The yearly stops that the UFC makes every October in Abu Dhabi seemingly always produce some of the most memorable moments.
From Khabib retiring in the cage to Glover Teixeira becoming the oldest first-time UFC champion and Islam Makhachev getting highlight-reel finishes, this time of the year is an exciting one for UFC fans.
This year was no different, but while people will remember the big winners, there are still exciting things ahead for the fighters who were not victorious this past Saturday.
Max Holloway
At the post-fight press conference, Holloway said he would like to move up to lightweight and return around International Fight Week next summer. An eight to nine-month layoff and an easier weight cut are two things that should help him recover from such a brutal finish.
By then, the lightweight division could look very differently than it does right now, so it is hard to predict which matchup will make the most sense for Holloway next summer. Fans would not say no to a third fight with Dustin Poirier or a rematch with Justin Gaethje. Fights with Dan Hooker, Renato Moicano or even Paddy Pimblett would also be fun. He is a fan favourite that can make any matchup exciting so there is no wrong answer.
In the end, the option that makes the most sense is a rematch with Charles Oliveira, win or lose against Michael Chandler next month. Holloway and Oliveira are two all-time greats who met earlier in their careers, but the fight lasted less than two minutes when Do Bronx suffered a micro-tear in his esophagus. We deserve a full fifteen, if not 25-minute version of that fight.
A rematch ten years in the making between two legends.
Holloway’s next fight: Charles Oliveira
Robert Whittaker
It was strange seeing Whittaker, who had never been submitted in his career at middleweight before, tap so quickly to Khamzat Chimaev’s neck crank. But a photo of his shattered jaw released a couple hours after the fight gave fans all the explanation they needed for that quick tap.
It is unclear how long The Reaper could be out with such a gnarly injury. Also, Chris Curtis is currently the only ranked middleweight with a fight scheduled, so Whittaker cannot even be projected the fight the winner of any fight booked right now.
That means the only fighter whose timeline should align with the Australian’s is the one who won in last week’s main event. Anthony Hernandez put on a beating on Michel Pereira, but that is still a fight that went over 20 minutes and should see him take some time off. Fluffy is used to relatively long layoffs as he has been averaging nearly nine months between fights during this 6-fight win streak he is on.
Whittaker’s next fight: Anthony Hernandez
Aleksandar Rakic
Rakic has only been facing top competition lately, but the fact of the matter is he has now lost three straight fights and his last win dates back to when Pay-Per-View events were still held at the UFC Apex. He is still clearly a very good light-heavyweight, but he needs a step back in competition.
There are only four fighters ranked between 6th and 15th who are not currently booked at 205 pounds. One of them is Khalil Rountree Jr. who needs some serious time off after the beating he took from Alex Pereira earlier this month. Then there is Johnny Walker who teased a move to heavyweight and Alonzo Menifield at number 15 on a two-fight skid with no case for fighting this far up the rankings.
That leaves Bogdan Guskov. He lost his debut on short notice against Volkan Oezdemir but has since responded with two straight knockout wins. He is a good test to see where Rakic is at right now in his career.
Rakic’s next fight: Bogdan Guskov
Dan Ige
Ige a very respected fighter who represents a tough test for anyone as shown by how much he pushed Lerone Murphy this weekend. However, being near the tail-end of the top 15 and now looking at consecutive losses, Ige’s next opponent should come outside the rankings.
Featherweight does not lack options when it comes to up-and-coming fighters on winning streaks looking to break into the rankings. Joanderson Brito, who was once on a five-fight finishing streak, kept calling for a fight with Ige but never got it. It would be poetic for the man who most recently beat him to actually get that matchup.
William Gomis, who won a controversial split decision over Brito in Paris a month ago, is now on a four-fight win streak. With the recent MMA boom happening in France, the UFC might look to push some of their French talents into the rankings.
Ige’s next fight: William Gomis
Armen Petrosyan
With the Armenian’s kickboxing background, it was not surprising to see him opt to strike with Shara Bullet, though he ultimately paid the price for it. The UFC picked him to fight Magomedov, because they could count on him not grappling with their new star. Shara Bullet is at his most fun when he is striking and that also rings true for Petrosyan.
Being on the wrong end of such a spectacular knockout should sideline Petrosyan for quite some time. By the time he is ready to comeback, timing should work out for him to face the winner of Abdul Razak Alhassan and Cesar Almeida, a fight that was announced for January 11th at the Apex. Whoever wins should make for a fun matchup with Petrosyan.
Petrosyan’s next fight: Winner of Alhassan/Almeida
