4 Bouts We Need to See After UFC Fight Night: Ulberg vs. Reyes
It might not be long before City Kickboxing produces another UFC world champion.
Years after the Auckland, New Zealand gym helped Israel Adesanya win middleweight gold, Carlos Ulberg is now closing in on the MMA promotion's light heavyweight title.
Ulberg took another step toward the 205-pound title in the main event of Saturday's UFC card in Perth, Australia.
The Adesanya training partner was matched up with former title challenger Dominick Reyes and scored a dramatic first-round KO. It was his ninth win in a row, and one of the most valuable of his UFC career to date.
Outside of Ulberg, the biggest winner of the UFC's return Down Under was probably welterweight veteran Neil Magny, who again turned back the clock with a surprising submission win over Aussie favorite Jake Matthews.
It was the 24th win of his UFC career, making him the second winningest fighter in the promotion's history behind Jim Miller.
Other big winners of the night included Aussie light heavyweight Jimmy Crute, who picked up a quick submission win over Ivan Erslan, and countryman Tom Nolan who did the same in a lightweight clash with Charlie Campbell.
Here are the fights the UFC should make next for Ulberg, Magny, Crute, and Campbell.
Carlos Ulberg vs. Ankalaev-Pereira Winner
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After his quick win over Dominick Reyes in Perth, Carlos Ulberg is almost certainly the next man in line for a crack at the UFC light heavyweight title.
The timing of his victory was impeccable, as the division's title will be up for grabs this coming Saturday, when champion Magomed Ankalaev rematches Alex Pereira in New York City. Unless that fight somehow makes a trilogy necessary, Ulberg will surely be next for the winner.
He will face a tough test if Ankalaev retains the title, as the Russian is both a dangerous striker and grappler. A fight with Pereira will be plenty dangerous too and probably what the UFC is hoping we end up with, as the Brazilian is one of the biggest stars on the roster.
If for some reason Ulberg isn't next for whoever leaves New York with the title, a fight with the winner of Saturday's Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree matchup is a solid backup option.
Neil Magny vs. Jim Miller
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It was incredible to see Neil Magny defeat another younger, more athletic fighter in Jake Matthews on Saturday.
Magny, 38, will never be a UFC champion, and is unlikely to fare well against anybody in the welterweight top 15, but his longevity is incredible to behold.
From here, there are a couple of exciting matchups options for him at welterweight.
Those options include fights with his fellow veterans Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson and Muslim Salikhov. However, it makes more sense to match those two up with each other, so let's propose a more unconventional idea for Magny: a fight with Jim Miller.
Miller, the most experienced fighter in UFC history, is the only man on the roster with more wins than Magny, at 27.
He's spent the vast majority of his career competing in the lightweight division, but has fought at welterweight before, so a fight with Magny isn't out of the question.
This potential fight also negates the problem that both Magny and Miller have already fought most of the people in their divisions. It doesn't make sense in terms of the rankings in either weight class, but neither is a contender anymore, so let's focus on fun matchups for both.
Jimmy Crute vs. Nikita Krylov
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Jimmy Crute seemingly made the right decision to delay his retirement. Since returning from a brief hiatus earlier this year, he's fought three times, first battling Rodolfo Bellato to a draw, then picking up wins over Marcin Prachnio and Ivan Erslan in Perth.
After those solid results, he should get another crack at a ranked opponent—especially considering how shallow the light heavyweight division is right now.
A fight with Nikita Krylov seems like the choice. The former heavyweight has been a staple of the light heavyweight top 15 for years, but is currently riding back-to-back knockout losses to Bogdan Guskov and Dominick Reyes.
With such poor results in his recent Octagon appearances, he'll most likely need to fight down the rankings, so a clash with somebody on the rise, like Crute, makes sense.
On paper, it seems like a fun matchup that could go either way, as they have each proved to be dangerous on the feet and on the mat. It would make a great addition to any upcoming Fight Night main card.
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Tom Nolan vs. Michael Johnson
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It's too early to tout Australia's Tom Nolan as a serious lightweight contender, but the towering 25-year-old from Toowoomba is well on his way.
While the Contender Series product was knocked out by Nikolas Motta in his UFC debut, he has since won four straight fights—including his Perth defeat to Charlie Campbell—bringing his overall record to a strong 10-1. That's the recipe for a step up in competition.
How about a fight with Michael Johnson?
Johnson, an Ultimate Fighter veteran, is one of the most experienced names in the UFC right now. While he's endured his share of setbacks in recent years, he is currently on a three-fight streak against solid opposition.
Not bad for someone turning 40 next year.
A Nolan vs. Johnson fight would be a classic prospect vs. veteran clash, and it would tell us a lot about where both men belong in the crowded lightweight division in the final months of 2025. It would be a great addition to any Fight Night or PPV undercard on either side of the world.
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