Matches To Make After UFC Vegas 48

In the main event of UFC Vegas 48 — which went down last night (Sat., Feb. 19, 2022) in Las Vegas, Nevada — Jamahal Hill earned a massive knockout victory over Johnny Walker (see it again here), while Kyle Daukaus submitted Jamie Pickett with one second remaining in the opening frame (video highlights).

Winner: Jamahal Hill

Who He Should Face Next: Dominick Reyes

I always hate when UFC matchmakers book a fighter on a horrid skid against a fighter on the come up, but in this case it actually makes sense. Reyes is currently riding a three-fight losing streak with his last win coming in Oct. 2019. Granted, two of those losses were in championship fights to Jon Jones and Jan Blachowicz, but the losing streak is still bad for his hopes of ever getting back into a title bout. Still, his slump hasn’t done much to kick him out of the Top 10, firmly hanging on to the No. 7 spot. Hall, meanwhile, has won two straight and is 3-1 over his last four fights. He should be cracking the Top 10 come next week, and a fight against Reyes should be waiting for him around the corner.

Winner: Kyle Daukaus

Who He Should Fight Next: Jacob Malkoun

Daukaus got back into the win column by scoring a buzzer-beating submission (d’arce choke), his first victory since Nov. 2020. He still has a way to go before he starts getting the big fights, but it’s a slow and steady process for most. Up next, a fight against Malkhoun seems logical. Malkoun is coming off a unanimous decision win over A.J. Dobson at UFC 271, bringing his UFC record to 2-1. They made their pro MMA careers one month apart in 2017 so the experience factor won’t be too drastic either way.

Winner: Parker Porter

Who He Should Face Next: Don’Tale Mayes

Porter earned his third straight win inside the Octagon after coming up short in his UFC debut. His last win came against Alan Baudot after 15 minutes of back-and-forth action. As for his next assignment, I am feeling a showdown against fellow hard-hitting big man Don’Tale Mayes. “Kong” is currently riding a two-fight win streak after scoring back-to-back wins over Roque Martinez and and Josh Parisian, who he recently knocked out in Dec. 2021. Both men have a lot of ground to cover before they start sniffing the Top 15, so a showdown between the two to see who takes a step closer seems logical.

Winner: Jim Miller

Who He Should fight Next: Al Iaquinta

UFC’s iron man picked up his second straight win after knocking out Nikolas Motta, in what was fight No. 39 for the longtime veteran inside the Octagon. In this post, I expressed how unhappy I was with matchmakers giving someone with the experience inside the Octagon like Miller a newcomer, so now it’s time to give him a veteran for his next bout and Iaquinta fits the bill perfectly. Iaquinta is currently riding a three-fight losing streak and is 1-4 in his last five bouts. “Ragin’ Al” is in limbo at the moment and is unsure if he will retire from the fight game. For my money, I would love to see him return for one more fight against Miller.

Winner: Joaquin Buckley

Who He Should Face Next: Eryk Anders

Buckley earned his second straight win by scoring a razor-thin split decision win against Abdul Razak Alhassan. “New Mansa” is 4-1 over his last five outings and is slowly starting to build some momentum. As for Anders, he is coming submission loss to Andre Muniz at UFC 269. Anders has been a bit inconsistent but he still packs the power to turn off anyone’s lights, as does Buckley. They both have an exciting style that makes for must see T.V. and the knockouts on their resumes that have made them fan favorites. Just don’t expect this one to go the distance.

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For complete UFC Vegas 48 results and coverage click here.