UFC 300 Aftermath: Max Holloway vs. Ilia Topuria & More Fights to Make After Massive Card
What's next for UFC 300's victorious fighters? We got you covered.
There's plenty of directions to go after UFC 300.
It was an incredible night for the premier MMA promotion with 26 fighters, including 12 former/current champions, going to head-to-head at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alex Pereira and Zhang Weili would defend their world championships with brilliant performances and Max Holloway would rack up $600K in bonuses by knocking out Justin Gaethje in a buzzer-beating brawl for the 'BMF' belt.
Of course, the champions weren't the only ones who had a great night at the office. Arman Tsarukyan may have stamped his #1 contender status with a closely-contested decision win over Charles Oliveira and the same could be said for #2-ranked Jiri Prochazka who stopped Aleksandar Rakic in a back-and-forth war.
UFC 300 Aftermath: Ilia Topuria Calls for Max Holloway Fight After Incredible KO
To the victors, go the spoils, and here's what I think should await UFC 300's biggest winners.
Alex Pereira: Light Heavyweight title defense vs. #3-ranked Magomed Ankalaev
While a rematch with Jiri Prochazka would definitely be fun, Pereira expressed at the UFC 300 post-fight press conference he'd like to see new challenges rather than familiar faces. One of those is a potential move to heavyweight, but with one title defense in, I think Pereira should fight once or twice more at light heavyweight before moving up a division.
Since entering the UFC in 2021, 'Poatan' has fought mainly strikers including Jamahal Hill, Jan Blachowicz, Israel Adesanya (twice), the list goes on. Perhaps, it's time for a curveball against a true-blue wrestler like Magomed Ankalaev, who hasn't lost in his last 12 fights.
Zhang Weili: Strawweight title defense vs. #2-ranked Tatiana Suarez
Chinese champ Zhang Weili isn't focusing on her next fight as of now, but when 'Magnum' is ready to lock and load, I believe she should face Tatiana Suarez. Zhang's striking was put to the test against Yan Xiaonan and it was ultimately her wrestling and grappling that gave her the edge in the title defense.
Suarez poises a different challenge altogether as the TUF Champion is arguably the best wrestler in all of women's MMA right now. Suarez is undefeated at 10-0 and I believe it's about time she puts her perfect record on the line in a title fight where the stakes couldn't be any higher.
Max Holloway: Featherweight title challenge vs. (C) Ilia Topuria
Holloway knows he's got "options" following his vicious finish of Justin Gaethje in the final seconds of their BMF title fight. The former champ is basically a #1 or #2 contender in both the featherweight and lightweight divisions. That being said, a title fight with Ilia Topuria at 145lbs sounds like a plan.
With Alexander Volkanovski coming off back-to-back losses, "The Great" should recuperate while Topuria and Holloway find out who the best boxer in the UFC really is.
"I think it's clear now, we have the next fight. It will be against Max Holloway." Topuria told ESPN Deportes. "Tonight is his night, he needs to enjoy, but after fighting me he will have to go back in the line. Let's see, nothing concrete, but there was a big chance that if he walked out victorious [out] of the Octagon, he could be next. I'm not sure if he is hurt. I hope not, so he can come back soon and we can have a fight."
Arman Tsarukyan: Lightweight title challenge vs. winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 302
A big player in Justin Gaethje is now out of the way in the lightweight title conversation. With Max Holloway potentially going down to featherweight, that leaves the door wide open for Arman Tsarukyan to fight for the title next.
Obviously, he'll have to wait for the winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier, which takes place at UFC 302 on June 1st. Tsarukyan was apparently offered the title shot right after defeating Charles Oliveira, but it'd be too quick of a turnaround for the 27 year-old.
Bo Nickal: Middleweight fight vs. Gerald Meerschaert
The competition continues to get steeper for Nickal as he moves on with his pro career. Still green in MMA, the highly-touted wrestler took longer than expected in stopping Cody Brundage at UFC 300. While it wasn't a bad performance by any means, it may be a sign that Nickal needs a fight or two before he is thrown in with the wolves in the top 15 rankings.
A potential next fight for Nickal could be against a grappling-heavy UFC veteran in Gerald Meerschaert.
Jiri Prochazka: Light heavyweight title eliminator vs. #8-ranked Khalil Rountree
Jiri Prochazka could be one win away from a title fight. Prochazka lost to Alex Pereira last November in a somewhat controversial TKO stoppage, but the former champ returned in stellar fashion, picking up a second-round TKO of his own against #5 contender Aleksandar Rakic.
Jamahal Hill did call out Prochazka for his next fight, but with Hill being KO'ed in devastating fashion, maybe the timing wouldn't work out for the best. This matchup may come out of left field, however, I think Jiri Prochazka vs. a top-notch striker like Khalil Rountree would produce fireworks and a future title challenger for the reigning champ Pereira.
UFC 300 AFTERMATH: JAMAHAL HILL CALLS OUT EX-CHAMP AFTER MAIN EVENT LOSS
Aljamain Sterling: Featherweight fight vs. #3-ranked Brian Ortega
Styles make fights. Aljamain Sterling showed his wrestling is still a problem in his move to featherweight, where he dominated Calvin Kattar on the ground like no one has ever before.
There are many interesting fights for Sterling in this division, none that I find more intriguing than matchup with BJJ specialist Brian Ortega. It'd be a classic wrestler vs. jiu-jitsu matchup and it's something Sterling wants as well with Ortega catching wind of his post-fight call-out.
Kayla Harrison: Women's bantamweight title fight vs. winner of Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña (rumored)
Kayla Harrison is a breath of fresh air that the women's bantamweight division desperately needed. The former PFL Champion made quick and easy work of the legendary Holly Holm in her promotional and divisional debut at UFC 300.
It's a no-brainer that Harrison should fight for the title next after Raquel Pennington and Julianna Peña settle their longtime rivalry in a fight that has yet to have a date.
Diego Lopes: Featherweight rematch vs. #5-ranked Movsar Evloev.
That's three-straight finishes for Diego Lopes and you'd have to think something big is in store for Brazil's rising star. Post-fight, Lopes did call for a rematch with Movsar Evloev and while Evloev is deserving of a top of the heap opportunity with eight UFC wins, I have feeling he may have to fight down the ladder his next time out.
Lopes gave Evloev a true test in his UFC debut, all on short-notice. The fight could be much closer with a full fight-camp for both fighters.
Renato Moicano: Lightweight fight vs. #7-ranked Beneil Dariush
By Tuesday, Renato Moicano should be in the lightweight top 10 with his win over Jalin Turner. Putting together a three-fight win streak, I think his next fight should come against perennial contender Beneil Dariush.
It looks like Dariush is a fan of the potential lightweight matchup.
Jessica Andrade: Women's strawweight rematch vs. #3-ranked Amanda Lemos
After beating the #6 and #7 contenders in the division consecutively, I think Jessica Andrade should fight ahead in the rankings now. Amanda Lemos sits right above her at #3 and with Andrade holding a previous win over the title challenger in 2022, it's about time the two Brazilians ran it back for a better place in the division.
Bobby Green: Lightweight fight vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
Bobby Green wants to fight Paddy Pimblett following his win over Jim Miller... but, to be fair, so does every other rising lightweight. Green proved he's still very much here and can still turn back the clock at 37 years old.
A BMF in his own right, who wouldn't want to see "King" do battle with French killer Benoit Saint-Denis?
Deiveson Figueiredo: Bantamweight fight vs. Petr Yan
Former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo got it done in his sequel appearance at 135lbs, submitting former champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300. Moving up the rankings with each win, Figueiredo isn't too far away from cracking the top 5.
I think a fight with another former champion in Petr Yan would keep the division moving in a massive bantamweight fight and who knows? Maybe it could even be a title eliminator, considering how other top contender fights go.
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