Matches to Make After UFC Seattle

The Ultimate Fighting Championship capped off its February schedule with a return to Seattle. The birthplace of grunge saw former two-weight champion Henry Cejudo face off against Yadong Song in the UFC Seattle main event. A card with plenty of depth, there were additional meaningful fights in the bantamweight, middleweight and light heavyweight divisions that will change the landscape for the year to come.

Here are five matches to make following UFC Seattle.

Yadong Song vs. Henry Cejudo 2

Song (22-8-1, 1 NC) picked up the biggest win of his career by picking up a unanimous decision over Cejudo (16-5), but it didn’t come without controversy. The fight went to a technical decision after Cejudo couldn’t see after being poked in the eye by Song. No point was taken, which led to Song winning a decision with scorecards of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 in his favor. The “Kung Fu Kid” has now won three of his last four fights, and he suggested running the fight back as it wasn’t how he wanted to win. It seems like the right thing to do and would serve as another Fight Night headliner.

Anthony Hernandez vs. Nassourdine Imavov

Hernandez simply has Brendan Allen’s number as he picked up his second win over “All-In,” who he previously beat back in 2018 on the regional circuit. Hernandez (14-2, 1 NC) is now on an incredible seven-fight win streak and is ready for a title eliminator fight. Going up against the last man to defeat Allen would make sense as Imavov is in a great spot after knocking out Israel Adesanya. Hernandez vs. Imavov (16-4) would be a perfect fight to determine a number one contender and a stellar Fight Night main event. Let’s see them battle over five rounds with high stakes on the line.

Related » UFC Seattle Round-by-Round Scoring

Rob Font vs. Marcus McGhee

Font was given everything he could handle by Jean Matsumoto, who accepted the fight on just 11 days’ notice, but ultimately escaped with a split decision win. Now 2-2 in his last four fights, Font (22-8) should take on another surging fighter that hasn’t proven himself on the highest level. A fight against McGhee would fit that bill. “The Maniac” holds an impressive 10-1 record and is on a six-fight win streak that includes four straight victories inside the Octagon, including a win over Jonathan Martinez. It would give Font a chance to show he’s ready to face top contenders again, while McGhee could elevate himself within the division with an upset.

Jean Silva vs. Felipe Lima

Silva returned to featherweight in impressive fashion as he finished Melsik Baghdasaryan with brutal punches and elbows to the body. On an impressive 12-fight win streak that includes four wins inside the Octagon, Silva (15-2) has lived up to his nickname of "Lord." I’d like to see the Fighting Nerds product to go up against another young and impressive Brazilian featherweight in Lima next. At 14-1, “Jungle Boy” hasn’t lost a fight since his pro debut and is coming off an impressive unanimous decision win over Miles Johns. Both men are ones to watch at 145, so let’s see who is ready for an immediate step up the rankings.

Alonzo Menifield vs. Johnny Walker

In the main card opener, Menifield was able to add the first loss to Julius Walker's record via split decision. Now Menifield (16-5-1) is back in the win column after a pair of knockout losses to Carlos Ulberg and Azamat Murzankanov. “Atomic” has won three of his last five fights and should go up against another exciting veteran. A fight against Brazil’s Walker would be a ton of fun. Walker (21-9, 1 NC) had a rough 2024 with TKO defeats to Volkan Oezdemir and Magomed Ankalaev but remains a threat at 205 pounds. The fight would show which vet has more left in the tank.