5 bold UFC predictions for the second half of 2024
Remarkably, the first half of 2024 is now over. Thankfully, there are plenty of big things on the horizon for the UFC for the second half of the year.Thus far, only a handful of major fights for the second half of 2024 have been announced by the UFC. That being said, anything could happen in the next six months.
Will we see new champions crowned? Major stars retire for good? Only time will tell.
Here are five bold UFC predictions for the second half of 2024.
#5. Israel Adesanya will regain the middleweight title
One major fight that has been announced for the second half of 2024 is a middleweight title bout between Dricus du Plessis and former titleholder Israel Adesanya.
The fight is set to headline the UFC's visit to Perth in August, and it's been a long time coming.
The two men sparked off a controversial, apparently racially-fuelled rivalry after 'Stillknocks' beat Robert Whittaker in 2023, and it looked like they'd face off for Adesanya's title.
However, an injury to 'Stillknocks' prevented that fight, and a tired-looking Adesanya lost his crown to Sean Strickland. Since then, Strickland lost his title to du Plessis, setting up this meeting.
'The Last Stylebender' has not fought since his loss to Strickland, while du Plessis remains unbeaten in the UFC octagon at 7-0. Despite this, the styles here favor Adesanya.
His sniping style should be able to counter the South African's more straightforward style, and he shouldn't look as jaded following a lengthy break from action.
Adesanya will be able to make history if he wins this fight, as he'll become the UFC's only three-time middleweight champion.
#4. Khamzat Chimaev will suffer his first loss in the UFC
Last month should've seen the UFC's first visit to Saudi Arabia headlined by a middleweight clash between former champ Robert Whittaker and the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev.
Unfortunately and not for the first time in his octagon career, Chimaev was forced out with illness. Whittaker ended up fighting - and knocking out - Ikram Aliskerov instead.
With any luck, 'Borz' will return to action later in 2024. How successful he'll be, though, remains to be seen.
Despite being positioned near the top of the middleweight division, Chimaev's only recent bout there saw him edge out former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' had never fought at 185 pounds before.
Chimaev clearly has the ability to reach the very pinnacle of the sport, but whether his body will actually let that happen is debatable.
Therefore, it seems likely that if he's matched with someone as dangerous as Whittaker in his return bout, 'Borz' might suffer the first defeat of his career.
After all, he hasn't fought since October 2023, and following this recent bout of illness, it's hard to say how healthy he'll be upon his return. Against a top-level opponent, that might be a recipe for disaster.
#3. Alex Pereira will announce a move to heavyweight after one more title defense
This past weekend saw Alex Pereira make the second successful defense of his light-heavyweight title. He stopped Jiri Prochazka via knockout in the second round, further cementing his reputation as the perhaps the most intimidating fighter in the UFC.
So what lies in store next for 'Poatan'? Given that he's already beaten the majority of the promotion's top light-heavyweights, it seems his most likely challenger will be Magomed Ankalaev.
The Dagestani is fully expected to push Pereira to his limits. For starters, he'll be the first fighter 'Poatan' has faced who has the wrestling ability to take him out of his comfort zone.
However, Ankalaev also likes to stand and strike with his foes, and if he does that against Pereira, it may play into 'Poatan's' hands.
Another possibility is that 'Poatan' will beat Ankalaev and then announce a move up to heavyweight. If he could become the UFC's first three-division champion, he'd instantly put himself among the all-time greats, and possibly even establish himself as the greatest to ever do it.
#2. Jon Jones will beat Stipe Miocic and then retire for good
Reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones was supposed to have defended his title against former kingpin Stipe Miocic back in November 2023. Unfortunately, their fight fell through due to an injury Jones suffered in the lead up to the fight.
The promotion put together an interim title fight between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich, with Aspinall winning. Despite this, 'Bones' has seemed disinterested in unifying the titles, instead continuing to pursue the so-called legacy fight with Miocic.
It now seems highly likely that the fight will finally take place in the last quarter of 2024. Who will win? Miocic in his prime probably had the ability to test 'Bones,' but at this stage, with no fights in the past three years, Jones should be the clear favorite.
The bigger question stands around what happens next. Jones has claimed recently that he'd like to fight Alex Pereira. However, as he turns 37 in July, it feels more likely that he'll ride off into the sunset with his legacy intact.
After all, why would Jones risk taking a loss - realistically, the first of his career if you ignore the DQ against Matt Hamill - to a younger fighter in their prime?
Given his aversion to fighting Aspinall, it seems doubtful. Therefore, Jones' next fight in the octagon could very well be his last.
#1. Conor McGregor will not fight in the UFC before the end of 2024
Despite not fighting since the summer of 2021, Conor McGregor remains the UFC's biggest star. For quite how much longer that will be the case, though, remains to be seen.
McGregor was due to face off with Michael Chandler in their long-awaited fight last month. However, 'The Notorious' was forced out with an injury, resulting in yet another delay to the bout.
The Irishman has claimed that he'll be back in the near future and says he still wants to fight Chandler, who, for his part, hasn't given up the hope of a career-high payday.
However, at this stage, waiting for McGregor to return seems more and more futile. Put simply, he doesn't need to fight at this point. He's got more than enough money in the bank from his previous exploits, and he also has other ventures outside the octagon to manage.
'The Notorious' may well return to the octagon in the future but given the circumstances, it doesn't really feel like he'll return to action in 2024. Even then, it's unclear whether he will end up facing Chandler.