UFC 327 just wrapped up this past weekend with some huge storylines for the night, including an emphatic round one knockout from Cub Swanson to close out his career, and a war from Josh Hokit and Curtis Blaydes (whom sold my parlay) which is already being considered the greatest heavyweight fight of all time. So where do we go from here?

Nate Landwehr should fight Luke Riley.

There is a bit of an asterisk on this one, as getting knocked down three times and knocked out in round one by a 42-year-old Cub Swanson might be a decent sign that professional mixed martial arts is not the best career option for Nate Landwehr, however, if he does continue to fight, I believe he should take on Luke Riley; perhaps, on a fight night prelim in a couple months. Landwehr would be coming into this bout having been knocked out in his last 3, and Luke Riley is a young, undefeated (albeit, unproven) rising star in the featherweight division. If Riley wins, his next fight is most likely a litmus test on the main card of a fight night or the prelims of a pay per view to see if he’s ready to be ranked. And, Landwehr would most likely be out of the UFC. If Landwehr pulls it together, he remains in the organization.

Dominick Reyes should fight Khalil Rountree Jr.

There is no two ways about it, Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker was a snoozefest. Surprisingly so, considering more often than not Walker fights like a real life Mortal Kombat character. But nonetheless people on X (formerly known as Twitter) were saying things such as, “I never [want to] see Dominick Reyes or Johnny Walker ever again.” Or, Jon Anik calling the subsequent fight the, “Antidote to Walker vs Reyes,” and the crowd chanting “This is boring,” throughout the fight. It is evident that, in this stage of his career, Dominick Reyes needs an opponent who will push the pace in order to have an exciting fight; enter Khalil Rountree Jr. Rountree Jr is coming off a loss against Jiri Prochazka, but is widely considered to be a high octane, exciting muay thai striker. While Reyes might have a top five run left in him, Rountree is almost destined for one. The stakes for this fight are very simple: The winner becomes one win away from a title shot, while the loser is doomed to gatekeep 205 until retirement.

Johnny Walker should fight Aleksandar Rakic.

Johnny Walker’s boring fight seemed to be the UFC equivalent of flying pigs until this past Saturday. However, I don’t believe this hiccup will become a trend for Walker. If given the right opponent, he can continue his high-speed kill, or be killed, matchups fans have come to know and (sometimes) love from Walker. Aleksandar Rakic would be decent opponent for Walker to get back to those kinds of fights. Rakic has not won since 2021; however, that does not mean his heavy striking and high volume leg kicks are to be ignored. This matchup wouldn’t be the kind to change Light Heavyweight as we know it, but it would be a no-defense-all-offense war between two men in desperate need of a get-right fight.

Josh Hokit should fight Sergei Pavlovich.

Josh Hokit showed up out of nowhere. Folks did not seem to appreciate Hokit’s played up, larger than life persona in the weeks leading up to the pay per view. They wanted to see Hokit get the beating of a lifetime. Although fans did not get what they wanted, they definitely were not disappointed. Hokit immediately rushed down Curtis Blaydes and put him on wobbly legs. What followed: a fifteen minute flurry of haymakers, middle fingers and multiple near finishes with more blood than your average street in Los Angeles. President Trump was seen consulting Dana White after the fight, wondering why Hokit was not on the card for UFC Freedom 250, a sentiment unknowingly parroted by Joe Rogan. Not even ten minutes later, Josh Hokit vs Derrick Lewis was announced. But something about this fight doesn’t sit right with me. In what universe does it make sense for someone who just beat the number five contender to face the number nine contender, coming off a loss where he gassed out and sat in the octagon? And wouldn’t that loss prove he gets decimated by Hokit, who just fought through 15 minutes of pure violence, without once backing down? I believe Hokit should be given a trial by fire, and face the number three contender Sergei Pavlovich. Pavlovich is known for having downright deadly power on his feet, with a touch of death capable of coming from him at any given moment in a fight. He also has amazing cardio compared to Lewis, and could arguably put on a show with Hokit even better than the Blaydes fight.

Curtis Blaydes should fight Serghei Spivac.

Even though Curtis Blaydes lost on Saturday night, it is safe to say no one will be holding it against him. Not all defeats are built equally, and Blaydes looked to go out on his shield just as much as Josh Hokit. Blaydes deserves a fight that puts him back in the top five if he comes out on top: and that fight is Serghei Spivac. Spivac recouped from his 2025 loss to Salsa Boy a couple months ago, with his decision win over Ante Delija at UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hernandez. This fight could be a fight night main event as the winner almost certainly moves to the top five. Ranking implications aside, this fight would be a barn burner for grappling fans: an expert folkstyle wrestler in Blaydes taking on a Jiu Jitsu black belt and Judo practitioner in Spivac.

Paulo Costa should rematch Azamat Murzakanov.

Now, before you get up in arms about how clear a win that was, go back to round one and look at the eye poke which, at second glance, was knuckle deep. Eye pokes will almost always negate wins in the eyes of the fans. Just look at everyone who says that Jon Jones is not in the “goat” conversation. Costa and Murzakanov should run it back as soon as possible, end of story. As it was obvious Murzakanov was having sight problems.

Carlos Ulberg should defend against Magomed Ankalaev.

With Jiri Prochazka’s claims of showing mercy trying to keep the fight on its feet, many people are calling Carlos Ulberg a paper champion, in a similar vein to Joshua Van following his title win over Alejandre Pantoja. As such, Ulberg needs a legitimate threat to defend against. Maybe a giant? Maybe a Russian? Maybe a giant Russian? Magomed Ankalaev’s only loss in the 2020s was to the previous champ Poatan. He is widely regarded as the most elite grappler at 205 right now, and a win over him would quickly clear up those fraud accusations for Ulberg.

Jiri Prochazka should fight Jan Blachowicz.

Jiri most likely will not drop down too far following his controversial loss to Carlos Ulberg at 327. Jiri could likely get another title shot after one win, so why not make it a fight that fans have been wanting for years? Jiri Prochazka vs Jan Blachowicz would essentially be the “European BMF” fight. Jiri fights like a man incapable of throwing a normal punch, and Blachowicz is essentially if Justin Gaethje was a Polish Light Heavyweight. This would be an absolute fight of the year contender if it were to happen, maybe as the co main of a pay per view.

Bonus: Jiri Prochazka should fight Magomed Ankalaev for the title

With the injury sustained by Carlos Ulberg on his leg, there are talks of him potentially vacating the belt, as he may be out for upwards of a year. If this were to happen, Prochazka vs Ankalaev is the fight to make for the vacant strap. Prochazka just lost in a real head scratcher, injuring Ulberg’s leg and then trying to take the high road by keeping it to stand and bang with Ulberg, only to get starched that very same round. On the other hand, Magomed is the best grappler at 205, and has only lost to Poatan in the 2020s in a rematch of a fight he won the first time around. This fight could be a classic striker vs grappler moment, with the winner defending against Ulberg. Once his leg is healed up, of course.