Matches To Make After UFC Vegas 100

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

UFC Vegas 100 went down last night (Sat., Nov. 9, 2024) inside the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a Welterweight bout that saw Carlos Prates knockout 170-pound gatekeeper, Neil Magny, in the first round (see it again here). In the co-headlining act, Reinier de Ridder stopped Gerald Meerschaert via third round submission (highlights), while Charles Radtke handed Matthew Semelsberger his fourth straight loss thanks to a 51-second knockout.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Winner: Carlos Prates
Who He Should Face Next: Michael Page

After his big win over Magny, Prates called for a fight against Jack Della Maddalena. While that will be an eventual great matchup, I don’t think that fight is in the cards just yet. Maddalena is currently ranked No. 4 and has title fight aspirations, so I doubt he would accept a fight against someone who isn’t in the Top 15. For now, I would love to see Prates take a bout against Michael Page, who currently sits at No. 13. A few months ago, Prates claimed that the promotion was trying to book this fight, but “Venom” wasn’t willing to pick up the phone. Two exciting strikers going at it is a sure-fire recipe for fireworks.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Winner: Reinier de Ridder
Who He Should Face Next: Cesar Almeida vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan winner

The former ONE double-champion took advantage of his late opportunity to co-headline a UFC card in his debut, choking out Meerschaert in round three (see it again here). It will be a bit before de Ridder starts getting big name foes despite his championship pedigree, so a fight against the winner of Almeida vs. Alhassan — who are set to throw down in Jan. 2025 — seems appropriate. Either man would be a great test for de Ridder, who I am sure is champing at the bit to face ranked foes to increase his chances at getting the opportunity to compete for gold in another promotion.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Winner: Gaston Bolanos
Who He Should Face Next: Charles Jourdain

Bolanos got back on track and improved to 2-1 inside the Octagon by ruining Cortavious Romious’ UFC debut. Up next, a fight against Jourdain seems appropriate for the former Bellator MMA veteran since “Air” recently got back into the win column himself, snapping his two-fight win skid by defeating Victor Henry via submission (guillotine choke) earlier this month.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Winner: Gillian Robertson
Who She Should Face Next: Angela Hill

Robertson secured her third straight win after defeating Luana Pinheiro via unanimous decision, which should help her move up a spot or two in the rankings. It may not be enough to be vault into the Top 10, but a win over Hill could do the trick. Hill is currently ranked No. 12, with her last win coming against Pinheiro, as well. She is coming off a tough loss at the hands of Tabatha Ricci.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Winner: Mansur Abdul-Malik
Who He Should Face Next: Zachary Reese

Abdul-Malik made a splash in his UFC debut, starching Dusko Todorovic in the first round to improve his perfect record (7-0, 1-0 UFC). Zachary Reese, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Jose Medina a couple of months ago, his second straight win. Reese is 2-1 so far in his young UFC career, defeating Julian Marquez prior to his win against Medina. He has proven to be resilient, bouncing back from his debut defeat via knockout at the hands of Cody Brundage.

For complete UFC Vegas 100 results, coverage and highlights click HERE.