5 explosive match-ups that could be added to the UFC 257 fight card
From all reports, UFC 257 is set to be the biggest UFC event in some time. The show is set to take place on Abu Dhabi’s Fight Island, has a main event of Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier, and if UFC President Dana White gets his way, it’ll also be the centrepiece of 2021’s International Fight Week – complete with fans in attendance.
But to be classed as one of the biggest and best UFC cards in recent years – if not of all time – UFC 257 will also require a great undercard. Right now, the next-best fight the UFC has announced for UFC 257 is probably a flyweight bout between Jessica Eye and Joanne Calderwood.
So what other great fights could the UFC add to UFC 257 to push it over the top and make it a potential classic? Here are 5 possibilities.
#1 UFC Bantamweight title: Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling
A UFC Bantamweight title bout between champion Petr Yan and top contender Aljamain Sterling was initially scheduled for next month’s UFC 256, but the fight fell through last week. Thankfully, neither man had suffered an injury, and the reasoning for the cancellation was something relatively easy to get around.
From all reports, Yan’s Visa application was turned down, making it impossible for the Russian to travel to the US in time for UFC 256. So with that in mind, could the fight simply be moved to UFC 257? There’s absolutely no reason why this couldn’t be the case.
Firstly, Yan should theoretically have no Visa issues when it comes to getting into Abu Dhabi for UFC 257. After all, Fight Island was the location for UFC 251, the event that saw the Russian claim the UFC Bantamweight title in the first place.
And secondly, while it’d be odd to see a title fight play second fiddle to a non-title main event, it’s been done in the UFC before. UFC 48, for instance, saw a UFC Heavyweight title fight between Tim Sylvia and Frank Mir act as co-main to a Ken Shamrock vs. Kimo Leopoldo main event.
More to the point, a McGregor main event is likely to draw huge on pay-per-view – meaning that both Yan and Sterling would get a major rub from fighting in UFC 257’s co-headliner. If anything, the winner would likely become a far bigger star than they were previously.
Add in the fact that a quick re-booking of this fight would allow the Bantamweight division to progress without being held up, and it makes absolute sense to add it to UFC 257.
#2 UFC Lightweight division: Michael Chandler vs. Justin Gaethje
In recent years, the UFC has taken to booking at least a handful of fights on each of its events that are in the same weight division as the main event. This is a hugely smart move that essentially acts as an insurance policy if one of the main event fighters is sidelined.
For instance, the recent UFC 255 event was supposed to be headlined by a UFC Flyweight title clash between Deiveson Figueiredo and Cody Garbrandt. The UFC placed another Flyweight clash – Alex Perez vs. Brandon Moreno – on the undercard, and so when Garbrandt withdrew from the main event, the UFC replaced him with Perez, and the event was saved.
That means that the UFC ought to book a big Lightweight clash at UFC 257 to act as insurance should McGregor or Poirier withdraw. There are two 155lbs bouts already announced for this card – but would Nasrat Haqparast, Arman Tsarukyan, Ottman Azaitar or Matt Frevola really be a solid main event fill-in?
That’s why the UFC should book a clash between Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje at UFC 257. Gaethje is, of course, the former interim UFC Lightweight champion, while Chandler signed with the promotion in 2020 after a massively successful run in Bellator, the UFC’s biggest competitor.
Not only would this be a massive opportunity for Chandler to prove his worth at the highest level in the UFC, but it’d also be a hell of a fight based on the style of both men. The winner would almost certainly become the top contender for the newly-vacant UFC Lightweight title – and could even face the winner of McGregor vs. Poirier for the belt.
And if one of UFC 257's main event fighters were to drop? Either Gaethje or Chandler could make for an interesting fill-in that would still definitely pique the interest of UFC fans, hardcore and casual alike.
#3 UFC Lightweight division: Islam Makhachev vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
This Lightweight clash was pegged to main event UFC Vegas 14 earlier in November, but fell apart when Makhachev was forced out due to a staph infection. Paul Felder stepped in to replace him, but was handily defeated by Dos Anjos – who, with the win, moved back into title contention at 155lbs.
However, the likelihood of ‘RDA’ jumping over the likes of Gaethje, Tony Ferguson and Charles Oliveira – not to mention McGregor or Poirier – in the queue for a UFC title shot seems slim. That means that the Brazilian will have to fight again, and so why not match him back up with Makhachev?
The fight, given that it was planned to main event another show, would instantly add credibility to UFC 257’s undercard. It would also go a long way to adding to the feeling that the results of UFC 257 could shed some light on the future of the Lightweight division in a post-Khabib landscape.
If Dos Anjos were to win again, then he’d almost certainly be considered within the top handful of contenders in the division, even more so than he is now. And if Makhachev were able to defeat the former UFC champ, then his position as the heir to Khabib’s throne when it comes to badass Russian wrestlers would be cemented.
This fight would be an awesome addition to any card – but it’d make UFC 257 even more of a marquee show.
#4 UFC Bantamweight title: Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson
If the UFC were unable to put together the UFC Bantamweight title bout between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling for UFC 257, they could look elsewhere for a marquee title fight as the show’s co-main event. And what better fight than the other UFC title fight that was recently removed from UFC 256?
That show was supposed to see reigning UFC Featherweight champ Amanda Nunes defend her title against challenger Megan Anderson, only for 'The Lioness' to withdraw with an injury, delaying the fight until 2021.
According to reports though, Nunes' injury was only a minor one, and the fight is expected to be rebooked for the early part of the year. So why not attempt to make it the co-headliner of UFC 257?
Not only would this get both the Featherweight and Bantamweight divisions moving again - Nunes holds UFC gold in both of them - but it'd also provide the two women with a valuable platform to push their own star credentials.
Thus far Nunes has proven to be a popular champion, but that hasn't exactly translated into pay-per-view buys. But giving her the spotlight as the co-main event on a Conor McGregor-headlined show could make the difference and change her into a star in the eyes of casual fans.
And the same could be said for Anderson, who, despite being marketable, is still largely unknown to many fans.
Essentially, if Nunes can ensure she's healthy by the time UFC 257 rolls around, this could be the perfect co-headliner for the show.
#5 UFC Middleweight division: Darren Till vs. Jared Cannonier
A fascinating addition to the UFC 257 card could be a Middleweight clash between highly-ranked contenders Darren Till and Jared Cannonier. Both men lost to Robert Whittaker in their previous fights, and have not stepped into the Octagon since, but they remain among the best 185lbers in the UFC.
Till was initially pegged to face off with fellow contender Jack Hermansson this month, but an undisclosed injury forced 'The Gorilla' out of the fight. However, a clash with Cannonier would perhaps be even more tempting for the native of Liverpool, as a win would probably vault him into the top three.
More to the point, the two men were already supposed to face off at UFC 248, before some contractual issues caused the fight to be scrapped.
So who would come out on top in this one? It's hard to say. However, it'd definitely be a fascinating clash, pitting the brute-force striking style of Cannonier against the more methodical style of Till.
It'd also be hilarious to see these two matched from a nickname standpoint, as it'd pit one 'Gorilla' against another!
Sure, a fight between Till and Cannonier likely wouldn't be big enough to act as the co-main event of a show like UFC 257, but it'd definitely be a great addition to the pay-per-view main card.
UFC 257 is planned to be a marquee event - and so it needs to have a deep card top to bottom. A fight like Till vs. Cannonier would definitely add to that depth.