Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira and 4 other big fights the UFC should target going forward
At UFC 276, the middleweight division will be in the spotlight as there are two huge fights scheduled in the weight class. The champion, Israel Adesanya, will defend his belt against Jared Cannonier. The card also features Alex Pereira, who will face Sean Strickland in what could have huge implications for the future of the division.
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Putting both these fights on the same card does not appear to be a coincidence, as the promotion has seemed very keen on setting up an Adesanya vs. Pereira fight for some time. You can understand why, given Pereira defeated Adesanya twice during both men’s time in GLORY kickboxing.
This is not the first time we have seen a fight so appealing to Dana White and co. that they have been obvious about targeting it in the near future. It will also likely not be the last, so here are a number of big-time fights the UFC would be smart to target:
#5. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov - UFC welterweight division
The comparisons between Khamzat Chimaev and Shavkat Rakhmonov began shortly after the two men debuted in the UFC. Both men have looked unstoppable thus far in their careers and are now proving themselves against ranked opponents. Surely, at some point, these two men must finally face each other.
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Given they are two of the most skilled fighters we have seen in some time, this fight is already a mouth-watering proposition for MMA fans. However, neither man has mainstream appeal just yet, so Dana White would be wise to hold off on booking this fight until both fighters have reached the top of the division.
Chimaev vs. Rahmonov is such an appealing match-up that they ought to be kept apart until both men are in the top five of the division. For now, these two fighters can continue to build momentum and grow their names. If they were to one day meet in a title fight, this would be one of the biggest fights in recent memory.