Despite Kayla Harrison’s loss to Amanda Nunes, the UFC clearly tried to stack their first card on Paramount as much as possible. They had a Nurmagomedov, a former champion in Deiveson Figueiredo and a highly touted prospect in Ateba Gautier, all fighting in the prelims. In the main event, all-time action hero Justin Gaethje, a man with a legitimate claim as the most entertaining fighter ever, delivered another classic in a hard-fought victory against Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, making him a two-time interim champion. Now that the Paramount era is officially off to a good start, let’s take a look at what’s next for Saturday’s winners.
Justin slave
It’s hard to decipher what being a two-time interim champion means for Justin Gaethje’s legacy, but what Saturday did provide was yet another reminder that this class of lightweight action heroes is possibly the most special era of any division. Gaethje, along with the Charles Oliveiras, Dustin Poiriers, etc. of this lightweight class, have been challenged numerous times by the so-called new wave of 155ers, but they have continued to give them the Dikembe Mutombo finger-wagging. Aside from Arman Tsarukyan, the wave of new names has been negated four or five years ago by this outdated but historically great pack of lightweights. Despite an inspired effort, Paddy Pimblett can now be added to the list of names falling short of Gaethje & Company.
As for “The Highlight,” we can expect him to unify the titles against Ilia Topuria, possibly on the White House lawn. Maybe Topuria will be out longer than expected and Gaethje will have to defend his interim title, but I would doubt it (at least for now).
Gaethje’s next fight: Ilia Topuria
Sean O’Malley
After dropping consecutive bouts to Merab Dvalishvili, Sean O’Malley’s place in the bantamweight title picture seemed blurry at best and non-existent at worst. But when Petr Yan pulled off an upset and took the belt back, O’Malley’s fight with Song Yadong suddenly took on a whole new meaning. With a win, O’Malley could lay claim to a title shot as he has a victory over Yan, controversial as it may be.
This decision may have looked a bit uninteresting compared to some of the highlights he has achieved in the past, but it was a win nonetheless and I believe it will be enough for O’Malley to slide straight back into title contention. Especially with a card at the White House on the horizon, the promotion will likely be looking for Americans to take part in some of those title fights, and O’Malley fits that bill.
O’Malley’s next fight: Petr Yan
Waldo Cortes-Acosta
In a surprising turn of events, Waldo Cortes-Acosta has been in trouble since dropping the decision to Sergei Pavlovich. He fought 5 times in 2025, twice in November. Now that he’s fought on the first card of 2026, he clearly didn’t want to waste any time getting back into the octagon. After making quick work of Ante Delija and Shamil Gaziev, he showed a more patient and methodical approach to dismantling the power threat in Derrick Lewis. He used his speed advantage to disorient Lewis and break his rhythm en route to a TKO in the second round.
He called out Curtis Blaydes, which isn’t a bad option, but I prefer the matchup with Alexander Volkov. Unfortunately for Volkov, he will almost certainly have to fight again before he earns his title shot due to the delays in Tom Aspinall’s return. Why not take out the exciting new player in “Salsa Boy” to once again confirm your place as next in line?
Cortes-Acosta’s next fight: Alexander Volkov
Natalia Silva
It wasn’t the most action-packed nor the most decisive victory of Silva’s perfect UFC run to date, but she was already the clear number one contender in this fight. Rose Namajunas might have surpassed Silva if she had defeated Alexa Grasso on this card, which is why it was probably the right decision for her to jump into Grasso’s spot as soon as the Mexican withdrew to ensure Rose couldn’t steal her spot.
Normally this kind of performance doesn’t get you a title shot, especially when there are other names laying claim to it. However, Silva already earned her chance after beating Grasso, this was just an extra buffer between her and Erin Blanchfield, Maycee Barber and the other flyweight contenders. It may not be the most exciting affair, but Valentina Shevchenko vs. Natalia Silva should be next.
Silva’s next fight: Valentina Shevchenko
Jean Silva
After suffering his first UFC loss to Diego Lopes in September, fans wondered how the Brazilian would recover. Silva, who often wanted to shake hands with his opponent during a fight, was all business this time. No fuss, no unnecessary pranks, Silva came to fight. He was still viciously robbing Arnold Allen, doing theatrics in the final seconds of the fight and barking after winning the decision, but he seemed to have an extra focus during the fight.
This allowed him to take home a competitive, but clear decision win over the Englishman, who has been a staple of the featherweight top 10 for almost half a decade now. Knowing that the promotion was ready to give him a rocket had he defeated Lopes in September, this win should put him right back into a number one contendership. I think a fight with Yair Rodriguez in late spring/early summer not only makes a lot of sense, but would be absolute fireworks.
Silva’s next fight: Yair Rodriguez
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