UFC 308 was the most anticipated and probably the strongest event on paper since UFC 300. They say an event is only as good as the way it ends, and while it featured impressive performances throughout, where UFC 308 really shone was at the top of the card. The main and co-main events delivered on the hype and gave us memorable finishes.
Ilia Topuria
The identity of Topuria’s next opponent currently is not as important as the location of his next fight. Regardless of who you personally believe should fight Topuria next, there is no doubt that his second title defence should take place in Spain. Dana White has said repeatedly that the UFC is looking to go to Spain in 2025, however, we have no idea if that means as early as March or as late as August.
If they are willing to put Topuria on ice until they get a deal finalized in Spain, then they may actually have Alexander Volkanovski fight Diego Lopes for an interim title in February in Sydney, as that is an option Volkanovski has mentioned he would be inclined to accept. If the UFC can put on an event in Spain early in the spring, then the interim title option suddenly becomes a lot less functional.
Still, by the time Volkanovski fights again, he will have been out of the cage for a year and will be well over 36 years old coming off back-to-back brutal knockout losses. His title reign is of the kind that usually warrants immediate rematches, but keeping in mind the nature of the finish and Topuria seemingly looking better with each outing, it is unclear whether the fan appetite will be there for a second fight between the two of them.
After taking out the two best featherweights of this generation, it is time for Topuria to take on new, fresh matchups at 145 pounds. Lopes is riding a 5-fight win streak and most recently broke into the top 3 after battering Brian Ortega at the Sphere last month. There is also a bout between undefeated Movsar Evloev and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling going down in December. Considering he already has a win over Lopes, Evloev might have the strongest case for a shot at the belt should he get passed Sterling. Either Lopes or the winner of the Evloev/Sterling fight make more sense than a Volkanovski rematch. You choose which one intrigues you the most.
Topuria’s next fight: Diego Lopes, or winner of Evloev/Sterling
Khamzat Chimaev
It is crazy to think that Chimaev has only fought three times since he went to war with Gilbert Burns in April of 2022. An infamous weight miss at UFC 279, massive layoffs, a poor cardio display against a short-notice opponent and a pullout in June all justifiably slowed his hype train down take in a major way. It was going to take more than just a win over Robert Whittaker to regain the goodwill of the fans. Running through this generation’s consensus second greatest middleweight inside a round, becoming the first to ever submit him in this division and breaking his jaw in the process will do just that.
While Chimaev’s next fight should be for the title, that does not mean that the next title fight at 185 pounds will feature him. There are still visa issues that could limit his availability and timing might work in Sean Strickland’s favour. It seems pretty evident that Dricus Du Plessis’ next title defence will come sometime in the winter and while Chimaev will probably get the first call from the UFC, if he cannot fight at a certain date or location, then Strickland could be next. There is a card on February 1st in Saudi Arabia, it is not a Pay-Per-View event, but if the Saudis can pay the UFC enough money to bring a big attraction like Chimaev, then maybe we get Du Plessis/Chimaev on that date. It is in the Middle-East and before Ramadan, two big factors that should make that date work for Borz.
Chimaev’s next fight: Middlweight title shot
Magomed Ankalaev
While Magomed Ankalaev had a consummate, professional win over Aleksandar Rakic, it was not the most exciting fight to watch, which according to him, is what he needed to guarantee himself the next shot at Alex Pereira’s light-heavyweight title. At the post-fight press conference, White did not shut down the idea that Ankalaev’s next fight will be for the title. That is a great sign for the Russian, though it does not mean he will be Pereira’s next opponent.
There is a very plausible scenario where the UFC get the keep their word to Ankalaev and have him fight for a belt, all while keeping him away from their golden boy. If Jon Jones defeats Stipe Miocic next month at Madison Square Garden and calls out Pereira, there is a real chance the promotion will be looking to book that fight. It would represent a historic event where the current most popular fighter will be looking to become the first ever three division champion going up against the arguable greatest fighter of all-time. That is not the type of fight that comes up every year.
This would mean Ankalaev gets an interim title shot while Pereira is up at heavyweight. Who would it be against? Take your pick. It would be difficult to justify having Jiri Prochazka or Jamahal Hill fight for any kind of title after their last fights, but whoever comes out looking the best between Nikita Krylov, Azamat Murzakanov, Volkan Oezdemir and Carlos Ulberg next month is probably your answer. You could even argue in Khalil Rountree Jr.’s favour after he became an immediate fan favourite at UFC 307.
Ankalaev’s next fight: Interim light-heavyweight title shot
Lerone Murphy
This one should be easy. Murphy had to dig deep, but in the end got his hand raised against Dan Ige, staying undefeated so far in his career. While it feels like he is a prospect on the come up due to his, at times, long layoffs and only 8-fight UFC career, the Englishman is already 33 years old, so time is of the essence.
That is why his callout was so good. He picked someone who will turn 40 in March, is a winnable fight, and most importantly, is ranked in the top 10. Josh Emmett, who already fought for interim gold in 2023, does not have much of a case for fighting someone above him, which is why the UFC should not have too much trouble convincing him to take this fight.
Murphy’s next fight: Josh Emmett
Shara Magomedov
The Pirate said before this fight he wanted to break records in terms of activity and turn around to fight next month in Macau, and then again in February in Saudi Arabia. The only realistic way for someone to stay this active is to keep the level of competition relatively low. So if the one-eyed fighter truly does want to fight in Macau, then fighters like Sedriques Dumas, Ihor Potieria and Abu Azaitar are the type of options that make sense.
However, this was the best he has looked so far in a UFC octagon and he produced a knockout for the ages with a double spinning back fist, so the matchmakers will probably want to carefully choose the way they push him up the ladder. The likeliest option is a ranked opponent who is unlikely to grapple with him. Names like Michel Pereira, Paulo Costa and Jared Cannonier all come to mind, but Pereira took a beating last week and Cannonier got hurt badly in his last fight, so they could both be out for a while. That leaves Costa, whose schedule is always unpredictable and is probably the likeliest of those three options to actually want to grapple with Magomedov.
That is why the Israel Adesanya callout might not be as bad as people may think. If Magomedov can be sanctioned to fight in Australia, then UFC 312 in Sydney in February makes perfect sense for both. If Magomedov wins, he gets launched in the top 3 and the UFC have a new star on their hands. If Adesanya wins, which he would be expected to, he gets back in the win column. Adesanya still has big fights in him, and if the UFC wants to be in the Adesanya business, then they need him to stop the bleeding and get a win in his next fight. Also, he has reached the point where all his fights are big events, which means he needs a real B-side and Magomedov fits that bill.
Adesanya versus Shara Bullet in Sydney, book it.
Magomedov’s next fight: Israel Adesanya
