4 Fights We Need to See After UFC Fight Night 233
Saturday night's UFC Fight Night 233 event in Las Vegas was the promotion's second-to-last of the year, and it ultimately set the stage for some interesting fights in the early chapters of 2024.
The card was topped by a clash of bantamweight contenders, with the No. 15-ranked Chris Gutierrez getting a big step up in competition against the seventh-ranked Song Yadong. Gutierrez put up a solid effort in the fight but was ultimately thwarted by Song's more versatile skill set and lost a unanimous decision as a result.
The co-main event saw No. 11 light heavyweight contender Khalil Rountree get a similar step up in competition in his division, taking on the No. 8 seed Anthony Smith. Smith stepped in on short notice to replace the injured Azamat Murzakanov, and he ultimately paid a high price for his gamble, suffering a brutal TKO in Round 3.
Other big winners on the card included lightweight contender Nasrat Haqparast, who knocked out Jamie Mullarkey in short order, as well as rising flyweight star Tatsuro Taira, who improved to 15-0 with a second-round knockout of Carlos Hernandez.
Keep scrolling to see who'd we like to see the card's biggest winners take on in their first fights of 2024.
Song Yadong vs. Petr Yan
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Song Yadong's impressive decision win over Chris Gutierrez on Saturday night should set him up for a big opportunity in the bantamweight division. The pieces seem to be in place for a fight between the Chinese contender and former champion Petr Yan from Russia.
The pair were calling each other out before Song even left the Octagon on Saturday, and pitting them against each other makes a ton of sense. Not only is Song right behind the fifth-ranked Yan in the rankings, but many of the other fighters in the top 10 are occupied with other obligations. Sean O'Malley is set to defend the title against Marlon Vera. Henry Cejudo was recently matched up with Merab Dvalishvili. Aljamain Sterling is headed up to featherweight. There are a few other options available for the Chinese star, but the Russian seems like the obvious choice.
As luck would have it, it's also a great matchup on paper, as Song and Yan are two of the best boxers in the division, and both pack quite a bit of firepower. It would most likely be a very exciting striking match, and the winner would vault squarely into the title picture.
Khalil Rountree vs. Volkan Oezdemir
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Khalil Rountree's third-round TKO win over former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith should send him rocketing into the light heavyweight top 10, where a host of fresh matchups await.
There are really no bad options for him, as he is one of the most exciting knockout artists in the sport right now, but our pick would be another former title challenger in Volkan Oezdemir.
Oezdemir has had some tough breaks over the past few years, suffering losses to Jiri Prochazka, Magomed Ankalaev and Nikita Krylov. However, he still seems capable of beating all but the best light heavyweights, and would make a good test for a rising contender like Rountree, who has now won five straight.
It also looks like a fun fight on paper, as both fighters do their best work on the feet. However, Oezdemir showed off his ground game in his recent submission win over Bogdan Guskov, so this may be a fight where Rountree really needs to lean on his takedown defense.
Whatever the case, it's the kind of test that will push Rountree right to the cusp of title contention if he passes it. Then he might actually get that showdown with Alex Pereira he asked for.
Nasrat Haqparast vs. Terrance McKinney
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Nasrat Haqparast had quite a bit of hype behind him when he arrived in the UFC, but each time he's been matched up with top talent—specifically Drew Dober, Dan Hooker and Bobby Green—he's stumbled.
After his first-round knockout of Jamie Mullarkey at UFC Fight Night 233, he is on a three-fight streak, having also recently beaten Landon Quiñones and John Makdessi by decision. That streak has renewed hope that the Afghanistan-born German might one day turn into a serious title contender, however, he'll probably need to win another fight or two before he is matched up with somebody in the top 15.
Our pick for his next opponent is Terrance McKinney. McKinney is known for his lightning quick finishes. He's finished multiple fights in less than 20 seconds, including his October knockout of the then-undefeated Brendon Marotte. Much like Haqparast, he's been too inconsistent to become a serious contender, but after two straight wins, seems ready for a step up.
A fight between these two could end any number of ways, and would give the winner a big push toward the rankings.
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Tatsuro Taira vs. Tim Elliott
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It's time to give Tatsuro Taira a big step up in competition.
After his second-round stoppage of Carlos Hernandez on the UFC Fight Night 233 undercard, the Japanese flyweight is 15-0 overall, and 5-0 in the Octagon. He also racked up an impressive 9-0 amateur record before turning pro and has finished the vast majority of his fights.
At this point, giving him another fight outside the top-15 seems utterly pointless, so our pick for his next opponent is former title challenger Tim Elliott.
Elliott is currently ranked No. 10 at flyweight, and as luck would have it, he was also back in action on Saturday night. He wasn't originally supposed to be on the card, but stepped into a bantamweight fight with Chinese contender Sumudaerji on short-notice. He ended up putting his foe to sleep with a first-round arm-triangle choke.
Elliott is definitely a big step up for Taira, but after the way the young Japanese finisher has started his career, it's an opportunity he deserves.
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