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Alex Pereira at heavyweight? Not now, thanks

Alex Pereira might have a heavyweight run in his future. But for now, he shoudl focus on his main division.

Alex Pereira continues to chase bigger and better goals, but is he getting ahead of himself?

The incumbent UFC Light Heavyweight Champion made quick work of Jamahal Hill last Saturday, stopping him in the first round. After the fight, he threw out the ambitious idea of not only fighting as soon as next month in Brazil but doing so up at heavyweight.

Let’s ignore the highly unlikely scenario of him appearing at UFC 301 and discuss the much more possible division move for the champ. Pereira at heavyweight doesn’t seem like a bad idea, and there are certainly interesting matchups in the weight class for him. This includes a fight against interim champ Tom Aspinall, which has even been teased by the heavyweight titleholder on social media. But the question should be asked: Is now the right time for Alex Pereira to chase another belt? Here are a few reasons why it might be best for the champ to keep defending his belt.

The Case For Alex Pereira To Stay At Light Heavyweight

Alex Pereira unlikely to fight at UFC 301 next month after suffering second broken toe against Jamahal Hill — Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – USA TODAY Sports

The first reason is simple: Alex Pereira has the chance to become the next face of the light heavyweight division and to dominate it in a way that hasn’t been seen for a while.

For the past few years, light heavyweight has been without a consistent face of the division. After long-time light heavyweight king Jon Jones—who ran rough shot for the better part of a decade—left for heavyweight in 2020, it was hard to tell what would happen next.

Poland’s Jan Blachowicz looked to be someone who could have a run, but his time with the belt wasn’t substantial. After defending it once, beating middleweight champ Israel Adesanya who made the jump up 20 pounds for a fight, he lost the title to Glover Teixeira in an upset result.

Teixeira immediately dropped the title to Jiri Prochazka. An injury made Prochazka then also lose the belt. Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev fought for a vacant belt, but it ended in a draw. Jamahal Hill beat Teixeira for the vacant title, then also had to relinquish the championship after suffering an injury.

Safe to say, light heavyweight was a mess for years. But since late 2023, it has looked like the class might be settling in with a new star in Alex Pereira.

Fresh off his dramatic two-fight series against long-time rival Israel Adesanya at middleweight, Alex Pereira made the move up to light heavyweight. Considering how thin Alex Pereira had to become to make the 185-pound limit before, there was no worry about how he would look up a class. He fit like a glove instantly, beating Blachowicz to earn a title shot in 2023.

Pereira captured his second-ever UFC title last November, stopping Prochazka in a fight for the vacant title. This didn’t prove too much about a long-time star staying on top of the division yet: We have seen so many become champs but have only witnessed one actually defend their title since Jones.

Fast forward to last weekend, Alex Pereira made the first big step toward cementing a long-term legacy at 205 pounds: He cleaned the clock of Hill, sleeping him in just over three minutes to win in the main event of UFC 300. The victory was his third time beating a former champ in the division and was his fourth UFC title fight.

But the win was just that: A first step. There’s so much more that Alex Pereira has to do at light heavyweight before going into legacy discussions. How many more times can he defend his belt? How can he do in the weight class against fighters that can challenge him more with grappling or wrestling?

Light heavyweight was the division of one top star for a long time. But when looking at the past few years, it’s clear that nobody has been able to fill Jones’ shoes. Can Alex Pereira change that? Absolutely. In fact, based on the performances we have seen so far, it looks like he has the talent to stay on top of the class for quite some time. But here’s the thing: That legacy hasn’t been fully built yet. As much as Alex Pereira has the potential to be something bigger, that doesn’t matter until he has actually gone out and done the work.

Light heavyweight has gone through turmoil for years, with the title picture being a revolving door. After burning through so many names at the top, it would be entertaining to see if Pereira can break that pattern and stay on top for a longer period of time. Personally, that is a much more intriguing storyline than pursuing fights elsewhere.

You might be asking: Well, can’t he achieve those goals at light heavyweight and chase a career at heavyweight? Sure, that’s of course possible. However, it just seems too unlikely. Jumping between divisions would mean it would take longer to build up his resume at 205 pounds, as opposed to simply fighting just in one division. And remember, Alex Pereira is 36. He’s not past his prime by any measure, but he’s the oldest current champion and won’t be getting any younger.

When you think about how much Jones’ run appealed to the public and how his time as champ made the light heavyweight division one of the most popular in the UFC, there’s also a marketing opportunity here. If Alex Pereira can focus on the division he’s currently in and try to become the next man to actually have dominance, popularity will follow. But it’s much harder to achieve that level of success when you’re also heading up a weight class and working on side projects. Sure, getting another belt would be big as well. But becoming a top name in a division that has lacked consistency for years would be just as big.

The Logistics Of A Double Champ

gettyimages 2148569356 612x612 1 — Mandatory Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

An important factor to remember with top fighters switching between divisions is that they hold up weight classes. Let’s look over at KSW, where arguably the best two-division champion in MMA exists. Salahdine Parnasse, a titleholder at featherweight and lightweight, has fought between two divisions for a couple of years. Because of the time that it takes to rest in between title fights, coupled with the fact that he can only accommodate one division at a time, KSW has had to put together many interim title bouts over the past couple of years. Even in a case like Parnasse, the top of the standings gets clogged.

If the light heavyweight division was moving slowly at the moment and there was time for Alex Pereira to try something else, it would make sense. But we’re simply not in that situation at the moment.

Second-ranked Magomed Ankalaev is in great positioning for another shot at the belt, coming off a dominant finish win over Johnny Walker last January. And riding the momentum of his win against Aleksandar Rakic on Saturday, Prochazka has the case to eventually get another chance as well. There are other names rising up the rankings that, in a year or so, could be solid names to challenge Alex Pereira.

If Alex Pereira hopes to maintain champion status at light heavyweight, it feels right to say he should establish his run a little more before looking outside his division. When there are worthy contenders who are ready for that fight, there’s no real reason to ship your champion out to another class. Once he can truly clean out the class—something he will certainly do if he can keep putting on performances as dominant as last weekend’s—a discussion about a trip up to heavyweight should be had.

The Truth: Being Double Champ Ain’t Easy

The past decade has shown that it’s incredibly hard for a double-champ to sustain success in the UFC. Through the five times that a fighter has become a two-division champion, just one reign saw a talent defend either of their belts more than one time, and that was Amanda Nunes. Brazilian standout Nunes, however, is an oddity. She competed at bantamweight and featherweight, a pair of divisions that have few fighters. Featherweight, in fact, basically died out after she retired last summer.

The most notorious double-champ, Conor McGregor, never defended either of his belts during his time as double champ. Daniel Cormier and Henry Cejudo won just one fight after entering double champ status (However it’s worth noting that Cejudo relinquished one of his belts to focus on a single division).

This is clearly a small sample size, so it isn’t any case-closing argument. However, it poses this question: If becoming a double champ is an accomplishment so rare that it has only happened a few times in the UFC’s three decades of existence, shouldn’t the opportunities only realistically be given to those who surpass their peers by a wide margin? A two-division title opportunity shouldn’t be given to any champ with just one win in his class, but instead, someone who has shown a level of consistency at the top.

None of this is to take away from the stellar work that Alex Pereira has put on. He’s an incredibly accomplished champion who showed Saturday that he deserved to be in the main event spot at UFC 300. To say that he can do big things outside of his current weight class someday is not unrealistic. However, it’s not a discussion that should be entertained just yet. Let’s see more magic from “Poatan” at light heavyweight, then maybe come back to this conversation.

To Wait or To Fight: What should Manon Fiorot do after UFC Atlantic City win?

Manon Fiorot has two tough options after Saturday: Wait for a shot, or risk her contender position in another fight.

Manon Fiorot was overjoyed on Saturday night, and how could she not be? She put together an incredibly dominant performance against one of the top talents at flyweight, making her the biggest name at 125 pounds who has never fought for a title.

While Fiorot is riding high after her victory over Erin Blanchfield, that happiness might soon turn into frustration. The 34-year-old French talent is one of the most qualified names for a flyweight title shot, but it’s unclear when that opportunity will ever arrive.

Generous estimates have placed a potential fight against the flyweight champ around early 2025. Yes, seriously. The clogged-up timeline of the flyweight title picture in the division has put Manon Fiorot—and the UFC—in a tough position: Do they bench the French contender for what could be nine or more months, or do they make her defend her contender spot in another high-profile fight? Let’s assume the role of the UFC and Manon Fiorot and figure out what to do next.

Why The Wait?

Alexa Grasso faces off with Valentina Shevchenko ahead of The Ultimate Fighter 32 this summer

Before we get into Fiorot’s future, it’s worth highlighting why Fiorot would have to wait so long for a title shot. Just recently, UFC made the decision that current champ Alexa Grasso and former titleholder Valentina Shevchenko will face off in a trilogy bout. That’s all fine and good, but there’s a catch: They’ll meet after coaching the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.

The show is scheduled to begin in early June and likely run for 12 weeks. That puts a potential third fight between Grasso and Shevchenko in September at the earliest, matching them up around a year after they previously met.

It’s unclear how much time off the winning fighter will need afterward. It could be a quick turnaround or a long layoff. But if we just assume it will be around three months, that puts Manon Fiorot either on the last card of 2024 or somewhere next year.

Could the UFC be blamed? It’s possible, but also hard to tell. Both Shevchenko and Grasso underwent hand surgery last fall after their UFC Noche bout. We don’t know much about if they are fully healed up, or if the delay in their fight is solely due to The Ultimate Fighter. While there’s a chance that UFC is entirely to blame for the fight’s delay, it’s worth remembering that there are other possibilities on the table as well.

As demonstrated by last season—coached by Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler—you don’t need a champion and challenger in the mentor role. You can just grab any two notable UFC fighters and put them on the show, making the decision to use Grasso and Shevchenko potentially questionable.

If the fight is truly being shelved solely due to the reality TV show, it’s a bad look on the UFC. Dayne Fox perfectly illuminated this point in an article earlier this week: “It appears the UFC would rather kill any potential momentum for a relic of the past,” he wrote.

The reason for the hold-up at flyweight is hard to determine. But it has been decided and is final. It’s now time to discuss what to do next.

Should Manon Fiorot Sit Out?

Joanne Calderwood — A cautionary tale from the past | Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Fiorot made it clear on Saturday night that she wants a title fight next: “I’m ready no matter what, I want my title shot,” she said through an interpreter. But she’ll need to be on the sidelines for a while if that’s the case.

We have seen scenarios in the past where an expected challenger lost out on a fight by staying active. When Shevchenko pulled out of her June 2020 booking against Joanne Wood due to injury, Wood fought Jennifer Maia two months later. A first-round submission win went the way of Maia and, you guessed it, she ended up getting that fight against Shevchenko instead of Wood.

It’s not completely easy to compare the previous case to Fiorot’s position. Fiorot will have an even longer wait than what Wood was up against, and she is certainly also more qualified in this scenario as well. While Manon Fiorot might have to sit out for a long time, there’s a really strong case for her putting her patience to the test and getting her rightful shot against the champ.

It’s hard to disagree with the decision for Fiorot to wait if that’s what she ends up doing, but she might also want to fight. It wouldn’t be wild if Fiorot decided to fight again. It’s a payday, after all. Don’t compete? Don’t get paid. That alone is incentive for some to got another matchup as soon as possible. We know that other people would take another fight if in Manon Fiorot’s position. If Erin Blanchfield were to win on Saturday, we would be looking at a situation where she would likely be competing again before the flyweight title fight, as outlined in a recent interview.

If She Were To Fight…

At the end of the day, I want Fiorot to choose her fate. I only want to see Fiorot in another fight if she truly wants to. Considering how many high-stakes bouts she has won in the division, it’s simply unfair at the moment to insist that she needs to defend her position. It’s not her fault that the title picture is moving so slowly. But let’s say she does want to, what should they do?

I would like to see Fiorot rewarded with an interim title bout if she does fight again before an opportunity at either Shevchenko or Grasso. If she fought fourth-ranked Maycee Barber for the belt, I wouldn’t be against that. Barber, quite honestly, isn’t as qualified as Fiorot or even Blanchfield. While she has beaten names like Katlyn Cerminara and Jessica Eye, it feels like her record just isn’t as strong. But after Blanchfield’s loss on Saturday, a fight between Barber and Manon Fiorot is the new top fight to make outside of the main title picture. If Manon Fiorot wants to fight again, that’s the best match you can make for her.

Fiorot deserves a big matchup next, even if she can’t get a shot at the undisputed title. An interim belt, even though it doesn’t guarantee anything per se, would make the statement that she is undoubtedly who should be facing the top name next. Any other potential matchup for Manon Fiorot would simply be giving her a lower-ranked talent to keep her busy.

The Verdict?

The wait may be long, and the timeline is uncertain. But as it stands right now, it feels like the right move for Manon Fiorot, and the right decision to make for the UFC is to let the French contender wait and then eventually be rewarded the fight she undoubtedly deserves. There are certainly options for her if she wants to stay active, but those opportunities are high-risk. She has done more than enough for a shot, and definitely more than some title challengers from the era where Shevchenko was knocking down two names a year. The wait currently seems worthwhile for Fiorot.

UFC should realize that Manon Fiorot as a title challenger can provide for another big event in France. The MMA market is red hot in the country, as demonstrated by the Cedric Doumbe-headlined PFL card recently. They can try to push into the market the same way they did with a Ciryl Gane title campaign a couple of years back. If Manon Fiorot is willing to wait and UFC is interested in keeping her in a contender position, this feels like it could be a win for all parties involved.

There are so many ways that this could go. A year from now, Manon Fiorot might be the UFC flyweight champion. Or, she might be out of the title picture after losing a fight she took to stay active. There’s also a possibility that she could still be waiting for her shot against the top of the weight class. It’s challenging currently to figure out what path is the right one for her to take. We’ve predicted what might be the best idea, and we’ll soon see if that was the right choice.

Does The UFC 300 Lineup Live Up To The Hype?

Is UFC 300 as good as it can be?

When you set expectations high, people’s minds start to race. And wow, race did they ever once chatter about UFC 300 started.

UFC 300 was billed as a fight card like none before: Can’t-miss fights from the earliest prelim to the main event. UFC CEO Dana White said he wanted it to be “the best card that’s ever been built.” It’s a card that will celebrate UFC’s 30-plus-year tradition of numbering their top events, bringing them to the impressive tri-centennial number arriving in April.

For some, it might be hard to judge whether UFC 300 has lived up to the hype. If you go back and see some of the lineups that fans fantasy booked months ago, you will soon realize that many had far higher hopes for the show than the already ambitious lineup that is now being promoted. While the pay-per-view offering is easily the strongest card produced by the promotion this year or even in recent years, people’s expectations previously were through the roof.

Hopes for the show were so high that White had to come out and say, “No, you aren’t going to get Ronda Rousey, or Georges St-Pierre, or some other retired fighter who people constantly discuss potentially returning.”

It’s a card without the promotion’s top active star, the name that defined a generation for the sport’s popularity, Conor McGregor. However, it seems like the promotion has struggled greatly to get him on any lineup, not just their biggest show in some time.

And even some of the more successful champions of recent years: Jon Jones, Islam Makhachev, and Sean O’Malley, all aren’t on the show. With all of these facts combined, is UFC 300 actually as good as people should have expected?

When looking at the logistics surrounding the promotion’s schedule, UFC 300 is arguably the best it could be. There’s a fair explanation for a large amount of the major absences on this show, and the matchups that were made are all quality.

The three big fights

Alex Pereira agrees deal to fight at UFC 301 in Brazil title fight just 21 days after UFC 300 return — Mandatory Credit: Chris Unger – Zuffa LLC

The headlining spot of the UFC 300 card will go to a clash between UFC light heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira and former title holder Jamahal Hill. The matchup provides a solid storyline, pitting an incumbent champ against a fighter who had his reign ended due to an out-of-competition injury. Pereira is a name that, while only a few years into his UFC run, has earned a significant amount of popularity. He’s no McGregor or Jones, although his rivalry with Israel Adesanya and recent title bid at light heavyweight has made him a substantial figure in the promotion’s current landscape.

The evening’s co-main event is a match that isn’t receiving as much hype as it arguably deserves. Strawweight champ Zhang Weili will look to defend her belt for the second time when she faces Yan Xiaonan. Zhang has been an incredibly dominant name in her repeat run as champion, absolutely slicing through Carla Esparza to claim the belt within two rounds and then dominating Amanda Lemos last year. From a pure in-cage talent standpoint, she is one of the most fun champions to watch in the promotion currently. Yan is coming off an impressive first-round win over former champ Jessica Andrade, putting the biggest win yet on year lengthy climb toward the 115-pound division’s top.

In what is being billed as the first of three title fights, Justin Gaethje will meet Max Holloway at lightweight. They’ll be competing for the “BMF” title, a belt that exists somewhere in between kayfabe and reality. It’s easy to have mixed feelings about this fight: While it’s a matchup between two fan favourites that will likely be enjoyed by viewers, it’s two contenders in packed divisions essentially putting themselves on the sidelines for the first half of the year.

The matchup undoubtedly is a huge addition to UFC 300, but in the same arguably breathe does more long-term damage to the promotion’s booking. When completely ignoring the logistical issues that it presents, it’s a massive fight to have on the card.

An incredibly stacked prelim card

Arman Tsarukyan unfazed by Charles Oliveira ahead of UFC 300 fight he's nothing special — Mandatory Credit: Jeff Bottari – Zuffa LLC

An important factor to the UFC 300 lineup is the depth. The card’s quality from start to finish—something that was hyped up before even one fight was known—has absolutely lived up to the hype. The undercard has numerous former champions or veteran names in the company’s history, telling a story about the events that led up to the big 300. Holly Holm, Charles Oliveira, Jessica Andrade, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Jim Miller are all fighters who have undoubtedly been an important part of the promotion’s history since UFC 200 and thus are stellar additions to the card.

There are also interesting glimpses into the present and future. Former PFL champ Kayla Harrison will make her bantamweight debut and test Octagon waters for the first time at UFC 300. Jiri Prochazka will look to begin another climb towards a belt against Aleksandar Rakic. And while the placement of Bo Nickal high up in the lineup has caused controversy, there’s no doubt that his inclusion on the card is solid.

The prelims are well crafted, with the perfect amount of relevant and popular names throughout the card.

Breaking down who couldn’t be at UFC 300

Islam Makhachev set to fight twice this year ahead of expected UFC return — Mandatory Credit: Giuseppe Cacece

There are many big additions to UFC 300 that would have been big, but simply couldn’t be made. Let’s go through all of the possibilities and discuss why:

Lightweight champ Islam Makhachev turned down a fight due to the event coming just days after Ramadan, which is a completely valid reason. Many other champs have either fought too recently or already have their next assignment. Four champions (Ilia Topuria, Dricus Du Plessis, Raquel Pennington and O’Malley) have all fought in the past three months, and another titleholder, Alexandre Pantoja, is booked for an upcoming PPV (UFC has to book fights for PPVs after this event, don’t forget that!).

Alexa Grasso is also locked into a fight in late 2024 against Valentina Shevchenko. Jones said he wouldn’t be back from injury by that point, and it’s hard to tell what the UFC wants to do with interim champ Tom Aspinall. That leaves things down to just one more champ: Leon Edwards.

If there is a fight that could have been a strong fight to add, it might have been a clash at welterweight between Belal Muhammad and Edwards. Muhammad mentioned that Ramadan wouldn’t cause an issue with his training for the fight and that he was willing to compete on that date. While we potentially don’t know all of the backstage politics of why that fight didn’t happen — especially if Muhammad has been publicly campaigning for it — it seems like a matchup that would have made sense to be on the card.

The verdict?

UFC 300 is great, even spectacular, but arguably falls short of the claim that it will be the best card ever. Which, to be fair, is a standard that is hard to live up to. Three-title fight lineups like UFC 217 and UFC 205 were arguably stronger, presenting three high-quality matchups at the top of divisions. However, it feels like there wasn’t much more they could do. UFC put together the best possible card for 300, and it’s hard to not consider it the best lineup we have seen in over a year.

UFC has crafted a card that features names of the promotion’s past and present. It’s a show that is stacked way far beyond the average PPV lineup and features fights that will appeal to both casual and hardcore audiences. Could it have been better? Sure. But with all things considered, it seems like UFC did as best they could with what was available, making it a suitable celebratory show. All that’s left to see is if the UFC 300 card will be as entertaining as it has the potential to be.

What are your thoughts on next month’s UFC 300 card?

Does The UFC 300 Lineup Live Up To The Hype?

Is UFC 300 as good as it can be?

When you set expectations high, people’s minds start to race. And wow, race did they ever once chatter about UFC 300 started.

The three big fights

An incredibly stacked prelim card

The prelims are well crafted, with the perfect amount of relevant and popular names throughout the card.

Breaking down who couldn’t be at UFC 300

There are many big additions to UFC 300 that would have been big, but simply couldn’t be made. Let’s go through all of the possibilities and discuss why:

The verdict?

What are your thoughts on next month’s UFC 300 card?

Ex-UFC champion Germaine de Randamie confirms planned November return: ‘There’s a fire burning in me’

Having previously missed out on an initially planned Octagon return in the summer, inaugural featherweight queen, Germaine de Randamie has revealed she is currently in talks to make a UFC comeback at the end of October or November of this year. de Randamie, who has been sidelined for three years, most recently submitted former bantamweight […]

de Randamie, who has been sidelined for three years, most recently submitted former bantamweight champion, Julianna Peña with a third round guillotine choke on ‘Fight Island’ in October 2020.

Taking time away from the Octagon as herself and he partner welcomed their first child, de Randamie was briefly slated to featured at UFC 268 back in November 2021 at Madison Square Garden against most recent title challenger, Irene Aldana, however, withdrew from the clash in September, citing injury.

Germaine de Randamie confirms plans for November return to UFC

Recently confirming plans for a return to the Octagon as she renewed training, de Randamie has informed Dutch outlet, Eurosport of her intention to fight under the banner of the UFC before the end of the year.

“We are full in training and I don’t have a date yet but we are going for November or October – end of October or November,” Germaine de Randamie said. “I’m feeling good. I’m waiting for the call. Right now, my manager is negotiating so, we’ll see. But, 2023 it will be anyway.”

“I have to say, honestly, after three years it is tough because I am also getting older by the day,” Germaine de Randamie explained. “My body feels that, but there is a fire burning in me. You can no longer take that fire away and especially now that I have become a mother, I fight for a different goal; my little man. I want to make him proud. I want him to be proud of mama. So, in the end, whoever is in front of me it will be them or me. That’s one thing for sure.”

Winning inaugural featherweight gold back in 2017, Utrecht striker, de Randamie landed a close, debated decision win over former bantamweight titleholder, Holly Holm in the pair’s inaugural title affair.

Who do you want to see Germaine de Randamie in her UFC return?

Editorial – UFC Kansas City: What’s Next – 6 great fights to make after this weekend’s action in Missouri

UFC Kansas City was packed full of great fights, with some big, ranking-impacting results. Here are six fights to make after this weekend.

UFC Kansas City was Max Holloway’s night. ‘Blessed’ came out of this weekend’s affairs as the King of Kansas City. After a gruelling affair against Englishman, Arnold Allen, who was previously unbeaten in the UFC, the Hawaaian edged the contender on the scorecards. It should be noted, however, that it was far by less than ‘Blessed’s’ usual runaway victories. Some fans are even asserting that it is Allen who was the rightful winner, showing the competitive nature of the enthralling bout.

In this piece, we look at potential match-ups for some of the big winners, and unfortunate losers that fought this weekend.

UFC Kansas City post-fight matchmaking

Max Holloway

UFC Kansas City was a blessing in disguise for ‘Blessed’.

The former long-reigning king of the division showed that just because he can’t quite get the strap off of Alexander Volkanovski’s waist, that doesn’t make him anyone’s stepping stone. Arnold Allen gave him all that he could handle, but it was the vintage volume from Holloway that sealed his victory.

“Blessed” is now calling for a fight with ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan-Sung Jung. This makes little sense rankings-wise, but with the losses to Volkanovski, Holloway has very little in the way of fresh opponents.

Allen is a better win than ‘The Korean Zombie’ these days, so this would be more fan service than anything else. What could be guaranteed is that the fight would be one for the ages. Former foe Volkanovski is calling for Holloway to make the move to lightweight, although his previous bout against Poirier at 155 may be discouraging.

Elsewhere, the winner of Josh Emmett vs Ilia Topuria could be another option, with the winner surely forcing Volkanovski to fight them.

Arnold Allen

The eight-year, ten-fight unbeaten streak inside the UFC has come to an end for Arnold Allen. He can hold his head high though, having had an extremely competitive fight against one of the very best fighters the division has ever seen.

Periods of low-volume striking probably cost the Englishman, who came on strong in the fifth round, but it was too little, too late. It showed many watching that although he may not be number one yet, Allen is most certainly in the top five featherweights in the company.

A rematch with Calvin Kattar would make sense, although he may be out til early 2024, with an injury from their original fight. In the meantime, Brian Ortega appears to be the logical choice. Ranked third and fourth respectively, this could headline, or co-main event the UFC Fight Night heading to London in July.

Edson Barboza

Edson Barboza is one of the deadliest strikers to ever grace the octagon, and once again at UFC Kansas City, it was the ever-lethal knees of the Brazillian that ended the bout. Looking as comfortable as he ever has, he peppered his opponent Billy Quarantillo with hard, stiff kicks. For the closing sequence, Barboza deployed a knee, with his back to the cage, and rendered “Billy Q” defenseless.

At 37, he is no spring chicken. He has fought most of the divisions elite, which often leaves just dangerous newcomers. Sodiq Yusuff is the name that makes the most sense. It would be an exciting match-up that would force Yusuff to sink or swim, and Barboza a chance to show, once again, that he is lethal to any fighter at 145lbs.

Ion Cutelaba

The UFC’s resident madman came out on top this weekend. Former heavyweight Tanner Boser felt the power of the Moldovan madman at UFC Kansas City as he broke a three-fight loss streak by way of knockout by way of TKO in the first round, using his fists frantically to pound Boser to the canvas.

Modestas Bukauskas makes sense and should be a fun affair between two of Europe’s premier 205-pounders. Bukauskas is currently on a three-fight win streak, with his most recent being over Tyson Pedro. The pairing makes sense, possibly on the UFC London card that is upcoming.

Pedro Munhoz

The foil for many an up-and-comer, Pedro Munhoz delivered once again this weekend, much to the disappointment of Chris Gutierrez. After dropping his opponent in the first round, Munhoz looked like the better fighter in the pairing. Despite his streaky form on the record books, Munhoz is still in the realms of the elite.

Umar Nurmagomedov would be interesting. The 16-0 prospect needs a test of this magnitude, and Munhoz is exactly the type of fighter to let us know what the young Russian is made of.

Bill Algeo

Bill Algeo gave a good account of himself in Kansas City, well at least inside the cage.

Having impressively submitted TJ Brown in the second round with a rear-naked choke, he unleashed his inner Colby Covington. After removing his gloves, and appearing to be about to retire, Algeo then cut a promo on the crowd in attendance at UFC Kansas City, stating :

“Listen, I would never retire in a dump like Kansas City,” Algeo told the crowd at T-Mobile Center. “I look around here and all I see is a bunch of Croc-wearing’, Uber Eats drivin’, Bud Light drinkin’ … sons of guns. I ain’t never retiring! Woo!”

Taking the WWE merger to heart, Algeo matches up well with recent 145lb debutant Jack Shore, in what would be a stiff test for both men.

Clay Guida looks to have his next bout lined up already, with Dana White reportedly unhappy at the old-timer’s fake retirement. Lucie Pudilová will be fighting the Kansas City judges, as some truly awful judging handed her an eighth professional loss.

Who do you think Max Holloway should take on next?