UFC Vegas 86 went down last night (Sat., Feb. 10, 2024), which featured a Middleweight showdown that saw Jack Hermansson defeat Joe Pyfer via unanimous decision. In the co-featured bout, Dan Ige stunned Andre Fili in the very first round, knocking him out rather viciously to earn another post-fight bonus award.
Winner: Jack Hermansson
Who He Should Face Next: Nassourdine Imavov
Hermansson got back in the win column with an impressive win over Joe Pyfer, and he could very well crack the Top 10 come next week. As far as what could be next for “Joker,” perhaps a showdown against is in order. I know I previously suggested Imavov face off against the winner of Brendan Allen and Marvin Vettori, but this one makes more sense. Imavov is coming off a big win over Roman Dolidze just last week, so their turnaround times would sync up.
Winner: Dan Ige
Who He Should Face Next: Sodiq Yusuff vs Diego Lopes winner
Ige bounced back nicely from his tough loss to Bryce Mitchell by securing a first-round knockout win over Andre Fili, putting him at 3-1 over his last four fights. It remains to be seen if he will move up the three spots needs to crack the Top 10, but Ige reminded the 145-pound weight class just how dangerous he can be when he is on point. Sodiq Yusuff and Diego Lopes are set to throw down at UFC 300, and the winner of the bout makes sense for “50K.”
Winner: Ihor Potieria
Who He Should Face Next: Albert Duraev
Potieria snapped his two-fight losing streak by defeating Robert Bryczek via unanimous decision. Potieria is just 2-3 inside the Octagon, so he really needs to start string more wins together. As for Duraev, he was supposed to face Bryczek at this event before he was pulled due to visa issues. He is coming off a tough submission loss at the hands Jun Yong Park, so he is hungry for a big win.
Winner: Gregory Rodrigues
Who He Should Face Next: Anthony Hernandez
Rodrigues scoed a huge knockout win over Brad Tavares, and now “RoboCop” has his sights set on a title run. After all he is 6-2 in his first eight fights with the promotion, so it isn’t too farfetched to believe he can make a run towards the strap. He should be in the Top 15 following his big win, so he is making the right strides. A fight against Hernandez (No. 14) sounds like a good matchup. Hernandez was supposed to face Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 298 but was forced out of the event with an illness. Once he ready and able. Rodrigues should be the one to welcome him back.
Winner: Michael Johnson
Who He Should Face Next: Drew Dober
Johnson was able to get back on track and back in the win column be defeating Darrius Flowers via unanimous decision. After fighting for UFC for over 14 years now, there aren’t too many people “The Menace” has yet to face. One man he has yet to face, however, is Drew Dober. The leader in UFC knockouts suffered a tough loss at the hands of Renato Moicano just last week, so a pairing with Johnson would make sense. Both men love to stand and bang, so there is a big chance for one man to collect a highlight reel finish.
Winner: Rodolfo Vieira
Who He Should Face Next: Jun Yong Park
Vieira earned his second straight win by defeating Armen Petrosyan via arm-triangle choke, his second straight win. He improves to 5-2 inside the Octagon. Up next, I’m feeling a showdown against Park, who recently saw his four-fight win streak come to an end at the hands of Andre Muniz, losing via razor-thin split-decision.
For complete UFC Vegas 86: “Hermansson vs. Pyfer” results and play-by-play, click HERE!