Five Fights to Make After UFC Vegas 124

Vegas 124 had a wild heavyweight main event, Tatiana Suarez doing Tatiana Suarez things, and a 60-second knockout that has the bantamweight division looking over its shoulder. Johnny Walker also looks right at home at heavyweight.

Time to book some fights.

Johnny Walker vs. Loser of Alex Pereira vs. Sergei Pavlovich

Walker might actually belong at heavyweight. He knocked out Mick Parkin, then finished Waldo Cortes-Acosta in the third. Two finishes in a row since moving up, so he's earned a bigger name.

Whoever loses between Pereira and Pavlovich works for me. Pereira is a former two-division champ. Pavlovich is a heavyweight who can switch your lights off with one shot. Both are big opportunities, just different kinds.

Walker has been unpredictable for years, and now he's finally putting something together. This fight would tell us if it's real. Let Pereira and Pavlovich settle things first, then give Walker the leftovers.

Tatiana Suarez vs. Mackenzie Dern

Suarez beat Virna Jandiroba by wrestling her all night, which is exactly why nobody wants to fight her at strawweight. She's running out of contenders.

So give her Mackenzie Dern. Dern is on a run of her own and is one of the most dangerous grapplers in the division. Suarez has the wrestling, Dern has the jiu-jitsu, and neither is giving up an inch on the mat. I'd pay attention to that one.

Elijah Smith vs. Brady Hiestand

Elijah Smith needed 60 seconds to finish Davey Grant, and it might have been the best performance of the night. He's 24, on an eight-fight win streak and 4-0 in the UFC. Bantamweight just got more interesting.

Hiestand feels like the right next step. He's been solid and has hung with tough opposition. Both want to crack the rankings, and it's a real test for Smith without feeding him to a top contender too early.

Lucas Fernando vs. Julius Walker

Lucas Fernando got past Billy Elekana to improve to 2-0 in the UFC. He stayed composed for three rounds and took the decision.

Julius Walker makes sense here. He's still trying to find consistency at light heavyweight, and Fernando has to show this isn't just a hot start. Both need a win, and 205 always has room for new names.

Nina Milosevic vs. Alice Pereira

Nina Milosevic stopped Priscila Cachoeira in the second round. That's 2-0 in the UFC and ten straight wins overall. She's looked dangerous both times out, so the UFC should stop easing her in.

Alice Pereira fits. She's another young bantamweight with real potential, and we'd learn a lot about both of them. Milosevic has the momentum, but Pereira would tell us if she's ready for the next level.

One more thing: Alex vs. Johnny

I keep coming back to Pereira vs. Walker, and honestly it might be the most fun fight on this whole list. Alex is the scary favorite, but Johnny is the kind of guy who makes that a problem. He’s wild, he’s creative, and he always seems to pull something off when nobody expects it. Every time you write him off, he does something ridiculous.

Could he beat Alex? Yeah, I think he could. Maybe not nine times out of ten, but this is Johnny Walker. All it takes is one shot or one weird moment, and he’s the guy who makes it happen. That’s what makes it fun to watch.