5 best UFC fights to look forward to in November 2024
With the final UFC event of October now in the books, it's time to look towards November. The promotion is set to put on four events across the month, including a big pay-per-view.
While the UFC's November doesn't look quite as loaded as October, it still has a number of intriguing fights set up, including a long-awaited heavyweight title bout.
Of course, there's no guarantee that any of these fights actually happen - things can change on a dime in MMA - but with any luck, we'll be in for a fun month.
Here are the five best UFC fights to look forward to in November 2024.
#5. Rose Namajunas vs. Erin Blanchfield - UFC Fight Night 246
The first UFC event of November will see the promotion travel to Edmonton, Alberta. In the headliner, flyweights Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi are set to square off.
It's a great fight on paper, but it's arguable that the best fight of the night is actually the co-headliner between flyweight stars Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield.
With Valentina Shevchenko's next title defense likely to come against Manon Fiorot in early 2025, the chances are that the winner of Namajunas vs. Blanchfield will be next in line.
However, it's not just the stakes that make this one a great fight. Both women are offensively minded, and neither tends to take a backward step when they step into the octagon.
Namajunas is the former strawweight champion and the more known quantity of the two. 'Thug Rose' can have the odd off-night, but if she's on, she's dangerous both with her striking ability and submissions on the ground.
Blanchfield, meanwhile, is a beast on the ground, particularly from the top. Before she ran into Fiorot, 'Cold Blooded' had won nine in a row, including six in the UFC.
The best thing about this one is that it's so hard to call, and the only drawback is that it isn't going to be a five-round bout. Overall, though, it's definitely one of the best fights on tap for November.
#4. Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates - UFC Fight Night 247
The UFC is only set to visit the Las Vegas APEX once during November. While there have been plenty of disappointing headliners there this year, next month's main event isn't one of them.
The fight in question pits welterweight gatekeeper Neil Magny against the next up-and-comer looking to break into the elite level, Brazilian bomber Carlos Prates.
Everyone knows exactly what Magny brings to the table. 'The Haitian Sensation' has been in the UFC for over a decade now and has strong skills in all areas. He's capable of beating anyone but the very best, but tends to lose to those elite fighters in nasty fashion.
2024, for instance, has seen him stop the winning run of Mike Malott but also lose to Michael Morales, who is now in the top 15.
So can Prates beat him? Thus far, he's looked very dangerous indeed. He's 20-6 overall, hasn't lost since 2019, and holds three knockout wins in the octagon. Last time he fought, he destroyed respected veteran Li Jingliang.
Basically, then, if 'The Nightmare' can win here, he'll move into title contention - just like most fighters who beat Magny. If he loses, 'The Haitian Sensation' will have kept the gate to the top firmly closed again.
Essentially, it's a classic piece of booking from Dana White and company and should be one of November's pivotal fights.
#3. Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira - UFC 309
As everyone knows, Michael Chandler has been waiting for the best part of two years for his next fight. That's because the UFC had promised him a mega-money clash with Conor McGregor.
Of course, as many fans suspected, that fight has now been iced for good, with nobody truly sure what's going on with 'The Notorious'.
Instead, 'Iron Mike' is set to return in November for a fight that isn't quite as big as one with the Irishman would've been, but is still pretty huge.
Chandler will face former lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira in the co-headliner of UFC 309, in a rematch of their wild bout that took place back in 2021.
That fight - for the vacant lightweight title - saw Chandler hurt 'Do Bronx' badly with strikes before the Brazilian inexplicably came back to score a knockout of his own, shocking the world.
Will the result be the same this time around? Who knows. Both Oliveira and Chandler are among the most lethal offensive fighters in the game, but it's safe to say that defensively, they're more than a little porous.
Based on that first fight, though, the fans in attendance in New York's famous Madison Square Garden should be in for fireworks.
With the winner potentially looking at a title shot, this one should definitely be one of November's best fights.
#2. Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo - UFC Fight Night 248
The final event of November will see the UFC visit Macau, China for a Fight Night with a truly epic headline bout.
That bout will pit former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo against former bantamweight champ Petr Yan in what should be the Brazilian's toughest test yet at 135 pounds.
Thus far at least, 'Deus de Guerra' has been perfect as a bantamweight. He's beaten Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and basically wrecked Marlon Vera in his last fight.
Howevrer, while Yan doesn't carry the fear factor he once did, 'No Mercy' is still the most dangerous opponent Figueiredo has faced at 135 pounds.
The Russian bounced back from three straight losses to beat Song Yadong impressively in his last fight, and still hits as hard as any fighter in the division.
Given that Figueiredo dropped the iron-chinned Vera in his last fight, though, we could see a real firefight here between two men used to bullying their opponents.
Overall, this one is tough to pick and should be incredible to watch, and that makes it easily one of November's best fights.
#1. Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic - UFC 309
While it isn't the heavyweight title fight that most fans really want to see, it's hard to deny that Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic is a big clash.
The so-called 'legacy fight' has been building ever since Jones claimed the title vacated by Francis Ngannou back in March 2023, when he easily dispatched Ciryl Gane.
It should've gone down a year ago, but an injury to Jones put paid to that, meaning the division has essentially been on ice since.
In the eyes of 'Bones' and perhaps Dana White too, a win over Miocic - the most accomplished heavyweight in UFC history - would make the former 205 pound champ the greatest of all time.
Whether that's correct is up for debate, of course, but it'd definitely be a huge accomplishment.
Miocic, meanwhile, has not fought since he lost to Ngannou in 2021. The Cleveland native was a great fighter, but at the age of 42, with a career of pain behind him, it's hard to say what he has left.
Given that he was able to beat the likes of Daniel Cormier and Ngannou - in their first fight in 2018 - against the odds, though, an upset isn't impossible.
Either way, this fight will be a huge event, and after it's all said and done, hopefully the heavyweight division can move onwards.
It might not be as good as Jones vs. Tom Aspinall, but this 'legacy fight' is still November's biggest.