Matches To Make After UFC Vegas 102

UFC Vegas 102 went down last night (Sat., Feb. 15, 2025) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, which saw former 185-pound title contender, Jared Cannonier, knockout Gregory Rodrigues in the fourth round of their Middleweight affair (see it again here). In the co-main dropped four consecutive bouts.

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Winner: Jared Cannonier
Who He Should Face Next: Allen vs. Hernandez winner

Cannonier snapped his two-fight win streak with a big win in “Sin City.” Up next, perhaps a fight against the winner of the upcoming 185-pound showdown between Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez is in order. The two men are scheduled to rematch next weekend (Sat., Feb. 22, 2025) in UFC Seattle’s co-main event. Allen is currently ranked No. 9, while Hernandez is sitting comfortably at No. 11, and either man would be a fresh fight for “The Killa Gorilla.”

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Winner: Youssef Zalal
Who He Should Face Next: Arnold Allen

Zalal secured his seventh straight win last night, dominating Kattar — who was not long ago on the cusp of a 145-pound title fight — for three rounds. As a result of his latest win, Zalal will more than likely lock down a spot in the Top 15, which means bigger and better fights are looming. I wouldn’t mind seeing him face off against Allen next. Allen — currently ranked No. 7 — recently returned to the win column, snapping his two-fight losing streak by defeating Giga Chikadze this past summer.

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Winner: Edmen Shahbazyan
Who He Should Face Next: Eryk Anders

Shahbazyan also got back on track (in a big way), knocking out Dylan Budka in the first round (see it again here), marking his first win in a year. “The Golden Child” hasn’t won back-to-back wins in more than five years, but will look to do so in his next outing, possibly against Anders, who is coming off a big stoppage win over former Middleweight roost-ruler, Chris Weidman. Anders is on a two-fight win streak and has won three of his last four fights.

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Winner: Nazim Sadykhov
Who He Should Face Next: Terrance McKinney

Sadykhov locked down his third win in four tries inside the Octagon, forcing a doctor’s stoppage against Gabriel Bonfim. “Black Wolf” is unbeaten in his last 11 fights in five years. Indeed, the surging Lightweight contender is quickly putting everyone on notice. And a few more wins could put him into consideration for a Top 15 spot sooner rather than later. A fight against McKinney — was was last seen stopping Damir Hadzovic via first round technical knockout earlier this month (see it again here) — could be super spicy. “T-Wrecks” is 3-1 in his last four fights, and would be a good challenge for Sadykhov, who has secured stoppages in his last seven victories.

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Winner: Andre Petroski
Who He Should Face Next: Cesar Almeida

After tough back-to-back losses to Michel Pereira and Jacob Malkoun, Petroski has won three straight fights, bringing his UFC record to 8-2. After his victory last night against Rodolfo Vieira, Petroski once again called out UFC’s 185-pound golden goose, Bo Nickal; however, his latest overture was quickly rejected. As a consolation prize, perhaps a fight against Almeida would suffice. Almeida is 3-1 under UFC’s banner — 7-1 overall as a professional — and is coming off a win over Abdul Razak Alhassan, knocking him quickly earlier this year (see it again here).

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For complete UFC Vegas 102 results, coverage and highlights click HERE.