Matches to Make After UFC Perth

UFC Perth took place on Saturday night, with plenty of Australian talent on display in high marquee matchups, leading to some potentially exciting future matchups for the winners. Two winners in the light heavyweight division should see themselves with highly intriguing bouts after their wins, while a featherweight and welterweight appear ready for the next step up in competition.

Here’s a look at four of the top matches to make for the winners following UFC Perth:

Welterweight: Neil Magny vs. Gunnar Nelson

The fight between Jake Matthews and Magny did not come without drama and controversy, as Matthews had a guillotine submission locked in at the end of Round 1, the referee stepped in and appeared to call the fight off, but instead signaled for the end of the round. After being outgrappled for most of the first two periods, the grizzly veteran weathered the storm and put together one of the most impressive comebacks we’ve seen in his long and respected career. Magny and Nelson were scheduled to fight one another in July, but Nelson had to withdraw due to injury. If he’s back to full health, the two should compete as two well-traveled vets in the welterweight division.

Featherweight: Jack Jenkins vs. Winner of Jamall Emmers/Austin Bashi

In a clear, one-sided matchup for the Australian, Jenkins got back in the win column with a tough win over Ramon Taveras. After battling through injuries recently, Jenkins has an opportunity to take a calculated approach as he moves up the featherweight rankings, and a fight against Bashi or Emmers feels as the right challenge that’s not too much or too little at this stage of his career. All three have momentum and value behind their names, and a win for Jenkins will elevate him into serious company at 145 pounds.

Light Heavyweight: Jimmy Crute vs. Modestas Bukauskas

After getting a first-round submission victory over Ivan Erslan, Crute now has a three-fight unbeaten streak and is hovering just outside the Top 15 rankings. Bukauskas is on a four-bout winning streak, with his most recent victory coming earlier this month over submission specialist Paul Craig, who retired after the contest. Crute is much younger than Craig and is also a submission specialist. It’d be an interesting clash of two light heavyweights looking to crack into the division’s rankings.

Light Heavyweight: Carlos Ulberg vs. Winner of Alex Pereira/Magomed Ankalaev

There is no more wondering if Ulberg is a real title contender, as he wiped out Dominick Reyes in the first round. Nullifying much of Reyes’ offense as he looked hesitant to pull the trigger, the Auckland native stepped in with a punishing left hand that shut out the lights on Reyes in the opening frame. The timing couldn’t line up any better, as Pereira and Ankalaev are scheduled to face each other next weekend in a title rematch. No matter how the fight should go, whether Pereira evens the score or Ankalaev goes up 2-0 in the series, Ulberg needs to be the next in line. He has nine straight victories after losing his promotional debut following his win on Contender Series back in 2020, and it’s all come full circle as he’s a legitimate championship contender in the light heavyweight division.