Delivering on one of the best Fight Night cards of the year, UFC on ESPN 62 brought with it a plethora of entertaining matchups, sterling debuts, and unbelievable comebacks. After a five-round slugfest, Caio Borralho defeated Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision to crash his way into the middleweight top-5.
Also on the main card, The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 concluded with two action-packed bouts, including Kaan Ofli and Mairon Santos facing off for the tournament’s featherweight trophy, along with Robert Valentin and Ryan Loder rounding out the middleweight portion of the finale.
Let’s now take a look at who the main card winners should fight next.
Gerald Meerschaert
After almost suffering a technical knockout early in the second round, Gerald Meerschaert (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) managed an amazing comeback over Edmen Shahbazyan in their main card opener. Proving his skills as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, the Wisconsin native survived a devastating barrage of punches before taking down “The Golden Boy, finally locking in a tight arm triangle to get the tap. The victory not only marked Meerschaert’s 29th professional career submission, it also earned him the honor of having the most finishes in UFC middleweight history at 12.
Fight to Make: André Muniz
While Meerschaert did call out Paul Craig in his post-fight interview, he will still have to string together a few more wins before he can earn a shot at facing ranked opposition. For his next outing, a matchup with former 185-lb. top-15 contender Andre Muniz would be the perfect way for “GM3” to start building a case for his own crack at the division’s utmost elite.
Michael Morales
Despite being out-grappled for the majority of their contest, rising 170-lb. phenom Michael Morales (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) picked up a monumental knockout performance over longtime divisional standout Neil Magny. First landing a giant spinning elbow to stun the winningest fighter in UFC welterweight history, Morales followed up with a torrent of ground strikes to notch his 17th consecutive victory.
STILL UNDEFEATED 🔥
🇪🇨 Michael Morales calls game and gets the first round finish! #UFCVegas96 pic.twitter.com/povTy2IIpq
— UFC (@ufc) August 25, 2024
Fight to Make: Michael Page
In just five appearances in the Octagon, Morales has demonstrated to be one of the 170-lb. class’ best strikers. When looking at potential matchups, a pairing between him and Michael Page has all the makings of a glorious slugfest.
Mairon Santos
Keeping in line with his nickname, “The Legend,” Mairon Santos (14-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) capitalized on his highly-anticipated Ultimate Fighter finale clash with Kaan Ofli by starching his fellow Team Grasso alum in spectacular fashion. Taking the first round handily with his superior boxing, Santos was momentarily backed up to the cage in the second, only for the Brazilian to knock out Ofli with a counter left hook to win the show’s featherweight tournament.
Fight to Make: Bill Algeo
After surviving the most grueling sports competition in the world, Santos can call himself a UFC fighter. However, his journey in the largest mixed martial arts promotion in the business has only just begun. For a great first test, the seasoned Bill Algeo stands as a worthwhile opponent for the newly-minted Ultimate Fighter, given his experience of almost 30 fights and his ability to excel wherever the fight goes.
Ryan Loder
In just a few short years after making his professional debut back in 2021, Ryan Loder (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) can call himself both a UFC fighter and an Ultimate Fighter winner. Using his superior wrestling, the former University of Northern Iowa athlete kept his opponent, Robert Valentin, on the ground for almost the entire duration of their bout. In the second round, Loder would lock in a crucifix and begin hammering down punches to Valentin’s face before the referee ultimately stepped into end the contest.
Fight to Make: Julian Marquez
Making it look easy in his UFC debut, Loder appears to be a hot new prospect for the middleweight division. With a similar background in college wrestling, Julian Marquez would be a splendid opponent for the UFC newcomer’s next trip to the cage. Having a 100 percent finishing rate, including three submission victories in the promotion, Loder would certainly have his hands full against Marquez in the grappling department.
Tabatha Ricci
Continuing to stay undefeated in 2024, Tabatha Ricci (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) procured a hard-fought unanimous decision over the grizzled veteran Angela Hill. The win now puts her at 2-0 since coming up short against Lupita Godinez last year at UFC 295.
Fight to Make: Amanda Lemos
Now ranked at No. 9 in the strawweight rankings, Ricci now finds herself possibly only a couple of crucial wins away from her very first title shot in the UFC. Sitting only four spots ahead of her is former 125-lb. title challenger Amanda Lemos, who is also in need of an assignment following her loss to Virna Jandiroba earlier this summer. From one veteran to another, if “Baby Shark” can make it through one of the top strikers in the division, then a title shot may very well be in her not-so-distant future.
Caio Borralho
In the main event of UFC on ESPN 62, Caio Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) drew the toughest of his mixed martial arts career against one-time middleweight challenger Jared Cannonier. After five rounds of back-and-forth action, “The Natural” passed the test with flying colors by taking a close unanimous decision over “The Killa Gorilla,” even almost stopping him in the fifth round.
Fight to Make: Israel Adesanya
In just two short years after arriving in the UFC, Borralho is now one of the greatest 185 lbs competitors on the planet, and he’s only getting better. While title talks might be silent now, mainly due to Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker being in the running for a potential rematch with current champion Dricus du Plessis, Borralho is not that far behind. To stake his claim for a shot at the middleweight throne, a statement-making performance over kickboxing legend and former champion Israel Adesanya could be just what the Brazilian needs to earn himself a gold-glove bout.
