5 Fights the UFC Needs To Make Next After UFC Noche

Noche UFC gave us a little bit of everything. Jean Silva reminded everyone why he’s one of the most fun fighters at 145 pounds, Brandon Moreno got himself back in the win column, Alexa Grasso made a serious case for another title shot, and a couple of new names started forcing their way into the conversation.

Now comes the fun part: figuring out what’s next.

Here are five fights I’d like to see after Noche UFC:

1. Jean Silva vs. The Winner of Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev

Jean Silva is running out of reasons to wait.

The No. 6-ranked featherweight submitted Jose Miguel Delgado in the third round of Saturday’s main event, giving him back-to-back wins after losing to Diego Lopes last year. Silva was supposed to fight Yair Rodriguez before Rodriguez withdrew, and honestly, Silva did everything he could with the replacement.

The UFC already has Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev booked for UFC 333. Whoever walks out with the belt should have Silva waiting for them.

Silva is 29 years old, exciting as hell and has won six of his last seven UFC fights. At this point, another contender fight feels like the UFC just making him prove the same thing again.

Give him the winner.

2. Alexa Grasso vs. Winner of Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong

This one feels pretty simple.

Alexa Grasso just beat Manon Fiorot by unanimous decision and immediately put herself back into the title conversation. She’s also already been through the championship grind, having held the UFC flyweight title and fought Valentina Shevchenko four times.

The women’s flyweight title is currently tied up with Natalia Silva and Wang Cong set to fight for the vacant belt.

Give Grasso the winner.

She has the name, the history and now another big win to back it up. There’s really no reason to make her fight another contender before getting another shot at gold.

3. Brandon Moreno vs. Manel Kape

Brandon Moreno needed a win. Badly.

After back-to-back losses to Tatsuro Taira and Lone’er Kavanagh, Moreno was starting to look like a former champion who might be slipping down the flyweight ladder.

It wasn't some vintage Moreno performance, but that's kind of the point. He got the job done and can finally move forward.

So let's give him a name: Manel Kape makes a ton of sense.

Kape is currently ranked No. 2 at 125 pounds, while Moreno sits at No. 10. It would be a huge opportunity for Moreno without immediately throwing him into another title fight. And there’s history here, too. Kape has actually mentioned Moreno as a potential opponent in the past.

If Moreno really wants to prove he's still a championship-level fighter, this is the kind of fight that can change the conversation.

4. Tommy McMillen vs. Yair Rodriguez

This might be the fun one.

Tommy McMillen just went through a wild three-round fight with Marwan Rahiki and kept his undefeated record intact at 12-0. The guy has already picked up multiple UFC bonuses and has made it pretty clear that he's not interested in taking the slow route.

Yair Rodriguez, meanwhile, was supposed to fight Jean Silva at Noche before withdrawing.

Now he's sitting there without a fight. Why not put these two together?

McMillen gets a massive step up against one of the most recognizable featherweights in the UFC, while Yair gets a dangerous young fighter who isn't going to be afraid to stand and trade.

And let's be honest: McMillen vs. Yair sounds like a ridiculous amount of fun.

5. David Martinez vs. Aiemann Zahabi

David Martinez keeps making it harder and harder for the UFC to ignore him.

He just picked up another win at Noche, beating Dan Ige by decision and continuing his run through the bantamweight division. Before that, Martinez beat Rob Font and Marlon Vera, establishing himself as one of the division's fastest risers.

Now give him Aiemann Zahabi. Zahabi is ranked No. 7, with Martinez sitting right behind him at No. 8.

It's the kind of fight that makes sense without overthinking it.

They're both ranked. They're both trying to get closer to the title picture. And if Martinez beats another top-10 opponent, we're going to have to start talking about him as a legitimate contender rather than a prospect.

At some point, the UFC has to stop calling him a prospect.

That time might be now.