UFC 314 was by far the most highly anticipated Pay-Per-View of the year so far, and it delivered. The card featured everything you would want out of a numbered event. We had a bad blood matchup, a legend making his long-awaited promotional debut, and a prospect looking to make the leap into the elite class. The night was then capped off by a fan favourite trying to regain his title. With UFC 314 in the books, let’s breakdown how the chess pieces should be moved next for our main card winners.
Alexander Volkanovski
With Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record last Sunday, and now Volkanovski taking back his featherweight crown, this was a great week to be nicknamed ‘Alexander the Great.’ Diego Lopes was game and had the Aussie in some trouble in rounds two and four but was ultimately unable to solve him over the course of 25 minutes.
We will get to Yair Rodriguez later, but for now, let’s just say I would be hard-pressed to find a title fight I’d be less interested in seeing again. Their first meeting was complete one-way traffic, and I don’t think Rodriguez has done enough to regain his number one contender status. It’s time to give Movsar Evloev what is rightfully his. Additionally, Volkanovski said he’s not interested in wanting to wait until Noche UFC in September and wants to come back earlier than that.
Volkanovski’s next fight: Movsar Evloev
Paddy Pimblett
Paddy the Baddy ran through Michael Chandler like a hot knife through butter. He dwarfed Chandler in the cage and completely dominated him on his way to a TKO stoppage in round 3 of their UFC 314 co-main event. After his win, he called out nearly the entire lightweight top 5 and just about every name he listed would make sense. So let’s break it down:
- Arman Tsarukyan is in need of a win, so why not Pimblett? This is the least likely option, in my opinion, but still one that is on the table.
- Most signs point towards Dustin Poirier getting his retirement fight in a trilogy against Max Holloway, so he’s off the table
- Justin Gaethje is a fun option. He’ll bring the action to Pimblett and maybe his questionable submission defense is enough to convince the promotion to book that matchup, assuming they would want to see the Scouser keep moving up the ladder. Then again, even though “The Highlight” isn’t known to turn down fights, he might still be looking to just rebook his date with Dan Hooker.
- Charles Oliveira is perhaps one of the likeliest options, as he’s in need of another title eliminator. Although there’s a scenario where “Do Bronx” rematches Tsarukyan, which would make Paddy the odd man out.
We have to keep in mind that this all depends on what the champion Islam Makhachev does next. If he moves up to welterweight and vacates his belt like Ilia Topuria just did, then I could absolutely see Paddy find himself in a vacant title bout. If, for some reason, Topuria doesn’t fight for the title next, then we should book Topuria vs. Pimblett, a bad blood matchup over three years in the making.
What if things play out this way:
- Makhachev vs Topuria
- Tsarukyan vs Oliveira 2
- Gaethje vs Hooker
- Poirier vs Holloway 3
This is a very realistic scenario where I believe the UFC will be presented with perhaps a less interesting, but still fun opportunity. Let’s remember who the Baddy called out when he submitted King Green last July: Renato Moicano. The Brazilian still plays an important role in the division and has enough of a presence to warrant a fight with Pimblett. It also represents a matchup that Pimblett would probably be favoured to win, after which the UFC can still give him a title shot if they want to.
Pimblett’s next fight: Renato Moicano
Yair Rodriguez
“El Pantera” didn’t put on his most exciting performance, but he did enough to take home the win over Patricio Pitbull at UFC 314. Coming off back-to-back stoppage losses, he needed to win this one to get back on track. However, I truly do not care if Hunter Campbell really did promise him a title shot after this fight: no one wants to see him rematch Volkanovski. Rodriguez can, and should, still fight in Guadalajara in September, just not for a title. Had Lopes beaten Volkanovski, there’s no doubt in my mind that Lopes vs Rodriguez would have headlined that card. Those two can still fight each other, but in a 5-round co-main event instead.
Rodriguez’s next fight: Diego Lopes
Jean Silva
Jean Silva had every intention to put his hands on Bryce Mitchell on Saturday, and he accomplished just that. He systematically broke him down, dropping him in the process, and then choking him to sleep. With improved takedown defence from his outing against Charles Jourdain last June, Silva looked a real problem for featherweights and there are no wrong ways to book him. Would anyone turn down a fight between Silva and Diego Lopes, Yair Rodriguez, Brian Ortega, Arnold Allen or Lerone Murphy? In the end, I chose Josh Emmett, who just lost last week. It’s an explosive matchup in which you’d expect Silva to produce another highlight.
Silva’s next fight: Josh Emmett
Dominick Reyes
Dominick Reyes is now officially back. If there was any doubt about the legitimacy of his comeback after his wins over Dustin Jacoby and Anthony Smith, it should be gone. Not since 2013 has Nikita Krylov been stopped with strikes, and that was at heavyweight. Reyes folded him inside three minutes with a picture-perfect left hand counter reminiscent of Conor McGregor at UFC 194.
Having already booked the winner of the upcoming Jamahal Hill vs Khalil Rountree Jr. fight against Jan Blachowicz in a previous edition of What’s Next, I think Reyes will get the unenviable task of fighting Aleksandar Rakic next. Rakic is tough to look good against, but someone has to fight him. Maybe 2025 is the year we see Dominick Reyes back in a main event spot.
Reyes’ next fight: Aleksandar Rakic
