5 fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez

Last night saw the final UFC Fight Night show of 2023, and a number of fighters picked up key victories.

With some of these fighters now looking ready to move into contention, what’s next for the stars of UFC Fight Night: Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez?

As always, the promotion’s matchmakers have plenty of options for them.

Here are five fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez.

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#5. UFC middleweight bout: Andre Muniz vs. Kelvin Gastelum

Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Andre Muniz edged out Jun Yong Park last night, and while he didn’t finish the Korean, the result must’ve been a relief of sorts.

Muniz was on a two-fight losing streak coming into the bout, with his losses to Brendan Allen and Paul Craig seeing him slip from the middleweight rankings entirely.

Last night’s win should stabilize him, but it won’t be enough for him to break back into the top fifteen. However, it should guarantee him a clash with a ranked foe next time out.

With that in mind, a good option for him could be Kelvin Gastelum. The TUF 17 winner is still ranked at No.14 at 185 pounds, despite last competing as a welterweight.

More to the point, though, Gastelum was badly beaten on the ground by Sean Brady in his most recent fight, making a clash with Muniz an intriguing one.

Either he’d be able to stop the takedown and beat the Brazilian standing, or he’d end up being dragged to the ground and probably tapped out again. Regardless, it’d be an excellent test for both men and would probably be worth booking for early 2024, assuming Gastelum is ready after his loss to Brady.

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#4. UFC flyweight bout: Tim Elliott vs. Tatsuro Taira

Two of last night’s bigger winners were flyweight contenders Tim Elliott and Tatsuro Taira. Elliott submitted Su Mudaerji in a late-notice bantamweight fight, while Taira picked up an impressive knockout of Carlos Hernandez.

With Taira now desperate to break into the top fifteen at 125 pounds after reeling off five wins in the octagon, the UFC could definitely do worse than to simply match them against one another.

After all, Elliott - a former title challenger - remains ranked at No.10 in the division and stands as one of the toughest gatekeepers at flyweight.

To add to this, a clash between them would be genuinely interesting, as it’d pit a fighter with excellent fundamentals in Taira against one of the most unorthodox men on the roster in Elliott.

Could Elliott’s funky style throw Taira off enough for him to capitalize and win, or would the Japanese star simply have too much in terms of technique and athleticism? It’s hard to say. Regardless, if Taira could win this one, he’d be propelled into title contention, making this a worthwhile clash to book.

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#3. UFC lightweight bout: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Bobby Green

Nasrat Haqparast was definitely one of the more impressive fighters last night, as he violently dispatched Jamie Mullarkey via TKO in the first round of their lightweight tilt.

Haqparast is now on a three-fight win streak in the octagon and should probably look at making another run towards the UFC’s lightweight rankings.

With that considered, a fight that might make a lot of sense for him would be a rematch with Bobby Green, who edged him out via decision in February 2022.

That was the last time that Haqparast was beaten in the octagon, while ‘King’ has since beaten Tony Ferguson and Grant Dawson but fell to Jalin Turner in his last bout.

Therefore, this fight probably makes sense for both men. For Haqparast, it would not only be a shot at revenge, but it’d give him a path to the rankings. For Green, meanwhile, it’d be a chance for him to rebound and stay afloat as a veteran fighter in a hugely competitive division.

If ‘King’ can be ready, then this fight would be a logical one to book in early 2024.

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#2. UFC light-heavyweight bout: Khalil Rountree vs. Nikita Krylov

Khalil Rountree was quick to call for a big fight after his violent win over Anthony Smith last night. ‘The War Horse’ called for a shot at UFC light-heavyweight champ Alex Pereira, but whether he’s likely to get what he wants is another thing entirely.

Smith was an excellent win for the TUF veteran, but the victory is likely to move him into the lower end of the top ten at best. Therefore, he will need to fight at least once more before any title shot comes to fruition.

One opponent who would make sense, then, would be Nikita Krylov. ‘The Miner’ is currently ranked at No.6 and has designs on a title shot of his own after winning his last three fights.

More importantly, Krylov would also test Rountree in a number of different ways. Not only is he a good striker, but he’s also a very dangerous grappler, something that Rountree has struggled with before.

‘The War Horse’ has won his last five bouts in the octagon, but notably, he hasn’t fought a proper submission artist recently. If he could get past Krylov, then his credentials as a contender would become hard to ignore.

Add in the excitement value that both men bring, and this one is a no-brainer to book for 2024.

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#1. UFC bantamweight bout: Song Yadong vs. Petr Yan

It wasn’t his most entertaining showing, but Song Yadong produced a largely flawless performance to shut out Chris Gutierrez in last night’s headliner.

The No.7 ranked bantamweight won’t climb the ladder with the win, but he did solidify himself as a very real title threat. Therefore, who should the UFC put him up against next?

It’s a question that ‘The Kung Fu Kid’ may have already answered. Song called out former titleholder Petr Yan last night, and it’s a fight that could make plenty of sense.

‘No Mercy’ is looking for a way to bounce back from three straight losses after he was shut down by Merab Dvalishvili earlier this year but remains ranked at No.5.

Song, meanwhile, is desperate for a big win to push him towards the title, and a victory over Yan would definitely be that.

More importantly, the word is that he was initially supposed to fight Song last night before picking up an injury, resulting in Gutierrez replacing him.

If that’s really the case, then the UFC ought to simply rebook the fight as soon as Yan is healthy. It would make for the perfect headliner for a Fight Night show in early 2024.