LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 14: Roman Dolidze of Georgia poses on the size through the UFC Battle Night time weigh-in on the Palace Station Lodge & On line casino on March 14, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Picture by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
UFC Vegas 104 gave us a number of stand out performances. Roman Dolidze exacted his revenge in opposition to Marvin Vettori whereas Chidi Njokuani, Da’Mon Blackshear and Brendson Ribeiro scored spectacular finishes. We additionally noticed 23-year-old newcomer Kevin Vallejos make a splash in his promotional debut. Let’s take quite a bit at what must be subsequent for our major card winners!
Roman Dolidze
After Merab Dvalishvili upset Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 and Ilia Topuria’s brother Aleksandre was profitable in his UFC debut, Georgia had been garnering some momentum. The nation was now trying to Roman Dolidze to maintain the streak going on this major occasion. It wasn’t with out adversity, however the Georgian bought his hand raised after successful a unanimous choice and bought his revenge on “The Italian Dream”.
Winner of now three consecutive fights, Dolidze referred to as out former champions Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. Personally, I doubt he will get both of those names. Sure, he has received three straights, however it isn’t precisely the sexiest three-fight stretch. The primary of these wins got here at light-heavyweight in opposition to an Anthony Smith on the point of retirement. The subsequent one was in opposition to a blown-up welterweight in Kevin Holland and the combat ended because of an damage. This was a pleasant win, however Dolidze might want to do extra with the intention to power the UFC’s hand and get a top5 matchup.
Jared Cannonier is ranked inside the highest 10 and is coming off a pleasant rebound victory over Gregory Rodrigues. He’s in an identical boat as Dolidze by way of title aspirations and it’s a winnable combat for each males that would realistically headline one other Apex present.
Dolidze’s subsequent combat: Jared Cannonier
Chidi Njokuani
That is now three straight victories for Njokuani since dropping to welterweight, although it must be famous he weighed-in 1.2 kilos over the restrict for UFC Vegas 104. This was the very best opponent he’s confronted in his new division, and he grew to become solely the second man to ever end Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos through strikes. Beneath regular circumstances, Njokuani may justifiably name out a ranked opponent, however the weight miss will maintain him again.
If he’s to combat yet one more time earlier than wanting on the rankings, I believe Punahele Soriano makes good sense for him. Soriano is one other former middleweight who’s undefeated (2-0) since making the minimize to 170. He additionally fought in January so the timing ought to align for them to face off early this summer time.
Njokuani’s subsequent combat: Punahele Soriano
Alexander Hernandez
That is the primary time Hernandez has received back-to-back fights since coming into the UFC and defeating Beneil Dariush and Olivier Aubin-Mercier again in 2018. He’s been juggling wins and losses ever since, however he has truly received his final three fights at light-weight. His more moderen losses got here because of an unsuccessful stint at featherweight.
At 32 years of age, if the as soon as extremely touted Hernandez was ever to place all of it collectively, now can be the time. I believe a combat with in opposition to with somebody like Myktybek Orolbai would inform us quite a bit. Orolbai is a younger prospect who dropped his final combat, however his inventory appears to nonetheless be fairly excessive. This might symbolize a really respectable win for both man.
Hernandez’s subsequent combat: Myktybek Orolbai
Da’Mon Blackshear
The 30-year-old could be 4-3-1 within the UFC, however that could be a deceiving report. His draw got here in his short-notice debut in opposition to the now ranked featherweight Youssef Zalal. His losses got here to undefeated Farid Basharat and excessive short-notice bouts in opposition to Mario Bautista and Montel Jackson, each of whom are ranked. Additionally, all his win have come through end, which incorporates one of many only a few tornado submissions within the promotion’s historical past.
For these causes, I believe Blackshear is nearer to a ranked opponent than most would possibly imagine. After getting the kimura end on the veteran Cody Gibson, I believe Blackshear deserves a combat in opposition to one other streaking bantamweight. Brady Hiestand has gone unbeaten (3-0) since shedding a slim choice within the 2021 TUF Finale. With each fighters on an identical trajectory, this combat would function a type of number one contender combat for who will get a ranked opponent subsequent.
Blackshear’s subsequent combat: Brady Hiestand
Brendson Ribeiro
Ribeiro scored the upset win over the undefeated Diyar Nurgozhay who got here in heavy each in weight and as a betting favorite. This was by far his greatest displaying since his win on the Contender Collection.
Ribeiro now finds himself on a win streak, however even contemplating the division’s shallowness, I doubt he’s taking a look at something apart from an identical matchup in his subsequent outing. Nurgozhay would possibly nonetheless have a promising future, however a reset is so as. Ibo Aslan was additionally wanting promising, however he misplaced his final combat. Let’s see if Aslan can move the check Nurgozhay couldn’t.
Ribeiro’s subsequent combat: Ibo Aslan
Kevin Vallejos
It’s not typically a prospect exhibits this a lot promise this early. Vallejos is extremely younger, and he simply dispatched a legit opponent with actual UFC expertise in SeungWoo Choi within the very first spherical of their combat at UFC Vegas 104. At simply 23 years outdated, there is no such thing as a motive to hurry him in direction of the highest. Nevertheless it’s onerous to not salivate on the thought if you bear in mind he gave Jean Silva hell in his first Contender Collection combat again when he was simply 21.
A that age, I do imagine gaining expertise and cage time goes a good distance. He must be matchmade for appropriately by way of stage of competitors whereas preventing as typically as potential. Having received in simply 3:09, there’s no motive to assume Could tenth is a date that will be off the desk for him. That’s the date for UFC 315 in Montreal. Gavin Tucker is a Canadian fighter that may very well be preventing on that card and represents the extent of fighter Vallejos must be taking a look at proper now. Let’s put a prospect of that calibre in entrance of a crowd!
Vallejos’ subsequent combat: Gavin Tucker
