Fight Island brought the action fast and heavy once again, with a night that featured everything from knockouts to submissions to close, technical exchanges.

Afterwards, we’re stuck asking ourselves… what’s next for the victors? Well I’m here to try to play matchmaker for our main card winners and see what fights could (and should) be on the horizon!

Brian Ortega vs. Alexander Volkanovski (FTW)

Brian Ortega came back from his extended hiatus to deliver a masterclass against the Korean Zombie. He was able to rock Zombie multiple times while stifling his opponent’s usual onslaught of violence with the threat of takedowns and well-placed straight punches. This match was called a number one contender match from the get-go and with no other immediate challengers at the call, I would love to see Volkanovski make his first non-Holloway title defense against Brian ortega.

Jessica Andrade vs. Valentina Shevchenko/Jennifer Maia Winner (FLW)

Jessica Andrade bulldozed through Katlyn Chookagian in her Flyweight debut, proving that a hefty height disadvantage does not leave her without MANY paths to victory, as she brutalized the title challenger with hooks to the body. Andrade puts herself right at the top of the division by beating the number one contender in a division pretty lacking in terms of big names. Dominant champion Valentina Shevchenko is set to square off with Jennifer Maia in November to defend her title at UFC 255. Andrade could prove an interesting challenge to the winner, but I also like a bout with Cynthia Calvillo in the midterm if she wants to stay busy, who was recently scratched from her bout with Lauren Murphy due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Jimmy Crute vs. Nikita Krylov (LHW)

Jimmy Crute dispatched of top prospect Modestas Bukauskas in violent fashion. His UFC record now sits at 4-1, with every win coming by finish. I’m going to piggyback off of his post-fight callout because it just makes sense. Nikita Krylov was slated to be on this card against Volkan Oezdemir but Oezdemir’s withdrawal left him off the card. Seeing as Crute won’t need much time to recuperate, this should be coming our way soon.

James Krause vs. Gunnar Nelson (WW)

James Krause stopped Claudio Silva’s fourteen-fight win streak with a unanimous decision win, demonstrating the far clearer striking and adept takedown defense. Krause is a veteran of the UFC and is at the top of the unranked Welterweight pack. Gunnar Nelson has not competed since a decision defeat to Gilbert Burns last summer and the grappling expert presents a great showdown of specialists.

Jonathan Martinez vs. Raoni Barcelos (BW)

Jonathan Martinez spoiled the Octagon return of Thomas Almeida, fighting through adversity to claim a unanimous decision. Martinez used his jab expertly and well-timed counters to keep his range and punish Almeida for entering the pocket. Martinez sits at at 4-2 in the UFC and deserves a shot to get closer to the rankings. Raoni Barcelos is riding a four-fight winning streak after joining the UFC, most recently claiming a three-round victory over Said Nurmagomedov, who scored a brutal knockout on our prelims.

We have our final Fight Island card next weekend with a killer PPV, all headlined with the unified Lightweight championship between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje!

Until next time, Freaks!