Matches to Make After UFC on ESPN 58
Tyler TreeseJun 16, 2024
The Ultimate Fighting Championship ended a hectic week by putting on an 11-fight card headlined by flyweights Alex Perez and Tatsuro Taira. While UFC on ESPN 58 wasn’t stacked in terms of name value, it featured noteworthy action in mixed martial arts’ lighter weight divisions. As such, the results will be felt in the coming months as quite a few interesting fights can now be made.
Here are five matches to make following UFC on ESPN 58.
The undefeated Taira improved to 16-0 with his TKO victory over Perez (25-9), who was injured after a takedown. The Japanese flyweight is now 6-0 inside the Octagon and has steadily risen up the ranks. Up next should be a number one contender fight against Albazi, who is 17-1 and riding a five-fight win streak inside the UFC. Coming off a win over the talented Kai Kara-France, "The Prince" has made it clear he is a contender at 125. The winner would be in a perfect position to go up against champion Alexandre Pantoja.
Johns survived a late scare from Douglas Silva de Andrade to win a unanimous decision in the night’s co-main event. With the victory, “Chapo” is now unbeaten in his last four fights and improves to a record of 15-2 with 1 no contest. A fight against Zahabi should be next. The Canadian has won four straight fights inside the Octagon and the winner would be ready for a real step up in competition at bantamweight.
Almeida took a clear-cut decision over a gutsy Timothy Cuamba, who never backed down despite being largely outmatched. The Brazilian improved his record to 15-3 and has now won three of his last five fights. A fight against the streaking Gomis would make sense as the two were supposed to fight last year. “Jaguar” is a perfect 3-0 inside the Octagon and sports an impressive 13-2 record. Almeida would prove a solid test for the French fighter as both look to climb the ladder.
Hiestand showed his toughness and grappling acumen against Garrett Armfield. "Bam Bam" was eventually able to submit his opponent with a rear-naked choke to improve to 8-2 as a professional. Having now won three straight fights in the UFC, the 25-year-old is ready for a step up. Katona would be a fitting challenge as "Superman" is more experienced and has won two out of his last three fights. It’d be a great way to see exactly where Hiestand stands in the division.
Almabaev simply proved to be too much for the much taller Jose Johnson, showing that being the larger fighter won't always lead to success. Almabaev (20-2) has been perfect inside the Octagon and is now 3-0 inside the promotion. Flyweight doesn't have the deepest talent pool inside the UFC, which means he's ready for a contender fight against Erceg, who recently came up short against champion Alexandre Pantoja. While the Australian came close to becoming a titleholder, his title shot was one of circumstance rather than being a top contender. As such, Erceg (12-2) will have to win a few fights to get back into contention and Almabaev is a fascinating rebound fight with both men having a lot on the line.