4 Fights We Need to See After UFC Fight Night 234
Saturday's UFC Fight Night 234 card in Las Vegas was the MMA promotion's first of 2024, and it's fair to say it was a great way to start the year.
The card was topped by a showdown between No. 3- and No. 7-ranked light heavyweight contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker. It was the pair's second meeting, after an illegal knee from Ankalaev turned their first into a no-contest. The second time around, the Russian left no doubt he is the superior fighter, hammering his Brazilian rival to a second-round stoppage.
The card unfortunately lost its co-main event at the eleventh hour, when rising contender Manel Kape missed weight for his flyweight fight with Matheus Nicolau so badly that it was cancelled, but there was plenty of memorable action to make up for that disappointment.
Arguably, the most memorable moment of the night came courtesy of Jim Miller, who met Gabriel Benitez in a lightweight fight. The fight was elevated to the co-main event spot after Kape's scale fail, and Miller lived up to that billing with a third-round submission, which extended his record for the most wins in UFC history to 26.
Rising bantamweight Mario Bautista also scored a huge win on the card, defeating No. 13 Ricky Simon by decision, most likely earning himself a place in the Top 15 in the process.
Keep scrolling for the fights we'd like to see next for Ankalaev, Miller, and Bautista, as well as our top choice for Walker's next move.
Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev
1 of 4
After his UFC Fight Night 234 win over Johnny Walker, Magomed Ankalaev is now on a 12-fight unbeaten streak.
Granted, there's a no-contest and a draw in the middle of his current streak, but it's still the second-best in the division's history, behind Jon Jones' legendary 18-fight run, and it should be enough to earn the Russian a crack at light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira.
Sorry Jamahal Hill.
Hill, the former light heavyweight champ, was promised an immediate shot at the title after vacating the belt with an injury, but he's still on the mend, and it's about time the division got moving again.
Light heavyweight used to be the UFC's glamour division, but it's seemingly been cursed for the last few years, with multiple champions vacating the title for various reasons. It would be great to see title defenses happening regularly again, so let's focus on those who are fighting fit.
Hill can have his shot when he's ready, but Ankalaev is ready now, and his win streak is better than the former champ's anyway.
Johnny Walker vs. Prochazka-Rakic loser
2 of 4
There's no question Johnny Walker is an excellent light heavyweight, but he's been far too inconsistent to become a serious title threat, and he took another tough L against Ankalaev at UFC Fight Night 234.
It's possible the towering Brazilian will someday live up to the potential fans have seen in him since the early days of his UFC career, but it's back to the drawing board for now.
From here, we'd like to see him matched up with the loser of Jiri Prochazka and Aleksandar Rakic's upcoming fight, which was recently moved from UFC 297 next weekend to UFC 300 in April.
Prochazka, ranked No. 2 in the division, is a former champion while No. 5-ranked Rakic has long looked like a future title challenger.
The winner of their fight will be firmly in the title conversation, but the loser will be in a similar position to Walker and would make a great opponent for the Brazilian as he looks to get back on track.
Jim Miller vs. Paul Felder
3 of 4
Jim Miller's third-round submission of Gabriel Benitez at UFC Fight Night 234 strengthened his hold on the record for most wins in the promotion's history, at 26, and also widened his lead for the most fights in UFC history, at 43. It also kept him on track for a spot on the landmark UFC 300 bill this April.
Miller competed at both UFC 100 and 200, and he's been a shoo-in for UFC 300 for some time. His win over Benitez, which brought his current streak to two, seemingly made it a certainty. The only question is who he'll fight on the card.
At this point, there are seemingly two clear options: welterweight veteran Matt Brown or lightweight fan favourite Paul Felder, who has been retired and working as a UFC commentator for several years.
Speaking at the event's post-fight press conference, Miller made it clear he likes both options:
"Paul and I almost fought in 2015. I think that fight would be brutal. I think that is a brutal fight, me and him, locked in a cage for 15 minutes. I also think that that Matt Brown fight is amazing, as well. I think it's awesome, because one, I don't have to cut weight – and two, he's the guy with most finishes at welterweight. I'm the guy with the most finishes at lightweight. That's a fight for (UFC) 300. Let's put on a show. Let's go out. Let's entertain."
Our pick of the two is Felder. The Brown fight is a great backup plan, but a UFC 300 spot opposite Miller seems like the only thing that's going to pull Felder out of retirement for one more. At 39, he probably has a little more to give, and much like Miller, he has never been in a boring fight, so let's do that.
Mario Bautista vs. Rob Font
4 of 4
Mario Bautista will have a spot in the UFC bantamweight Top 15 when the promotion's official rankings are updated later this week. He earned his spot on that list with a decision defeat of No. 13 contender Ricky Simon at Saturday's card in Las Vegas—his sixth UFC victory in a row.
As a new face in the Top 15, Bautista has a long list of fresh and exciting matchups to look forward to, but if he gets his way, his next fight will be against Rob Font.
"Six in a row, hopefully get the top 15 and the top 10 next," Bautista said in his post-fight interview. "I think if Rob Font wants to prove himself and see if he belongs in that top 10, we can figure it out."
Font is currently ranked No. 9 in the bantamweight division, which would make him a pretty significant step up for the rising Bautista, who should land somewhere around No. 15 or 14.
However, at 36, Font has lost four of his last five, so he's not in a position to be turning down fights with rising contenders. He needs to defend his spot, just as he did in his April 2023 win over Adrian Yanez.
.jpg?w=480 "Cowboys Panthers Football")
.jpg?w=600 "A.J.-Eagles Relationship 'Cordial'")