Matches to Make After UFC Atlanta

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Georgia for UFC Atlanta. The 13-fight card saw the return of former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman as he went up against the hard-hitting Joaquin Buckley. It was a card full of familiar names, including former strawweight titleholder Rose Namajunas and former bantamweight king Cody Garbrandt, so there will be plenty of attention as to what fights come next for the winners.

Here are five matches to make following UFC Atlanta.

Kamaru Usman vs. Ian Garry

Usman (21-4) picked up his first win since 2021 by outwrestling Buckley (21-7) en route to a one-sided unanimous decision win. "The Nigerian Nightmare" proved he's still got more left in the tank, and that makes him an interesting factor in the division despite being 38. As such, Usman would be a great top-tier test for anyone looking to break into title contention. While Garry has been ridiculously calling for a title shot since his win over Carlos Prates, as if he didn't just lose to Shavkat Rakhmonov last year, "The Future" could actually get one with an impressive win over a former titleholder like Usman. This seems like the best way to use Usman, as he’s got plenty of name value and could elevate some contenders into being viewed as dangerous title challengers or present them with a serious reality check.

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Rose Namajunas vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius

Namajunas (14-7) bounced back from losing to Erin Blanchfield to notch her biggest win at flyweight yet. “Thug” Rose has now won three of her four last fights, which makes the former 115-pound champ a contender in a rather thin division. An exciting, fresh matchup would be against Jasudavicius, as the Canadian is riding five straight victories, including one over another former strawweight queen in Jessica Andrade. Whoever emerges victorious would be only be a fight or an injury away from a title shot, so let’s get it on the books.

Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Bo Nickal

Shahbazyan continues to grow into the prospect he was once thought to be. "The Golden Boy" added Andre Petroski to his list of defeated opponents via unanimous decision and has now won three of his last four fights. The 27-year-old would be an interesting opponent for Nickal, who is actually two years older. The decorated amateur wrestler is coming off his first professional defeat to Reinier de Ridder, so this would give Nickal (7-1) a chance to bounce back against a dangerous opponent. Meanwhile, Shahbazyan (14-5) could really put a stamp on his comeback by beating middleweight's current top prospect.

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Raoni Barcelos vs. Ricky Simon

Barcelos used his impressive striking and dominant grappling to outpoint Garbrandt over three rounds. While he’s on a three-fight winning streak, Barcelos (20-5) is 38 and isn’t likely to enter the title picture as a result. Still, he's not one to be ignored and deserves a tough fight against a relevant fighter in the division. I'd like to see the Brazilian take on Simon next, as the 32-year-old has looked rejuvenated and picked up a clear-cut win over Cameron Smotherman on the card's prelims. The American has mostly faltered when trying to take on the best in the division, so it will give Simon a chance to get over that hump while also allowing Barcelos to further cement his case for being a true contender despite his age.

Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Kelvin Gastelum

Abdul-Malik won a technical decision over Cody Brundage after the fighters had a clash of heads and Abdul-Malik (9-0) finished the fight with what initially looked like a TKO victory. While it wasn’t how the undefeated middleweight prospect wanted to get the win, he still showed off impressive striking as long as the fight went on. The 27-year-old has a bright future, and I’d like to see him go up against an experienced UFC veteran next to give him an even tougher test. Gastelum fits that bill nicely. The "TUF 17" winner recently came up short against Joe Pyfer, but recent wins over Daniel Rodriguez and Chris Curtis show that the 33-year-old is still dangerous inside the Octagon. It'd be a great opportunity to see exactly where Abdul-Malik stands within the middleweight pecking order.