Five Fights to Make After UFC Vegas 123

Jonan Morales|published: Tue 3rd November, 08:45 2026Apr 18, 2026; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA; UFC CEO Dana White talks to the media after the fight between Gilbert Burns (red gloves) and Mike Malott (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-Imagn Images UFC Vegas 123 gave us a breakout performance, a dominant wrestling display and one of the strangest referee decisions we've seen in a main event all year. Tom Nolan walked away with the biggest win of his career, Jacobe Smith stayed undefeated, and Julian Erosa went out with a highlight-reel knockout. Now it's time to figure out what's next.Here are five fights the UFC should look at after Saturday night in Las Vegas.Tom Nolan vs. Renato Moicano 2Yes, run it back.Nolan deserves credit for surviving Moicano's grappling and eventually putting him away, but it's impossible to talk about this fight without talking about referee Dan Miragliotta. Moicano had Nolan's back with a body triangle locked in during the second round when Miragliotta made the bizarre decision to stand them up. Nolan immediately took advantage, hurt Moicano and carried that momentum into the third-round finish.That's a massive momentum swing, and it left a pretty big what-if hanging over the result. The call drew criticism from fighters and even the UFC broadcast team, while Moicano admitted he was frustrated by the decision. Nolan, meanwhile, says he wasn't asking for a stand-up and believes he would have won regardless.Fair enough. But there's only one way to settle the debate. Nolan is on a six-fight winning streak and has earned a major step up, while Moicano deserves the opportunity to compete without an unexpected reset changing the entire fight. Give us Part II.Jacobe Smith vs. Mike Malott Apr 18, 2026; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA; Mike Malott (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Gilbert Burns (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-Imagn Images Smith looked like a serious problem against Randy Brown.The undefeated welterweight used his wrestling to control the fight, landed damaging ground-and-pound and walked away with a dominant unanimous decision. Even on short notice, he looked completely comfortable in his first UFC main event-level spotlight.Mike Malott makes sense as the next test. He's an established name in the division, has put together a strong run of his own and would give Smith a legitimate measuring stick. Both men are looking to move closer to the rankings, and this matchup would tell us a lot about where Smith stands among the division's rising contenders.Cody Durden vs. Imanol RodriguezDurden did what Durden does against Ode' Osbourne: made the fight uncomfortable, leaned on his wrestling and found a way to get the job done.It wasn't always pretty, but the veteran flyweight picked up a much-needed win.Imanol Rodriguez would be an interesting next opponent. The undefeated prospect has finished all eight of his professional victories and is building momentum in the UFC. Putting him across from a seasoned wrestler like Durden would be a useful test of his defensive grappling and a chance to see whether his finishing ability translates against tougher competition.Luana Santos vs. Joselyne EdwardsLuana Santos picked up another important win by getting past Yana Santos in a competitive, grappling-heavy fight. She's now won four straight and is starting to build a real case for a bigger opportunity in the women's bantamweight division.Joselyne Edwards would be a fun next step.Edwards is also riding a winning streak and has shown she can finish fights. This would match two fighters building momentum, with the winner potentially putting herself in the conversation for a bigger divisional matchup.Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani vs. Jonathan Micallef Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani looks up after defeating Seokhyeon Ko during UFC Fight Night 281 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, July 18, 2026. Lebosnoyani continued to make the most of his UFC opportunity by stopping Farman Hasanov after opening up a nasty cut above his opponent's eye. The Las Vegas fighter is now 3-0 inside the Octagon and has won eight straight overall.Lebosnoyani called for Jake Matthews after the fight, but Jonathan Micallef might be the more interesting matchup.The Australian has put together a strong run of his own, and both men are looking to break into the welterweight rankings. It's a chance to see which prospect is ready for the next level without rushing either one into the division's established names.Five fights, five fresh matchups, and one rematch that feels like it needs to happen. The UFC has plenty to work with after Vegas 123.