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The UFC's latest Fight Night event is in the books. Another trip to the Las Vegas APEX gave us some solid fights, but nothing earth-shattering.
UFC Fight Night: Josh Emmett vs. Lerone Murphy did see some fighters take a solid step forward, though, so what's next for them? As always, there are plenty of good options for the matchmakers to go with.
Here are five fights to make following UFC Fight Night: Josh Emmett vs. Lerone Murphy.
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#5. UFC featherweight bout: Josh Emmett vs. Youssef Zalal
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Despite landing a few high-impact takedowns - like the one above - Josh Emmett was well-beaten by Lerone Murphy in last night's headliner. Emmett simply couldn't get his concussive punching game going, and found himself largely picked apart by 'The Miracle'.
Murphy is one of the featherweight division's best strikers, though, meaning there should be no shame in Emmett's loss. He might slip out of the top ten, but he's still a very viable gatekeeper at 145 pounds.
A good foe for him next, then, could be Youssef Zalal. 'The Moroccan Devil' is riding a seven-fight win streak, four of those wins coming in the UFC. Ranked at No.12, he needs a step up.
Could Zalal beat Emmett? He's a skilled, well-rounded fighter, but he doesn't possess the dangerous power of the veteran. That would make this a very intriguing fight, and one well worth booking for later this year.
#4. UFC middleweight bout: Brad Tavares vs. Bo Nickal or Reinier de Ridder
Despite being in his 15th year with the UFC, Brad Tavares showed no signs of slowing down last night. He outpointed Gerald Meerschaert to win his 16th bout in the octagon, tying a middleweight record in the process.
Tavares isn't the most exciting fighter to watch, but the Hawaiian is an excellent gatekeeper and only fighters heading to the top tend to beat him. Therefore, a good opponent for him next could be produced in the clash between Bo Nickal and Reinier de Ridder, which will go down next month.
Nickal is a blue-chip prospect with phenomenal wrestling skills, while 'The Dutch Knight' is more experienced and has a very dangerous submission game.
Tavares, with his strong striking fundamentals and solid takedown defense, would give either of those men a difficult test and would mark a step up for both of them too.
With that considered, this would be an excellent use of the veteran and would give him an interesting chance to surge past Michael Bisping and claim the record for the most wins at 185 pounds for himself.
#3. UFC middleweight bout: Torrez Finney vs. Cesar Almeida
Torrez Finney won his first octagon bout last night, outpointing Robert Valentin. However, 'The Punisher' annoyed some observers in the process by landing just four significant strikes in the bout, the lowest by any fighter in a decision win in UFC history.
Finney still has a lot of potential, but based on his showing last night, it perhaps isn't worth protecting him as such.
Therefore, a fun opponent for him could be Cesar Almeida. One of the highest-credentialed strikers in the division, Almeida is a dangerous kickboxer who even beat Alex Pereira in that sport.
'Cesinha' is currently 3-1 in the octagon, and scored one of 2025's best knockouts in his last fight. However, he's also very unproven on the ground, which would give Finney hope of a win.
Overall, then, this bout would provide a fun stylistic clash and would hopefully produce more action than Finney's fight last night did.
#2. UFC featherweight bout: Pat Sabatini vs. Calvin Kattar
One fighter who won big last night was Pat Sabatini. The featherweight outpointed a dangerous foe in Joanderson Brito, extending his UFC record to 7-2 in the process.
A stifling grappler with excellent skills on the ground, Sabatini is due a step up at this point. He's been with the promotion since 2021, has improved steadily, and has beaten nearly all of his mid-level and lower-level foes.
Therefore, Sabatini needs a shot at the top fifteen, and one opponent who could make sense is Calvin Kattar.
'The Boston Finisher' has lost his last four bouts in a row, but he's still ranked at No.14 in the 145-pound division. More to the point, he'd still be the most dangerous striker Sabatini has faced since Diego Lopes, who dispatched him by KO in 2023.
If Sabatini could beat Kattar, then it'd be proof that he's ready for a run at the top. If he were to fail, it'd put 'The Boston Finisher' back on track as a top gatekeeper. Overall, then, this would be great matchmaking.
#1. UFC featherweight bout: Lerone Murphy vs. Yair Rodriguez or Patricio Pitbull
Lerone Murphy extended his unbeaten record to 16-0-1 last night by picking up his biggest win to date. He defeated former title challenger Josh Emmett in a clear-cut decision in the headline bout and sits on the cusp of a title charge in his own right.
However, 'The Miracle' didn't come close to finishing Emmett, just as he didn't come close to stopping Dan Ige and Edson Barboza. This means that for the most part, his hype train is still only moving steadily, rather than speeding down the tracks.
In some ways, Murphy could do with facing an easier, more finishable opponent next. However, nobody like that exists in the top fifteen, and giving him anyone lower would seem pointless.
Therefore, why not match him with the winner of next week's clash between Yair Rodriguez and former Bellator champ Patricio Pitbull?
The winner of that fight might try to call for a title shot, but the truth is that they'd still be behind at least a couple of fighters in the queue, depending on who becomes the new champ.
Therefore, matching them with Murphy in a #1 contender's bout might make more sense, and the aggression that Pitbull or 'El Pantera' would bring could also bring the best out of 'The Miracle', too.
