Following the phenomenal showcase of mixed martial arts action delivered at UFC 333, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to its familiar home at the UFC Apex last Saturday for another compelling fight card. Headlined by veteran fan favorite Renato Moicano and surging Australian standout Tom Nolan, the event provided plenty of talking points for the MMA community. UFC Vegas 123 featured a little bit of everything that makes the sport so captivating: not one, but two gruesome stoppage victories caused by severe cuts, a spectacular and emotional finish from Julian Erosa in what marked his retirement fight, and a controversial ending to the main event that has fans and analysts alike debating the outcome.
Before the promotion shifts its full focus to the next scheduled event at the Apex, it is time to examine the landscape of the division and look ahead at what might be next for the weekend’s most impressive winners. From rising lightweights on the cusp of the top ten to promising prospects carving out their paths in the promotion, Saturday’s victors have opened up a wide array of intriguing matchmaking possibilities.
Tom Nolan
Despite the lingering discussion surrounding the refereeing controversy that shadowed the main event, Australian standout Tom Nolan delivered a performance that showcased noticeable, tangible improvements across his mixed martial arts skill set. Securing the biggest scalp of his professional career to date, Nolan extended his impressive win streak to six consecutive victories. At just 26 years of age, there are now increasingly convincing reasons for fans and pundits alike to be genuinely excited about the young fighter’s ultimate ceiling in the talent-heavy lightweight division.
With this latest victory, Nolan finds himself right on the brink of, or perhaps flat out inside, the division’s competitive top 10 rankings. Because of his youth, momentum, and style, he will certainly not be lacking for high-profile options moving forward at lightweight. Fights against established names like Mauricio Ruffy or Mateusz Gamrot would represent fantastic tests, as would the winner of a potential pairing between Dan Hooker and Brian Ortega. However, the matchup that offers the most tantalizing prospect for fans is a showdown against Rafael Fiziev. A bout between Nolan and Fiziev would be all-but guaranteed to produce absolute fireworks inside the Octagon.
Nolan’s next fight: Rafael Fiziev
Jacobe Smith
After taking a calculated and necessary eight-month break between July 2025 and February 2026 to fine-tune his skills and manage his body, Jacobe Smith has returned to action with a vengeance, earning two impressive victories in the span of just 28 days. Now sitting at 30 years of age with a pristine, unblemished 14-0 record under the promotional banner, it is time for the organization to implement a steady and consistent increase in the level of competition for one of the most dangerous and well-rounded prospects in the division.
Neil Magny has served as a reliable, tough-as-nails litmus test for up-and-coming talent in the weight class for years, consistently helping the promotion measure whether rising stars are truly ready for elite status. Given Magny’s veteran savvy and willingness to face anyone, he would serve as the absolute ideal opponent for Smith at this crucial juncture in the prospect’s career, providing a stern test of grappling and durability.
Smith’s next fight: Neil Magny
Cody Durden
Cody Durden has firmly established himself as one of those dependable athletes that the promotion can always count on to stay active, stepping into the cage three or more times a calendar year. In a sport plagued by injuries and long layoffs, that kind of reliability is an exceptionally valuable commodity for matchmakers. While this latest hard-fought victory may not necessarily propel him into the upper echelon or the title picture of the flyweight division, Durden’s established role as a reliable measuring stick for the weight class remains crucial.
Durden serves as the ultimate gatekeeper and barometer for talent trying to break into or maintain a ranking in the division. Potential matchups against exciting talents like Andre Lima, Edgar Chairez, or Joseph Morales would all make a great deal of sense from a promotional standpoint. However, looking at the current landscape of the roster, the most sensible pairing points toward Rei Tsuruya, a rising talent who is currently in need of a definitive step up in competition to see where he truly stands among the promotion’s flyweight regulars.
Durden’s next fight: Rei Tsuruya
Luana Santos
Facing early adversity in the opening round of her bout, bantamweight prospect Luana Santos showed tremendous grit and championship-level resilience by making the necessary adjustments, storming back to win the following two rounds and keeping her bantamweight record inside the promotion completely perfect. With this gritty victory, Santos joins Ailín Pérez and Joselyne Edwards as part of a dangerous new wave of streaking bantamweights who are rapidly approaching the doorstep of a championship opportunity.
This emerging crop of fresh talent in the bantamweight division is visibly on the verge of pushing out the established old guard, injecting much-needed youth and momentum into the weight class. Looking at how the division’s upper tier is currently shaping up, pairing Pérez with former champion Julianna Peña and matching Edwards against veteran Raquel Pennington would clear the path logically. Such an arrangement would leave top contender Norma Dumont uniquely positioned and available to welcome Santos into the upper echelon of the division.
Santos’ next fight: Norma Dumont
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani earned the first official finish of his UFC career in brutal fashion last weekend, and it was a sight to behold. He systematically battered opponent Farman Hasanov for the better part of three grueling rounds. The accumulation of damage ultimately forced the cageside doctor to step in and put a definitive end to the contest after a bad cut over Hasanov’s eye continued to worsen under the relentless onslaught.
With the victory, Lebosnoyani successfully improved his promotional record to a promising 3-0. To continue building his momentum and testing his potential in the welterweight division, a logical next step would be matching him against another undefeated 3-0 welterweight prospect, Jonathan Micallef. Pairing these two rising talents against one another when the UFC travels to Sydney in February would provide an electric atmosphere and an important developmental test for both men.
Lebosnoyani’s next fight: Jonathan Micallef
