5 Fights the UFC Should Make After UFC 332

UFC 332 was an absolute banger. Natalia Silva became the new women’s flyweight champion, Payton Talbott added another former champion to his resume, and Johnny Walker might have found a new home at heavyweight. We also got Roberto Soldić’s long-awaited UFC debut and Roman Kopylov reminding everyone that Ateba Gautier still has some work to do.

Now comes the fun part: figuring out what’s next. Here are five fights I’d make after UFC 332.

1. Natalia Silva vs. Valentina Shevchenko

Natalia Silva is the new queen of the women’s flyweight division, and her first title defense should be against the woman who held the belt in the Octagon for years. If Valentina Shevchenko is healthy enough to return, this is the fight to make.

Shevchenko was forced to vacate the title because of an injury, and she’s still one of the greatest fighters the division has ever seen. Silva has earned her shot at the top after putting together a 15-fight winning streak, but beating a former champion like Shevchenko would be the ultimate way to establish her reign.

Of course, the UFC shouldn’t rush Shevchenko back before she’s ready. But once she’s cleared to compete, there’s no reason to overcomplicate the matchmaking. Silva gets the chance to prove she’s the real deal, while Shevchenko gets an opportunity to reclaim the title she never actually lost in a fight.

2. Payton Talbott vs. Sean O’Malley

Talbott made a statement against Deiveson Figueiredo, stopping the former flyweight champion in the first round and calling out Sean O’Malley afterward. At this point, I’m not sure what else the guy needs to do to get a big fight.

O’Malley has already responded to the callout, although he made it clear that his next move depends on the outcome of the upcoming bantamweight title fight between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili. If Yan wins, O’Malley wants another shot at the belt. If Merab wins, a fight with Talbott becomes much more realistic.

I get it. O’Malley has earned the right to chase another title shot. But Talbott is one of the division’s most exciting young fighters, and he’s now beaten Henry Cejudo and Figueiredo in consecutive fights. A matchup with O’Malley would be a massive step up and a chance to prove he’s ready to hang with the elite. If the title picture doesn’t work out for O’Malley, this is the fight to make.

3. Esteban Ribovics vs. Benoît Saint Denis

Ribovics picked up a huge win over King Green, stopping the veteran in the first round and adding another highlight to an already entertaining UFC run. Now it’s time to see how he handles someone who can match his aggression.

Enter Benoît Saint Denis.

The Frenchman is always looking to turn a fight into a war, and Ribovics isn’t exactly the type to back away from one. Neither guy needs much encouragement to start throwing, which makes this a pretty easy matchup to sell.

Saint Denis has been competing against tougher opposition, so there’s a question of whether Ribovics is ready for that level. That’s exactly why I like it. Ribovics deserves a step up after beating Green, and Saint Denis would give him a chance to show whether he belongs in the conversation with the division’s more dangerous contenders. This one could get ugly in the best possible way.

4. Roberto Soldić vs. Geoff Neal

It took a while to get Roberto Soldić into the UFC, but his debut against Khaos Williams showed why the promotion was interested in signing him. After shaking off some early nerves, Soldić took over the fight, mixed in his grappling and earned a unanimous decision.

That was a good first outing, but now I’d like to see him against a more established name at welterweight. Geoff Neal feels like the right kind of test.

Neal has been around the division’s upper tier for years and has shared the cage with some serious competition. He’s also a dangerous striker who would force Soldić to be sharp from the opening bell. Soldić has built his reputation on finishing people, but the Williams fight showed he can win when things don’t go exactly as planned.

Neal would tell us a lot more about where Soldić fits in the UFC’s welterweight picture. If Soldić can get past someone with that kind of experience, the conversation around his potential gets a whole lot more interesting.

5. Johnny Walker vs. Marcin Tybura

Johnny Walker’s heavyweight debut could not have gone much better. After struggling to find consistency at light heavyweight, Walker moved up and knocked out Mick Parkin with a knee in the first round. It was the kind of performance that makes you wonder whether he should have made the move sooner.

Walker has always had the physical tools and explosive power to make things interesting. The problem at 205 pounds was putting everything together consistently. Fighting at heavyweight could give him a little more room to work without the same brutal weight cut, but one win doesn’t suddenly make him a contender.

That’s why Marcin Tybura makes sense. He’s an experienced heavyweight who can give Walker a real test without immediately throwing him into a matchup with one of the division’s top names. Tybura’s durability and experience would tell us whether Walker’s heavyweight success is something he can build on.

Walker has already said he’s interested in returning quickly and facing Tybura next. Sometimes matchmaking really is that simple. Give him the fight, let him build some momentum and see where this new chapter takes him.