Matches to Make After UFC on ESPN 53
Tyler TreeseMar 24, 2024
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to ESPN airwaves with a women’s flyweight main event featuring Rose Namajunas and Amanda Ribas. The event was filled with finishes, which makes the next steps for winning fighters all the more interesting. Here are the matches to make following UFC on ESPN 53.
“Thug” Rose is officially a flyweight contender after a unanimous decision win over Ribas. Moving up the flyweight ladder means another tough test and Silva would make a perfect next step. The surging Brazilian is undefeated inside the Octagon and is on an impressive 11-fight win streak. Most recently gaining wins over Viviane Araujo and Andrea Lee, a Fight Night main event spot against Namajunas would make plenty of sense for both. In a pivotal fight in the division, the victor would be on the shortlist for title contention.
In the co-main event, Williams picked up another UFC win against fellow heavyweight Justin Tafa. Undefeated at 3-0 inside the promotion, the 34-year-old is looking for a signature victory and doesn’t have much time to waste given his age. Meanwhile, Tuivasa has lost four straight after getting near the top of the division. A scrap between the two would allow for Williams to face a contender while simultaneously giving "Bam Bam" a chance to rebound after some tough matchups. It’d be a key fight for both and a solid co-main for a Fight Night event.
Shahbazyan survived an early scare to finish A.J. Dobson off with punches late in Round 1. Having won two out of his last three, "The Golden Boy" is back to showing some of his initial promise. Just 26, Shahbazyan (13-4) is ready for another middleweight with KO power in Ferreira. The Brazilian is 2-1 inside the UFC and is coming off a nasty knockout of Phil Hawes. It would be a fun fight between two promising young fighters for however long it lasts.
Talbott lived up to the hype by dispatching Cameron Saaiman in the second round with punches. Now 8-0, Talbott is ready to take on a much more experienced fighter. A good next step is Johns, who impressed earlier in the night against Cody Gibson. Considering they're on the same timeline, it should be an easy fight to make and will show where Talbott really is at.
Zalal, who was a late-replacement opponent, shocked Billy Quarantillo with a rear-naked choke submission win. Having won four straight and having made a statement, the 27-year-old deserves to take on a streaking featherweight. Enter Murphy. “The Miracle” is undefeated inside the UFC, having defeated Joshua Culibao and Gabriel Santos in his last two outings. This would be a great test for “The Moroccan Devil” and would show how much he has truly improved.