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Morales debuted in the UFC in August 2017, a few weeks ahead of his 23rd birthday, collecting a first-round submission win over Roberto Sanchez that pushed him to 9-0 as a professional and earned him a performance bonus as well. He seemed, at the time, like a serious prospect in the 125-pound weight class.

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Just 15 months later, the Team Alpha MMA representative suffered a split decision loss to Eric Shelton, his second straight setback inside the Octagon, and was released from the promotion. After competing just three times over the next six-plus years, the now 31-year-old Morales landed on Season 33 of The Ultimate Fighter, where he was Chael Sonnen’s first pick (second overall) and worked his way to the finals of the flyweight tournament.

At UFC 319 in August, “Bopo” submitted the heavily favored Alibi Idiris in the second round to not only join the ranks of Ultimate Fighter winners but put himself back on the UFC roster as well. This weekend, Morales makes his first official start since that fight with Shelton when he squares off with Matt Schnell in the co-main event of Saturday’s fight card.

Morales’ release came at a time when the future of the flyweight division was sketchy and looks hasty in hindsight, as his first loss came against future two-time champ Deiveson Figueiredo, in Brazil no less. The weight class has since become a permanent source of exciting fights and one of the deepest divisions in the UFC, and Morales now profiles as someone who could make a quick run into the rankings, with Saturday’s bout against Schnell feeling like a strong potential starting point. He’s well-rounded and has the strong wrestling and grappling base you expect from members of the Sacramento-based fight camp, and now he has the seasoning and maturity to go along with it, which is an important but often overlooked piece of the puzzle.

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Schnell, who turns 36 in January, was a mainstay in the Top 15 before he took a sabbatical from the sport last fall and showed he’s still a stern test in April when he returned and controlled things in his fight with Jimmy Flick from start to finish. “Danger” has never met a scrap or a scramble that doesn’t pique his interest, and he will surely be looking to make his case for a return to the rankings by spoiling Morales’ return to the roster on Saturday.

Beating Schnell won’t necessarily catapult the recent TUF winner straight into the Top 15, but it would absolutely position him for a possible date with someone carrying a number next to their name in the first quarter of next year, and that’s precisely where Morales would like to be as we head towards the holidays.

Marco Tulio

Tulio makes his third appearance of 2025 on Saturday and second appearance in this series here, looking to build on consecutive stoppage wins over Ihor Potieria and Tresean Gore as he steps in opposite Christian Leroy Duncan this weekend at the UFC APEX.

A member of the outstanding Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Class of ’24, the 31-year-old Brazilian has won 10 straight, seven by way of stoppage, including the last four, and sports a sterling 13-1 record overall, with his lone loss coming seven years ago. Tulio’s stock increased last month with the impressive performance turned in by Yousri Belgaroui in Vancouver, as he bested the Dutch kickboxer on the cards when they fought on Season 7 of the annual talent search series. Though he didn’t get a contract that evening, “Matuto” returned the following year, stopped Matthieu Duclos in the middle of the second, and claimed his spot on the roster.

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There is a daring aggressiveness to the Chute Boxe Diego Lima representative, who fights like a middleweight version of his teammate Daniel “Willycat” Santos, striding into the fray with complete trust in his weapons and his chin, ready to put on a show each time out. Thus far, it’s been difficult to argue with the approach, as it’s yielded a pair of impressive finishes and stamped Tulio as one to watch in the percolating middleweight division.

Saturday’s matchup with Duncan is a perfect assignment at this moment; a date with a fellow up-and-coming talent who is a little more technical, a little more willing (from what we’ve seen thus far) to grapple, but equally dangerous. Though he’s had some ups and downs, “CLD” has also won two straight and enters off his best performance to date inside the Octagon.

This is a classic “only one can move forward right now” pairing, and much like with Morales, a win isn’t necessarily going to launch Tulio into the Top 15. It would, however, further establish him as one of the top emerging names in the 185-pound weight class and set him up for another crucial step up in competition next time out.

Jacqueline Cavalcanti

Last week, Norma Dumont was featured in this space ahead of her fight with Ketlen Vieira, which felt like a potential title eliminator, or at the very least, a critical matchup in the bantamweight division. Dumont earned the split decision victory, extending her winning streak to six and positioning her as the clubhouse leader in the chase for the next championship opportunity, once the fight everyone assumes is going to happen happens.

This week, it’s Cavalcanti’s turn to be recognized as an ascending name in the 135-pound weight class as the Portuguese standout returns to action for the second time this year, facing off with former vacant title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva, aiming to extend her record to 5-0 in the UFC and push her record to 10-1 in the process.

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The 28-year-old Cavalcanti has been steady as they come since arriving in the UFC, posting four consecutive decision wins. Don’t let the splits in the middle of that quartet trick you either: those were complete outlier cards that no one other than the official submitting that scorecard arrived at, and while there were competitive fights, they were Cavalcanti’s fights, without question.

Cavalcanti is still relatively young in her career —she fought once in 2018, didn’t fight for three years, and then has added nine more appearances over the last five years, working her way down the scale from lightweight to bantamweight, picking up good wins throughout her journey. The best win of her career, honestly, is probably her LFA title fight win over Melissa Croden, who debuted last month in Vancouver and won by third-round stoppage, overwhelming Tainara Lisboa; Cavalcanti beat her on the scorecards in a solid five-round scrap, with scores of 49-46, 48-47, 50-45.

What makes “The Nightmare” such an interesting name to track in this division is that she has good size and strength for the division while doing everything at a solid level, with obvious room for growth. She’s looked more comfortable, more polished, more refined each time out, and as she continues to build experience inside the Octagon, it’s not out of the question for her to grow into a legit Top 5 talent with the tools needed to be champion one day.

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Bueno Silva is an excellent test for Cavalcanti this weekend: a veteran talent who has fought at the highest level, competed against a host of contenders and former champions, and is coming off three straight losses and a no contest, which should, in theory, have her chomping at the bit to show she’s still a threat and someone that can excel at this level.

Beating someone with the pedigree of “Sheetara” would be a major statement for Cavalcanti, and while things at the very top of the division are starting to get backed up, a win here would put her in a position to log a couple fights against the middle third of the Top 15 in 2026, with another win or two possibly putting her in the title conversation.