We've already taken a deep dive into what the immediate future might hold for Alexander Volkanovski and the rest of the main card winners from last Saturday's UFC 314 event in Miami.
Now, let's take a look at some potential next matchups for those who came up short on Saturday night.
Diego Lopes
Despite losing to Alexander Volkanovski in Saturday's main event, Diego Lopes (26-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has every reason to be pleased with how his UFC career has unfolded so far.
Lopes did enough over 25 minutes at the Kaseya Center to prove he can compete with the featherweight division’s elite. Considering he made his Octagon debut less than two years ago, he may be only two or three wins away from re-entering the title conversation.
His heated exchange with Yair Rodriguez at last Thursday's pre-fight press conference has opened the door for a high-profile grudge match between the two, which will likely take place at UFC Noche next September in Guadalajara—the city Lopes has called home for the past decade.
Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) received an offer he couldn’t refuse when the contract to fight Conor McGregor landed on his desk back in 2022. But his decision to sit on the sidelines for two years waiting for a fight that never materialized likely cost him his best chance at securing high-profile wins in the UFC.
Chandler looked like a shadow of his former self for long stretches of his comeback fight against Charles Oliveira in November, and he was completely outclassed by Paddy Pimblett in Saturday’s co-main event at UFC 314.
Now riding a three-fight losing streak and having dropped five of his seven UFC bouts—three by stoppage—it seems the former Bellator champion’s time has passed.
With his knockout win over a fading Tony Ferguson standing as his only victory in the last four years, it may finally be time for Chandler to hang up the gloves and walk away from the sport for good.
Patricio Freire and Bryce Mitchell
Chandler wasn’t the only former Bellator great to suffer defeat on Saturday night. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (36-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC) struggled to make an impact in his bout against Yair Rodriguez, and at 37 years old, the Brazilian legend may also be nearing the end of his illustrious career.
With hopes of adding a UFC title to his long list of accolades now seemingly dead in the water, Freire's focus may shift to simply securing a UFC victory to round out his resume. Could a matchup with Bryce Mitchell be next?
Mitchell (17-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) suffered a humbling defeat at the hands of Jean Silva on Saturday, and the momentum he once had in the featherweight division—after winning his first six fights in the Octagon—now feels like a distant memory.
Clear-cut losses to Ilia Topuria, Josh Emmett, and now Silva have exposed "Thug Nasty’s" limitations against elite competition. At this stage of his career, he may be just the step back in competition that “Pitbull” needs.
Nikita Krylov
Saturday’s fight with Dominick Reyes was surely not the return Nikita Krylov (30-10 MMA, 11-8 UFC) had envisioned following his three-year hiatus from competitive action.
Having won three straight prior to his sabbatical, the Ukrainian likely hoped to pick up where he left off. Instead, he became the latest addition to Reyes’ growing highlight reel of knockout finishes.
Some additional time off may be in order for “The Miner,” who could find himself matched against the loser of the upcoming UFC 316 bout between his former opponent Johnny Walker and Azamat Murzakanov upon his return.
