5 biggest winners from UFC 274: Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje

#4. Randy Brown – defeated Khaos Williams in a UFC welterweight bout

Randy Brown made the most of a late notice main card opportunity by beating Khaos Williams

Success in the UFC can often come down to a fighter simply taking the opportunities that come their way. In that sense, Randy Brown should definitely go down as one of last night’s biggest winners.

‘Rude Boy’ was initially supposed to fight Khaos Williams in a preliminary bout that probably would’ve flown under the radar. When Donald Cerrone took ill – forcing the promotion to scrap his bout with Joe Lauzon – Brown vs. Williams was moved onto the main card.

Not only did the product of Jamaica perform excellently in the fight, he also survived a first round knockdown to outpoint ‘The Ox Fighter’, putting him on a three-fight win streak in one of the UFC’s deepest divisions.

Brown’s win was made possible due to his striking skills. He was able to jab and land combinations on Williams while largely avoiding his opponent’s heavier strikes. While the two men didn’t net a bonus award, on other, less exciting shows, they may well have gone home $50k richer.

Overall, ‘Rude Boy’ maximised a late-notice main card slot and may well have parlayed it into another showcase in the near future, making him one of the night’s big winners.

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#3. Brandon Royval – defeated Matt Schnell in a UFC flyweight bout

Brandon Royval's win over Matt Schnell may have edged him closer to a flyweight title shot

Outside of Charles Oliveira – who should probably be considered a champion already despite the issue of his weight miss – the fighter who advanced his cause the most in terms of a future UFC title shot last night was definitely Brandon Royval.

‘Raw Dawg’ not only choked out Matt Schnell in what was declared the event’s Fight of the Night – making him a cool $50k richer – but the win was also his second in a row. Given that he’s already got a win over Kai Kara-France – who is arguably the division’s top contender right now – that’s a very big deal.

Is it likely that Royval is rewarded with the next shot at reigning UFC flyweight king Deiveson Figueiredo? Unfortunately not as it’s still likely to go to Brandon Moreno in the first four-fight title series in the promotion’s history. However, ‘Raw Dawg’ could easily net a top contender’s match with someone like Askar Askarov or Alexandre Pantoja (giving him a chance to avenge a past loss) instead.

Either way, this win proved that Royval a very real contender at 125lbs. It was also more proof that right now, the promotion doesn’t house many more entertaining fighters than him. Expect ‘Raw Dawg’ to appear on the main card next time out.