UFC Vegas 49 went down last night (Sat., Feb. 26, 2022) from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada featuring a catchweight fight (160 pounds) between Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green, which resulted in Makhachev taking out “King” in the first round (see it here). In the co-main event, Wellington Turman mounted a nice comeback to submit Misha Cirkunov via armbar in the second round (highlights).
Winner: Islam Makhachev
Who He Should Fight Next: Title shot
After earning his tenth straight win, Makhachev solidified his spot as the No. 1 contender. Unfortunately he will have to wait a while because he has to see how the looming title fight between champion Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje plays out, which is set to go down at UFC 274 on May 7, 2022. Ranked No. 4 at the moment, there really is no reason for Islam to take another fight in the interim, unless the promotion opts to make him fight Beneil Dariush, the man he was originally set to face last night.
Winner: Wellington Turman
Who He Should Fight Next: Gerald Meerschaert
Turman made the most of his last-minute opportunity to step in and face Cirkunov by submitting him in round two with a slick armbar, earning his second straight win. Up next for “The Prodigy,” perhaps a fight against Meerschaert is in order. Since getting starched by Khamzat Chimaev in 17 seconds, Meerschaert has won three straight via submission. He seems to be picking up some real momentum and a win over Turman would really up his stock. On the flip side, a win for Turman will give him the longest win steak of his UFC career.
Winner: Priscila Cachoeira
Who He Should Face Next: Sajira Eubanks
While many — myself included — didn’t agree with the scorecards after Cachoeira was awarded a unanimous decision win over Ji Yeon Kim. Still, it’s a win in the books for “Zombie Girl,” who has now won three of her last four inside the Octagon. Up next, a fight against Eubanks seems appropriate. She is coming off a loss Melissa Gatto and is just 1-3 over her last four. Still, a win for Cachoeira over Eubanks would be a good pathway to bigger and better fights.
Winner: Arman Tsarukyan
Who He Should Face Next: Gregor Gillespie
Since losing to Islam Makhachev in April 2019, Tsarukyan has won five in a row, including his technical knockout (TKO) win over Joel Alvarez. A rematch against Makhachev may be possible down the road, but something tells me the stakes will be much higher if and when that day comes. For now, Tsarukyan will keep working his way up the ladder and should be closer to the Top 10 come next week. A fight against Gillespie may be hard to lock down considering “The Great” was eying a fight against top contender Michael Chandler, but it makes sense. Gillespie is currently ranked No. 9 and is coming off a win over Carlos Diego Ferreira. It’s a good matchup for both men with a pretty decent reward.
Winner: Armen Petrosyan
Who He Should Face Next: Jacob Malkoun
Petrosyan got off to a nice start in his UFC career by earning a win over Gregory Rodrigues via split decision. Winner of three straight, Petrosyan has shown promise and only has one loss on his record. Malkoun, meanwhile, is 2-1 in his first three fights inside the Octagon and is coming off a big win over A.J. Dobson at UFC 271. The road to the top is a long and grueling one and it’s one that both Petrosyan and Malkoun have to brace for, so why not face each other next to see who keeps moving upward?
For complete UFC Vegas 49 results and coverage click here.