Outlook: “The Kung Fu Kid” looked as good as ever against Henry Cejudo before an accidental eye poke ended the bout prematurely. However, he still earned the technical decision, and one could argue he deserves a chance to cement his spot in the top five against a similarly ranked opponent, even though he already suffered losses to Yan and Sandhagen. A fight against O’Malley would be fascinating, as would a fight against the loser between Bautista and Nurmagomedov. Still just 27 years old and continuously improving, Song seems like a slight dark horse in the division.
Outlook: Bautista stands as one of the most underrated fighters in any division. Through 12 UFC fights, he has 10 wins (four finishes) with his two losses coming to Sandhagen and (slightly randomly) Trevin Jones. However, Bautista is currently riding an eight-fight winning streak, which includes wins over Ricky Simón, José Aldo, and Patchy Mix. If he hands Nurmagomedov his second professional loss, one could argue Bautista deserves a title shot the next time he makes the walk.
If Bautista isn’t the most underrated fighter on the roster, Montel Jackson has a shout for that spot himself. A 2018 graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series, Jackson is 9-2 in the Octagon with his lone losses coming to Simón (in Jackson’s debut) and Brett Johns. Currently on a 6-fight winning streak heading into his bout with Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs Gamrot, Jackson might find himself in a top-5 matchup early in 2026 should he get the job done in Brazil.
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