UFC Abu Dhabi: Matchmaking for All the Losers from Saturday
Earlier in the day, we did some matchmaking for everyone who won at UFC Fight: Ankalaev v Guskov. Now it’s time to discuss who all losers from Saturday night should battle next. Of note, some guys may not receive a name if being released from promotion feels like the next step.
Matchmaking: Main Card
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov
Bogdan Guskov had the biggest opportunity of his career on Saturday and failed to capitalize. Guskov’s path to victory was always going to be landing one big shot and knocking his opponent out. Instead, he took very few chances. In total, Guskov threw just 70 strikes across nearly 23 minutes of action, with over half of those being leg kicks. He’ll be looking down the rankings next, and a matchup with the number 11-ranked contender, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, would make sense for both parties.
Next Fight: Robert Whittaker
Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov
Unfortunately for Steve Erceg, he ran into a red-hot returning prospect in the form of Ramazan Temirov, who won by a vicious first-round knockout. Since going toe-to-toe for the belt in 2024 with Alexandre Pantoja, Erceg has struggled, going 2-3 over that stretch, with one of those wins coming in a lackluster performance against Ode’ Osbourne. Steve Erceg will be in a difficult spot next as he’ll likely fall out of the top ten and once again be tasked with fighting an up-and-coming prospect. Alessandro Costa has been on fire this year with three wins and deserves a shot against a falling ranked opponent.
Next Opponent: Alessandro Costa
Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune
After making a big splash and cracking the top ten by winning his UFC debut against Marcin Tybura, Tyrell Fortune was dominated by a more complete fighter in Rizvan Kuniev on Saturday. Credit to Fortune, who showed a lot of heart by continuing to fight in the third round despite suffering broken ribs. As mentioned in our winners article, Valter Walker needs a top-ten opponent, and with Fortune now looking down the rankings, a matchup between the two makes plenty of sense.
Next Fight: Valter Walker
Abubakar Vagaev vs. Saygid Izagakhmaev
Saygid Izagakhmaev finds himself in a difficult spot after starting his UFC tenure 0-2. To his credit, he’s been competitive in both fights, losing a split decision to Nicolas Dalby in his debut before pushing Abubakar Vagaev in a competitive fight on Saturday. However, this sport is unforgiving, and it would make sense for the UFC matchmaking team to pair Saygid with another young prospect. Levan Chokheli fits that role perfectly.
Next Fight: Levan Chokheli
Valter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen
It’s pretty apparent where Thomas Petersen stands in the UFC at this point in his career. He’s good enough to beat the bottom tier of the heavyweight division, but he’s clearly outmatched against contenders and ranked opposition. Fellow heavyweight Tanner Boser finds himself in a very similar position, so why not put these two heavy hitters in the cage together in terms of matchmaking?
Next Fight: Tanner Boser
Matchmaking: Prelims
Dustin Jacoby vs. Muhammad Said
Poor Dustin Jacoby. The man is one of the most active fighters on the roster, has been the victim of questionable judging multiple times, and always seems to be right on the doorstep of the top 15. Jacoby, never one to turn down a fight, flew halfway around the world to face the debuting Muhammad Said, where he lost by second-round knockout. Former top-five contender Nikita Krylov has also been on a slide, going 1-3 since 2025 and falling out of the rankings. When matchmaking, a scrap between the two veterans makes a ton of sense for both parties.
Next Fight: Nikita Krylov
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sam Patterson
Saturday night was another tough one for the “Argentine Dagger.” Santiago Ponzinibbio was robbed of the prime of his career after battling a life-threatening illness that forced him to miss three years of action from 2018 to 2021. At his peak, Ponzinibbio climbed as high as number six in the welterweight rankings. However, since returning in 2021, he’s gone 3-7, including four knockout losses. Retirement is certainly not out of the question, but I believe the UFC will give him one final opportunity against another veteran. In what could realistically be a double-retirement fight, Court McGee vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio makes plenty of sense.
Next Fight: Court McGee
Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sola
It’s been an incredibly difficult fall from grace for Ismael Bonfim, and that trend continued on Saturday. After viciously knocking out Terrance McKinney with a flying switch knee in his UFC debut, Bonfim was viewed as one of the lightweight division’s brightest prospects, nearly as highly regarded as his brother Gabriel, who is currently ranked in the top five at welterweight. Since that spectacular debut, however, Ismael has gone just 1-4. Matchmaking here is difficult. There’s a strong possibility Bonfim gets cut after this latest loss, but if he remains with the promotion, a matchup against 22-year-old Artur Minev would make sense.
Next Fight: Artur Minev
Magomed Tuchalov vs. Brendson Ribeiro
After a solid first round, Brendson Ribeiro was outperformed by the debuting Magomed Tuchalov. Unfortunately for Ribeiro, he’s now lost four straight fights and owns a lackluster 2-6 UFC record. Matchmaking for him will be tough. Saturday marked the final fight on Ribeiro’s contract, and it’s hard to imagine the promotion offering him another one.
Next Fight: Release
Nurullo Aliev vs. Mike Davis
Mike Davis was dominated in the grappling exchanges by Nurullo Aliev on Saturday and was clearly unhappy with the result afterward. After posting a rant on X and exclaiming, “Gay people, get them the f*ck out of the UFC,” Davis probably won’t be receiving any holiday cards from the UFC matchmaking team. However, he’s repeatedly shown that when matched against another striker, he can deliver exciting fights, as evidenced by his 2021 Fight of the Night battle with Mason Jones. If Davis remains with the UFC, matching him against another striker would make for an entertaining fight, and Matt Frevola fits that description.
Next Fight: Matt Frevola
Cody Gibson vs. Omar Hussein
Cody Gibson took a massive gamble on himself on Saturday, flying halfway across the world on just a few weeks’ notice to fight a debuting prospect. The decision did not pay off, as Gibson has now lost three straight fights and owns a 3-9 UFC record across two stints with the promotion. However, Gibson has been the definition of a company man since returning to the UFC, often accepting fights on short notice, so you’d hope the promotion rewards that loyalty with one final opportunity. Hecher Sosa looked outstanding in his UFC debut and seems like the right opponent for another experienced bantamweight veteran.
Next Fight: Hecher Sosa
