The 10 | Jumping Into The New Year Inside The Octagon

Let’s kick off the year with the first “one for me” of 2025, as this featherweight matchup between Rodriguez and Bashi might not be one that resonates for everyone, but promises to be an informative contest early on the main card.

Rodriguez turned 27 in December and enters off a first-round submission loss to Julian Erosa last July in Denver, but he is still a highly regarded prospect and has thrived in this position before. Sporting an 11-2 record overall, “CeeRod” posted consecutive wins over undefeated prospects Raul Rosas Jr., Cameron Saaiman, and Issac Dulgarian prior to his loss to Erosa, and will look to return to that form and the win column when he welcomes Bashi to the Octagon for the first time.

The fourth member of last year’s graduating class from DWCS to compete on the opening card of the year, Bashi touches down in the UFC with a ton of hype and promise, brandishing a pristine 13-0 record and each of his last five wins coming inside the distance. A strong grappler, the 23-year-old Michigan native rose to prominence under the Lights Out Championship banner, where he won the bantamweight strap and successfully defended it twice before venturing up a division.

No matter how this one plays out, we’re going to learn a lot about Bashi here, as this is a tough debut assignment and a contest where all the attention and focus is on him. Rodriguez has a wealth of experience at this level and remains a fighter to keep tabs in the 145-pound ranks, especially if he can turn back another unbeaten prospect here.

Mackenzie Dern vs Amanda Ribas 2

Originally slated to renew acquaintances in Tampa, which is incidentally where they met for the first time, Dern and Ribas were instead shifted into the headlining position on the opening card of the year. Now, they kick of 2025 in what reads as a pivotal matchup for each fighter.

Dern begins her eighth year on the roster sitting at No. 6 in the rankings and coming off a unanimous decision win over Loopy Godinez over the summer in Abu Dhabi. She hasn’t been able to make the jump to full-blown contender status yet, but remains one of the most dangerous ground fighters in the sport and a gutsy, willing brawler on the feet.

Ribas has alternated wins and losses dating back to her victory over Paige VanZant in her flyweight debut in the summer of 2020, returning to Las Vegas for her third straight appearance inside the APEX off a main event loss to Rose Namajunas last March. The interesting wrinkle here is that the ebullient Brazilian is 5-1 in the UFC when fighting at 115 pounds, as she does here, and just 2-3 in the next division up.

Since earning his place on the roster in August 2023, Talbott has tantalized with his talents, logging three stoppage wins in as many outings, requiring less time to dispatch his foe each time out. After venturing into the third round with Nick Aguirre in his debut, the 26-year-old Reno native battered and dispatched Cameron Saaiman in the second, and followed it up with a 19-second knockout win over Yanis Ghemmouri at UFC 303 last June.

More than a decade his opponent’s senior, Barcelos enters this one off a third-round submission win over Cristian Quiñonez and is incredibly familiar with this role. Prior to his February win in Mexico City, the 37-year-old Brazilian faced off with Umar Nurmagomedov and Kyler Phillips in consecutive outings, landing on the wrong side of the result in each of those contests.

Talbott is one of the most highly regarded prospects on the roster but is taking a considerable step-up in competition here. He’s spoken about wanting challenges, and, in theory, he should get one here, as Barcelos has 23 fights under his belt and is skilled in every phase.

Will the rising star keep climbing the ranks or can Barcelos pause his ascension in the early days of the 2025 campaign?

Kevin Holland vs Reinier de Ridder

One of the most active fighters on the roster steps in against one of last year’s high-profile new additions to open the UFC 311 main card in Los Angeles.

Holland made another three appearances in 2024, giving him 23 UFC fights in six years and five months, with 15 of those bouts, including his last two, coming at middleweight. After making a successful return to the division with a submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 302, Holland’s last outing was stopped by his corner following the opening round after he had suffered a rib injury.

“The Dutch Knight” rose to prominence as a two-division titleholder in ONE Championship and was viewed as an incredible addition to the middleweight ranks heading into his debut fight with Gerald Meerschaert in early November. It was more of a struggle than most anticipated, but de Ridder was able to get the job done, submitting “GM3” prior to the midway point of the final frame.

This one feels like a matchup designed to provide answers to some of the questions that continue to linger about each man and their place in the 185-pound ranks. There are opportunities available at middleweight, and a big effort here for either man could unlock a marquee matchup later in the year.

Beneil Dariush vs Renato Moicano

Prochazka returns for the first time since his short notice UFC 303 loss to Alex Pereira, his second defeat at the hands (well, hands and legs) of “Poatan” in three fights. He dominated Aleksandar Rakic in between the two outings and won 13 straight, including claiming the title, prior to that initial loss to the Brazilian juggernaut.

Hill claimed the title after Prochazka was forced to vacate late in 2023, besting Glover Teixeira in January 2024 before suffering a ruptured Achilles and having to drop the belt himself. His return to action came against Pereira at UFC 300, nine months after his injury, where he was knocked out in the opening round.

Because of Pereira’s dominance and previous triumphs over each man, this has a “do or die” feel to it in terms of either man potentially working back into title contendership anytime soon. They were eager to face one another after Hill claimed the belt, and should combine for a spirited contest for as long as at lasts in Los Angeles.

Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov

New champ Merab Dvalishvili puts the bantamweight title on the line for the first time, facing off with undefeated challenger Umar Nurmagomedov.

Makhachev won the first meeting, the fifth win in his ongoing 14-fight winning streak, which now includes three successful title defenses. After posting a pair of wins over Alexander Volkanovski in 2023, the pound-for-pound standout prevented Dustin Poirier from “completing his story” at UFC 302, submitting “The Diamond” in the fifth round.

Order UFC 311: Makhachev vs Tsarukyan 2

Their first meeting was Tsarukyan’s promotional debut and came on relatively short notice, which is why his commendable effort in defeat raised so many eyebrows. Since then, the challenger has gone 9-1, with his only setback being a debated loss by decision to Mateusz Gamrot.

This might be the best possible championship pairing available in the UFC at the moment, which is a testament to how incredible both men have been over the last five-plus years. Makhachev has showcased his elite, diverse skill set throughout his championship reign, while many believe Tsarukyan has the talent to match him skill-for-skill and shot-for-shot in this fascinating rematch.