10 MMA fights we want to see in 2024

$ 11.50 · 5 (662) · In stock

As the UFC, PFL, and other top MMA promotions get ready for their 2024 campaigns, it's time to lay out some of our wishes for the new year.Here are 10 realistic matchups we hope come to fruition sometime in the next 12 months.Jon Jones vs. Tom AspinallFor the third year in a row, there's no matchup we want to see more than UFC heavyweight champion Jones against Francis Ngannou. But with Ngannou under contract with the PFL and UFC CEO Dana White intent on never co-promoting a fight, Ngannou-Jones is a lot closer to fantasy than reality. Pain.So what's the next best thing? Jones unifying the titles with interim champ Aspinall. Unfortunately, Jones-Aspinall isn't very likely to materialize either. The UFC plans to rebook Jones against Stipe Miocic next, and Jones has talked about retiring after that fight. But anyone who wants to see Jones-Miocic more than Jones-Aspinall is crazy. Jones and Aspinall are pretty clearly the two best heavyweights in the UFC, and that matchup is one of the most intriguing pairings the promotion could book right now. Many consider Aspinall the future king of the division, and that's tough to debate after his demolition of Sergei Pavlovich last November. Aspinall is a young heavyweight with devastating knockout power, slick submission skills, and the movement of a welterweight. He has a better chance of handing Jones his first legitimate defeat in MMA than anyone else.Justin Gaethje vs. Conor McGregor Chris Unger / UFC / GettyThe MMA world has talked about a fight between Gaethje and McGregor for a long time. Hopefully, 2024 is the year it takes place. Of course, there's a lot that needs to happen first. McGregor announced on New Year's Eve that he'll return to the Octagon against Michael Chandler on June 29. It's a comeback almost three years in the making, as the former two-division champion hasn't competed since he broke his leg in a July 2021 bout. And McGregor has to take care of business against Chandler to even consider a fight with Gaethje.Ranked No. 2 in the lightweight division, Gaethje is a very tough matchup for McGregor. The Chandler fight made more sense in terms of seeing where the Irishman stands after more than two years away and limiting the risk of him suffering an embarrassing defeat. But the matchup for McGregor that gets our blood flowing the most is still Gaethje. The BMF champion is a human highlight reel, and he'd make a clash with "The Notorious" entertaining no matter what.Sean O'Malley vs. Merab DvalishviliO'Malley is scheduled to defend the UFC bantamweight title against Marlon "Chito" Vera at UFC 299 on March 9, but it's his potential second matchup of the year that has the most appeal. Dvalishvili should've been next in line for a title shot, having won nine in a row. However, the promotion opted to book the more marketable O'Malley-Vera rematch instead (Vera is the only person who has beaten O'Malley in a pro MMA bout). Fair enough, but you have to give Dvalishvili his flowers if he defeats former champ Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 on Feb. 17.If O'Malley retains the belt and Dvalishvili remains unbeaten since 2018, a matchup between those two is a must. The rangy O'Malley is a sharp striker with fierce knockout power, and Dvalishvili is a cardio machine with elite wrestling. It's a terrific stylistic matchup and admittedly a tough one for O'Malley. Many already wonder if Dvalishvili is the best in the division - we would find out for sure with this bout.Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP / GettyCharles Oliveira and Gaethje are the front-runners to get the next title shot against UFC lightweight champion Makhachev, but a rematch between Makhachev and Tsarukyan is arguably more fascinating. Makhachev beat Tsarukyan in 2019 while they were young up-and-comers (particularly Tsarukyan). However, things are different now that they're two of the best fighters in the world. Tsarukyan is coming off a statement win against Beneil Dariush, and he should be challenging for 155-pound gold with one more big victory.Ilia Topuria vs. Max HollowayAlexander Volkanovski's upcoming UFC featherweight title defense against Topuria is one of the best matchups on the promotion's schedule. If Topuria becomes the new champion at UFC 298, a fight with Holloway, the division's former king, in the second half of the year would be super compelling.A 26-year-old who fights out of Spain, Topuria looks to be the future of the division. And although Volkanovski is the betting favorite, Topuria is nothing less than a live underdog. Meanwhile, Holloway is the consensus No. 2 fighter in the division and is just a few months removed from his first knockout win in years. Holloway has lost three times to Volkanovski, but if Topuria captures the belt, that opens up the opportunity for the Hawaiian to try to regain the throne.Leon Edwards vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov Chris Unger / UFC / GettyEdwards' next UFC welterweight title defense should be against Belal Muhammad. That's not up for debate. Muhammad is unbeaten in 10 straight fights and hasn't lost in almost five years. However, many view Rakhmonov as the champion-in-waiting. The undefeated Kazakh fighter is coming off a recent drubbing of Stephen Thompson and seems to have what it takes to reign over the division for a long time. If Edwards defends the belt against Muhammad, a fight against Rakhmonov toward the end of 2024 would be must-see TV. Rakhmonov is recovering from an ankle injury, so he won't be back for a while anyway.Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana SuarezWith Suarez booked to face Amanda Lemos at UFC 298, that all but confirms Yan Xiaonan will get the next strawweight title shot against champion Zhang. It also means the winners of those two bouts will probably square off against each other. No disrespect to Yan, but Suarez is the most compelling opponent for Zhang right now. The undefeated 33-year-old is a phenomenal wrestler and has long been regarded as a future champion. However, injuries have plagued much of her UFC career. Suarez finally returned from a four-year layoff in 2023 and won two fights, both by submission, to re-enter the title mix at 115 pounds. If they're both victorious in their next fights, Zhang-Suarez would be a ton of fun.Israel Adesanya vs. Dricus Du Plessis Chris Unger / UFC / GettyOh, what do we have here? This is the UFC middleweight title fight that was supposed to happen last year. But Du Plessis suffered an injury, and Sean Strickland stepped in to challenge Adesanya instead, leading to one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. Du Plessis is now scheduled to face Strickland for the belt at UFC 297 on Jan. 20. If Du Plessis becomes the new champ, the Adesanya fight might not make sense right away (although you could justify giving Adesanya the title shot over Khamzat Chimaev). If Du Plessis loses to Strickland, then a fight with Adesanya would make all the sense in the world.Robert Whittaker vs. Kamaru UsmanWith Edwards retaining the welterweight title against Colby Covington in December, Usman should stay at middleweight after coming up just short in his last-minute debut against Chimaev. A fight with Whittaker won't happen right away, as the former 185-pound champion is scheduled to face Paulo Costa at UFC 298. But if it happens at some point in 2024, that matchup would immediately give Usman a shot at becoming a top middleweight contender, and it would likely be an entertaining scrap.Patricio Freire vs. Aaron Pico David Fitzgerald / Sportsfile / GettyIt's time for Pico to get a shot at a major championship. Pico was one of the highest-regarded prospects in MMA history when he turned pro in 2017. Although he's dealt with ups and downs along the way, the 27-year-old has finally come into his own. Give him Bellator featherweight champion "Pitbull" Freire and see what he's made of. Whether it's for Freire's Bellator title or part of the 2024 PFL season, this matchup is long overdue.
As the UFC, PFL, and other top MMA promotions get ready for their 2024 campaigns, it's time to lay out some of our wishes for the new year.Here are 10 realistic matchups we hope come to fruition sometime in the next 12 months.Jon Jones vs. Tom AspinallFor the third year in a row, there's no matchup we want to see more than UFC heavyweight champion Jones against Francis Ngannou. But with Ngannou under contract with the PFL and UFC CEO Dana White intent on never co-promoting a fight, Ngannou-Jones is a lot closer to fantasy than reality. Pain.So what's the next best thing? Jones unifying the titles with interim champ Aspinall. Unfortunately, Jones-Aspinall isn't very likely to materialize either. The UFC plans to rebook Jones against Stipe Miocic next, and Jones has talked about retiring after that fight. But anyone who wants to see Jones-Miocic more than Jones-Aspinall is crazy. Jones and Aspinall are pretty clearly the two best heavyweights in the UFC, and that matchup is one of the most intriguing pairings the promotion could book right now. Many consider Aspinall the future king of the division, and that's tough to debate after his demolition of Sergei Pavlovich last November. Aspinall is a young heavyweight with devastating knockout power, slick submission skills, and the movement of a welterweight. He has a better chance of handing Jones his first legitimate defeat in MMA than anyone else.Justin Gaethje vs. Conor McGregor Chris Unger / UFC / GettyThe MMA world has talked about a fight between Gaethje and McGregor for a long time. Hopefully, 2024 is the year it takes place. Of course, there's a lot that needs to happen first. McGregor announced on New Year's Eve that he'll return to the Octagon against Michael Chandler on June 29. It's a comeback almost three years in the making, as the former two-division champion hasn't competed since he broke his leg in a July 2021 bout. And McGregor has to take care of business against Chandler to even consider a fight with Gaethje.Ranked No. 2 in the lightweight division, Gaethje is a very tough matchup for McGregor. The Chandler fight made more sense in terms of seeing where the Irishman stands after more than two years away and limiting the risk of him suffering an embarrassing defeat. But the matchup for McGregor that gets our blood flowing the most is still Gaethje. The BMF champion is a human highlight reel, and he'd make a clash with 'The Notorious' entertaining no matter what.Sean O'Malley vs. Merab DvalishviliO'Malley is scheduled to defend the UFC bantamweight title against Marlon 'Chito' Vera at UFC 299 on March 9, but it's his potential second matchup of the year that has the most appeal. Dvalishvili should've been next in line for a title shot, having won nine in a row. However, the promotion opted to book the more marketable O'Malley-Vera rematch instead (Vera is the only person who has beaten O'Malley in a pro MMA bout). Fair enough, but you have to give Dvalishvili his flowers if he defeats former champ Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 on Feb. 17.If O'Malley retains the belt and Dvalishvili remains unbeaten since 2018, a matchup between those two is a must. The rangy O'Malley is a sharp striker with fierce knockout power, and Dvalishvili is a cardio machine with elite wrestling. It's a terrific stylistic matchup and admittedly a tough one for O'Malley. Many already wonder if Dvalishvili is the best in the division - we would find out for sure with this bout.Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP / GettyCharles Oliveira and Gaethje are the front-runners to get the next title shot against UFC lightweight champion Makhachev, but a rematch between Makhachev and Tsarukyan is arguably more fascinating. Makhachev beat Tsarukyan in 2019 while they were young up-and-comers (particularly Tsarukyan). However, things are different now that they're two of the best fighters in the world. Tsarukyan is coming off a statement win against Beneil Dariush, and he should be challenging for 155-pound gold with one more big victory.Ilia Topuria vs. Max HollowayAlexander Volkanovski's upcoming UFC featherweight title defense against Topuria is one of the best matchups on the promotion's schedule. If Topuria becomes the new champion at UFC 298, a fight with Holloway, the division's former king, in the second half of the year would be super compelling.A 26-year-old who fights out of Spain, Topuria looks to be the future of the division. And although Volkanovski is the betting favorite, Topuria is nothing less than a live underdog. Meanwhile, Holloway is the consensus No. 2 fighter in the division and is just a few months removed from his first knockout win in years. Holloway has lost three times to Volkanovski, but if Topuria captures the belt, that opens up the opportunity for the Hawaiian to try to regain the throne.Leon Edwards vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov Chris Unger / UFC / GettyEdwards' next UFC welterweight title defense should be against Belal Muhammad. That's not up for debate. Muhammad is unbeaten in 10 straight fights and hasn't lost in almost five years. However, many view Rakhmonov as the champion-in-waiting. The undefeated Kazakh fighter is coming off a recent drubbing of Stephen Thompson and seems to have what it takes to reign over the division for a long time. If Edwards defends the belt against Muhammad, a fight against Rakhmonov toward the end of 2024 would be must-see TV. Rakhmonov is recovering from an ankle injury, so he won't be back for a while anyway.Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana SuarezWith Suarez booked to face Amanda Lemos at UFC 298, that all but confirms Yan Xiaonan will get the next strawweight title shot against champion Zhang. It also means the winners of those two bouts will probably square off against each other. No disrespect to Yan, but Suarez is the most compelling opponent for Zhang right now. The undefeated 33-year-old is a phenomenal wrestler and has long been regarded as a future champion. However, injuries have plagued much of her UFC career. Suarez finally returned from a four-year layoff in 2023 and won two fights, both by submission, to re-enter the title mix at 115 pounds. If they're both victorious in their next fights, Zhang-Suarez would be a ton of fun.Israel Adesanya vs. Dricus Du Plessis Chris Unger / UFC / GettyOh, what do we have here? This is the UFC middleweight title fight that was supposed to happen last year. But Du Plessis suffered an injury, and Sean Strickland stepped in to challenge Adesanya instead, leading to one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. Du Plessis is now scheduled to face Strickland for the belt at UFC 297 on Jan. 20. If Du Plessis becomes the new champ, the Adesanya fight might not make sense right away (although you could justify giving Adesanya the title shot over Khamzat Chimaev). If Du Plessis loses to Strickland, then a fight with Adesanya would make all the sense in the world.Robert Whittaker vs. Kamaru UsmanWith Edwards retaining the welterweight title against Colby Covington in December, Usman should stay at middleweight after coming up just short in his last-minute debut against Chimaev. A fight with Whittaker won't happen right away, as the former 185-pound champion is scheduled to face Paulo Costa at UFC 298. But if it happens at some point in 2024, that matchup would immediately give Usman a shot at becoming a top middleweight contender, and it would likely be an entertaining scrap.Patricio Freire vs. Aaron Pico David Fitzgerald / Sportsfile / GettyIt's time for Pico to get a shot at a major championship. Pico was one of the highest-regarded prospects in MMA history when he turned pro in 2017. Although he's dealt with ups and downs along the way, the 27-year-old has finally come into his own. Give him Bellator featherweight champion 'Pitbull' Freire and see what he's made of. Whether it's for Freire's Bellator title or part of the 2024 PFL season, this matchup is long overdue.