5 Fights to Make After UFC Vegas 112

Brendan Allen reminded everyone why he’s one of the middleweight division’s toughest outs, submitting Christian Leroy Duncan in the fifth round of their main event. Andre Fili delivered a nasty head-kick knockout, Jai Herbert picked up another win, and Otari Tanzilovi announced himself with a highlight-reel finish of his own.

Now it’s that time of the week where we figure out what’s next. Here are five fights I’d make after UFC Vegas 112.

1. Brendan Allen vs. Dricus du Plessis

Allen has been asking for this fight for a while, and his performance against Duncan gave him another reason to push for it. The middleweight extended his winning streak to four with a fifth-round rear-naked choke, showing the kind of patience and grappling that makes him a nightmare matchup for almost anyone in the division.

After the win, Allen went right back to calling out former champion Dricus du Plessis, accusing the South African of avoiding him. Allen has made it clear that he wants a fight with someone who can move him closer to the title, and DDP fits that description perfectly.

There’s a strong argument for Allen to get a title shot, depending on how the division shakes out. But if the UFC wants one more fight before putting him in front of Sean Strickland, this is the one. Du Plessis is a former champion with a proven ability to make elite opponents uncomfortable, and Allen would have a chance to show that his recent run has made him a legitimate title threat.

Besides, the two have enough history and bad blood to make the build-up interesting. Allen has done his part by continuing to win. At some point, the UFC should give him the fight he’s been asking for.

2. Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Roman Kopylov

Christian Leroy Duncan’s five-fight winning streak came to an end against Brendan Allen, but one loss shouldn’t erase the progress he’s made. Allen exposed some of the gaps in Duncan’s game, particularly when it came to defending takedowns and dealing with sustained grappling pressure. Now Duncan needs a matchup that lets him get back to work while testing whether he’s made the adjustments.

Roman Kopylov makes sense. The Russian middleweight is a dangerous striker with legitimate finishing power, which would give Duncan a chance to get back to the kind of fight where his kickboxing can shine. It wouldn’t be an easy night, but that’s exactly what Duncan needs after losing to a grappler like Allen.

Both fighters have the tools to make this an entertaining matchup, and the winner would have a good argument for another step up in competition. Duncan doesn’t need to start from scratch after one defeat. He just needs the right fight to get his momentum back.

3. Andre Fili vs. Felipe Lima

Fili has been around long enough that nobody needs to be reminded what he’s capable of when everything clicks. Still, his second-round knockout of Kai Kamaka III was a reminder that the veteran featherweight has plenty left to offer.

After a competitive opening round, Fili found his opening and finished Kamaka with a brutal head kick just 22 seconds into the second. The win snapped a two-fight skid and gave Fili one of the biggest highlights of the night.

I’d like to see him face Felipe Lima next. Lima is a dangerous featherweight who would give Fili a fresh challenge, and the matchup would tell us whether Fili can build some momentum after his latest performance.

Fili has spent years fighting a who’s-who of featherweight names. He doesn’t need another fight against a fellow veteran just to fill a spot on the card. A matchup with a hungry opponent like Lima gives him a chance to make another run while giving Lima an opportunity to add an established UFC name to his resume.

Fili has earned the right to have some fun with his next booking. After a knockout like that, this feels like a good time to give him a fight that could deliver another memorable finish.

4. Jai Herbert vs. Rong Zhu

Herbert quietly put together another solid performance, earning a unanimous decision over Matheus Camilo in the co-main event. It was his second consecutive victory, and the veteran lightweight is starting to build some momentum after a difficult stretch.

Herbert has never lacked striking ability. The question has always been whether he can string together wins and stay consistent against increasingly difficult competition. His victory over Camilo was another step in the right direction, but now he needs an opponent who can push him toward the next level.

Rong Zhu would make sense here. He’s an aggressive lightweight who likes to keep the pace high, which could make for an entertaining matchup against Herbert’s kickboxing. Both men would have something to gain, and neither would need to wait around for a bigger name to become available.

Herbert is 37 and doesn’t have unlimited time to make another push. Two straight wins are encouraging, but a third would put him in a much better position to ask for a tougher opponent. Zhu is the kind of test that could help him get there.

5. Otari Tanzilovi vs. Carlos Vera

Tanzilovi made the most of his opportunity against Malcolm Wellmaker, knocking him out with a second-round head kick to earn his first UFC victory. After losing his debut, the Georgian bantamweight needed a performance that could change the conversation around him. He delivered.

The win was especially impressive because Wellmaker had his moments early. Tanzilovi stayed composed, weathered the pressure and found the finish when the opportunity presented itself. That’s the kind of adjustment that can make a young fighter worth keeping an eye on.

Carlos Vera would be a sensible next step. Vera is an experienced bantamweight who could give Tanzilovi another opportunity to test his striking and show that the Wellmaker knockout wasn’t a one-off moment.

There’s no need to rush Tanzilovi into a ranked opponent after one UFC win. He needs time to develop, but he also needs fights that help him build confidence and experience. Vera would provide a useful measuring stick without forcing the UFC to move too quickly.

Tanzilovi gave the promotion a highlight worth replaying. Now he needs to show he can follow it up with another strong performance.