MACAU, CHINA – NOVEMBER 22: Petr Yan of Russia poses on the dimensions in the course of the UFC Struggle Night time weigh-in at Andaz Macau on November 22, 2024 in Macau, China. (Picture by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
UFC Macau was one of many uncommon events the place North Individuals bought to expertise a UFC card the way in which Europeans normally do: in the course of the evening. However the ones who bought up early (or stayed up late) to observe weren’t disenchanted as the cardboard delivered super highlights together with a totally entertaining most important occasion in what was a really consequential combat at bantamweight.
Petr Yan
MACAU, CHINA – NOVEMBER 23: (L-R) Petr Yan of Russia punches Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil of their bantamweight combat in the course of the UFC Struggle Night time occasion at Galaxy Area on November 23, 2024 in Macau, China. (Picture by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Petr Yan must be within the dialog for Comeback Fighter of the Yr. Regardless of his three consecutive losses throughout 2022 and 2023 all coming towards champions, some thought his complete lack of momentum would derail his profession. Right here is now in 2024 recording his second win in a row, this one over former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo who was on a tear at 135 lbs coming into this contest.
Had he gained, there was an opportunity that Figueiredo might have leapfrogged Umar Nurmagomedov as the following title challenger, the person most count on to be subsequent in line. We will’t make the identical declare for Yan, as his loss to Merab Dvalishvili was too convincing to have them rematch already.
Although, a rematch that’s within the playing cards is one with the now former champion ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley. Their first encounter was a stunning reserving since O’Malley was ranked exterior the highest 10 on the time, but it surely was nonetheless an absolute barn burner. It was one of many best possible fights of 2022 and the controversy hooked up the result is what normally fuels rematch. And this time, there isn’t any excuse to not have it’s 5 rounds. That is exactly the kind of non-title fights that get 5 rounds as Pay-Per-View co-main occasions.
Yan’s subsequent combat: Sean O’Malley
Yan Xiaonan
MACAU, CHINA – NOVEMBER 23: (R-L) Yan Xiaonan of China punches Tabatha Ricci of Brazil of their ladies’s strawweight combat in the course of the UFC Struggle Night time occasion at Galaxy Area on November 23, 2024 in Macau, China. (Picture by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
This was a considerably puzzling, but comprehensible reserving. As the latest title challenger at strawweight, Yan remains to be ranked #2, however she took on #10 ranked Tabatha Ricci. The UFC clearly wished Yan to combat on this card and essentially the most sensical choices out of the obtainable ones was Ricci. For somebody who was just lately successful slim choices over fighters like Angela Hill and Tecia Pennington, this combat certainly proved to be an excessive amount of too quickly for ‘Baby Shark’. Yan comfortably took all three rounds to get again within the win column and defend her excessive rating.
If Tatiana Suarez was a extra dependable title challenger, then reserving Yan towards Virna Jandiroba would make sense. Nevertheless, with Suarez’ well being points stopping her from being a certain factor to make it to the cage towards Zhang Weili, conserving Jandiroba as an choice for the Chinese language champion could be clever. Amanda Lemos and Iasmin Lucindo are believable subsequent opponents for Yan, although I would favor in the event that they fought one another.
That leaves us with the winner of the Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas rematch in Tampa. If Dern wins, she’ll be simply exterior the highest 5 on a two-fight win streak which needs to be sufficient to justify a rematch with Yan. Lots of people, together with one of many judges, thought the combat ought to have been a draw. Then again, if Ribas wins, she represents a contemporary opponent for Yan.
Yan’s subsequent combat: Dern/Ribas 2 winner
Muslim Salikhov
MACAU, CHINA – NOVEMBER 23: (L-R) Muslim Salikhov of Russia punches Track Kenan of China of their welterweight combat in the course of the UFC Struggle Night time occasion at Galaxy Area on November 23, 2024 in Macau, China. (Picture by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The 40-year-old surprise grew to become the primary UFC fighter to attain two spinning wheel kick knockouts within the historical past of the promotion. And he did it within the very first spherical, taking just about zero injury within the course of. That’s now back-to-back wins for the ageless Salikhov after struggling a brutal KO by the hands of Randy Brown again in February. The ‘King of Kung Fu’ referred to as for a combat with Stephen Thompson in what would undoubtedly be a enjoyable putting affair between two of the oldest guys at welterweight. And whereas that isn’t a foul concept in any respect, and may very well be combat we see at some point, I doubt the UFC books it whereas ‘Wonderboy’ remains to be a related participant within the division. So long as he’s hovering across the high 10, I can see the UFC attempt to squeeze as a lot juice out of him as they will with extra Joaquin Buckley-type matchups.
Additionally, Salikhov took no injury in that combat and mentioned he desires to maintain preventing usually. As for Thompson, he bought knocked out badly in his final combat and hasn’t been tremendous lively within the final couple years, so I doubt their timelines are going to align proper now. Which means Salikhov can combat another person within the meantime.
I feel Khaos Williams is smart. Wins over the now lessened model of Santiago Ponzinibbio and Track Kenan doubtless isn’t sufficient to get a shot one other shot on the rankings. However a win over a younger knockout artist like Williams would absolutely deliver Salikhov nearer to that Wonderboy combat he’s in search of.
Salikhov’s subsequent combat: Khaos Williams
Gabriella Fernandes
MACAU, CHINA – NOVEMBER 23: (L-R) Gabriella Fernandes of Brazil punches Wang Cong of Chinain their ladies’s flyweight combat in the course of the UFC Struggle Night time occasion at Galaxy Area on November 23, 2024 in Macau, China. (Picture by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Gabriella Fernandes pulled off what would possibly go down because the upset of the yr, submitting the over -1000 betting favorite Wang Cong within the second spherical. Fernandes was getting chewed up till she dropped Cong and instantly grabbed a rear-naked choke earlier than Cong might recuperate.
Cong was coming into this combat undefeated with some hype behind her for having a win towards Valentina Shevchenko in kickboxing. There’s a first rate probability Cong would have gotten a shot on the rankings with a win, so why not give that shot to Fernandes? Being on a two-fight skid at #14 means Ariane da Silva will in all probability discover herself needing to defend her spot towards unranked opposition subsequent. I say give that chance to Fernandes.
Fernandes’ subsequent combat: Ariane da Silva
Carlos Ulberg
MACAU, CHINA – NOVEMBER 23: (L-R) Carlos Ulberg of New Zealand punches Volkan Oezdemir of Switzerland of their gentle heavyweight combat in the course of the UFC Struggle Night time occasion at Galaxy Area on November 23, 2024 in Macau, China. (Picture by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Ulberg has now gained seven straight fights since dropping his debut to Kennedy Nzechukwu. Veteran Volkan Oezdemir was the very best and most skilled fighter he had confronted but, however Ulberg used his pace benefit to earn the unanimous resolution victory.
There are such a lot of choices for Ulberg as a result of he hasn’t confronted anybody within the rankings other than Oezdemir and Alonzo Menifield. The choices additionally fluctuate if the UFC is trying to e book him on the Sydney card in February, although it’s unclear whether or not Ulberg himself will have the ability to make that turnaround. There aren’t any incorrect solutions, however the choice I landed on is the winner of the Dominick Reyes/Anthony Smith combat at UFC 310. Ulberg was scheduled to combat Reyes on a couple of event, so there may be unfinished enterprise there. The combat admittedly doesn’t make as a lot sense if Anthony Smith wins, however at 34 years of age, Ulberg remains to be a younger light-heavyweight so there isn’t any cause to hurry him. A combat with the veteran Smith gained’t launch him into the highest 5 of the division, but it surely gained’t harm his growth.
Ulberg’s subsequent combat: Reyes/Smith winner
Zhang Mingyang
MACAU, CHINA – NOVEMBER 23: (R-L) Zhang Mingyang of China punches Ozzy Diaz of their gentle heavyweight combat in the course of the UFC Struggle Night time occasion at Galaxy Area on November 23, 2024 in Macau, China. (Picture by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Zhang has 18 skilled wins with all 18 of them coming by end within the first spherical. That’s an insane statistic. He’s a pure motion fighter that needs to be a fan favorite for years to return. I discussed how younger Ulberg was for a 205er being 34 years outdated; at simply 26, that makes Zhang a child on this division. Being this younger might imply that the UFC might be content material feeding him fighters of a sure calibre for the foreseeable future so he can accrue as a lot expertise as attainable. Nevertheless, he already has 24 skilled fights beneath his belt, so I say let’s begin to regularly push him up the ranks proper now.
If Ulberg taking up the winner of Reyes/Smith is smart for him, Zhang taking up the loser of that combat additionally makes all of the sense on the earth. This might arrange the UFC for a altering of the guard between a veteran and a surging, unranked prospect like we just lately witnessed after they booked Neil Magny versus Carlos Prates. Whoever that opponent finally ends up being after UFC 310, the promotion might be introduced with a possibility to inject new blood into the light-heavyweight rankings.
Zhang’s subsequent combat: Reyes/Smith loser