Like UFC Vegas 90, UFC Vegas 118 will be remembered (or not) as the card that was overshadowed by the event that immediately followed it. Very few will recall Brendan Allen’s revenge against Chris Curtis on April 6 2024, because everybody was too busy talking about UFC 300. With the White House event coming up, UFC Vegas 118 will suffer the same fate. However, it was one of the better Apex cards that we have had, so far, this year. Before we look ahead, let’s see what’s next for the UFC Vegas 118 winners.
Gabriel Bonfim
After a successful first main event last November, the young Brazilian has now another one, this time against a former champion. While Belal Muhammad is clearly showing his age since winning the belt in July of 2024, a clean, 25-minute sweep on every judge’s scorecard is nothing to sneeze at.
With Ian Machado Garry seemingly set to face Islam Makhachev this summer and Carlos Prates most likely being next in line, guys like Michael Morales and Gabriel Bonfim cannot afford to sit on their laurels. I think a number one contender matchup between 26-year-old Morales and 28-year-old Bonfim, who have a combined 39-1 record would be one of the most exciting number one contender bouts we have had in a while.
Bonfim’s next fight: Michael Morales
Brendan Allen
Most people looked at this matchup wondering what its purpose was. In a fight where Brendan Allen seemingly has everything to lose and very little to gain, he managed to hold serve, winning a Fight of the Night bonus in the process. Though he won his third consecutive fight and was already inside the top5, unless an injury happens and the UFC needs him as a substitute, this win will not grant Allen a title opportunity. Caio Borralho, Joe Pyfer and Gregory Rodrigues are all names that could be thrown at Allen if need be, but I personally landed on Christian Leroy Duncan, should he defeat Jared Cannonier next month.
Allen’s next fight: Cannonier/Leroy Duncan winner
Tom Nolan
In what may have been the most interesting fight on the card aside from the main event, two streaking lightweights under 30 were meeting the feature bout. Despite Fares Ziam coming in with the longer win streak, it was Nolan who came out on top, nearly sweeping the Frenchman on every scorecard. With this win, the Aussie will crack the lightweight rankings and will officially be in the lion’s den. There are a few matchups that make sense, but the one that excites me the most is the winner the Baku main event going down later this month.
Nolan’s next fight: Fiziev/Torres winner
Bryce Mitchell
“Thugnasty” has now won both of his fights at bantamweight since making the move down. He defeated a known commodity in Said Nurmagomedov and has now taken the 0 of youngster Santiago Luna. This division is too deep to give Mitchell a ranked opponent yet as there are a lot of names more deserving of that opportunity. I think Kai Asakura or Charles Jourdain would be great matchups, but I really like the storyline with Aleksandre Topuria. Mitchell lost to Ilia at featherweight, but can he get his revenge on the Topuria family by beating Aleksandre?
Mitchell’s next fight: Aleksandre Topuria
Iwo Baraniewski
In just seven months, Iwo Baraniewski has not only won three fights, but he has made his brand identity very clear with the UFC fanbase. Another name who has proven to be all gas no brakes type of fighter is Abdul-Rahman Yakhyaev, who is favoured to beat Julius Walker later this month. Why not put those two together and see who comes out on top?
Baraniewski’s next fight: Yakhyaev/Walker winner