Matches to Make After UFC Las Vegas

UFC Fight Night 221 was easily the best non-pay-per-view card thus far in 2023 for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It featured a top contenders’ duel at bantamweight, perhaps the most talent-laden division in MMA, a terrific heavyweight co-main, and several other notable matches, a massive contrast to most free UFC events in recent memory.

In the main event, recent former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan faced the terrific Merab Dvalishvili. Ever since a controversial last-second submission loss against Ricky Simon in his second UFC bout, Dvalishvili had been unbeatable, winning eight in a row, his last a triumph over Jose Aldo, a fighter I merely consider the greatest of all time. Dvalishvili’s combination of great wrestling and arguably the best cardio in the entire sport was one that nobody had been able to counteract. Meanwhile, Yan had technically lost three of four going into the affair, but could easily have been 4-0. In his first title defense, he was dominating and smashing apart challenger Aljamain Sterling before an ill-advised knee to his grounded foe gave Sterling the belt due to disqualification, the first such instance in UFC history. Then, Yan dominated superbly skilled Cory Sandhagen to win the interim belt. After that, a rematch with Sterling led to a split decision that could have gone either man's way but went against the Russian. Lastly, he fought Sean O'Malley in a bout that virtually everyone believed Yan won, most via 30-27 shutout, but alas, not two of the three cageside judges, which I've written about before. Perhaps because of this, Yan was still a big -250 favorite against the Georgian.

However, Dvalishvili did something that no one else had, not even his close friend and training partner, current bantamweight kingpin Sterling. Not only did he convincingly defeat Yan, but he utterly dominated him. In the performance of his career, Dvalishvili beautifully used the constant threat of the takedown to score strikes against Yan, with his stand-up looking faster and more technical than it ever had, garnering scores of 50-45 across the board for the emphatic decision.

In the co-main, long-time top 10 heavyweight Alexander Volkov found himself an underdog against the upstart, explosive grappler Alexander Romanov. Volkov proved that while he might have had a weakness to pure wrestling earlier in his career, this was no longer the case, as he stuffed Romanov's attempts and knocked him out in a little over two minutes.

Elsewhere, Nikita Krylov showed again why he is one of the most talented light heavyweights in the world, with a gorgeous triangle choke of highly dangerous Ryan Spann in the first round. At 31 years old and having won three in a row against impressive names, is Krylov finally putting everything together and ready to contend for the crown?

Lastly, Jonathan Martinez won a close decision against the heavily favored and skilled Said Nurmagomedov. There have been precious few losses by fighters with the “Nurmagomedov” surname, but Martinez showed improved grappling and outstanding striking to edge him out. Martinez has now won five in a row.

In the wake of such a meaningful event, here are a number of great fights that suggest themselves.

Merab Dvalishvili vs. Aljamain Sterling-Henry Cejudo winner

Dvalishvili is far and away the best contender for the UFC bantamweight crown, and based on his performance against Yan, perhaps the best 135-pounder in the world period. Sterling is one of my favorite fighters, but Dvalishvili winning every round against Yan, who was dominating Sterling in their first bout and fought on even terms in their rematch, was jaw-dropping. I know that Dvalishvili has repeatedly said he doesn't want to fight close friend and mentor Sterling, but it would be a sin not to have Dvalishvili face the winner of Sterling vs. Cejudo—which I predict will be Sterling—for the championship. This amazing showdown has to happen.

Petr Yan vs. Adrian Yanez-Rob Font winner

Many may write off Yan now, but he only just turned 30 years old and has exactly one clear loss in his entire career. A great bounceback fight would have him fighting a fellow elite striker in either Yanez or Font. It would be a massively entertaining battle, a likely fight of the night, and would put the winner back among the top bantamweight contenders.

Alexander Volkov vs. Ciryl Gane 2

Even before Volkov explicitly called out the two-time UFC heavyweight title challenger, this was the fight that came to my mind. Their first fight was exciting and competitive, and the 34-year-old Volkov has only gotten better since. Is the same true of Gane, who turns 33 in a month? It's an important fight to establish where both fighters are in the division. Additionally, the loser is still a solid top 10 name while the victor becomes an elite contender for the heavyweight throne.

Nikita Krylov vs. Jan Blachowicz 2

Krylov has long been one of the most talented fighters in MMA but has been plagued by inconsistency. Hopefully, his third win in a row over an impressive foe shows he is now putting it all together and ready to contend for the title. In that sense, having him face former light heavyweight champion and recent challenger Jan Blachowicz would be perfect. They already fought in 2018, where, in an example of Krylov's mercurial nature, he easily won the first round before being choked out in the second. Can Krylov improve upon that performance and become a top contender? Does Blachowicz, who just turned 40 years old, still have what it takes for one more title run? This would be a highly meaningful fight and likely an exciting one, if recent efforts by both men are anything to go by.

Jonathan Martinez vs. Umar Nurmagomedov

Martinez has long had some of the best kicks in all of MMA but used to have a big weakness to being taken down. He clearly improved in that regard against Said Nurmagomedov and at 28, is only getting better. After winning five straight in impressive fashion, he deserves a shot at a ranked opponent. Yet amusingly, all the ranked fighters ahead of him, beginning with No. 15 Jack Shore all the way up to No. 8 Yadong Song already have fights scheduled, with one exception, 11th-ranked Umar Nurmagomedov. It's a fight with an amusing build-up, as Martinez will become the first UFC fighter with the unenviable task of facing two Nurmagomedovs in a row. It's also a great test for two young fighters. Can the 27-year-old Nurmagomedov stay undefeated and prove he is destined for the top of the division? Is Martinez ready to show that he is a serious contender? Furthermore, it should be an entertaining affair, as Umar has shown excellent striking of his own in his last outing, a vicious left hook knockout of Raoni Barcelos.