In the main event of UFC Vegas 62 last night (Sat., Oct. 15, 2022), Alexa Grasso picked up a huge win over Viviane Araujo after 25 minutes of back-and-forth action for her fourth straight win (recap here), while Jonathan Martinez stopped Cub Swanson with a nasty leg kick in the co-main event in the evening (highlights). In further action, Alonzo Menifield scored a nasty first-round knockout win over Misha Cirkunov.
Winner: Alexa Grasso
Who She Should Fight Next: Katlyn Chookagian
Grasso is making huge strides in an attempt to crack the Top 3 in the women’s flyweight division, and after picking up her fourth straight win she could very well get there this week. A fight against No. 1 ranked, Katlyn Chookagian, should be up next. Chookagian is also on a four-fight win streak and the winner of this fight should get the next title shot against division champion, Valentina Shevchenko.
Winner: Jonathan Martinez
Who He Should Face Next: Raphael Assuncao
Martinez picked up a huge stoppage win over longtime veteran, Cub Swanson, giving him consecutive win number four. Three of those wins came in the bantamweight division, while one came at featherweight. But make no mistake about it, 135 pounds is where Martinez shines and he is close cracking the Top 15. Now, a matchup against Assuncao may seem like an odd pairing to some, but hear me out. Assuncao has long been known as one of the best 135 pounders in the game that never really lived up to what many expected, which was a title shot and perhaps evern winning a title. He did have a rough patch over the last two years after losing four in a row, but he got back in the win column after scoring a big win over Victor Henry last night in “Sin City.” Assuncao — who has faced the cream of the crop in the division — would be a nice addition on Martinez’s resume if he can get the win. Just a thought.
Winner: Dusko Tudovoric
Who He Should Face Next: Roman Kopylov
Tudovoric got back in the win column by collecting a second-round technical knockout (TKO) win over Jordan Wright. Despite the huge win, Tudovoric is still only 2-3 over his last five fights, so he needs to start being a bit more consistent when it comes to the wins. A fight against Kopylov makes sense next because like Tudovoric, wins have been hard to come by for the Russian-born fighter. He is coming off a victory over Alessio Di Chirico last month, but it was his first inside the Octagon in three tries.
Winner: Alonzo Menifield
Who He Should Face Next: Johnny Walker
Menifield secured his second straight win last night by putting away Misha Cirkunov in the very first round, moving him at 4-1 in his last five outings. I am digging a fight against Walker next. While some of you may scratch your head at this one since Walker is ranked No. 11 while Menifield doesn’t have a spot in the Top 15, Walker hasn’t exactly been lighting it up over the last few years, he is just 2-4 since 2019 and 1-2 in his last three outings. He recently snapped a two-fight skid by defeating Ion Cutelaba at UFC 279, which saved him from digging himself a deeper hole. Menifield is inching closer to the Top 15 and a win over Walker could be what gets him there.
For complete UFC Vegas 62: “Grasso vs. Araujo” results and play-by-play, click HERE.