Matches to Make After UFC Fight Night 233

The penultimate Ultimate Fighting Championship card of 2023 was low on star power and contenders but featured entertaining bouts nonetheless. The UFC Fight Night 233 main event was a battle between two enterprising strikers in Yadong Song and Chris Gutierrez. After losing by brutal stoppage after the fourth round against Cory Sandhagen in 2022, Yadong came back strong against Ricky Simon, stuffing multiple takedown attempts before knocking him out 70 seconds into the fifth and final frame. Having just turned 26 and improving each time out, Yadong was a big favorite against opponent Chris Gutierrez.

Gutierrez had shown solid striking skills across his UFC career but had an 8-fight unbeaten streak (7 wins and one draw) snapped earlier this year, dropping a decision to tough veteran Pedro Munhoz. He had bounced back with a decision over Heili Alateng, but that's a far cry from a fighter of Song's caliber.

The bout didn't feature a decisive finish, and Gutierrez fought very intelligently and was tough throughout. However, Yadong was just a little better on the feet and wisely used takedowns, inflicting clean ground-and-pound. While most rounds were competitive, Yadong was better in each, taking the decision by scores of 50-45, 50-45 and 50-44.

In the co-main event, former title challenger Anthony Smith, after a series of setbacks, found himself an underdog against the surging, mercurial striker Khalil Rountree. Long considered a tremendous talent who just couldn't put it all together, Rountree was on a four-fight winning streak, three of which occurred by vicious knockouts. That streak is now five, as Rountree paced himself well, winning the first two rounds while repeatedly hurting Smith, and then putting out his lights early in the third frame, smashing him with a huge right uppercut followed by a brutal left hook, not even bothering to finish off a Smith that was rolling around barely conscious on the canvas.

In other action, Nasrat Haqparast made it three wins in a row with a stunning 104-second knockout of Jamie Mullarkey, catching him with a monster overhand left and then repeatedly bashing him with more heavy lefts until the referee rescued his foe.

Here are three worthwhile bouts that can be booked in 2024:

Yadong Song vs. Petr Yan

Yan, the current No. 5 ranked bantamweight and former world champion, would be an excellent foe against Yadong, currently ranked No. 7, making for an absolute slugfest between two uncompromising strikers with superb boxing. Not only could this be fight of the night on any card it appears on, it even has the possibility of being fight of the year, a boxing classic contested inside an MMA cage with four ounce gloves. Furthermore, the winner becomes an instant title contender for the UFC bantamweight throne.

Khalil Rountree vs. Nikita Krylov

With Rountree just dispatching No. 8 ranked Anthony Smith in fine fashion, I would love to see him face No. 6 Krylov. Rountree and Krylov have a lot in common, as both are outstanding talents long known for being mercurial and not living up to their potential who have seemingly figured it out lately, with Rountree now riding an impressive 5-fight winning streak and Kyrlov an outstanding 3-fight win streak with first-round knockouts of Alexander Gustafsson and Ryan Spann, and a clear decision over Volkan Oezdemir. The striking exchanges in this fight alone will be spectacular, pitting Rountree's brutal muay thai style against Krylov's dynamic karate-influenced one. And the grappling will be plenty interesting, with Rountree's tough defense pitted against Krylov's tricky takedowns. Furthermore, the winner of this bout will become a top title contender in a UFC light heavyweight division that is suddenly wide open.

Nasrat Haqparast vs. Grant Dawson

While neither fighter is ranked at lightweight, both are now just outside the Top 15 contenders, with both recently losing against Bobby Green. Moreover, it would be an intriguing match and tell us a lot about each man, both of whom are still under 30. Haqparast has a strong wrestling background but has recently won fights with his increasingly dangerous fists. Would that be enough to stop Dawson's overpowering grappling game, a brutal mix of ground-and-pound and submissions? Given Dawson's shaky chin, we may see a vicious stoppage one way or another. Additionally, the winner will likely crack the Top 15 contenders at lightweight and move up the ladder.