UFC Vegas 59 went down last night (Sat., Aug. 6, 2022) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event of the evening, Jamahal Hill stopped Thiago Santos via strikes (see it here), while Geoff Neal scored an impressive stoppage victory over Vicente Luque. Elsewhere on the card, Mohammed Usman became the latest Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner in the Heavyweight division, while, Julianna Miller did the same in the women’s Flyweight division.
Winner: Jamahal Hill
Who He Should Fight Next: Jan Blachowicz or Magomed Ankalaev
Hill won his third straight fight via knockout, paving the way for him to climb a spots in the rankings at 205 pounds. Up next for “Sweet Dreams,” a fight against Blachowicz might not seem logical to some, but it actually makes sense. At the moment, it seems a rematch between Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira for the title might take place later this year, if that happens then Blachowicz will need a dance partner. Of course, Magomed Ankalaev has also earned a shot at the title, but if he doesn’t get it then he could be in line for a title eliminator fight against Blachowicz. That said, you can see how uncertain it is at the top of the division is at the moment. All Hill can do right now is sit back to see what fights get booked, and then he will step in to face the contender left out.
Winner: Geoff Neal
Who He Should Face Next: Gilbert Burns or Jorge Masvidal
Neal picked up his second straight win and became the first man to ever knockout Vicente Luque. Now, “Handz of Steel” is looking to build off that momentum with another huge win. Up next for the hard-hitting Welterweight, a fight against either Gilbert Burns or Jorge Masvidal seems appealing. Again, the uncertainty of these two fighters’ plan makes it hard to pinpoint a good matchup for Neal. Burns wants to face Jorge Masvidal, so if that fight happens it’s easy to put Neal up against the winner. Neal has wins over Belal Muhammed and now Vicente Luque, who are ranked No. 5 and no. 6, respectively, so it’s not too far fetched to pit him up against someone several spots ahead of him (for now), giving him the chance to further prove his worth. If either Burns or Masvidal get booked with someone else in the coming weeks, then give Neal the man without a fight.
Winner: Mohammed Usman
Who He Should Fight Next: Justin Tafa
After winning the TUF crown, Usman will now get a contract with UFC and begin his climb up the ladder. It’s always tough to predict who a TUF winner gets in his/ her first official fight under their new deal, but I like a bout against Tafa, who was set to fight at UFC 277 a few weeks ago but was forced out of the fight against Don’Tale Mayes for undisclosed reasons. Tafa is just 2-3 inside the Octagon, so it’s not like he will have a huge experience edge over Usman. It’s a good first step for the big man, and it’s also a chance for Tafa to right his ship and derail “The Motor’s” momentum before it picks up any steam.
Winner: Julianna Miller
Who She Should Fight Next: Mandy Bohm
Miller won the TUF crown in the women’s Flyweight division, and now she is out to prove her worth inside the Octagon as the newest addition to the division. In her first fight, I am feeling a fight against Bohm, which would be a good way to try and kick-start her UFC career. Bohm was last seen coming up short against Victoria Leonardo a few weeks ago, her second loss inside the Octagon. Miller is just 3-1 in her pro MMA career while Bohm sits at 7-2, not a huge experience edge.
Winner: Sergey Spivak
Who He Should Face Next: Blagoy Ivanov
Spivak picked up his second straight technical knockout (TKO) win after stopping Augusto Sakai in the second round. Spivak is an impressive 5-1 in his last six UFC fights, but it seems he’s just not getting noticed enough, perhaps because he’s not ranked in the Top 15. That should change after his most recent win, which could set him up for a fight against Blagoy Ivanov, who is ranked No. 15 at the moment is and is coming off a win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima.
Winner: Terrance McKinney
Who He Should Face Next: Jamie Mullarkey
McKinney got back on the winning track after scoring a big win over Erick Gonzalez, choking him out in the very first round. For “T-Wrecks,” a fight against Mullarky makes sense. Both McKinney and Mullarkey are coming off wins, with Mullarkey defeating Michael Johnson via split decision over a month ago. Mullarkey is 3-1 in his last four UFC fights, as is McKinney. Both men are fairly young in their UFC careers and have shown a ton of upside. I think this would be a great fight for both men, with one taking a huge step forward when it’s all said and done.
For complete UFC Vegas 59 results and coverage click here.