5 fights to make for UFC London winners

The latest edition of UFC London wasn't as action-packed as previous Fight Nights in the English capital but still had its fair share of memorable moments.

Top heavyweight prospect Tom Aspinall returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion in the main event, firmly putting himself in the title mix after a year-long hiatus.

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Like Aspinall, the rest of the victors at the recently concluded Fight Night will be looking to move on to bigger fights down the line as they edge closer to the belt in their respective divisions.

On that note, here are five fights to make for the biggest winners at UFC London.

#5. Ketlen Vieira vs. Mayra Bueno Silva – Winner fights for the UFC women's bantamweight title

Amanda Nunes' recent retirement has blown the women's bantamweight title picture wide open. With the vacant championship now up for grabs, there are many worthy contenders for the 135-pound belt.

Among those are Mayra Bueno Silva, who beat a former champion earlier this month, and Ketlen Vieira, who came good at UFC London to defend her spot in the rankings.

Ketlen Vieira thinks it doesn't make sense for Julianna Peña to fight for the vacant bantamweight title. 👀

More from #UFCLondon: bit.ly/UFCLondonBacks… pic.twitter.com/orwhNGqlmy

It appears that No.1-ranked Julianna Pena and No.2-ranked Raquel Pennington are the frontrunners for the vacant title, so the two fighters ranked below them might have to duke it out for the next championship opportunity.

Mayra Bueno Silva leaped up the rankings with her shocking submission win over former bantamweight queen Holly Holm earlier this month to claim the No.3 spot. At UFC London, Bueno Silva's compatriot Ketlen Vieira defended her No.4 spot with her decision win over Pannie Kianzad.

With the UFC returning to Brazil in early November, this all-Brazilian matchup makes perfect sense for all parties involved.

Ketlen Vieira vs. Mayre Bueno Silva [Images via @ketlenvieiraufc & @mayra_sheetara on Instagram]

#4. Joel Alvarez vs. Jalin Turner

Joel Alvarez's only losses in the UFC have come at the hands of top-ranked lightweights Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov. The Spanish prospect is among the best unranked 155-pounders on the roster and showed his potential once again at UFC London, submitting Marc Diakiese.

JOEL ALVAREZ STILL HAS HIS 100% FINISH RATE #UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/utHzqsO4Js

Joel Alvarez boasts a 100% finish rate, and his victory over Marc Diakiese was the 17th submission win of his career. He is among the biggest lightweights around and has the reach and striking ability to give anyone problems on the feet. A shot at a ranked contender is warranted for 'El Fenomeno'.

The ideal step-up in competition for Alvarez would be fellow prospect Jalin Turner, who occupies the No.12 spot in the rankings. Turner was on a tear going into 2023 but suffered back-to-back split decision losses to veterans Mateusz Gamrot and Dan Hooker, so will likely have to fight a lower-ranked lightweight next.

Amidst the emergence of Ilia Topuria, an inaugural UFC event in Spain appears to be on the horizon. If so, this would be an explosive addition to the card.

Joel Alvarez vs. Jalin Turner [Images via @MMAUncencored & @thetarantula on Instagram]

#3. Nathaniel Wood vs. Lerone Murphy

English featherweights Nathaniel Wood and Lerone Murphy can't seem to get along. Tensions between the duo started when their fight fell through earlier this year and carried all the way into UFC London fight week, where they clashed once again before their respective fights.

It’s getting heated in the fighter hotel as Nathaniel Wood and Lerone Murphy come face-to-face for the first time since their March fight cancellation 👀
#UFCLondon #UFC #MMA

pic.twitter.com/AgWuU4c6NC

Both featherweights came out on top at the recently concluded Fight Night as Lerone Murphy defeated Joshua Culibao and Nathaniel Wood beat Andre Fili.

Wood has emerged as an intriguing addition to the 145-pound bracket since his move up from bantamweight. 'The Prospect' edged a decision win over promotional veteran Fili in a back-and-forth barnburner at the O2 Arena, where he picked up his third win in his new division.

On the flipside, Murphy has never tasted defeat in his professional career. The unbeaten Englishman outworked Joshua Culibao en route to a decision win at UFC London, picking up his fifth win on the trot. 'The Miracle' is knocking on the door of the divisional top 15.

With both fighters chasing a ranking, and the apparent animosity between them, re-booking this sensational matchup is a no-brainer.

Lerone Murphy vs. Nathaniel Wood [Image via @theprospectmma on Instagram]

#2. Paul Craig vs. Derek Brunson

With his wins over top-ranked light heavyweights Jamahal Hill and Magomed Ankalaev, Paul Craig is still a player in the 205-pound division. However, recent losses prompted the fan-favorite Scot to drop down to the middleweight division, where he looks set to make a title run.

BIG. PAUL. CRAIG. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/RO60tXCSb6

Paul Craig cruised to a second-round TKO victory over fellow grappling specialist Andre Muniz at UFC London, opening his account in the 185-pound division in style. Considering his popularity with the masses, the right matchups could see 'Bearjew' work his way into the middleweight title mix.

Craig claimed Muniz's No.14 spot in the rankings and will target top-ranked middleweights for his next outing. A fight against MMA veteran Derek Brunson would be an intriguing matchup, pitting the American's patented wrestling against Craig's always-dangerous submission game.

If the UFC returns to Scotland sometime down the line, this would be the perfect main event.

Paul Craig vs Derek Brunson [Images via @paulcraig & @derekbrunson on Instagram]

#1. Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich – Winner fights for the UFC heavyweight title

Tom Aspinall suffered a devastating injury last year in his headlining bout against Curtis Blaydes at the O2 Arena, which ruled him out for a year. He returned to the scene of the crime precisely a year later and put on a performance of a lifetime, dispatching Marcin Tybura in just 73 seconds to make a statement in the heavyweight division.

There’s fast, then there’s Tom Aspinall fast 😤 #UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/8yJFe58pqR

With a dream fight against current champion Jon Jones in his sights, Tom Aspinall called for the winner of September's Ciryl Gane vs. Serghei Spivac main event in Paris. However, he has already beaten Spivac, and a more intriguing fight is potentially on offer for the towering Brit.

With Jones set to defend his title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in Madison Square Garden in November, a title eliminator bout between Aspinall and No.1-ranked Serghei Pavlovich is clearly the fight to make.

Notably, Aspinall and Pavlovich were booked to fight each other back when they were unranked contenders. With a shot at undisputed gold on the line and the prospect of fighting on the same card as the highly anticipated heavyweight title fight, there's no better way to carry the division forward.

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