Matches to Make After UFC 296

The last Ultimate Fighting Championship event of 2023 was a pay-per-view featuring a bevy of big matches. In the UFC 296 main event, UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards faced Colby Covington. Edwards came into the showdown with an incredible 12-fight unbeaten streak, featuring 11 emphatic victories and 1 abbreviated no-contest, having last lost as a 24 year-old in December of 2015 to Kamaru Usman. And of course, Edwards won the welterweight crown against Usman in 2022 with a thrilling last-minute head kick of the great champion, before proving it was no fluke at UFC 286 in March of this year, winning a clear decision in the rubber match, one abysmal scorecard notwithstanding.

Covington, by contrast, received the title shot based on his popularity and infamy more than any recent fighting success. Covington was stepping into the Octagon for the first time in over a year and a half, having last defeated nemesis Jorge Masvidal in March of 2022. While Covington had fought on very close terms against Usman in November 2021 in their rematch, one I personally scored a draw, his last win before then was against former champion Tyron Woodley in 2020, a man who has long since retired from MMA and turned to boxing. Nevertheless, trash-talking was yet again rewarded in the UFC as Covington faced Edwards.

The fight itself was almost all Edwards. He repeatedly landed sharp leg kicks and clean punches upstairs while avoiding practically any damage from Covington standing. In the grappling, Edwards either stuffed Covington's attempts or quickly got up after them. He even recorded a couple of takedowns of his own. Covington won the final round when Edwards' triangle attempt left him on the bottom for the last half of the stanza, but Edwards took the unanimous decision 49-46 across the board.

In the co-main event, new flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja faced a tremendous rival in Brandon Royval. Pantoja had won four in a row against stellar competition, which included a second-round submission of that very same Royval in August 2021 as well as his thrilling 5-round split decision triumph to win the crown from Brandon Moreno in July of this year. Royval, meanwhile, had proven himself one of the deadliest, most dynamic strikers in all of mixed martial arts since the loss to Pantoja, first winning a verdict over Rogerio Bontorin before submitting Matt Schnell and knocking out Matheus Nicolau, each completed in less than half a round.

Pantoja came out like a man possessed, fighting at an insane pace even by flyweight standards, cleanly winning the first two frames with a mix of hard leg kicks and repeated takedowns, along with superb top control. However, the champion started tiring in Round 3. Royal had some big moments over the last three rounds, but Pantoja still kept getting takedowns and spending large periods of each stanza on top. Pantoja took the unanimous decision for his first title defense.

Undefeated sensation Shavkat Rakhmonov came into his battle with welterweight legend Stephen Thompson a perfect 17-0, without a single match seeing the scorecards. Thompson, despite fighting countless champions and legends, had only been stopped once in his career, and it was by knockout. Rakhmonov continued his amazing streak with his 18th win and 18th stoppage, becoming the first man to tap Thompson, doing so with a rear-naked choke at the end of the second stanza.

Opening up the main card, Josh Emmett recorded one of the most thunderous and brutal knockouts in MMA history, exploding his patented overhand right bomb on Bryce Mitchell's chin early in Round 1. Mitchell immediately went to sleep and stayed unconscious for a long time, even going into convulsions.

On the undercard, recent women's bantamweight title contender Irene Aldana engaged in a three-round barn-burner against Karol Rosa. After Rosa badly hurt Aldana with leg kicks and won Round 1, Aldana came back strong with her boxing, winning the second stanza, before both warriors spent the third and final frame trading huge shots non-stop until the final bell, with Aldana ultimately getting the better of it, as well as the unanimous decision.

Here are five terrific fights to book in 2024:

Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad

Frankly, I believe Rakhmanov (who we will discuss later) offers a much bigger challenge to Edwards, but the sport aspect of MMA should be respected, and Muhammad, with his No. 2 ranking and 10-fight unbeaten streak, 9 of which were wins and 1 a no contest, deserves a title shot. Interestingly, Muhammad is very stylistically similar to the two men Edwards has already beaten in championship fights, Usman and Covington, being an excellent grappler with terrific cardio who has acquired at least decent striking. However, given Edwards' success against this skill set, as well as how easily he won the first round in an abbreviated no-contest against Muhammad in 2021, including recording a big knockdown, I would have him as the very heavy favorite. Nevertheless, this is the fight to make if rankings and records mean anything at all in the UFC.

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Winner of Brandon Moreno-Amir Albazi

Former champion and No. 1 contender Moreno squares off with No. 3 contender Albazi in late February, and the winner should absolutely get a crack at Pantoja. If it's Moreno, while Pantoja seemingly has his number, being 2-0 against him in pro MMA on top of another win on the “TUF” series, recall that their last encounter was a split decision, and perhaps more importantly, one of the best fights of 2023. If Albazi wins, we have an intriguing match-up between two enormously strong, skilled grapplers who can also strike very well. While Pantoja would seemingly have an edge in both categories, recall that Albazi just turned 30 and might still be improving, while Pantoja would already be 34 by the time the fight occurs, an old age for the flyweight division. In either scenario, we have an excellent flyweight title match.

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Winner of Edwards-Muhammad

He will likely have to wait until later in 2024, but Rakhmanov is the clear challenger after Muhammad, and shouldn't have to fight again. If, as I noted above, Edwards wins, Rakhmanov offers a huge threat to him fundamentally different than anyone he has faced recently. Edwards excels at getting back up from takedowns, but that is difficult against Rakhmanov, who has terrific top control and can lock in brutal, tight submissions. Furthermore, Rakhmanov is a better striker than Usman, Covington or Muhammad, and can deliver big damage, possibly hurting Edwards in a brawl. This would be a phenomenal fight and one I sincerely hope occurs in 2024. If, however, Muhammad wins, then you have a battle of two terrific grapplers who will also engage plenty in the striking, though I give Rakhmanov significant advantages in both areas. Regardless, it could be a very fun fight.

Josh Emmett vs. Giga Chikadze

This was the fight originally booked for UFC 296, before Chikadze was replaced with Mitchell, and it still makes the most sense now. How will Chikadze and his more technical striking, including his hellacious kicks, fare against Emmett's nuclear weapon of an overhand right and superior wrestling? Recall that Emmett was decimated by Yair Rodriguez's kicks, but that Chikadze was himself defeated by the superior boxing of Calvin Kattar. Emmett-Chikadze could well be a tremendous striking war with a highlight reel finish. It's also an important fight for the rankings between two aging contenders, as No. 6 Emmett turns 39 in March and No. 8 Chikadze will be 36 in August of 2023. The winner should get one last crack at an elite opponent.

Irene Aldana vs. Julianna Pena

Although it won't be for the vacant women's bantamweight title, I would love to see this duel. Aldana was the No. 5 contender before her win at UFC 296 and Pena is still ranked No. 1, being the most recent champion now that Nunes has retired. While both women have become more well-rounded over their careers, Aldana would seek to emphasize her superior striking while Pena will be looking for the takedown. Both women are incredibly tough and willing to fight for the full three or five rounds, however long it will go. It could well be a very exciting, uncompromising contest and the winner would likely be the best female bantamweight in the UFC.