5 fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Renato Moicano vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
Last night, the UFC's latest event in Paris took place. It was fun, and with plenty of talking points, it was well worth watching.
So what is next for the fighters who won big at UFC Fight Night: Renato Moicano vs. Benoit Saint-Denis?
For some, a move into their division's title picture could be possible, but as always, only the matchmakers know for sure.
Here are five fights to make following UFC Fight Night: Renato Moicano vs. Benoit Saint-Denis.
#5. UFC lightweight bout: Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Jalin Turner
After his loss to Renato Moicano in last night's headline bout, it might be a while before we see Benoit Saint-Denis in the octagon again.
The French favorite suffered a nasty beatdown at the hands of Moicano, and with that coming on the heels of his KO loss to Dustin Poirier, he probably needs some time away to rebuild.
However, when he does return, which will likely be in 2025, a good foe for him could be Jalin Turner.
'The Tarantula' is currently taking a break of his own after his own loss to Moicano, but he's the kind of striking-based opponent that could provide a really fun fight for Saint-Denis.
More to the point, Turner is still ranked at No.14, meaning the winner would still be afloat in the lightweight rankings. Therefore, the UFC could easily co-headline a Fight Night event with this bout next year.
#4. UFC lightweight bout: Fares Ziam vs. Bobby 'King' Green
One of last night's most impressive fighters was Fares Ziam. He opened up the main card with a bang, turning out the lights on a difficult opponent in Matt Frevola to light up the French fans in attendance.
While his knockout will live long in the memory - it was probably one of the best of 2024 so far - 'Smile Killer' might be a fighter to watch a little more closely.
His win last night was his fourth in a row, and overall, he's 6-2 in the UFC. Therefore, 2025 could well see him look to climb into the top fifteen at 155 pounds.
A good potential fight for him, then, could be with veteran Bobby 'King' Green.
Green lost to Paddy Pimblett in his last fight, but prior to that, he was ranked and has beaten plenty of solid fighters, even in recent years as he's got older.
He could definitely test Ziam's skills, and if the Frenchman wants to climb up the ladder, then 'King' is the kind of fighter he's going to have to beat at some point.
#3. UFC welterweight bout: Bryan Battle vs. Neil Magny
It's fair to say that Bryan Battle made quite an impact during his time in Paris. Not only did the TUF veteran look excellent in his TKO win over Kevin Jousset, but he also made an enemy of the entire country of France with his provocative post-fight antics.
'The Butcher' will now likely be a fighter well on the radar of the UFC brass after drawing such attention, and as he's won all but one of his bouts in the octagon, he's clearly talented.
Therefore, the promotion ought to give him a chance to step up to the next level - and if that's the case, the best opponent for him could be Neil Magny.
The welterweight division's premier gatekeeper, Magny is beatable against any fighter worthy of climbing to the elite level. If a fighter is not on that level, though, 'The Haitian Sensation' is very likely to expose them.
Battle has made a name for himself now, and so it's time to see if 'The Butcher' can sink or swim at the very top. A bout with Magny would be the perfect thing to test that out.
#2. UFC middleweight bout: Nassourdine Imavov vs. Israel Adesanya
It's been a relatively quiet climb to the top, but Nassourdine Imavov is now within touching distance of the summit in the UFC middleweight division.
'The Sniper' won his third bout in a row last night by outpointing Brendan Allen, using his nasty striking and strong takedown defense to defeat 'All In'.
He won't climb up in the rankings following the win - he was already at No.4 - but it's clear that his next fight needs to be a big one. After all, he's probably only behind Sean Strickland and the winner of the upcoming Robert Whittaker/Khamzat Chimaev fight in the queue for a title shot.
One intriguing bout for him could be against Israel Adesanya, then.
'The Last Stylebender' is probably still the division's biggest star, but the former champ is coming off two straight losses now, and needs to rebuild himself fast.
A fight with Imavov wouldn't be an easy one by any means, but it would give Adesanya a chance to beat a high-level opponent while also giving Imavov a chance to prove himself at the top in the same breath.
Therefore, this one could be a smart fight to make and could stand as the co-headliner of a pay-per-view, perhaps.
#1. UFC lightweight bout: Renato Moicano vs. Paddy Pimblett
Renato Moicano was undoubtedly last night's biggest winner. Not only did he produce a tremendous showing to beat down Benoit Saint-Denis in the headline bout, upsetting the odds in the process, but he's now on the best run of his UFC career.
Therefore, it'd be easy for the matchmakers to look to push the Brazilian hard up the card and give him a fight with someone like Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier.
However, a smarter fight for Moicano right now could be with UK favorite Paddy Pimblett.
'The Baddy' silenced a lot of his doubters with his recent win over Bobby Green, and at 6-0 in the UFC, is now ranked in the top fifteen at 155 pounds.
Fans of Moicano might argue he deserves a bigger fight than Pimblett, who is ranked four places below him on the ladder. However, 'The Baddy' is quickly becoming a true star for the UFC, particularly in his native UK.
If the promotion could book another event in the UK in early 2025, then, this fight could easily headline, with Moicano looking to quieten another hot crowd on his unlikely march into title contention.