Having a likely main event already in place, the latest addition to the Pay-Per-View show is a heavyweight affair pitting New Zealand’s Justin Tafa (7-3, 1NC) against Brazilian Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-9-1).

“Pezao” de Lima confirmed the booking following an initial report by MMA Fighting.

Tafa, 29, goes by the nickname “Bad Man” and has proven to be just that, securing a finish by KO/TKO in all seven of his professional victories. Most recently, he picked up a win over Austen Lane in his second fight with the Contender Series alum, after the first ended in a No Contest due to an accidental eye poke.

Marcos Rogerio de Lima will be looking to bounce back from a stunning loss at the hands of Derrick Lewis this past July. That setback snapped a two-fight win streak.

Though not officially announced by the promotion, rumors of UFC 298 being hosted in both Los Angeles and Australia have made the rounds. Promotion president and CEO Dana White previously revealed that featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski would defend his 145lb title against Ilia Topuria in February, a fight almost certain to headline the UFC 298 card.

Thus far, only three fights have been reported for the event set to take place on February 17, 2024. They are:

Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Ilia Topuria — for the UFC Featherweight Championship
Danny Barlow vs. Yusaku Kinoshita
Marcos Rogério de Lima vs. Justin Tafa

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Nights like these leave some big names looking to regroup, and that is of course the case here. Let’s take a look at the losing side of UFC 291 to see what comes next.

Dustin Poirier

Justin Gaethje landed a head kick in round two of the UFC 291 main event that knocked out ‘The Diamond’ for the first time since 2016. Poirier said in the post-fight presser that he wants only fights that interest him, not fights against young up-and-comers. One up-and-comer who stands out as potentially interesting for a guy like Dustin, however, is Rafael Fiziev.

Fiziev is currently booked against Poirier’s ATT teammate Mateusz Gamrot in a main event on September 23rd. He is coming off of a close loss to Justin Gaethje earlier this year which earned ‘Fight of the Night’ honors and his electric striking style pairs perfectly with an action fighter like Poirier as well. If he beats Gamrot, Dustin will surely want revenge for his training partner. Even if Fiziev loses then that fight would still be an option.

If not then there are other options out there. Dustin could fight the loser of Islam Makhachev vs Charles Oliveira or fourth-ranked lightweight Beneil Dariush. Of those, Dariush probably makes the most sense. It’s just a matter of if that fight interests Poirier.

Poirier’s Next Fight: Rafael Fiziev

Jan Blachowicz

The former light-heavyweight champion was able to utilize his wrestling against kickboxer Alex Pereira in the first round of UFC 291’s co-main event, but as the fight went on his takedowns were defended and he was out-struck in the last two rounds of the split decision loss. Jan came in ranked third in the division but is now 1-2-1 in his last four fights. It will be a long road back to the title for the forty year-old from Poland.

If he does keep fighting then there are two main options, two rising contenders on three-fight winning streaks, ranked fifth and sixth respectively: Nikita Krylov and Johnny Walker. Both fighters deserve to fight up in the rankings and have exciting styles, but Błachowicz has already defeated Krylov in the past, so Walker makes the most sense next.

Błachowicz’s Next Fight: Johnny Walker

Marcos Rogério de Lima

Derrick Lewis’ flying knee to open the featured bout of UFC 291 caught everyone by surprise, de Lima most of all. It knocked down the Brazilian and he could not recover; the ensuing ground and pound finished him off. That snapped de Lima’s two-fight winning streak and once again denied his bid to become a ranked UFC heavyweight.

There are not many rising and unranked heavyweight contenders who are near to a shot at the rankings. Fighters like Karl Williams and Mohammed Usman are the closest thing with their two-fight winning streaks. Usman is already booked, so Williams makes sense for de Lima’s next fight, and the winner will be close to the rankings due to lack of competition in the division.

de Lima’s Next Fight: Karl Williams

Tony Ferguson

Tony Ferguson is one of the most stubborn men alive but at some point even he will have to admit it is time to hang it up. Hopefully that time is now, ‘El Cucuy’ has slowed down considerably and will only be taking unnecessary damage from here on out if he keeps fighting. His career is one of the greatest thing fans have been privileged to witness in MMA’s history. The violence and chaos he inflicted on opponents is unrivaled; he should be celebrated among the sport’s legends. But it is time to call it quits.

Ferguson’s Next Fight: Retirement

Michael Chiesa

Chiesa took off his gloves following his loss to Kevin Holland, his third defeat in a row, at UFC 291. That caused many to speculate that he was retiring, but he released a statement after the fight indicating that is not the case. The thirty-five year old came into the fight with Holland as the twelfth-ranked welterweight contender in the UFC. Now with his losing streak he has to fight down in the rankings once again.

Perhaps the brightest unranked prospect in the division is Russian wrestler Rinat Fakhretdinov. Rinat has torn through the division, dominating each of his three UFC opponents including Kevin Lee and Bryan Battle, extending his professional record to 22-2. The clash of styles between the two wrestlers poses an interesting question for the thirty-one year old Fakhretdinov. If Chiesa can bounce back against a prospect like this then he will deserve to keep his spot in the top fifteen at 170-lbs.

Chiesa’s Next Fight: Rinat Fakhretdinov

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The pair faced off on the UFC 291 main card on Saturday, bumped up from the prelims after Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira dropped off.

What played out Saturday was nearly unthinkable, even in the career of Derrick Lewis. “The Black Beast” started the bout by charging across the cage and launching a flying knee. That knee crashed into the face of Marcos Rogerio de Lima, who clearly did not have a Derrick Lewis flying knee on his 2023 bingo card. Not that anyone did.

Brazil’s Rogerio de Lima went down, covering up and probably trying to figure out how a truck had run him over inside the octagon. Lewis, meanwhile, began raining down punches, and eventually got to mount. Rogerio de Lima wouldn’t go out easy, rolling to his knees, but Lewis took control from the back, dropping blow after blow until the ref finally decided he had seen enough.

In a sport known for surprises, watching one of the biggest heavyweights in the weight class deliver a flying knee was perhaps the biggest surprise of the night. Then came the post-fight celebration, which had Lewis stripping off his shorts and delivering a Degeneration-X style crotch chop.

AND HIS BALLS WAS HOT #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/uqz1Tqefxn

— UFC (@ufc) July 30, 2023

Following the win, Lewis told Joe Rogan that he hadn’t planned to open with a flying knee — and that the fight was the final bout on his current contract. There is zero chance the UFC lets Lewis slip away off that performance.

Official Result: Derrick Lewis def. Marcos Rogerio de Lima by TKO (flying knee and punches), Round 1, 0:33

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“He’s a very explosive fighter, but in heavyweights you don’t see many skilled grapplers. You have some people that have the abilities like Curtis Blaydes, you see Jailton Almeida, but I trust myself,” de Lima told reporters including Cageside Press through a translator on Wednesday.

“I’ve been training this a lot and my grappling has improved a lot. I’m confident that if this goes to the ground I can control him. Specially because I’m a heavy guy too so I can keep him pinned down.”

Lewis’ explosive ability isn’t something that makes de Lima nervous, and he feels he’s faster and better than his opponent.

“I don’t see the quickness as much. I think I’m faster than him. I think I can do more in that sense. I think my skillset is really good for this division,” he said.

“All I have to do is be mindful of defense. Just be there, look at what’s coming, and be on offense fast. Be quick to strike.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Marcos Rogerio de Lima above. He takes on Derrick Lewis at UFC 291 on Saturday night.

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de Lima (21-8) has gone 4-1 in his last 5 bouts in the UFC, and currently rides a two-fight win streak. He hopes to use that to get a matchup with Derrick Lewis next.

“I believe a long time ago there was a fight between (Francis) Ngannou and Derrick Lewis. I thought it was going to be a big explosion in the cage, but it wasn’t. It was boring,” de Lima told Cageside Press among other reporters at his post-fight scrum.

“I do believe that if I fight Derrick Lewis I’m going to really show how should be.”

Now could de Lima match Lewis in the cage, sure. Could he do it on the mic?

“I’m not the fighter that will trash talk anybody. I’m a fan of the sport and I do believe that he will be the one doing the trash talking, but if you put me in the cage with him I’ll definitely…we both can make the cage explode,” he said.

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Marcos Rogerio de Lima above.

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Song Yadong and Ricky Simon were the two men in question after their scheduled fight at UFC Vegas 71 was moved back a week to main event. Fortunately for fans, it was exactly what everyone expected, a high quality match-up between two fighters looking to break into the title picture.

Let’s take a look at what could be next for the winners of the night.

Song Yadong

The constantly improving Song Yadong returned to the win column with an extremely impressive performance over the dangerous, Ricky Simon.

Coming off the back of his loss to Cory Sandhagen last September, the 25-year-old was eager to show his improvements against another well rounded fighter like Ricky Simon. The ATT product displayed a complete performance using his lightening fast and powerful striking to finish the fight in the final round. Not only that, but throughout the five round fight, he showcased improvements to his already solid wrestling defence, only letting Simon land two of his nine attempted takedowns, with that only accumulating to 50 seconds of control time.

Still at only 25-years of age, this marked Song’s 12th UFC performance making him one of the most experienced fighters in the bantamweight rankings.

So what’s next for the ever improving talent? There are a few options that could make sense for Yadong and his next outing, but the one I like the sound of the most, is a rematch with Chito Vera. Vera is coming off the back of a title eliminator bout, and since their first fight has picked up several impressive wins of his own. Now would be the right time for these two top bantamweights to run it back.

Yadong’s Next Fight: Chito Vera rematch

Caio Borralho

Brazil’s Caio Borralho made it four wins in a row since his win on the Contender Series back in 2021. Michal Oleksiejczuk stood as his toughest and most experienced UFC opponent so far.

The 30-year-old showed once again that if the fight makes it to the ground, that he is an extremely dangerous customer who can cause most people issues. With that being said, I think it’s time that Borralho is given a fight that can earn him a number next to his name.

Not only has Borralho impressed with his performances, but the frequency of his fights has been something that has led him to become quite a favourite amongst fans. After his impressive win on Saturday, Borralho came locked and loaded with a name during the post fight press conference. Derek Brunson was the recipient of his callout, and that’s a fight that could make sense for both middleweights.

Borralho’s Next Fight: Derek Brunson

Rodolfo Vieira

Another Brazilian that is a terrifying submission threat is Rodolfo Vieira, and he found himself with his hand raised after submitting Cody Brundage in the second round.

In round one, Vieira had to weather the storm of the powerful Brundage, and if it wasn’t for a bad decision by the American, he may have found himself with a TKO win over Vieira. The 33-year-old hung on though, and made it to the second round.

Another bad decision by Brundage saw him trying to jump a guillotine attempt, subsequently finding himself losing the grip and in guard with the dangerous Vieira on top. Just moments later, Vieira sunk in an arm triangle, submitting Brundage after almost being TKO’d.

A fight I would love to see next is Rodolfo Vieira vs. Andre Petroski, as styles collide.

Vieira’s Next Fight: Andre Petroski

Fernando Padilla

The Mexican, Padilla, caused an upset in the featherweight division, knocking out Julian Erosa in the first round of their bout.

Unfortunately for the debutant, the victory will be under scrutiny as a lot of the MMA fanbase believe that it was an early stoppage by referee Chris Tognoni. I personally can see why Tognoni waved the fight off, but I do believe it was a tad premature which doesn’t surprise me with this particular official.

Having said that, Padilla is the one with the W next to his name, and it puts him in good stead for his next outing under the UFC banner.

If Padilla is looking for a quick turnaround, I know Gavin Tucker is looking for a dance partner to fight in his home country of Canada at UFC 289.

Padilla’s Next Fight: Gavin Tucker

Marcos Rogerio de Lima

Rogerio de Lima once again exposed the weakness in Waldo Cortes-Acosta’s game utilising heavy leg kicks to sail to a victory.

With that, the Brazilian has scored back-to-back for the third time in his UFC career. The 37-year-old is once again knocking on the door of the top 15, and is looking for a fight with Derrick Lewis.

Personally, I don’t believe Rogerio de Lima has warranted a fight that high into the rankings and will likely find himself fighting outside of the top 15 again in his next outing.

Martin Buday was also victorious this weekend, and a fight with Rogerio de Lima could make sense.

Rogerio de Lima’s Next Fight: Martin Buday

Trey Waters

Trey Waters looked as slick as you can look in a UFC debut, counter fighting extremely effectively to pick up the win.

Waters came into the bout having only tasted a loss once before in his professional career, and his awkward style caused the powerful Quinlan problems from the first bell.

Trevin Giles is working on the same schedule as Waters and was victorious in his last outing. That could be a fight that makes sense.

Waters’ Next Fight: Trevin Giles

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Brazil’s de Lima was 3-1 across his last four fights, including stoppages of notable heavyweights Ben Rothwell and Andrei Arlovski. Cortes-Acosta had yet to taste defeat in the UFC, or in his career period, with a 9-0 record to start the night.

Early on, de Lima attacked with kicks, while patiently walked Cortes-Acosta down. Soon, Cortes-Acosta was grabbing at his leg, with one in particular wobbling the big man. Brazil’s de Lima had scouted his opponent well, as Cortes-Acosta had proven vulnerable to leg kicks in the past. With the Dominican fighter concerned about those attacks, de Lima opted to land a takedown — gaining a bit of control time, if little else, before letting Cortes-Acosta back up.

Gradually, de Lima mixed in a jab with his kick. Cortes-Acosta fired his right hand, but a weak takedown attempt was fought off. He stayed on de Lima, however, taking the fight to the fence and using underhooks to control the Brazilian. de Lima reversed; they broke with just under a minute left in the round. Another leg kick landed for de Lima; Cortes-Acosta tried to answer back with one of his own, but it was nowhere near as effective.

Round two opened with more nasty leg kicks by Marcos Rogerio de Lima. Just over 90 seconds in, he hoisted up Cortes-Acosta — an impressive sight, frankly — and took him down with authority. Cortes-Acosta would make his way back up, only for a trip to send him back down. de Lima was in the driver’s seat, executing his game plan near perfectly: leg kicks to wear away at Cortes-Acosta’s movement, takdowns to control him.

At the end of the round, Cortes-Acosta finally checked a kick, and briefly went on the attack, only to be left fending off another takedown attempt.

Round three saw Waldo Cortes-Acosta walking rather gingerly on his lead leg. The pace of the fight had slowed, however, but another de Lima leg kick nearly spun the Dominican around. Cortes-Acosta still had a puncher’s chance, but little more, and at the end of the round, he ate another painful-looking leg kick to underscore what was very much looking like his Achilles heel.

Official Result: Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Waldo Cortes-Acosta by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Making a habit of fighting veterans of late, de Lima was looking to get back in the win column following a loss to Blagoy Ivanov. Prior to that, he had finished “Big” Ben Rothwell in what turned out to be Rothwell’s final fight in the promotion.

The Brazilian returned to the win, and finish, column on Saturday.

The UFC veteran and former champion, Arlovski, was coming into the bout off the back of two split decision wins, and it was expected that he’d come into the bout passive. That wasn’t the case. The two behemoth heavyweights started trading extremely early on, and de Lima managed to sneak in a hook, dropping Arlovski to the ground. From there, the Brazilian looked extremely calm and transitioned to the back of the Belarusian, and from that position, he sunk in a heavy rear-naked-choke. Arlovski couldn’t take anymore of the pressure under his chin and tapped.

De Lima see’s himself get back into the winning column, and picks up yet another win against a UFC legend, and will look to put together back-to-back wins for only the third time in his UFC tenure.

Official Result: Marcos Rogerio De Lima def. Andrei Arlovski by submission (rear-naked-choke), Round 1, 1:50

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Making something of a career out of fighting young upstarts and doing quite well of it of late, Arlovski (34-20, 2NC) is set to face Marcos Rogerio de Lima (19-8-1) at a UFC event on October 29, 2022.

Cageside Press confirmed the booking Monday, following an initial report by Brazilian media outlet Combate.

Arlovski will enter the October fight off four straight wins, every single one against a fighter a decade or more his junior. During that run, he’s gone the distance all four times, outworking opponents significantly younger than him.

The pandemic era in particular has been kind to the former UFC heavyweight champion, as he’s 6-1 through seven fights dating back to May of 2020.

Brazil’s Marcos Rogerio de Lima is coming off a loss to Blagov Ivanov, which snapped a two-fight win streak that saw “Pezao” collect victories against Ben Rothwell and Maurice “The Crochet Boss” Greene. de Lima joined the UFC in 2014, after a stint on The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3. He would drop to light heavyweight after his run on the series, but returned to the weight class in 2018, posting a 4-3 record since.

The UFC’s October 29, 2022 Fight Night card does not have a location, venue, or broadcast plan announced. The only other fight announced thus far is Edson Barboza vs. Ilia Topuria.

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Ivanov found himself in a precarious position to start the night, looking to stave off the surging Brazilian and hold on to his #15 spot in the rankings. But by the end of fifteen minutes, his spot was secure.

Both fighters took the center of the octagon after a touch of gloves.  A Head kick from Lima opened up the fight, followed by a body kick. Lima kicked Ivanov below the belt less than a minute it, and received a “hard warning” from the ref.

The fight restarted, and Ivanov charged Lima, landing a punch. Lima swung wildly, almost landing with a hook. Near the three-minute mark, Lima landed an uppercut followed with a hook. Lima landed a nasty combo to Ivanov’s body and head. Less than a minute left, Ivanov caught a kick and put Lima against the fence for 10 seconds. Lima reversed and escaped. The round ended with both fights landing a punch right as the horn sounded.

Round two started with a high kick from Lima. Ivanov put Lima against the fence 30 seconds into the round. Lima eventually reversed and escaped. Lima landed another hard combo, and then Ivanov answered with a short left hand that stumbled Lima. Ivanov put Lima against the fence again. Both fighters exchanged combos, and then Ivanov landed a 1-2 that hurt Lima. Lima answered back with a punch, and then Ivanov put him against the fence. Less than a minute left, and both fighters got back to the center of the octagon but not for long as Ivanov put him against the fence yet again to end the round.

Round three started with Ivanov landing a body shot, and Lima answered with a few jabs. Ivanov landed a left hand which forced Lima to clinch. About three and a half minutes left,  and Ivanov grabbed Lima’s head for a choke but nothing came of it. The referee broke the clinch and brought them back to center. Lima put Ivanov against the fence, and then Ivanov reversed it. Both fighters took the center of the octagon with less than two minutes remaining, and Lima landed a few flush punches, but Ivanov ate all of them. Ivanov put Lima against the fence again. Lima landed a massive takedown – picking Ivanov off his feet to end the fight.

It was Ivanov, however, who left with his hand raised, snapping the win streak of Brazil’s “Pezao.”

Official Result: Blagoy Ivanov def. Marcos Rogério de Lima by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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