UFC Vegas 120: Matchmaking for all of the Winners from Saturday
In its return to the newly revamped UFC APEX, the UFC produced another incredible card on Saturday, continuing its run of entertaining fight nights. With young prospects on the rise, multiple first-time UFC winners, and new contenders emerging in two divisions, let’s look at who the matchmaking team should give each winner from UFC Vegas 120 next.
Matchmaking: Main Card
Mateusz Gamrot vs. Quillan Salkilld
If there was any doubt before, it’s now abundantly clear that Quillan Salkilld is every bit a championship contender in the lightweight division. Salkilld became just the second man to finish Mateusz Gamrot, putting him away in the first round by rear-naked choke. Salkilld improved to 6-0 in the UFC, all since the start of 2026, with three wins by knockout and two by submission.
No matter what the matchmaking team does with Quillan Salkilld, they are going to have a fun problem to deal with. After breaking into the top 10, Salkilld deserves another opponent ranked above him as he continues his run toward the title. Benoit Saint Denis is ranked No. 6 but is looking to get back in the win column after getting submitted by Paddy Pimblett. Matchmaking these two makes too much sense for the UFC.
Next Fight: Benoit Saint Denis
Diego Ferreira vs. Billy Quarantillo
At age 42, Diego Ferreira looked as good as he ever has, picking up the win in a Fight of the Night effort. Saturday marked Ferreira’s 18th appearance in the UFC, and he set a personal record for significant strikes, landing 116 shots on Billy Quarantillo. A longtime staple of the 155-pound division, Ferreira proved he has more than enough left in the tank before he hangs up the gloves.
Ferreira remains on the outskirts of the top 15, as does King Green, who has gone 3-0 in 2026 at age 39. The two have 18 and 31 fights in the UFC, respectively, and have constantly been in and out of the top 15 throughout their careers, but have never been locked in the cage together. Matchmaking Ferreira and Green would give fans an awesome scrap between two veterans who are still more than capable of winning fights.
Next Fight: King Green
Darren Elkins vs. Yadier Del Valle
Yadier Del Valle spoiled the retirement party for Darren Elkins, knocking out “The Damage” in 31 seconds with a nasty left hook. After suffering his first professional loss in his last fight against Jordan Leavitt, Del Valle got back in the win column, continuing to prove he’s a legitimate up-and-comer at featherweight.
At 11-1 as a pro and 3-1 in the UFC, Del Valle deserves a shot at another veteran who can still compete at a high level. Andre Fili has fought for the UFC 27 times and has proven to be a good litmus test for how talented a 145-pounder can be in the UFC. With Fili looking to get back in the win column following a pair of losses, matchmaking him with Del Valle would make a lot of sense.
Next Fight: Andre Fili
Amanda Lemos vs. Alexia Thainara
Alexia Thainara continued her ascent up the 115-pound ladder, defeating former title challenger Amanda Lemos by unanimous decision. For the first time in Thainara’s UFC career, fans saw her overcome adversity after Lemos hurt her badly with a pullback right hand in the second round. With the win, Thainara improves to 4-0 in the promotion and will enter the top 10 on Tuesday.
Needless to say, Thainara is in line for a top-10 opponent next. Seventh-ranked Loopy Godinez recently called out Virna Jandiroba, but as the No. 7-ranked contender and coming off a loss, she may be looking down the rankings for her next fight. Godinez prides herself on being the most active fighter in all of women’s MMA. Matchmaking Godinez and Thainara should result in a high-level striking affair.
Next Fight: Loopy Godinez
Billy Ray Goff vs. Ty Miller
Arguably the most impressive performance of the night belonged to Ty Miller, who earned a $100K bonus for his third-round knockout of Billy Ray Goff. Miller landed a whopping 163 strikes on his opponent in just over 10 minutes as he improved his record to a perfect 8-0. A former Golden Gloves champion, Miller has some of the most impressive boxing fundamentals and combinations in the sport despite his youth.
Now 8-0 as a pro and 2-0 in the UFC, Miller deserves a big step up in competition next. One could argue Miller should get the fast track up the rankings, but the matchmaking team would do him a favor by giving him a proven veteran instead. At age 41, Nicolas Dalby has proven he can still compete, most recently defeating Saygid Izagakhmaev by decision last November. Dalby would provide the appropriate step up for Miller.
Next Fight: Nicolas Dalby
Matchmaking: Prelims
Steven Asplund vs. Guilherme Pat
Steven Asplund continues to be one of the most entertaining fighters in the heavyweight division. The bout produced three knockdowns, as Asplund ultimately did just enough to win the third round and claim a 29-28 unanimous decision victory over Guilherme Pat. With the win, Asplund improved to 2-1 in the UFC since earning a contract on DWCS last summer.
While Asplund called for former champion Jamahal Hill, he’s still not ready for that big of a step up in competition. Jose Montanha also won on Saturday, easily submitting Louie Sutherland in his UFC debut. Both Asplund and Montanha will be looking to earn back-to-back wins, and with both producing impressive performances at UFC Vegas 120, matchmaking the two together would make a lot of sense.
Next Fight: Jose Montanha
Diyar Nurghozay vs. Bruno Lopes
Diyar Nurghozay continued to right the ship on Saturday, picking up his second straight win in the UFC after beginning his tenure at 0-2. Nurghozay overcame a nasty-looking eye poke from Bruno Lopes and finished his opponent with a combination of strikes with one second to go in the first round.
Now at 2-2 in the promotion, Nurghozay is in line to see a step up in competition for his next scrap. As of last year, Zhang Minyang was seen as one of the hottest up-and-coming prospects in the division. However, he’s now lost back-to-back contests, leaving his true status in the division unclear. With Minyang and Nurghozay each having a 2-2 UFC record, matchmaking the two together seems to be the next step.
Next Fight: Zhang Minyang
Louie Sutherland vs. Jose Montanha
In his long-awaited UFC debut, Jose Montanha cashed as a +160 underdog, making it look easy in his first-round submission win over Louie Sutherland. Montanha improved to 7-1 as a pro and has now won four straight fights by submission, dating back to 2023 on the regional scene. After injuries forced him to miss a year of action, Montanha will likely look to get back in the cage sooner rather than later.
As mentioned before, Steven Asplund is another blossoming heavyweight who picked up a win on Saturday. Asplund vs. Montanha would be a true striker-versus-grappler affair, and with both coming off wins, matchmaking the two together feels like the best next step.
Next Fight: Steven Asplund
Manoel Sousa vs. Richie Miranda
Manoel Sousa improved to 2-0 in the UFC, winning in his short-notice contest against Richie Miranda. Sousa is not the most technical striker but throws absolute caution to the wind with all of his shots. While he may never become a championship contender, Sousa has proven he’s incredibly fun to watch anytime he steps into the Octagon.
Mike Davis is another offense-first striker who is looking to get back in the win column after losing to Nurullo Aliev two weekends ago in Abu Dhabi. Anytime Sousa is matched up against another striker, fans can expect fireworks in the cage. A potential matchup between Sousa and Davis has Fight of the Night written all over it.
Next Fight: Mike Davis
Miles Johns vs. Gianni Vazquez
Call the ambulance! But not for me!
Miles Johns quickly turned the tide on Saturday after getting stunned by Gianni Vazquez, knocking his opponent out with a step-in left hook in the first round. The win marks Johns’ return to the victory column for the first time since June 2024. Johns has now fought 13 times in the UFC, proving to be a solid veteran in the bantamweight division.
The first order of business for Johns is to get him out of the UFC APEX. Since the pandemic, nine of his 11 fights have taken place at the venue. Bernardo Sopaj has looked impressive, winning his last two fights after dropping his UFC debut against Vinicius Oliveira. Both Johns and Sopaj are ranked somewhere in the middle of the 135-pound ladder, and matchmaking the two would allow one of them to get one step closer to the top 15.
Next Fight: Bernardo Sopaj
Julianna Miller vs. Ravena Oliveira
Julianna Miller put on her best performance to date on Saturday, finishing Ravena Oliveira with a second-round rear-naked choke. With the win, she improved to 3-3 in the promotion. The biggest critique of Miller has been her lack of strength of schedule since winning Season 30 of TUF.
Miller not only saved her spot on the roster but also proved she’s never an easy out following her win. Anna Melisano is another TUF alum who made her UFC debut last month in OKC, losing to Dione Barbosa. Matchmaking these two women together would make a lot of sense and allow one of them to get closer to the 125-pound rankings.
Next Fight: Anna Melisano
Gigi Canuto vs. Carol Foro
Massive credit to both Gigi Canuto and Carol Foro, who went to absolute war on short notice in their UFC debuts to set the tone for an incredible night of fights. These two were arguably snubbed of Fight of the Night after the award was given to Ferreira and Quarantillo. Hopefully, the UFC gave Canuto and Foro some extra cash for their back-and-forth affair as well.
With the win, Carol Foro improved her professional record to 10-1 and has now won eight straight fights, including performances on the regional circuit, dating back to May 2024. Between her scrap with Shanelle Dyer on DWCS and her war with Canuto on Saturday, it’s clear that Foro can produce fireworks anytime she steps into the cage.
Alice Ardelean has racked up three straight wins in the UFC, including a Fight of the Night effort with Rayanne Dos Santos in May 2025. Matchmaking these two women could easily produce another Fight of the Night contest.
Next Fight: Alice Ardelean
