5 fights to make after UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway
UFC 308 went down in Abu Dhabi last night, and to call it an eventful show would be an understatement. Overall, this was one of 2024's most memorable events.
Following UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway, what's next for the event's biggest stars?
As always, the matchmakers have plenty to consider, including whether or not to scrap a title fight that was supposedly in the books.
Here are five fights to make following UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway.
#5. UFC middleweight bout: Sharaputdin Magomedov vs. Jack Hermansson
UFC 308's wildest finish definitely came from Sharapudtin Magomedov in the main card opener.
'Shara Bullet' landed a double spinning backfist to dispatch Armen Petrosyan in the second round of their middleweight bout, earning a $50k bonus in the process.
The Dagestani is now 4-0 in the octagon, and after such a show-stealing finish, he'll likely be pushed high up the ladder next time out.
Therefore, a decent opponent for him could be Jack Hermansson, who is currently ranked No.11 at 185 pounds.
'The Joker' is no stranger to fighting prospects, as his last bout saw him turn back the challenge of up-and-comer Joe Pyfer, preventing him from climbing into the top fifteen.
Could he really do the same to 'Shara Bullet', though? It's hard to say, which is why this fight would be such an intriguing one to make.
#4. UFC featherweight bout: Lerone Murphy vs. Josh Emmett
It didn't come easily, but Lerone Murphy retained his unbeaten record by edging out Dan Ige in a three-round thriller at UFC 308.
'The Miracle' was dropped in the first round, but came back to piece '50k' up with some clean striking, and even used a surprising takedown and top control to claim the third round.
Following this - his 15th career win - Murphy must be aiming for a top-10 spot at 145 pounds. Therefore, a good next fight for him would be against No.8 ranked Josh Emmett.
A former interim UFC title challenger, Emmett last fought in December 2023, stopping Bryce Mitchell. He's got the power to turn the lights out on anyone, but he's also a limited striker from a technical standpoint, making him a tricky yet beatable opponent for Murphy.
Overall, the promotion could easily headline a Fight Night event with this bout, and if Murphy could win, he'd enter featherweight title contention.
#3. UFC light-heavyweight title: Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev
While he didn't get the finish he was craving last night, Magomed Ankalaev still performed well, clearly outpointing the tough Aleksandar Rakic over three rounds.
The big question now, of course, is whether the UFC will finally hand Ankalaev a light-heavyweight title shot.
The fact that we're even asking that question is strange in some ways. After all, regardless of fighting style, Ankalaev has not lost since 2018 and is unbeaten across 13 fights.
While reigning 205-pound champ Alex Pereira hasn't been all that enthusiastic about fighting the Dagestani, in this case, the UFC should go with sport first, and entertainment second.
That's because there's nobody else worthy enough to fight 'Poatan' at 205 pounds right now, and Ankalaev has basically beaten the rest of the division too.
Sure, the appealing pick might be Pereira moving to heavyweight to face Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall, but if it's the former fight, do we really want to wait until say, 2026 to see it?
Realistically, at this stage, Pereira vs. Ankalaev is the only fight that makes sense for both men. It's time for Dana White and company to bite the bullet and book it.
#2. UFC middleweight title: Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev
If you believe Sean Strickland, the next UFC middleweight title fight is already set. According to 'Tarzan', he's set to rematch champ Dricus du Plessis in early 2025.
Despite this, the promotion does have the power to unmake fights, as we've seen on numerous occasions in the past. Therefore, after last night, du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 ought to be scrapped right away.
That's because the next title shot at 185 pounds clearly belongs to Khamzat Chimaev.
'Borz' stunned everyone by dominating Robert Whittaker in Abu Dhabi last night, taking the former titleholder down before submitting him with a brutal face crank, all in the first round.
The Chechen basically treated Whittaker like a lesser fighter entirely, something that'd never been done to the Australian before.
Put simply, to give Strickland a shot over him based on his dodgy win over Paulo Costa would be utterly criminal.
Unless Chimaev needs another lengthy period away from action, then, Dana White and company should be working as hard as they can to put Du Plessis vs. Chimaev together in early 2025.
Would this be harsh to Strickland? Perhaps, but he can always fight the winner. At the end of the day, the UFC is about making money, and right now, there's no bigger money fight at 185 pounds than 'Stillknocks' vs. 'Borz'.
#1. UFC featherweight title: Ilia Topuria vs. Diego Lopes
After UFC 308, there's an argument that 2024 belongs to Ilia Topuria. 'El Matador' made the first successful defense of his featherweight crown, becoming the first man to knock out the legendary Max Holloway in the process.
Following his win, there has been some talk of Alexander Volkanovski being given a second shot at the Georgian-Spanish fighter.
However, Volkanovski should probably look to win at least one bounce-back fight before taking another crack at Topuria.
Therefore, the most exciting featherweight title fight that could be made right now would be Topuria against Diego Lopes.
Lopes is a surging contender, riding a five-fight win streak. His last bout saw him thrash former title challenger Brian Ortega.
Given that the Mexico-based Brazilian acted as the backup fighter for Topuria vs. Holloway last night, it feels like Dana White and company might already view him as the next title challenger.
Sure, he does hold a loss to Movsar Evloev on his ledger, but that shouldn't matter. Lopes is on a hot streak, he's the name on everyone's lips, and based on his fighting style, a clash with 'El Matador' could be wild.
With any luck then, the promotion could put this fight together in early 2025 and watch fireworks ensue.