Our first Apex show of 2026 had some good deals. UFC Vegas 113 gave us the likes of Dustin Jacoby, Farid Basharat and Michal Oleksiejczuk further extending their win streaks, as well as a few key ranked matchups at the top of the card. Mario Bautista sent us home with a good feeling and delivered perhaps his best UFC performance to date. Now that the first Fight Night of 2026 is behind us, we can look at what’s next for Saturday’s winners.
Mario Bautista
He may never become a fan favorite, but Mario Bautista continues to prove he is a world-class fighter. While his previous eight-fight winning streak started with four straight finishes, the back half consisted entirely of decisions, including the infamous one against Jose Aldo. It was those decisions that left a sour taste in the fanbase’s mouths. This methodical domination of Vinicius Oliveira, capped by a second-round stoppage, is just what the doctor ordered for Bautista.
Everyone is frothing at the mouth at the idea of Sean O’Malley fighting Cory Sandhagen. After all, it’s one of the very best non-title fights the UFC can book right now. However, I do believe the promotion will try to book O’Malley for a Petr Yan rematch, which will leave Cory Sandhagen as the odd man out. That leaves the door open for another rematch, which Bautista called for in his post-fight interview.
Bautista’s next fight: Cory Sandhagen
Kyoji Horiguchi
Poor guy Amir Albazi has had to endure two separate layoffs lasting over a year, with the tough loss of Brandon Moreno sandwiched in between. And what does he get after overcoming those layoffs? A red-hot, rejuvenated Kyoji Horiguchi.
The Japanese fighter made sure Albazi had nothing for him and had him beaten everywhere. That’s two very convincing wins for Horiguchi since returning to the UFC. Normally he might be in line for a title shot, but the flyweight title picture has been chaotic since Alexandre Pantoja injured his arm against Joshua Van. And with Manel Kape seemingly at the top of the list of contenders, Kyoji unfortunately remains on the outside looking in. Taking all this into account, I think a main event in Japan against Tatsuro Taira is the best way to go.
Horiguchi’s next fight: Tatsuro Taira
Rizvan Kuniev
I would bet a substantial amount of money that this fight won’t win fight of the year, but Rizvan Kuniev got his first UFC win and that’s all that matters to him. It’s not just any win, it’s one that will put him in the top 10. The downside to the fight’s complete lack of drama and entertainment value is that the UFC won’t be in a rush to include Kuniev in a major fight, despite the fact that he just defeated a top 5 heavyweight. I think the winner of the upcoming fight between Sergei Spivac and Ante Delija is the best he can hope for.
Kuniev’s next fight: Spivac/Delija winner
Michal Oleksiejczuk
It wasn’t that long ago that Michal Oleksiejczuk was staring down the barrel of a three-fight skid with perhaps his job on the line. Since then he has won three in a row, with this Fight of the Night against Marc-André Barriault being his latest offering. It’s easy to forget how young he was when he first entered the UFC and after going through some ups and downs, the now 30-year-old Oleksiejczuk may be starting to put it all together. I think a fight against fellow middleweight Cam Rowston would be a good test for both fighters involved.
Oleksiejczuk’s next fight: Cam Rowston
Farid Basharat
After seeing his brother Javid get back into the win column during the preliminaries, Farid Basharat ensured the duo would leave the Apex with two wins. Regardless of what you may think of his actual upside, Basharat has now won six UFC fights while keeping his undefeated record intact. Hardcore fans will tell you how good Jean Matsumoto is, despite going 1-2 in his last three appearances. Defeating him is not an easy task and you can add him to the list of fighters who failed to raise a hand against Basharat. He’s long overdue for a shot against a ranked opponent and I think the guy who lost in our main event makes perfect sense as his next opponent.
Basharat’s next fight: Vinicius Oliveira
Dustin Jacoby
After being knocked out by Dominick Reyes in June 2024, it looked like Dustin Jacoby’s UFC career was nearing an end. But since then he has recorded three consecutive KO victories, the latter of which earned him a shoutout from his former Glory Kickboxing foe Alex Poatan Pereira. There is no doubt that Jacoby has fought his way back up the rankings.
A card in Macau is planned for the end of May. I think Zhang Mingyang vs. Dustin Jacoby is a good fight to set up that main card.
Jacoby’s next fight: Zhang Mingyang
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