LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 14: Marvin Vettori of Italy poses on the size through the UFC Struggle Night time weigh-in on the Palace Station Lodge & On line casino on March 14, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
UFC Vegas 104 featured a 13-fight card that boasted 9 finishes in complete. And what the cardboard lacked in star energy it greater than made up for within the motion that it delivered.
A number of undefeated fighters additionally misplaced their 0s on Saturday. The six-fight most important card had 4 fights finish with stoppages. This included back-to-back kimura submission finishes. In the primary occasion, a middleweight rematch, Roman Dolidze bested Marvin Vettori over the course of 5 rounds. And within the co-main occasion, Elizeu Zaleski suffered a uncommon stoppage defeat courtesy of Chidi Njokuani. A pair of TUF Season 31 vets are featured on this version of losers matchmaker as properly.
Marvin Vettori
Saturday, Marvin Vettori misplaced a aggressive unanimous choice to acquainted foe in Roman Dolidze. Marvin entered the struggle ranked at #8 within the middleweight division whereas his opponent was ranked at #12.
The 2 males first fought virtually two years in the past with Vettori strolling away with the unanimous choice nod (although that bout was solely a 3 rounder). Saturday was the Italian fighter’s first time shedding two fights in a row in his professional MMA profession. Marvin is 2-3 since shedding his title shot towards then middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, in 2021.
This was a aggressive bout particularly factoring within the eye pokes by Dolidze. Realistically, Vettori and Dolidze are 1-1 through two fairly aggressive bouts as ranked middleweights. On Sunday, Vettori even reluctantly tweeted that he could be in favor of a trilogy.
Whereas I might see a trilogy someday sooner or later, a direct one simply doesn’t look like followers need proper now. The rematch between these two fighters may need even been somewhat untimely.
As an alternative, Vettori ought to struggle the winner of Bo Nickal vs Reinier de Ridder. That bout is scheduled for Might third. Each fighters are expert grapplers although they boast totally different types of grappling. Nickal, arguably probably the most hyped UFC additions ever, was a storied wrestler at Penn State and has completely dominated in MMA. Bo went 2-0 on the 2022 season of the Contender Collection earlier than racking up 4 wins with the promotion.
Reinier de Ridder is the #13 ranked UFC middleweight. Reinier is the previous ONE FC mild heavyweight and heavyweight champion. de Ridder went 7-2 with ONE FC earlier than he was picked up by the UFC late final 12 months. Reinier’s final win got here in January with a first-round sub over Kevin Holland. Bo’s final struggle was a unanimous choice victory reverse of Paul Craig final November. It was Nickal’s first time listening to the ultimate bell whereas competing within the sport.
These are two very proficient prospects that a whole lot of followers have eyes on. Whoever makes it through that Might third bout will want a struggle towards somebody that has seen quantity of elite UFC-level competitors. Marvin could be the right matchup for the winner of the bout and followers would get grappler-striker matchup it doesn’t matter what. It’d be an amazing alternative for Marvin to indicate that he nonetheless has what it takes to be with the elites of the division. A end of both fighter could be an enormous assertion.
Vettori’s subsequent struggle: Winner of Reinier de Ridder vs Bo Nickal
Elizeu Zaleski
Elizeu Zaleski was violently stopped by Chidi Njokuani within the co-main occasion of UFC Vegas 104, Saturday. The loss was simply the second time that Elizeu has been completed in his 10-year, 17-fight UFC tenure. Elizeu, who turns 39 later this 12 months, began out 7-1 with the promotion. And though Elizeu is 1-2-1 in his final 4 bouts, he at all times places on scrap.
Chidi, Zaleski’s opponent, missed weight forward of this bout in order that’s a side that must be factored in as properly.
Elizeu’s subsequent opponent ought to be Bryan Battle. Bryan, the winner of The Final Fighter Season 29 in 2021, has gone 7-1, 1 NC whereas with the UFC.
It’s price noting that Battle can be a man that has struggled together with his weight. “The Butcher” gained TUF at middleweight however has since moved all the way down to welterweight following his UFC debut. Bryan’s lone loss is to Rinat Fakhretidnov in 2022 who Elizeu fought to a draw the next 12 months. Battle’s most up-to-date struggle was towards Randy Brown who he defeated by break up choice final December. (Although he missed weight for that bout by 4lbs.) Brown fought Zaleski in his struggle previous to that one and defeated the Brazilian by unanimous choice. This struggle makes an excessive amount of sense to not occur because the trajectories of each fighters make this one a no brainer. This struggle has enjoyable hanging battle written throughout it and the winner could be on the lookout for perhaps another win to push in the direction of a shot on the rankings.
Zaleski dos Santos’s subsequent struggle: Bryan Battle
Kurt Holobaugh
Kurt Holobaugh dropped a unanimous choice to Alexander Hernandez on Saturday at UFC Vegas 104. Holobaugh, who has skilled probability after probability with the UFC, is now 2-6 with the promotion. Kurt has misplaced two of his final three fights since defeating Austin Hubbard to win Season 31 of The Final Fighter.
Subsequent struggle for the 38-year-old ought to be towards Viacheslav Borshchev. Viacheslav is a 2021 Contender Collection veteran that has but to be in a boring UFC struggle. “Slava Claus” is 3-4, 1 NC, through his 8-fight UFC stint. With three efficiency bonuses, Borshchev at all times brings the hanging motion. Borshchev misplaced a unaimous choice to Tom Nolan in his most up-to-date struggle on February eighth. This may be a stable light-weight scrap between two former Contender Collection guys that placed on entertaining fights however are clawing to stay on the UFC’s crowded 155lbs. roster.
Holobaugh’s subsequent struggle: Viacheslav Borshchev
Cody Gibson
Cody Gibson was submitted by way of kimura late within the second spherical of his UFC Vegas 104 struggle towards Da’mon Blackshear Saturday. Gibson is 2-2 since shedding the match championship of Season 31 of The Final Fighter to Brad Katona in 2023.
Gibson’s subsequent struggle ought to be towards the loser of Davey Grant vs Daniel Santos. That struggle is scheduled for April fifth. Cody has had only one canceled struggle throughout this stint with the UFC, and it was towards Davey Grant. Davey is 7-6 with the UFC since 2013. Grant has gained three of his final 4 fights solely shedding a break up choice to Daniel Marcos in 2023. Daniel Santos is 2-1 with the promotion however final fought in 2023 together with his unanimous choice victory over Johnny Munoz Jr. Santos has had 5 cancelled fights since he entered the UFC (with 4 of these cancellations being due to him) so it’s unlucky that Gibson possible gained’t be able to step in for this one ought to one thing occur pre-fight.
Winner of this struggle could be trying to get a foothold on their UFC profession, everybody right here is preventing to remain above .500.
Gibson’s Subsequent struggle: Loser of Daniel Santos vs David Grant
Diyar Nurgozhay
Diyar Nurgozhay suffered the primary defeat of his skilled profession Saturday when he was submitted by Brendson Ribeiro. Nurgozhay entered the struggle with an ideal 10-0 professional MMA file. A veteran of Dagestan, Russia’s Eagle Preventing Championship, Diyar gained the EFC mild heavyweight championship in 2022. Nurgozhay impressed on final 12 months’s season of the Contender Collection together with his second-round head kick end that earned himself a UFC contract.
Diyar missed weight forward of this struggle (by 4.5lbs.) so shedding his undefeated file and being completed on prime of that, actually has to sting. And that first spherical didn’t go the best both, it was an all-around tough debut for Nurgozhay. I’m fairly assured that the 6’2″, 27-year-old will keep at 205lbs. as he has competed at as mild as 185lbs. in his professional MMA profession.
Diyar ought to struggle the loser of Navajo Stirling vs Ivan Erslan. That struggle is about to go down on the undercard of UFC 315 on Might tenth. Navajo Stirling is a 27-year-old prospect out of Metropolis Kickboxing. Stirling earned a UFC contract final 12 months together with his second spherical KO on the Contender Collection. The undefeated striker gained his UFC debut final 12 months with a unaimous choice victory over Tuco Tokkos. Ivan Erslan is a 33-year-old former KSW standout. Erslan dropped his first UFC struggle, shedding break up choice to Ion Cutelaba final September. Whoever loses that struggle ought to get Diyar. All three fighters have potential although Erslan is noticeably farther in his profession than each the Contender Collection vets.
Nurgozhay’s subsequent struggle: Loser of Ivan Erslan vs Navajo Stirling
Seung Woo Choi
Seung Woo Choi was flattened and completed in spherical one among his bout with Kevin Vallejos to kick off UFC Vegas 104’s most important card. Choi has now misplaced 5 of his final six fights courting again to late 2021. And so as to add insult to harm, Seung has been completed in 4 of these 5 losses.
Choi’s file with the UFC now sits at 4-7 although he’s solely misplaced two in a row. Seung is in actual hazard of being lower right here. However at 32 years outdated, and competing within the featherweight division, Seung nonetheless has some tread left on the tires. And the South Korean has definitely had some tough competitors in his tenure with the promotion.
Seung Woo Choi ought to face Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in his subsequent struggle. Shayilan is 3-3 with the UFC since being signed in 2021. The Chinese language fighter has misplaced his final two fights being completed by Steve Garcia and most not too long ago, Melquizael Costa, final June. Nuerdanbieke additionally has a unanimous choice defeat to Josh Culibao. Choi is now additionally only one struggle faraway from being completed by Garcia. And Seung additionally misplaced a choice to Josh Culibao who has since been launched by the UFC (extra proof of how shut Seung is to being lower). This may be a striker vs. grappler matchup with the loser on the recent seat.
Choi’s subsequent struggle: Shayilan Nuerdanbieke
