The fans at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, were treated to a marathon night of action inside the Octagon on Saturday, with eight of the card’s twelve bouts going to the judges’ scorecards.
Now, let’s take a look at what could be next for the biggest winners from UFC on ESPN 69.
Kamaru Usman
Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) turned back the clock in Saturday’s main event, earning his first win since defeating Colby Covington in November 2021. After outclassing Joaquin Buckley over 25 minutes, “The Nigerian Nightmare” was promptly called out by former titleholder Belal Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC), following their recent public falling out.
While Usman dismissed that idea—voicing his desire instead to face the winner of the rumored title fight between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev—the reality is that he’s 1-3 in his last four bouts. Despite his dominant championship run from 2019 to 2021, it’s hard to justify another title shot for Usman over more deserving contenders like Sean Brady or Shavkat Rakhmonov.
A matchup between Usman and Muhammad makes perfect sense.
Rose Namajunas
After an up-and-down run since moving up to 125 pounds over three years ago, former two-time UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (14-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC) returned to the win column on Saturday night, putting on a clinical performance to outpoint Miranda Maverick over three rounds in the co-main event.
“Thug Rose” now holds a 3-2 record in the flyweight division. While questions remain about whether she can physically compete with the division’s elite, her name recognition alone makes her a strong candidate for a high-profile matchup against a top-ranked opponent.
With champion Valentina Shevchenko likely headed for a superfight with strawweight titleholder Zhang Weili later this year, could Namajunas be lined up for a showdown with No. 1 contender Natalia Silva (19-5-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC)?
Edmen Shahbazyan
Edmen Shahbazyan (15-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) was once seen as the future of the middleweight division following a strong start to his UFC career. After winning his first four fights inside the Octagon, “The Golden Boy” hit a rough patch, dropping three straight and losing momentum in the process.
While consistency has been an issue, Shahbazyan appears to be regaining his footing. Saturday’s win over Andre Petroski marked his third victory in four outings, and at just 27 years old, he’ll be hoping there's still time to fulfill his undeniable potential.
Though he may not be ready for a jump into the middleweight rankings just yet, a matchup with Shara Magomedov (15-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) could be a solid litmus test to see if he’s prepared for the next level of competition.
Raoni Barcelos
For the second straight fight, Raoni Barcelos (20-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) defied the odds and proved why he shouldn’t be overlooked. After halting the momentum of rising prospect Payton Talbott at UFC 311 in January, the seasoned Brazilian followed up with a gritty win over former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt on Saturday night.
Now riding a three-fight win streak, the 38-year-old veteran seems to have found a formula that works. A potential next step? A clash with Ricky Simon (22-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC), who earned a unanimous decision victory over Cameron Smotherman on the same card, could be a compelling matchup.
Mansur Abdul-Malik
Mansur Abdul-Malik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) kept his undefeated record intact on Saturday night, earning the ninth win of his professional career. Although the bout was ultimately ruled a technical decision due to an accidental clash of heads, the Pittsburgh native showed once again that he's a rising force in the division.
Despite his clear potential, there’s no need to rush his ascent up the rankings just yet. A measured next step could be a matchup against Andre Petroski (13-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC), which would provide a solid test without jumping the gun.
