What’s Next: UFC Vegas 94 Winners

UFC Vegas 94 wasn’t exactly a surprise to anyone on paper, with the preliminary card starting off with a series of fights that went the distance – but then came the main card, which featured five finishes in six fights and four Performance of the Night bonuses. Among them was Virna Jandiroba who cashed in by taking out fellow Brazilian and former title contender Amanda Lemos. So what does that mean for Jandiroba, a former Invicta FC champion? We’ll do our best to play matchmaker.

Virgin Jandiroba

After her dominant victory over compatriot Amanda Lemos on Saturday, BJJ black belt Jandiroba demanded her title shot. After four straight victories, she deserves it. Champion Zhang Weili has been largely dominant in her second reign, but a slick wrestler like Virna, who can end the fight suddenly from a variety of positions, presents a new and interesting challenge.

Jandiroba’s next fight: Zhang Weili

Steve Garcia

Steve Garcia ran roughshod over South Korea’s Seung Woo Choi in the UFC Vegas 94 co-main event, improving his UFC record to 5-2 with all wins by KO/TKO. After a four-fight winning streak, he deserves his chance against a fringe-ranked opponent. Nate “the Train” Landwehr is one such opponent, and he also possesses a similar willful recklessness that creates insane fights. Putting him with Garcia, who possesses the same trait, seems like a sure-fire Fight of the Night.

Garcia’s Next Fight: Nate Landwehr

Kurt Holobaugh

Kurt ‘the Hurt’ had a slow start to his second stint with the UFC after returning to the promotion by winning ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, but he bounced back from his loss to Trey Ogden with a gutsy submission win over Kaynan Kruchewsky at the Apex.

Holobaugh won’t be fighting for lightweight gold anytime soon, but he’s a great entertainment piece in the division. Putting him up against other veterans like Michael Johnson for some fun fights is the perfect route to go.

Holobaugh’s Next Fight: Michael Johnson

Bruno Silva

Bruno Silva took a beating from Cody Durden before landing a brilliant uppercut that changed the course of both of their careers. Now with four straight wins, all by finish, which is a huge achievement at flyweight, Silva is likely to overtake Durden’s #14 flyweight ranking.

Matheus Nicolau is ranked No. 10 in the division and is coming off two losses that ended his six-fight winning streak. Having lost his last two fights by knockout, he will have to adjust to a big hitter like Bruno, but Silva will also have to change his approach after Cody Durden completely outboxed him in a round and a half.

Silva’s next fight: against Matheus Nicolau

Doo-ho Choi

“The Korean Superboy,” best known for his Hall of Fame bout with Cub Swanson, earned his first win in eight years on Saturday. It kicked off a three-fight losing streak, but he also hasn’t lost since 2019; his mandatory military service in South Korea and a draw with Kyle Nelson last year have kept him busy since then.

Now that he has a win under his belt against a skilled fighter like Bill Algo, Choi can fight almost anyone not in the division. A fun one would be for him to take on the promising Fernando Padilla, who is also a must-see on TV every time he competes. If Choi can derail the hype train, he might just pick up a stream of his own.

Choi’s next fight: Fernando Padilla

Hyder-Amil

Hyder Amil and his fighting partner Jeong Yeong Lee shocked the world when they went at each other with no regard for their own safety in the bout that opened the main card of UFC Vegas 94. Amil took some crazy punches and finished Lee, earning an additional $50,000 in the process.

Now 2-0 in the UFC (10-0 overall), Hyder could be looking at a fighter like Muhammad Naimov. The Tajik fighter was in a similar position not too long ago, having won his first few UFC fights, but a loss to Felipe Lima halted his momentum. An all-around fighter like Naimov would also be a suitable test for Amil, and has a similar level of experience under his belt.

Amil’s next fight: Muhammad Naimov