Israel Adesanya def. Marvin Vettori via Unanimous Decision
Israel Adesanya – Robert Whittaker
Israel Adesanya answered all the critics on Saturday by shutting down Vettori winning all five scorecards. In another dominant middleweight performance, Izzy has now line himself up for another rematch. The rematch with Robert Whittaker would be massive in Auckland if possible in November or December.
Marvin Vettori – Paulo Costa
Marvin Vettori made his case as to why he felt he won, but unfortunately it fell on deaf ears. Despite a few takedown attempts, the Italian couldn’t hold down the Champion long enough to steal the fight. Paulo Costa hasn’t returned to action since his defeat to Adesanya, so a matchup between Vettori and Costa could make sense.
Brandon Moreno def. Deiveson Figueiredo via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
Brandon Moreno – Alex Perez / Askar Askarov Winner
Brandon Moreno made history on Saturday night becoming the first Mexican-born Champion in UFC history. I’d expect Moreno to enjoy the summer and let things sink in before making his first title defense. A fight with the winner of the Alex Perez / Askar Askarov fight taking place on July 31 could be next for the Champion.
Deiveson Figueiredo – Kai Kara-France
Deiveson Figueiredo came up short in his rematch with Moreno. He seemed to be hesitant to go forward, and Moreno ultimately was the better fighter on the evening. Expect ‘Daico’ to take a step back in his next fight, and a fight with Kara-France could be next for the Brazilian.
Leon Edwards def. Nate Diaz via Unanimous Decision
Leon Edwards – Winner of Stephen Thompson / Gilbert Burns
Leon Edwards do,inated nate Diaz for 24 minutes of their Saturday bout and just about clinched his first UFC title shot. Unfortunately for Edwards, it appears that Dana White is set on granting the shot to Colby Covington. Edwards will likely be forced to fight once more before getting a shot. A fight with the winner of Stephen Thompson
Nate Diaz – Loser of Conor McGregor / Dustin Poirier
Nate Diaz is the only fighter on the UFC roster whose stock rises on a loss. He was the biggest star on the night despite the event having two title fights on tap. Knowing Nate Diaz, there are only a handful of fighters that would be of interest for him. A fight with the loser of the Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier fight should be next for Diaz.
Belal Muhammad def. Demian Maia via Unanimous Decision
Belal Muhammad – Neil Magny
Belal Muhammad continues his rise up the welterweight ranks with another win over a ranked opponent. Muhammad slotted in nicely at #9 and is due for an opponent around the same spot in the rankings. A fight with Neil Magny should be next for Muhammad to see which of the two deserves to enter title discussions.
Demian Maia – James Krause
Demian Maia is one of the greatest specialists in the history of the sport and is still competing at the highest level. At 43 years old, Maia is still ranked inside the Top 15 after consecutive defeats. Maia deserves an opportunity to face an unranked opponent to try and end his career with a win. A fight with James Krause would be a battle of two of the veterans of the sports.
Paul Craig def. Jamahal Hill via Submission (Armbar)
Paul Craig – Volkan Oezdemir
Paul Craig earned his blackbelt as well as a step up in competition after his emphatic submission victory over Jamahal Hill. Craig jumped two spots to #12 in the rankings when the updated rankings were released. A fight with former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir should be next for Craig.
Jamahal Hill – Da Un Jung
Jamahal Hill was on the receiving end on one of the more gruesome injuries we have seen in a while. He will likely spend some time on the sidelines taking care of the arm. Hill should look outside of the rankings for his next opponent to rebuild some momentum. A fight with Da Un Jung would be a good test, and would offer Jung an opportunity to break into the Top 15.
