The middleweight title picture is really interesting right now and I think that trend continues for a while.
I think Chimaev will be champ on 1/1/2024 and I think he will soon after the start of 2024 be defending the title vs Bo Nickal. I’ll pick a winner in that one when we get a little closer to the fight.
Make your pick.
1-1-23 I’ll says AP
1-1-24 I’ll simply say Khamzat too. I believe he’s the real deal. And who knows, maybe he’ll be even better at 185 without that draining weight cut
I think he will be. WW always seemed temporary for him, think him and his coaches just had a dream of him grabbing that WW title before he had to move up to MW for good like Whittaker had to do.
He basically wanted to do what Penn, Conor, Nunes, Randy etc… did and grab two belts and getting WW first made the most sense.
Chimaev is the favorite
Really wanted to see it. Like I said on another thread WW is one of my favorite divisions. There were still a few great matchups there for him in Colby Kamaru and of course the champ Leon
Khamzat
MW is REALLY interesting, and if Chimaev can avoid Whittaker, I can see him being champion. It wouldn’t shock me at all if he beats Adesanya or Pereira. However, Whittaker is way too much for him…way too clean in the striking, and way too good all around. A prime Yoel Romero had a hard time controlling Whittaker, and I don’t see Chimaev having an easy time grappling him…Whittaker keeps him on the outside and breaks him down, the same way he has everyone not named Adesanya.
I have a feeling Pereira beats Izzy, and then from there I have no clue.
Pereira
Probably Izzy
I don’t think Izzy, just based on how hard it is to win that many fights in a row. He’s already defended the belt 5 times, and this is his 3rd fight of 2022. If we assume a similar schedule for 2023, he’d tie GSP for 4th most title defenses ever, and I don’t see it happening. Looking at the rankings, I could see him doing it (as long as he beats Pereira obviously) because he’s beaten almost everyone.
Chimaev would be the only guy with a real shot of beating him IMO. Whitakker has a shot, their last fight was really close…but I don’t think they do a 3rd one.
Izzy closes out 2022 with a UD over Pereira. He then has a slow 2023 as he waits for a contender to emerge. Maybe he dabbles at 205 during that time.
Chimaev would be the obvious one to get a title shot sometime in 2023, but I’m not sure he gets by Costa. Costa can give Chimaev all the same problems that Burns did, except he’s much bigger and has more KO power.
Are your other favorite divisions light heavy, middle, light, bantam, and feather?
Muniz is 17-1 in the past 8 years and 7-0 in the UFC counting his Contenders Series fights. At only 32 with recent subs of Jacare and Anders and a UD over Hall in his last fight… I’d really like to see him get a crack at someone in the top 5 next.
170, 155 & 135
Here are the upcoming fights for the UFC top 15:
11/12- Adesanya vs Pereira title fight
12/17 Connoneir vs Strickland
12/3 Brunson vs Hermansson
12/10 Till vs Du Plessis
12/10 Curtis vs Buckley
2-0 Nickal fights tomorrow night on CS.
Does Darren till stay at 185 now? Didn’t even think about that until now
Not in the top 15 like the other fights listed but still fairly highly ranked at like fightmatrix I see there are a lot of fights booked at MW right now.
In the top 15:
11/12- Adesanya vs Pereira title fight
12/17 Connoneir vs Strickland
12/3 Brunson vs Hermansson
12/10 Till vs Du Plessis
12/10 Curtis vs Buckley
Outside the top 15 but still ranked in top 40 in UFC at fightmatrix-
10/1 Jotko vs Allen
12/10 Shahbazian vs Lungiambula
11/12 Turman vs Petroski
10/29 Hawes vs Dolidze
12/17 Silva vs Duraev
10/22 Muradov vs Borralho
12/17 Marquez vs Winn