5 Fights to make after UFC 274
Charles Oliveira capped off UFC 274 with an incredible submission win over Justin Gaethje. The two lightweights fought to determine who the best 155-pounder was.
Unfortunately for Oliveira, he was stripped of the lightweight championship after failing to make the 155lb weight limit. As a result, only Gaethje was eligible to capture the title at UFC 274. Meanwhile, ‘Do Bronx’ would earn an opportunity to fight for the vacant title with the win. The matchmakers will go back to the drawing board and come up with the best matchups based on the event’s outcomes.
Despite not competing on the card, Conor McGregor was called out multiple times. Many intriguing bouts could be booked even for the fighters that lost at the event.
Here are five fights to book after UFC 274:
#5. UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza against winner of Joanna Jędrzejczyk vs. Zhang Weili
Carla Esparza regained the UFC strawweight championship this past weekend after earning a split decision over Rose Namajunas. This is her second title reign, which coincidentally came from defeating Namajunas. Fans will likely not look back too fondly on her title victory, but a win is a win, and she is the champion once again.
During his post-event press conference, Dana White revealed who could be next in line for a title opportunity. He mentioned that the upcoming rematch between former champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk and Zhang Weili would receive a title shot. Their 2020 bout is regarded as the greatest female MMA fight of all time, so that the rematch will be extremely intriguing.
‘Cookie Monster’ could potentially be in a position where she could have an opportunity to avenge her loss to the Pole. Esparza's first reign ended after Jędrzejczyk earned a unanimous decision to win the title.