At UFC 257 we witnessed one of the UFC’s biggest stars take their first TKO loss of his career. In the main event, Dustin Poirier was able to TKO Conor McGregor in the second round. In the co-main event, UFC newcomer, Michael Chandler knocked out Dan Hooker in the first, arguably stealing the show. Today we will be looking into what is next for the losers of UFC 257.
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor made it clear after his fight that he would like to be more active in the UFC. So it would be smart to guess he will not be boxing Logan Paul, or Manny Pacquiao, and will be getting right back to training for his next fight. It appears his best three options for his next fight would be Tony Ferguson, Dan Hooker, or Paul Felder. All three of these fighters bring a unique fighting style that matches up great with McGregor. Out of those three men, Mcgregor would likely be looking for the biggest fight and that fight would be with Tony Ferguson.
McGregor’s next fight: Tony Ferguson
Dan Hooker
After his loss, Dan Hooker was seen taking his gloves off and leaving them in the octagon. To some people, this appeared like he was retiring. That may not be the case. Hooker is a very young fighter and should be looking to try and get back into the win column and try to climb the ranks in the division. If he decides not to retire he should think about fighting the winner of Islam Makachev vs. Drew Dober. That fight is looking to take place in early March. Makachev is one of the fastest rising stars in the lightweight division. If he should get past Dober in March, Hooker would be fighting a guy with a lot of hype around his name.
Hooker’s next fight: Winner of Makachev-Dober
Jessica Eye
Jessica Eye lost via unanimous decision to Joanne Calderwood at UFC 257. This loss makes Eye 1-2 since being knocked out by Valentina Shevchenko in 2019. Eye should be looking to try and hold her place in the division. She can do that by fighting Roxanne Modafferi in her next fight. Modafferi just lost her last fight but is likely to be ranked very close to Eye when the rankings are released. Eye has the perfect style to beat Modafferi and she is desperate to get back into the win column.
Eye’s next fight: Roxanne Modafferi
Andrew Sanchez
Andrew Sanchez was finished by Makhmud Muradov in the third round of their bout at UFC 257. Sanchez has had a pretty back and forth UFC career but he showed some huge holes in his game this past Saturday. He had a hard time keeping his lead hand up and left himself vulnerable for big shots even before Muradov actually landed the big shot that rocked Sanchez. Sanchez should be looking to fight a guy that is newer to the UFC so he can make a statement with an up-and-comer.
Jun Yong Park is 2-1 in the UFC with two big wins over Marc-Andre Barriault and John Phillips. Sanchez would have a slight size advantage on Park which could be good for his striking in that fight.
Sanchez’s next fight: Jun Yong Park
Amanda Ribas
Marina Rodriguez shocked the world at UFC 257 when she finished Amanda Ribas in the second round. Ribas is now 4-1 in the UFC and she should still be looked at as one of the biggest female prospects in the promotion. Angela Hill is a woman who really needs to pick up a win. She would be a perfect next opponent for Ribas because of her striking and jiu-jitsu skills. Hill has been one of the most active women in the strawweight division for years. Ribas could not ask for a bigger fight coming off of her first loss.
