-
Brett Okamoto
multiple authors
Alexander Volkanovsky implement any suggestions that will lead to his victory diego lopez Last April was a serendipitous event when he Defeated Lopez again in UFC 325 In Sydney on Saturday. Once that’s decided, where does the focus now turn? can Volkanovski def. Two names immediately come to mind, but they may have to go through each other to get to Volk.
With big wins of their own, the lightweights benoit saint denis, mauricio rafi And Quillen Salkild Each took major steps toward establishing themselves among the division’s elite. Lucky for him, at £155, matchmaking options are abundant. Take a look at who we see as the next opponents for the stars at UFC 325.
Alexander Volkanovski, Featherweight Champion
Who should be next: winner of movsar evloev versus leron murphy
The UFC hasn’t announced a bout between Avalov and Murphy, but it’s a strong possibility – and at this point, it makes sense. Volkanovski likes quick turnarounds, but at 37, it would be wise for him to take his time before heading back to camp. And to make Volkanovski’s next title defense as big as possible, honestly both Ivloev and Murphy need wins first. They both deserve title shots, but neither fighter is very exciting right now. Perhaps a fight between them will give UFC fans a true, exciting, No. 1 contender.
Wild Card: evloev
If Volkanovski decides he really wants to fight again in a few months, he’ll need a challenger. And even though Ivloev hasn’t fought in over a year, he’s the No. 1 contender, and Volkanovski wants to face him.
Diego Lopez, featherweight
Who should be next: yair rodriguez
The animosity between the two dates back to a press conference last spring, when they went back and forth over Lopez’s ties to Mexico. Rodriguez has had trouble staying active throughout his career and has recently battled a hand injury. But if he can be ready to go in a reasonable time frame, it’s a 100 percent fight.
Wild Card: winner of josh emmett versus kevin vallejos on 14th March
Especially if Vallejos beats Emmett. Vallejos looks like a juggernaut, with knockouts in two of his first three UFC appearances. If he beats Emmett in his first UFC main event, the UFC will have a hard time fighting the temptation to turn him loose against the top of the division. Stylistically, Lopez vs. Vallejos would be a home run, featuring two of the division’s hardest hitters. And to be clear, Lopez vs. Emmett would be fine too. Emmett is 40 years old, so he’s trying to make the biggest move as soon as possible. If that stops the hype behind Vallejos, why not move him up to a bigger opportunity, knowing he is on borrowed time?
Benoit St. Denis, lightweight
Who should be next: Arman Tsarukyan
Anything outside of a title opportunity seems trivial to Tsarukyan, but that’s where we are. He’s not getting his next title shot, something really strange is happening. So what? St. Denis has now entered such territory. For him, there is no point in falling down in the rankings other than simply remaining active. Frankly, this is not an ideal situation for any of these people. The entire division is in a jam with the champion Ilya Topuria On leave of absence, an interim belt and two monster names in the mix, Charles Oliveira And max hollowayStill ranked in top 5. Unless both St. Denis and Tsarukyan want to sit and wait, they will need to keep fighting, and that undoubtedly matters most.
Wild Card: Winner of Oliveira vs. Holloway at UFC 326
This fight is questionable because I don’t think Oliveira or Holloway have any interest in it. Sometimes the UFC will try to force a matchup, but I don’t think the promotion would see much point in doing that. The winner of the BMF title fight at UFC 326 will certainly be looking for a big fight from St. Denis – but depending on what happens, he may have no choice. For his part, St. Denis was wise to call out the BMF champ in the post-fight interview.
Mauricio Raffi, lightweight
Who should be next: michael chandler
I feel bad about this suggestion because Chandler deserves better. We all know this. Chandler played every card right to win the match conor mcgregorBut McGregor took too long, and lost some steam he had built up. Is it the “right thing” for the UFC to book Chandler a fight with McGregor? Yes it is. Are there other great options to pair against McGregor? yes of course. If Chandler doesn’t get the chance to fight McGregor, he’ll likely be looking for a matchup like Rafi – a dangerous fighter who has more to gain than Chandler. As unfair as it may be for Chandler, it’s a great offer for Raffi. Despite losing to Benoit St. Denis last year, Rafi has all the potential in the world and this is the kind of matchup that could boost his popularity.
Wild Card: benil dariush
Rafi called out people like McGregor paddy pimblettWho is smart and can be successful. At the moment, I don’t see either of them standing in line. So if Raffi can’t get a bigger name (throw Chandler in there too), the next best thing is to continue to solidify himself as a legitimate contender against the established names of the division. Dariush is as established as they come, even if he is possibly nearing the end of his career. Dariush needs to defend his ranking, and Rafi is one of the big guys knocking on the door.
Quillen Salkild, Light Weight
Who should be next: manuel torres
How much hype can a fight get, right? It’s hard to contain the excitement for a young talent like Salkild. He is an adept finisher with charismatic talent – and he has done well in the spotlight. The UFC has a million matchmaking options for Salkilde and may take the slow approach. Personally, I wouldn’t do that. A matchup against another high-octane finisher like Torres would be exciting and could already serve as a main event. Torres is 5-1 in the UFC with five first-round knockouts. The UFC always needs a star, and one way or another, a star will emerge from this matchup.
Wild Card: jalin turner
Not long ago, Turner was seen as a potential title hope. He then lost four out of five fights and even “retired” for a minute before getting back into the win column in December. edson barboza. Is Turner really back and ready to hit the ground running, or is he on borrowed time, less than a year away from announcing his MMA departure? We may find out in matchups like this.
