LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 11: Brandon Roybal poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at UFC APEX on October 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
UFC Vegas 98 produced a number of great matches. In the main event, Brandon Roybal defeated undefeated Tatsuro Hirata to re-enter title contention at 125 pounds. In the co-main event, Park Joon-young outclassed and defeated Brad Tavares, the longest-serving middleweight in UFC middleweight history, in an all-out battle. The winners of this battle of the cards all have great standings going forward, and many of them may be considering adding a number next to their names next year.
Brandon Roybal
Brandon Roybal put on a great performance against Tatsuro Heira, earning a split decision victory. Roybal entered the fight as the No. 1 ranked flyweight, while his opponent entered the fight as the No. 5 ranked flyweight.
Roybal is in a tough situation as he has upcoming fights at 125 pounds. A division that includes an upcoming title fight between champion Alexandre Pantoja and UFC newcomer and RIZIN Fighting Federation bantamweight champion Kai Asakura. With that in mind, Roybal may not get what he wants, even though he appealed for a title shot in his post-fight speech. At least not right now. A title shot is definitely a possibility, but a rematch with Kai Kara France seems a little more likely. Kai is coming off a victory at UFC 305, defeating Steve Arseg, the last man to challenge Pantoja’s belt, in one round. Carla France easily sliced through Erceg, who had brought the champion to the scorecards in the previous match.
Roybal submitted Kai Kara France in 2020, but enough time has passed to justify redoing this fight.
Brandon’s next match: Kai Kara France
Park Joon Young
In the co-main event of UFC Vegas 98, Joon-Young Park won a hard-fought split decision against veteran Brad Tavares. Park is currently 8-3 in the UFC, winning five of his past six fights. His most recent loss was a split decision to Andre Muniz in December of last year.
That being said, it’s time for Park to build more ground and draw another name. The perfect opponent would be someone like Joe Pifer. Joe is 4-1 in the UFC since signing for his second appearance on the Contender Series in 2022. Joe’s only loss was against Jack Hermansson in February in a ranked fight. With Pifer’s 85-second KO of Marc-Andre Barrio at UFC 303, this fight could easily be the fight of the night and a solid stand-up fight with both fighters’ respective styles. . A ranking may be displayed next to the winner’s name.
Joon Young’s next fight: Joe Pifer
Chidi Njokuani
Chidi Njokuani delivered a top-notch performance with a unanimous decision victory over overweight opponent Jared Gooden. Chidi has a 4-3 record with the UFC since earning a UFC contract through the 2021 Contender Series.
Njokuani is currently on a two-fight winning streak after losing three in a row in 2022-2023. That being said, Chidi should face a veteran fighter like Cort McGee. Cote has 23 fights in the UFC, his last appearance coming at UFC 307, where he defeated Tim Means in the first round. The win ended McGee’s three-fight losing streak, so it might make sense for the timing to be the next time these two are scrapped.
Chidi’s next match: Court McGee
grant dawson
On Saturday night, Grant Dawson defeated Rafa Garcia with a second-round TKO in a near-perfect performance. Dawson has won two straight fights since his only loss to Bobby Green in the UFC in October 2023.
Dawson is supposed to fight until he breaks into the lightweight ranks. He has a more than adequate record in the UFC with a record of 10 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. Grant should fight Joel Alvarez in his next fight. Alvarez is 6-2 in the UFC and has won three of his past four fights. His only loss during this period was against Arman Tsarukyan in February 2022. Alvarez last fought in August, when he finished Elf Brenner in the final round. He is a dangerous fighter who has only heard the final gong once since becoming a pro. And it’s a tough matchup for a heavy grappling guy like Dawson.
Grant’s next fight: Joel Alvarez
Daniel Rodriguez
Daniel Rodriguez came from behind to win a split decision over Alex Morono in the first fight on the main card of UFC Vegas 98. The win ended a three-fight losing streak that saw D-Rod fall from the welterweight rankings. This is his first win in more than two years.
In his next fight, Rodriguez is supposed to face Nico Price. Nico competed on the undercard of UFC Vegas 98, but lost by unanimous decision to Themba Golimbo. In his previous fight, he defeated Alex Morono by unanimous decision in June. Nico, like Daniel, has only won two of his past five matches. There’s another reason why timing is important in booking this fight.
Daniel’s next match: Nico Price
