5 fights to make after UFC 279
UFC 279 is finally in the books, and after a number of last-minute changes that threw the event into utter chaos, the fighters involved largely delivered, putting on one of the more memorable shows of 2022.
Nate Diaz, who beat Tony Ferguson in the headliner, is now likely to depart the UFC, but many of the other fighters involved are expected to go onto bigger and better things in the octagon.
After this event, then, who should some of the fighters involved go onto face next? For the majority of them, there are plenty of fascinating options.
With that in mind, here are five fights to make after UFC 279.
#5. Jailton Almeida vs. Marcin Tybura
Easily the most impressive fighter on the preliminary card at UFC 279 was Jailton Almeida. The Brazilian prospect – who can apparently fight just as well at heavyweight as he can as a 205lber – dispatched late replacement Anton Turkalj with a rear-naked choke late in the first round.
The performance was about as dominant as it possibly could’ve been, showing once again that ‘Malhadinho’ is one of the best prospects in the entire promotion right now.
#UFC279TOO EASY FOR JAILTON ALMEIDA! 😳 #UFC279 https://t.co/jAIqnyr6mf
So what should be next for him? He was initially pegged to fight top fifteen ranked heavyweight Shamil Abdurakhimov at last night’s event, and after his impressive showing, it's only fair that he's given a crack at a ranked opponent as was the original plan.
With that considered, Marcin Tybura could work perfectly. The Polish fighter is currently ranked at #10 in the division, and is coming off a strong win over another hot prospect in the form of Alexander Romanov last month.
With his powerful style, he could definitely provide Almeida with a big test, but as a highly flawed fighter, he’d also be a beatable opponent for the red-hot prospect and could also provide him a path into UFC title contention.
With the promotion intending to travel to Brazil for their first show of 2023, a clash between ‘Malhadinho’ and Tybura would be perfect for the event’s main card, particularly if the promotion wants to push him as a future title contender.
#4. Li Jingliang vs. Kevin Holland
Most of the fighters involved at UFC 279 ended up benefiting from the last-minute changes triggered by Khamzat Chimaev’s botched weigh-in, but the only man who really suffered was Li Jingliang. ‘The Leech’ was pegged to face Tony Ferguson in his biggest fight to date, but ended up against the lesser-heralded Daniel Rodriguez instead.
Sure, fans praised Li’s willingness to take the fight despite not being involved in any of the weekend’s chaos – labeling him a “proper gangster” – but in reality, he was faced with an opponent who was much heavier than him, and he lost a split decision.
Li Jingliang got the most screwed out of any of the Switcheroo Six, didn't get to show off his new suit, fought a dude 10 pounds heavier than him on a day's notice, and still nearly pulled out the win. All of talk about gangsters this week. That's a true gangster. #UFC279
The defeat likely won’t hurt him in the eyes of the UFC, though – so it’s likely he’ll be given a big fight next time out. With that in mind, why not match him with Kevin Holland, who stepped up and was beaten easily by Chimaev?
Holland and Li have similar octagon records, with ‘The Trailblazer’ at 10-5 and ‘The Leech’ at 11-6, and a bout between the two men would probably be well matched and lead to a fun clash to watch.
More interestingly, the winner will probably be vaulted into the lower echelon of title contention at 170lbs, and with Holland’s willingness to drum up publicity for his fights, the promotion could easily push it as a co-headliner for a Fight Night card in the near future.
Overall, the bout simply makes a lot of sense for everyone involved.
#3. Irene Aldana vs. UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes
Prior to her fight with Macy Chiasson last night, Irene Aldana was already calling for a shot at UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, and after her performance, she may well have earned it.
The Mexican striker survived a poor second round to come back and stop Chiasson with an octagon first – an upkick to the body – and after a bit of confusion as to what had happened, the finish seemed to make her into a star in the eyes of the crowd.
@IreneAldana_ generating some SERIOUS power from her back to get the finish! #UFC279A liver shot floors Chiasson!
🇲🇽 @IreneAldana_ generating some SERIOUS power from her back to get the finish! #UFC279 https://t.co/wqsUqV4LoN
The win was Aldana’s fourth in her last five fights, and her third stoppage win in that sequence, too. More importantly, MMA math works in her favor, too.
Her only loss since 2019 came to Holly Holm in late 2020, but Holm has since lost to Ketlen Vieira – who was previously knocked out by Aldana in one of her only career defeats.
Given that Nunes has already beaten #1 ranked Julianna Pena, and a third bout between the two is unlikely, Aldana would clearly be the next best opponent for her, particularly as her style is far more exciting to watch than Vieira’s.
Essentially, the Mexican is the only real contender left for Nunes who could pique the interest of the fans, so assuming ‘The Lioness’ intends to return to action in 2023, the UFC should make this title bout next.
#2. Tony Ferguson vs. Conor McGregor
After falling to the departing Nate Diaz via a fourth-round guillotine choke, many observers were probably expecting Tony Ferguson to hang up his gloves. After all, the loss was his fifth in a row, he’s due to turn 39 in February, and he’s been through an insane amount of wars during his UFC career.
However, ‘El Cucuy’ almost seemed buoyed by the fight in his interview with Joe Rogan afterwards, and no mention of retirement was made.
Tony Ferguson ladies and gentlemen!!!! #UFC279 https://t.co/Xle6ktWPEQ
If Ferguson does intend to stick around, then it seems unfair to attempt to match him with a rising star in order to basically sacrifice him. With that in mind, while he’s been calling for a fight with the retired Khabib Nurmagomedov, the better match for him could be Conor McGregor.
‘The Notorious’ remains the UFC’s biggest star, but he’s been on the shelf now for well over a year, recovering from the serious leg injury he suffered against Dustin Poirier. Sure, the Irishman has called for a lightweight title bout upon his return, but the reality is that he may need a tune-up fight instead.
Why not, therefore, make Ferguson his tune-up opponent? ‘El Cucuy’ is a big enough star for the fight to draw a substantial number on pay-per-view, and given the wear-and-tear he’s suffered, as well as his losing streak, he’d be considered a beatable foe for ‘The Notorious’.
Of course, Ferguson might be confident of winning too, and when you add in the fact that the two men had a heated rivalry a few years back – with ‘El Cucuy’ famously calling for McGregor to ‘vacate or defend’ his UFC lightweight crown – it’s hard not to see this fight as a logical booking.
#1. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington
The fighter who is likely to be the most talked-about coming out of UFC 279 is undoubtedly Khamzat Chimaev. Not only did he whitewash Kevin Holland in the first round – submitting him with a D’Arce choke after again avoiding any significant strikes – but he also transformed himself into a major villain with the crowd.
Who can stop @KChimaev???????? #UFC279 https://t.co/GgWVoRgRT5
This, of course, was because he missed weight so badly for his planned 170lbs bout with Nate Diaz, and seemed unrepentant afterwards, blaming everyone but himself for the error.
It was hard not to be impressed with Chimaev’s flawless victory, but it’d also be very difficult for the UFC to justify handing him a welterweight title shot until he can prove that he can make 170lbs again.
With that considered, then, one potential opponent for him that could make sense is Colby Covington.
The former interim welterweight champion was last seen defeating Jorge Masvidal earlier in 2022, and with Leon Edwards rather than Kamaru Usman now holding the title, he’s probably going to be gunning for another shot at gold in 2023.
More importantly, he’d actually give Chimaev a fascinating fight, as it’s unlikely that ‘Borz’ would be able to outwrestle him as easily as he did Holland, and his cardio could definitely test the Chechnyan in a longer fight.
The UFC may want to avoid putting Chimaev against someone like ‘Chaos’ before he reaches a title shot, but the build-up to this bout would be epic, and if ‘Borz’ could win, then it’d be impossible to deny him a crack at the champion.