Matches to Make After UFC Rio
Tyler TreeseOct 11, 2025
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Brazil for its latest Fight Night card. The UFC Rio main event saw former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira return to the Octagon against Mateusz Gamrot. The 12-fight card also featured key fights in the bantamweight, welterweight and heavyweight divisions.
Here are five matches to make for the main card winners of UFC Rio.
Oliveira (36-11) overcame an opponent change on short notice and managed to defeat Gamrot (25-4) in the main event with an impressive face crank submission. "Do Bronxs" has now won two of his last three fights, although a one-sided defeat to champ Ilia Topuria means he isn't getting another crack at gold soon. Holloway is also on the receiving end of a stellar Topuria knockout, so let’s pit these two fan-favorite fighters together once again. The two actually fought in 2015, although a shoulder injury to Oliveira derailed it just a minute-and-a-half into the very first round. Let's see these two beloved fighters throw down for five rounds for the “BMF” title. Nobody will complain about that.
Former flyweight champion Figueiredo got a much-needed win by outstriking and outworking a timid Montel Jackson over three rounds. "Deus da Guerra" is now 4-2 at bantamweight and has established himself as a contender once again. With his popularity, a fight against former bantamweight king O'Malley would be plenty of fun. O'Malley (18-3, 1 NC) is coming off back-to-back defeats to Merab Dvalishvili, so this also makes sense as a fitting bounce back fight. It’s not a soft touch as Figueiredo (25-5-1) is dangerous, but a clash between two former titleholders makes too much sense not to do.
Alvarez’s move to welterweight was a successful one, even if his fight against Vicente Luque was a goofy one. Regardless of the weirdness of what should’ve been a Round 1 TKO in his favor, “El Fenomeno” has now won four straight fights. Alvarez (23-3) is a new contender in the division, so let’s test him further with some streaking fighters at 170. Rodriguez fits the bill nicely, as “D-Rod” has put together three straight wins after dispatching Kevin Holland, Santiago Ponzinibbio and Alex Morono. It’d be a solid veteran test to make sure that moving up to 170 was the right move for Alvarez.
Heavyweight prospect Pinto stayed undefeated by overwhelming Jhonata Diniz with a flurry of punches. Pinto (10-0) is now 2-0 inside the UFC after he also knocked out Austen Lane. Let’s see just how good the Portuguese fighter is by matching him up with Parkin. The 30-year-old English heavyweight was also 10-0 before losing his most recent fight against Marcin Tybura. Parkin (10-1) needs a step back, while Pinto needs a step up, so let’s see who has more upside going forward.
Ofli outgrappled Ricardo Ramos in the entertaining main card opener, which ended with a slick rear-naked choke by the Australian. This is the first win inside the Octagon for “Genghis,” who fell short against Muhammadjon Naimov and Mairon Santos. Let’s pit Ofli (11-4-1) against Yi next, as the Chinese fighter has also gone 1-2 inside the UFC. A knockout of Westin Wilson likely saved the job of Yi (26-5), who is showing improvement at just 28. It’ll be a pivotal fight for both men, as a 1-3 promotional record will lead the loser to likely getting cut.