This past Saturday on the main card of UFC Vegas 103, we saw a tremendous matchup in the lightweight division. Two lightweight contenders were looking to continue their winning streaks as they looked to get closer to the rankings as Nasrat Haqparast (18-5) took on Esteban Ribovics (14-2).
Ribovics lost his first professional fight in his octagon debut back in 2023 but had since won three in a row including a highlight reel knockout over Terrance McKinney and an incredible win over Daniel Zellhuber at Noche UFC last September.
Nasrat Haqparast had won four fights in a row entering Saturday and he was looking to keep the momentum going as he’s knocking on the door of the top fifteen. These two had a great back-and-forth fight which led to a split decision. Ultimately, Haqparast was able to get the nod on two scorecards which gave him his fifth straight UFC win.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 103?
Nasrat Haqparast lost his octagon debut back in 2017. However, after that loss he went 5-1 which led him to a fight with Dan Hooker back in 2021. Of course, Hooker is one of the best lightweights in the world but at the time, he had lost two in a row. It was a golden chance for Haqparast but he fell short. He then immediately lost to King Green in his next fight.
Following those two losses, his stock really took a hit. However, Haqparast got right back at it and now he’s won five in a row which in my opinion should lead him to fight for a ranking in his next fight. I think there are three decent options out there for his next fight.
Grant Dawson would be one name to watch. Dawson just fought back into the rankings and while he’s trying to fight other ranked lightweights, I could see the UFC entertaining this matchup. Benoit Saint-Denis is another really good option. BSD is ranked 15th but it was just a year ago where he was considered a potential title challenger in the short-term.
However, two straight losses have really set him back. A battle for that 15 spot with Haqparast could be a good option for both. My favorite option looks towards this weekend. 13th ranked Jalin Turner takes on Ignacio Bahamondes. Should Bahamondes get the win, he would jump into the rankings and he’d be 6-1 in his last seven.
Should Turner win, he’d get back on track and wouldn’t move much in the rankings with Bahamondes being unranked. The winner of that fight would be great for Haqparast.
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