Matches To Make After UFC Vegas 23

UFC Vegas 23 went down yesterday (Sat., April 10, 2021) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, which saw Marvin Vettori defeat Kevin Holland via unanimous decision (highlights). In the co-main event, Arnold Allen defeated Sodiq Yusuff to win his tenth in a row, while Mackenzie Dern submitted Nina Nunes in the first round to win her fourth straight (see it here).

Winner: Marvin Vettori

Who He Should Face Next: Derek Brunson

Rebooking the fight against Darren Till would be ideal for Vetorri, but a broken collarbone takes time to heal so “The Gorilla” will be out of commission for a bit. As for Brunson, his last win also came over Holland, so why not book them to fight against one another? Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum are set to collide next week at UFC Vegas 24, a bout that could have major championship implications, especially for Whittaker. That said, the winner over Vettori should definitely earn a shot at the title. A win for “The Italian Dream” would be his sixth in a row. For Brunson, getting his fifth straight victory over Vettori finally gets him to the big dance.

Winner: Arnold Allen

Who He Should Face Next: Calvin Kattar

Allen picked up his eighth straight win inside the Octagon — tenth overall — after defeating Sadiq Yussuff in a hard-fought battle. He will likely move up a few pegs in the rankings, but it won’t be enough to surpass Kattar, who is sitting at No. 6 while Allen is at No. 10. A fight between them makes sense with the booking of Dan Ige and Chan Sung Jung. Kattar is coming off a tough loss to Max Holloway on “Fight Island” so he could use a big win to get him back in the mix. For Allen, handing Kattar his second straight loss should get him closer to the Top 5.

Winner: Julian Marquez

Who He Should Face Next: Ryan Spann

“The Cuban Missle Crisis” won his second straight fight — seven of eight overall — after choking out Sam Alvey in the second round. I like a matchup between he and Spann next. Spann is coming off a knockout win over Misha Cirkunov, giving him his fifth win in six attempts inside the Octagon. Both he Marquez are trying to break into the Top 15, and a win over the other gets him closer. Plus, both men love to bang, which should make for once crack or a fight.

Winner: Mackenzie Dern

Who She Should Face Next: Michelle Waterson

Dern is really starting to hit her stride, winning her fourth in a row with an impressive submission win over Nina Ansaroff in the very first round. Currently ranked No. 11, Dern could be in line for an intriguing fight against Waterson. “Karate Hottie” recently snapped her two-fight skid with a win over Angela Hill in Sept. 2020. She was set to face Amanda Ribas in her comeback fight but ultimately withdrew for undisclosed reasons. Primarily known for her outstanding jiu-jitsu, Dern has really improved in her striking over her last couple of fights, which is right up Waterson’s alley. Book it.

Winner: Daniel Rodriguez

Who He Should Face Next: Tim Means

Rodriguez picked up a huge win over Mike Perry, piecing him up in the striking department to earn a unanimous decision win. He has won won 10 of his last 11 fights, including going 4-1 inside the Octagon so far. While he still has a way to crack the Top 15, Rodriguez is off to a good start to his UFC career. Mean, on the other hand, is one of the most seasoned veterans under the UFC banner with 23 fights inside the Octagon to his credit. Means’ last win also came against Perry, taking out “Platinum” at UFC 255 in Nov. 2020. “Dirty Bird” has won two straight and is looking to break into the rankings after such a long time competing for the promotion. Halting Rodriguez’s momentum is a good boost to his goals.

For complete UFC Vegas 23 results and coverage click here.