UFC
301 is a week away but the next
Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight title contender may
have already presented himself.
No. 8 contender
Alex Perez
busted his way into the title picture with a dynamite second-round
knockout over
Matheus
Nicolau in the
UFC on ESPN 55 main event Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas.
Perez (25-8) entered on a three-fight losing streak against the top
talent in the division but proved he’s more than an afterthought
with the highlight-reel finish. Nicolau (19-4-1) entered as the No.
5 contender coming off a stoppage loss to
Brandon
Royval and will slip further down the rankings after suffering
his second-straight knockout.
With Perez back on track, the opportunities at the top of the
division are exciting. Flyweight has multiple title challengers and
the championship picture just got more confusing with Perez’s upset
win. What’s next for him and the rest of Saturday’s winners? Here
are the matches to make following UFC on ESPN 55.
There’s a bit of a logjam at the top of the flyweight division and
Perez’s win makes things more confusing. Next Saturday’s title
fight against reigning champion
Alexandre
Pantoja and
Steve Erceg
is the most important fight in the division and will obviously
affect Perez’s future. Pantoja cleared out the field and already
has a win over Perez. If he were to lose his belt an immediate
rematch would likely be on the table.
Amir Albazi
(17-1) is the next-best contender and Perez’s knockout won’t be
enough to jump him in the rankings. Perez needs a big-name
contender to give him more credibility than just his ranking.
That’s where Moreno comes in. Despite losing his last two fights,
the former champion is still arguably the face of the division.
Perez and Moreno would produce fireworks on the feet and a win
would give Perez the momentum he needs to secure a shot at the
belt.
Guskov has stormed into the Top 15 after just three short fights.
Nobody knew how he’d fair against a physical juggernaut like
Ryan
Spann, but Guskov’s second-round TKO was eye-opening. With
Guskov settling in right outside the Top 10, his next matchup
should prove him worthy of his swift ascension. Rakic (14-4) is one
of the top light heavyweights in the world, but his losses to
Volkan
Oezdemir,
Jan
Blachowicz and
Jiri
Prochazka have eliminated him from the title picture. Rakic’s
name still rings throughout the division but he hasn’t won a fight
since 2021. Guskov should be licking his chops for that fight.
After finishing her last seven opponents, Silva was disappointed
she couldn’t stop
Ariane
Lipski but is confident that she’s ready to break into the Top
10. Silva landed five takedowns and controlled most of the fight
like a seasoned pro. One decision win doesn’t change her reputation
of being a killer in the cage. Silva has nine knockouts and eight
submissions on her ledger and it would be wise to avoid her. It
would be hard to see No. 11 ranked Cortez welcome that risky of a
fight, but the matchup would be a treat. Cortez is one of the most
popular fighters in the division and showed a lot of growth in her
win over Jasmine Jasudavicus. Cortez is nowhere near the finisher
Silva is, but she can adapt to any style in front of her. This
could be a bigger matchup down the line but why wait?
Diniz stunned viewers with his fight-ending power after coldcocking
Austen
Lane in the second round. Diniz (7-0) kept his undefeated
record intact with a left hook that put Lane out flat on his face.
But despite the knockout, Diniz should not be thrilled with his
performance. He was utterly dominated on the mat throughout the
first round before Lane’s fatigue provided an opening. Heavyweights
aren’t known for their gas mileage, but the good ones know how to
finish in full mount. Diniz needs to polish his game and stay
active against another sturdy heavyweight. Mayes (11-6, 1 NC) won
his prelim fight against
Caio
Machado by unanimous decision and is known to scrap. A
three-rounder between these two would be full of ebb and flow.
Onama is a rising star in one of the UFC’s toughest divisions. His
speed could give a lot of fighters trouble and he proved he can
wrestle ugly in his close win over
Jonathan
Pearce. After winning four out of his last five fights, Onama
(13-2) is ready for tougher competition but it’s still too soon to
throw him in against a ranked fighter. Alego (18-8) is the type of
fighter to test his mettle. Algeo isn’t a world-beater, but the
34-year-old is a five-year UFC veteran. Algeo will mix it up and
keep you guessing for three rounds. He’s a good fighter but recent
losses to
Andre Fili
and
Kyle
Nelson have slowed his momentum. Does he have enough in the
tank to outwork the promising prospect or will Onama put himself in
striking distance of the Top 15 with another impressive win?
When Medic enters the Octagon he goes out on his shield. The
31-year-old Alaskan has never gone the distance and he extended the
streak Saturday by knocking out
Tim Means in
the first round. After starting his career at lightweight, Medic is
2-1 in his first three fights at welterweight and it’s proved to be
a tough transition. Medic was trailing against
Matthew
Semelsberger before rallying to the third-round TKO. Then
Myktybek
Orolbai ragdolled him in his UFC debut. Beating a 40-year-old
Means doesn’t immediately open doors, but Medic (10-2) proved to be
a fun dance partner and deserves to be matched with another rising
welterweight with heavy hands. Gorimbo (12-4) will have his hands
full next month against submission specialist
Ramiz
Brahimaj at UFC Fight Night 241 on May 18. Brahimaj’s
submission game would be an issue for Medic, but the matchup could
propel either fighter up the rankings. Gorimbo would stylistically
fit better with Medic, but he also hunts for finishes and it would
be hard to see their fight reaching the final bell.