5 fights to make for UFC 279 winners
Despite all the chaos throughout fight week, UFC 279 turned out to be a memorable event brimming with finishes and great contests.
Two legends squared off in the main event as Nate Diaz shared his octagon swansong with fellow veteran and TUF winner Tony Ferguson. In the last fight of his contract, Diaz submitted Ferguson with a guillotine choke in the fourth round, ending his 15-year UFC run in poetic fashion.
LEGENDS! #UFC279 https://t.co/eSZt320D5O
While Diaz will now explore the fortunes of free agency, the rest of the winners at UFC 279 will be looking to carry their momentum into their next fights. Some of these fighters are one win away from a title shot, making their next outing extremely crucial.
Here are five fights to make for the biggest winners at UFC 279.
#5. Jailton Almeida vs. Blagoy Ivanov
Jailton Almeida's rise has largely flown under the radar since signing with the UFC last year. After a dominant performance on Dana White's Contender Series, the towering Brazilian has picked up three finishes on the trot, with his most recent win coming against the previously unbeaten Anton Turkalj at UFC 279.
in a row for Jailton Almeida 
#UFC2794️⃣ in a row for Jailton Almeida 🇧🇷 #UFC279 https://t.co/OW9OYbSJgG
While Almeida has competed at both light heavyweight and heavyweight, he confirmed to Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview that he is set to commit to the heavier division. The grappling phenom is currently riding a 12-fight win streak in his professional career and will be looking to break into the heavyweight top 15 sooner rather than later.
The heavyweight division has been undergoing a transition in recent years, with the old guard being replaced with the likes of Ciryl Gane, Tai Tuivasa, Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich. Almeida deserves as much hype as the aforementioned fighters and an opportunity to break into the rankings shouldn't be far away.
A fight against No.15-ranked Blagoy Ivanov would ideally be next for Almeida. Ivanov is 3-3 in the UFC and at 35 years of age is likely nowhere near putting together a title run. Additionally, it'll be interesting to see how Almeida fares against a strong wrestler and this is an appropriate step-up in competition for him.
#4. Johnny Walker vs. Jimmy Crute
Johnny Walker has endured a turbulent run of form in recent times, a direct contrast to his scintillating rise to stardom three years ago. The Brazilian has adopted a more composed approach of late and this seemingly helped in his latest outing this past Saturday.
Walker returned to winning ways at UFC 279 by submitting Ion Cutelaba in the very first round to kick off the pay-per-view event.
ROUND ONE SUBMISSION!!!
@JohnnyWalker is BACK! #UFC279 https://t.co/eWGhLRH0NH
WIthout a doubt, Walker has a ton of potential and is a very marketable fighter. The explosive Brazilian is now entering the prime of his career and as he continues to round out his overall game, he could potentially make another title run. However, he definitely should not rush it.
Walker will need to compile a win streak if he is to re-enter the upper echelons of the division. He still holds the No.13 spot in the light heavyweight division. A fight against No.15-ranked Jimmy Crute makes sense for all parties involved.
Crute is coming off back-to-back losses to Anthony Smith and Jamahal Hill, and is desperately in need of a win, similar to Walker's predicament going into UFC 279. Both 205-pounders have championship potential and a fight between them will shine a light on who has the higher ceiling going forward.
The matchmakers clearly favor this stylistic matchup as well, evident in the fact that it was booked earlier this year. However, it failed to come to fruition and is now long overdue.
Per sources, Jimmy Crute (@CruteJim) vs. Johnny Walker (@JohnnyWalker) agreed to for March 27. Sick matchup between some of the new blood at 205 ... really like this one. https://t.co/nGu7kf2YJ5
#3. Irena Aldana vs. Julianna Pena – Winner fights for the UFC women's bantamweight title
Irene Aldana has done everything in her power to earn a shot at gold. The Mexican has lost just once in her last five outings, with the lone defeat coming against former champion Holly Holm. She is currently riding a two-fight win streak, comprising back-to-back TKO wins over Yana Kunitskaya and, most recently, Macy Chiasson.
Aldana defended her No.4 spot in the 135-pound rankings with her win over Chiasson. She already has a knockout win over No.2-ranked Ketlen Vieira and as such, should target No.1-ranked Julianna Pena if she is to edge closer to a championship opportunity.
Pena is fresh off her two-fight series with divisional queen Amanda Nunes. While she did call for a trilogy fight, the one-sided nature of her defeat to Nunes makes a third meeting quite hard to sell.
With Pena looking to re-claim UFC gold and Aldana eager to fight for the title as well, a fight between the bantamweight duo would be a must-win for both combatants. A high stakes booking against a former champion like Pena could serve as the perfect springboard for Aldana's title aspirations.
#2. Daniel Rodriguez vs. Neil Magny
Daniel Rodriguez picked up his seventh win in the UFC at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, narrowly edging out Li Jingliang to come away with a split-decision victory. 'D-Rod' is now on a four-fight win streak and is seemingly on the cusp of breaking into the welterweight top 15.
While his bout against No.14-ranked Li Jingliang was contested at a catchweight of 180 pounds, the unranked Daniel Rodriguez warrants a number next to his name. He will likely be offered a ranked contender in his next outing, with perennial welterweight gatekeeper Neil Magny being the ideal opponent.
Magny has been hovering in and around the top 10 of the 170-pound division for over half a decade and has a wealth of experience. However, his inconsistency has prevented him from breaking into the top tier of the weight class.
Rodriguez and Magny match up quite well against one another as both fighters have solid striking and pose a decent submission threat. It also offers 'D-Rod' a chance to make his way into the rankings and potentially set up bigger matchups down the line.
#1. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington – winner fights for the UFC welterweight title
After singlehandedly turning the entire UFC 279 fight week on its head, Khamzat Chimaev delivered yet another flawless performance inside the octagon. 'Borz' was matched up with Kevin Holland at the eleventh hour and made light work of the American, submitting him inside the very first round.
#UFC279DOMINATION FROM THE SECONDS INTO THE FIGHT 😱 #UFC279 https://t.co/LAnAhymZGq
Khamzat Chimaev's shocking 7.5-pound weight miss likely agitated the UFC brass after tons of money was spent on promoting the Diaz vs. Chimaev headliner. With the welterweight title seemingly set to be contested next year between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, 'Borz' needs another high-profile win at 170 pounds to seal his place as the No.1 contender.
The logical fight to make for Chimaev is a three-rounder against Colby Covington, ideally on the undercard of Edwards vs. Usman 3. This alleviates any stress of a weight miss jeopardizing a pay-per-view main event and gives the Russian-born Swede a tactical edge as well.
Covington is undoubtedly one of the top welterweights in the world, with his biggest weapon being his volume and cardio, factors that aren't as significant in a three-round contest. It's a brilliant stylistic matchup as it offers fans a chance to see how dominant Chimaev can be against a fellow high-level wrestler.
.@GilbertDurinho doubts Colby Covington will accept a fight vs. Khamzat Chimaev.
Do you think it goes down? 🤔
Full story: bit.ly/38wI4Kt https://t.co/jIKiAvsiSr
While it's a mouthwatering matchup on paper, Colby Covington vs. Khamzat Chimaev has numerous selling points. Most notably, the pre-fight back-and-forth between the duo will be a must-watch and Covington will likely know what to say to get under Chimaev's skin.
'Borz' has fully leaned into his new heel role since missing weight and losing out on the Nate Diaz fight, and he could find his way back to favorable terms with the fans and the UFC brass if he can silence arguably the most outspoken, controversial and hated fighter on the roster.