5 Fights We Have to See After UFC 302

Islam Makhachev remains to be the king of the lightweights, however the once-beaten Russian has some very robust challenges on the horizon.

Makhachev was again in motion in the principle occasion of Saturday’s UFC 302 in Newark, New Jersey, defending the promotion’s light-weight title towards former interim champ Dustin Poirier. It was presupposed to be a simple struggle for the champion, however he in the end needed to dig deep for the fifth-round submission he used to defend his belt.

After the win, Makhachev has loads of choices. There are a number of contenders within the light-weight division awaiting a shot at his belt, and in his post-fight interview, he as soon as once more expressed his want to maneuver as much as welterweight searching for a second title.

The choices are not any much less plentiful for former middleweight champ Sean Strickland, who defeated Paulo Costa by determination in UFC 302’s five-round co-main occasion. It was Strickland’s first win since a slim title loss to Dricus Du Plessis in January, and it put him proper again into title competition, whether or not he is matched up with the champ or one other high contender.

Former welterweight contender Kevin Holland additionally received large on the cardboard, breaking Michal Oleksiejczuk’s arm within the first-round of their middleweight bout. The identical was true high top-10 heavyweight Jailton Almeida, who bounced again from a loss to Curtis Blaydes with a first-round rear-naked choke towards Alexandr Romanov.

Preserve scrolling for the fights we hope might be made for the cardboard’s large winners.

Dustin Poirier solely acquired his crack at Makhachev as a result of Arman Tsarukyan was unavailable.

Tsarukyan cemented himself because the No. 1 light-weight contender with a hard-fought determination win over former champion Charles Oliveira on the UFC 300 foremost card in April. Instantly after the very fact, he was provided a struggle with Makhachev at UFC 302, however rightfully turned the chance down, having simply been by way of a 15-minute warfare with Oliveira. The chance was then provided to Poirier.

After his win over Poirier, Makhachev set his sights on a crack on the welterweight title, which is at present the property of England’s Leon Edwards. That is a terrific struggle, and a possibility Makhachev in all probability deserves, however he nonetheless has a number of work to do at light-weight — specifically within the type of Tsarukyan.

Offered Makhachev is wholesome, the UFC ought to pit him towards Tsarukyan within the fall. If he efficiently defends his title towards the Georgian upstart—he is crushed him as soon as earlier than—then it will likely be laborious to disclaim him a crack on the welterweight belt.

After dropping to Makhachev at UFC 302, Dustin Poirier recommended he would possibly retire from competitors. If that is what he decides, he can journey off into the sundown together with his head held excessive. Regardless of by no means successful an undisputed title, he looks as if a surefire candidate for the UFC Corridor of Fame.

If Poirier decides to maintain competing, nonetheless, there may be seemingly no higher struggle for him than a light-weight conflict with former featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.

Volkanovski, lengthy thought of probably the greatest fighters within the sport, is driving a brutal knockout loss to Ilia Topuria, which ended his lengthy reign on the featherweight throne. Since then, he is been adamant he’ll solely settle for a rematch with Topuria, however after UFC 302, he expressed curiosity in a struggle with the vanquished Poirier.

“He thinks he may be retiring, unsure,” Volkanovski stated on his YouTube channel. “Perhaps, simply possibly, relying on what I am doing — clearly, I need to struggle later within the yr, I do not know precisely what’s taking place, I do not need to wait too lengthy both — so if the timing works out, possibly me and Dustin can have a very good struggle. I do know he simply needs good fights. Clearly, [we] have a number of respect for one another, and I believe that might be an enormous struggle.

“In order that’s one thing I would be keen to do whereas I am ready for that featherweight title, possibly a light-weight struggle towards somebody like Dustin Poirier can be nice. You heard it right here first. Perhaps we might make one thing occur.”

If Poirier sticks round, that is the struggle to make. It is an ideal alternative for him and Volkanovski to enhance their already unimaginable resumes, and all indicators level to a really thrilling matchup.

After his determination win over Paulo Costa within the UFC 302 co-main occasion, Sean Strickland known as for an additional crack on the promotion’s middleweight title, which remains to be within the arms of South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis.

As a former champ, Strickland arguably deserves that chance, however his win over Costa was a particular snoozer, and all indicators level to the following middleweight title shot going to former champion Israel Adesanya.

If Strickland is certainly handed up for a title shot, the apparent struggle for him is a conflict with the winner of Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev’s upcoming showdown. The pair are set to fulfill on June 22. Whittaker, a former champ and probably the greatest middleweights ever, might be trying to construct on the momentum of his personal determination win over Costa. Chimaev, in the meantime, might be trying to preserve his good document intact and earn himself the title shot that has appeared predestined since he joined the UFC in 2020.

Like Strickland, the winner of the Whittaker-Chimaev struggle might be properly deserving of a crack at Du Plessis, however will seemingly be handed up in favor of Adesanya. As such, it solely is smart to match that winner up with Strickland. That approach, there is a clear-cut No. 1 contender ready for the Du Plessis vs. Adesanya winner.

Kevin Holland made a profitable return to the middleweight division at UFC 302, defeating former mild heavyweight Michal Oleksiejczuk with a bone-breaking armbar in Spherical 1.

As a ranked welterweight, and one of the vital standard fighters within the UFC proper now, Holland will probably get an enormous alternative in his subsequent middleweight struggle. Our decide is a showdown with Brazil’s Michel Pereira.

The No. 12-ranked Pereira, like Holland, is a former welterweight with a status for wild brawls and highlight-reel finishes. He is driving three-straight stoppage wins since he moved as much as middleweight, which features a first-round submission of Oleksiejczuk, in addition to wins over Andre Petroski and Ihor Potieria.

Pereira is certainly a number of rungs forward of Holland on the middleweight ladder, however it’s laborious to think about a greater struggle for him than the American. It is a Combat of the Night time contender on paper, and the winner can be a win or two away from title competition at worst.

Heading into 2024, Brazilian heavyweight Jailton Almeida appeared like he’d be combating for the division’s title by the top of the yr. The harmful grappler had received 15 straight fights, together with wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Derrick Lewis, and was generally talked about as a possible opponent for each Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones. Then he bumped into Curtis Blaydes and suffered a second-round TKO loss that absolutely derailed his hype prepare.

On the UFC 302 undercard, Almeida acquired again on observe with a dominant first-round submission over fellow top-15 contender Alexandr Romanov. After that win, he’s as soon as once more one of many high contenders at heavyweight.

Our decide for his subsequent struggle is former interim champ Ciryl Gane. France’s Gane is driving a lopsided win over Sergei Spivak, which separated him from a loss to Jones. Nevertheless, he is nonetheless a win or two away for an additional shot on the belt.

A struggle with a harmful contender like Almeida can be simply the ticket for the Frenchman. The winner can be properly positioned for a shot at Aspinall’s interim belt, or Jones’ undisputed title, and it is a enjoyable striker vs. grappler conflict on paper.

Ebook it for the UFC’s deliberate September return to Paris. It is an apparent foremost occasion.