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Another UFC Fight Night card has passed us by and with it comes a host of possibilities moving forward for both the victors and the unfortunate fighters who were defeated.
The UFC was once again back at the Apex facility for this card, which came after a strong few weeks for the promotion. Despite having to follow a memorable UFC 264 pay-per-view and an entertaining UFC Vegas 31 Fight Night, UFC Vegas 32 provided great matchups throughout and culminated in a thrilling main event battle.
In the headlining fight, T.J. Dillashaw made a successful return to the octagon following his two-year suspension. The former 135-pound champion endured a five-round war with top contender Cory Sandhagen. Elsewhere there were controversial decision wins for Raulian Paiva and Maycee Barber, as well as impressive performances from Adrian Yanez and Brendan Allen.
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So, what are the next steps we should see after some of those results? Here are three fights that should be booked following the events at UFC Vegas 32.
#3. Brendan Allen vs. Edmen Shahbazyan - UFC middleweight
It's time for Brendan Allen to be recognized as the top prospect in the UFC middleweight division. At UFC Vegas 32, Allen put himself in prime position for that title by becoming the first man to defeat 185-pound powerhouse Punahele Soriano. His ability to stand and trade with a striker like Soriano and come out on top was remarkable to see. For anyone who thought Allen would struggle in fights against elite level competition on the feet, they were convincingly proven wrong.
Considering his only UFC loss came against one half of next week's main event, Sean Strickland, Allen hasn't received the praise he deserves. After a masterclass as good as his performance this past weekend, the Beaufort-born middleweight has earned a ranked opponent next time out. So who better than another former hot prospect on his way down the rankings following a failed crack at contendership?
At one point in time, Edmen Shahbazyan was the most exciting prospect on the UFC roster. Managed by Ronda Rousey’s One Fight Management, Shahbazyan has established his name at the age of just 23. He boasts nine knockouts, collected four victories in his first four walks to the octagon, and he’s already main evented a UFC card.
At UFC Vegas 27, Edmen Shahbazyan fell to a second consecutive defeat. It was the kind of matchup we'd have expected Shahbazyan to move onto should he have beaten Derek Brunson in 2020. To be matched up against someone of Jack Hermansson's quality after his last fight had the potential to be a blessing or a curse. It proved to be the latter.
Having fallen short against two of the division's top contenders and having the holes in his game exploited, Shahbazyan will look to fight further down the rankings next time out and re-rail his depleted hype train. A matchup with Allen will give him that opportunity. And for 'All In', a victory over the 23-year-old will prove he's ready to fight the division's elite. Brad Tavares is also an option for Allen, but given that the 33-year-old is riding a two-fight winning streak, he certainly deserves to fight up the middleweight ladder.
#2. Adrian Yanez vs. Julio Arce - UFC bantamweight
Two victors from UFC Vegas 32 could well face off next. The event was a real showcase for the bantamweight division. 135 pounds was already arguably the UFC's strongest weight class. And with the likes of Adrian Yanez and Julio Arce winning in style, it continues to go from strength-to-strength.
For as long as it lasted, the main card opener between Yanez and Randy Costa was incredible. The fight was fast-paced and exactly what most had expected. But few would have predicted the onslaught of jabs 'Zohan' delivered to Yanez in the opening round. In a similar fashion to Sean O'Malley's performance against Kris Moutinho at UFC 264, the 27-year-old connected with virtually every strike and bloodied Yanez's face in the opening minutes. But unlike 'Sugar', Costa couldn't maintain his pace and dominance.
After some hard shots to the body forced Costa to defend, Yanez landed a brutal uppercut that sent his opponent to the floor. With no response from the Massachusetts-born bantamweight, the fight was stopped. At the age of just 27 and now on a seven-fight winning streak, Yanez's future is bright and he should face an even tougher test when he next enters the octagon.
At UFC Vegas 32, Julio Arce moved down to bantamweight and proved he can become a real threat in the division. What better way for him to continue to rise up in the 135-pound weight class than by defeating arguably its biggest prospect.
Having beaten the likes of Dan Ige and Julian Erosa at featherweight, the 31-year-old made the move down this weekend following a defeat to promising prospect Hakeem Dawodu at UFC 244 in 2019.
Against Andre Ewell, Arce looked fantastic. His striking combinations and sharp hooks looked too much for Ewell from the start of the fight. Late in the second round, Arce finished the bout after unloading with some vicious punches against the cage. The stoppage was perhaps a little early, but given the shots he was taking and the likelihood that the fence was the only thing keeping him standing, I don't think Ewell could have had many complaints.
As well as being a mouth-watering matchup stylistically, a bout between Yanez and Arce would provide a big step up the bantamweight ladder for either man.
#1. Cory Sandhagen vs. Rob Font - UFC bantamweight
At UFC Vegas 32, Cory Sandhagen showed why he's such an exciting and promising star in the bantamweight division. While contenders in other divisions like Colby Covington sit out and wait for the title shot they will eventually get, 'The Sandman' challenged himself against one of the best 135-pound fighters of all time. Even in defeat, Sandhagen's stock certainly rose last weekend.
Despite an impressive performance, the 29-year-old narrowly fell short of victory in what was one of the closest five-round fights in recent memory. Despite outstriking the former champ, Sandhagen was unable to prevent Dillashaw from racking up more than eight minutes of control time and, in the end, that proved to be the difference.
Nevertheless, Sandhagen has remained close to the belt and, according to Sean Shelby, requires just one more win to book his place opposite the champion. But who should he rebound against?
The man who clearly makes the most sense is Rob Font. Since defeats to Pedro Munhoz and Raphael Assuncao, the 34-year-old has looked unstoppable.On the way to building a four-fight winning streak, Font defeated Sergio Pettis, Ricky Simon and Marlon Moraes. A main event victory over former champ Cody Garbrandt ascended him to third spot in the 135-pound rankings and inserted him into the title picture.
With Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling set to have a rematch for the belt in October, and with T.J. Dillashaw next in line after, a fight between Sandhagen and Font makes perfect sense to decide who sits closest behind Dillashaw in the pecking order for a championship opportunity.
