UFC Fights We Need Before 2025
2024 has been one of the best years for the UFC. At least that I can remember. This year has been full of exciting knockouts, interesting storylines, and the return of UFC legends like Connor McGregor and Jose Aldo. With 2025 just around the corner let's go over three fights we need before the year ends.
Charles Oliveira vs. Alexander Volkanovski at lightweight could be one of the best matchups of the year. Volkanovaski said on Twitter that he would welcome a fight against Oliveira and now the fans can’t stop talking about it. The fight makes sense for multiple reasons. For starters with Arman Tsarukyan being suspended, it would make sense for the UFC to give someone else a shot for the title instead of waiting for Tsarukyan to get off suspension. Oliveira is currently the number two ranked lightweight so until Tsarukyan can return he is next in line for a title shot. Another reason this fight makes sense is because of the amount of money it would generate. Oliveira vs Volkanovski is a fight that would sell itself, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it became a top-five gate for the UFC in 2024.
There is an argument to be made that Alex Pereira is currently the face of the UFC. Although he doesn’t speak English, the fans love him and interact with everything he does. Pereira is coming off back-to-back successful title defenses and some believe that Magomed Ankalev is next in line. I do not agree with this take at all. Ankalev has a very impressive record of 19-1-1 and he is currently the number two-ranked light heavyweight. With that being said, I don’t believe that his resume is good enough just yet for a title fight. I think it's time Dana White returns the favor and gives Pereira/the fans the fights they really want and that's a heavyweight fight. Pereira vs Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall would be the most exciting fight of 2024. Pereira has been asking to move up to heavyweight for a while now and although Dana wasn’t too fond of the idea before, it now seems like he is willing to let this happen. Pereira officially moving up to heavyweight would get him one step closer to becoming the first-ever triple champ in the history of the UFC. After saving both the UFC: 300 and the UFC: 303 cards, Pereira deserves the opportunity to make history.
The last fight we need before the year ends is Max Holloway vs. Ilia Topuria. Topuria has gone to social media claiming that Holloway is putting off the fight, but Holloway has said that it's Topuria holding things up. Regardless of who really doing what, it is time for Dana to step in and set up a fight between these two at the sphere. UFC: 306 is set to be the debut UFC event for the sphere in Las Vegas, and it's supposed to be an event even bigger than UFC: 300. The card hasn’t been announced yet, and it's hard to see who the UFC is going to put on the card. It is believed that McGregor won’t be healthy enough to fight at the sphere, Jon Jones isn’t fighting until November, and Pereira just fought in July. Holloway vs Topuria is the perfect main event for this card because of the fighting styles. Topuria is known for his striking speed and power, and Holloway is known for his elite boxing skills and iron chin. Holloway has never been knocked out, but if anyone can be the first it's Topuria. You could say that both fighters have been “selling” this fight since UFC: 300, so the UFC doesn’t have to promote this fight as much as others.
I don’t know how likely it is that we will get any of these fights before 2025 but if we do I can guarantee none of these fights will disappoint. Do you think any of these three fights will happen by the end of 2024? Or at least by 2025?
