minutes however dropped a unanimous resolution to his youthful counterpart, Carlos Ulberg.
Oezdemir entered the struggle with the #8 rating within the UFC’s gentle heavyweight division. Carlos entered the struggle ranked at #10.
It is a powerful loss for 35-year-old Oezdemir who had received two in a row, stopping Bogdan Guskov and Johnny Walker within the first spherical. Volkan has struggled to win just a few fights in a row and appears to search out himself in direction of the center to backside of the rankings typically.
Volkan ought to struggle Azamat Murzakanov in his subsequent struggle. Azamat is ranked at #11 within the UFC’s gentle heavyweight division. It’s a harmful struggle for Volkan however then once more there aren’t many within the weight class that aren’t. The recent prospect is 14-0 as a professional and 4-0 within the UFC with three finishes. Azamat completed #15 ranked, Alonzo Menifield in his final outing, again in August. A struggle with a former title challenger like Volkan can be a very good check for each males. A end out of both man would sign an emergence or reemergence to the division.
Volkan’s subsequent struggle: Azamat Murzakanov
Ozzy Diaz
Ozzy Diaz was completed within the first spherical by Mingyang Zhang within the opening struggle on the primary card of UFC Macau. An unlucky final result for the UFC debut of Diaz after he received a pair of LFA fights instantly following his loss to middleweight standout, Joe Pyfer, on the 2022 season of the Contender Sequence.
Ozzy finds himself in a tricky spot after his defeat at UFC Macau. He’ll want a win to stick with the promotion and even then, his roster spot could possibly be in jeopardy. It helps his case that UFC‘s gentle heavyweight division is at the moment barren, however he wants a win.
Good struggle for him can be towards Caio Machado or Jose Medina who each additionally desperately want a win. Jose Medina can also be 0-1 with the promotion and gained a shot within the UFC off of a gritty efficiency on the 2023 season of the Contender Sequence. Caio is 0-3 within the UFC after gaining a UFC contract from a win on the 2023 season of the Contender Sequence. All three of those guys want a win and all three are on the quick checklist to be minimize. Whoever is out there ought to struggle, loser will doubtless be launched.
Ozzy’s subsequent struggle: Caio Machado or Jose Medina