(MW) Chris Curtis vs (MW) Rodolfo Vieira 

As an early fight of the night contender, Chris Curtis versus Rodolfo Vieira was an amazing fight to open the main card as both athletes had moments of excellence on the feet. However, in the end, Chris Curtis had a masterclass performance stopping 20 takedown attempts by Vieira and landed body shots while taking low blows and several strikes to secure a unanimous decision victory. 

What is Next?

Chris Curtis: For the action man Chris Curtis, he hinted about potentially fighting a week after on UFC 276, however with that somewhat unlikely to occur, opponents, I like for Chris include Joaquin Buckley (name mentioned in his post-fight press conference), Krzytof Jotko, Nassourdine Imavov, or Dricus Du Plessis if her were to beat Brad Tavares at UFC 276.

Rodolfo Vieira: Although his cardio and inability to secure a takedown hindered his performance, Rodolfo Vieira looked sharp on the feet landing combinations and strikes that Curtis acknowledged in the aftermath. Fights that could be next for Rodolfo include Aliaskhab Khrizriev, Marc-Andre Barruault, or Wellington Turman.

(BW) Nate Maness vs (BW) Umar Nurmagomedov

In a dominant display of wrestling and all-around mix-martial arts, Umar Nurmagomedov took over with his control time and rapid striking making Nate Maness look like he didn’t belong in the octagon with him. Lastly, with Nate Maness not having the name value, does this dominant win-earn Nurmagomedov a spot in the top 15 of the UFC bantamweight rankings?

What is Next?

Nate Maness: Prior to Saturday's performance, Nate Maness was a fantastic fighter with initially a 14-1 record entering his debut so even though his fight was lackluster his future with the UFC is still bright. Opponents he may fight next include Journey Newson, Randy Costa, or Guido Cannetti.

Umar Nurmagomedov: With this dominant victory, Umar may be in line to be a UFC-ranked bantamweight fighter however with this thought unknown at this moment. Fights I like for him next include Adrian Yanez, the loser of Ricky Simon versus Jack Shore, or the loser of Pedro Munhoz versus Sean O’Malley.

(LW) Thiago Moises vs (LW) Christos Giagos

Coming off back-to-back losses, Thiago Moises although the favorite was doubted in this fight. However in the first round thanks to his elite grappling and submission arsenal he secured a clean rear-naked choke for the victory.

What is Next?

Thiago Moises: Getting this much-needed, Thiago Moises's next fight will be against Joe Solecki (whom he called out in his post-fight press conference), Renato Moicano, Grant Dawson, or Guram Kurtateladze.

Christos Giagos: Opponents next for Giagos include Uros Medic, Omar Morales, or Manuel Torres.

(HW) Josh Parisian vs (HW) Alan Baudot

Once Alan Baudot knocked down Parisian it seemed the fight was his for the taking however late in the first round Josh got Alan to the ground and landed heavy fists to Baudot’s face near the cage with the bell saving Alan to end the round. However once Josh’s momentum was established everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Baudot ending his night early. As Parisian used his wrestling to take Alan down and ground and pound him to a TKO/KO victory.

What is Next?

Josh Parisian: After a tough comeback victory, opponents next for the resilient Parisian are Chris Barnett, Parker Porter, or Jared Vanderaa.

Alan Baudot: Opponents for Baudot next include Chase Sherman or Jared Vanderaa. There is another possibility he may no longer be with the UFC due to being winless in his UFC career.

(WW) Neil Magny vs (WW) Shavkat Rakhmonov

After securing a last-second guillotine choke, Shavkat Rakhmonov’s ceiling is insurmountable due to dominance on both the feet and ground. Not to discredit Neil Magny but in all honesty, this was a fight he needed to win. Not for his legacy but to write off the narrative that he is a gatekeeper to the top of the welterweight division. 

What is Next?

Neil Magny: With this loss, Neil will drop down the rankings and will likely fight the loser of Geoff Neal versus Vincente Luque, Kevin Holland, or Jake Matthews.

Shavkat Rakmonov: Now the future of the UFC welterweight division, Shavkat Rakhmonov could have the same trajectory as Khamzat Chimaev. In his post-fight interview, he mentioned Stephen Thompson, Jorge Masvidal, and possibly Nate Diaz, and is open to fighting Sean Brady.

(LW) Arman Tsarukyan vs (LW) Mateusz Gamrot

In a showcase of technical brilliance and outstanding grappling, Arman Tsarukyan versus Mateusz Gamrot is a contender for the 2022 fight of the year as both were strong on the feet and lethal in their wrestling. 

Beginning in round one, we had a high pace set and slick grappling exchanges that resulted in both athletes reversing each other's moves. However, what won Arman the round was his striking and loud kicks to the body of Gamrot. In the second, it seems to be much of the same due to Arman’s constant kicks to the body and takedown attempts. In the third, the momentum seemed to change as Gamrot was able to land a couple of takedowns and be the fresher fighter. However, in the fourth round, this is where the controversy begins as Arman dropped Gamrot with a spinning back fist but Mateusz got right back up and ended the round in top position which convinced people to give him the round however I personally gave it to Arman. Although some individuals game the round to Arman in the final round, I felt the fifth round was the easiest to score for Gamrot due to his grappling, forward pressure, and appearance of wanting it more than Tsarukyan trying his best to keep up with multiple kicks and takedown attempts. 

In the end, even though I scored the fight 48-47 for Arman Tsarukyan, the judges gave it to Mateusz Gamrot 48-47 to win via unanimous decision. Overall, the judge's decision was not a “robbery” as either athlete deserved to win the main event.

What is Next?

Arman Tsarukyan: Still 25 years old, Arman has time to bounce back and climb the lightweight rankings. With this five-round main event under his belt, his next opponents could be the winner of Brad Riddell versus Jalin Turner, Gregor Gillespie, or Damir Ismagulov.

Mateusz Gamrot: With this hard-fought victory Mateusz Gamrot moves into the top 10 of the UFC lightweight rankings. As for his next opponents, matchups against the winner of Rafael Dos Anjos versus Rafael Fiziev, Beneil Dariush, or Justin Gaethje (Gamrot called him out in his post-fight interview) seem like the right fights to make next.

Thumbnail and photos by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC