UFC Rematches We Could See in 2024

It has been a phenomenal 30th anniversary year for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The promotion has thus far staged 11 pay-per-view events, which have included several upsets that have undoubtedly shaped the schedule ahead. Such upsets often lead to rematches, and the UFC could be looking at plenty of them in the calendar year to come.

Here are three rematches way could see in 2024:

Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2

Given the star power and recent stellar performances from these two athletes, this one seems more than likely to be next in the bantamweight division. After knocking out Aljamain Sterling in the second round to become the undisputed bantamweight champion at UFC 292, O’Malley has indeed blossomed into a superstar. While many doubted him in his most recent fights, O’Malley managed to come out on top against two of the division’s best in Sterling and Petr Yan. After getting through those two, many wondered who would be next for the new champion. While many contenders can make a strong case—Merab Dvalishvili, Cory Sandhagen and even Sterling come to mind—it seems as though the UFC is targeting Vera for O’Malley’s first title defense. The two first met at UFC 252 in 2020, when O’Malley came into the fight as a sizable favorite and saw Vera walk out with a first-round technical knockout. However, the result was far from satisfactory, as many believe an ankle injury sustained by O’Malley was the main reason behind Vera’s victory. With that said and despite O’Malley’s claim of being “undefeated,” there is one in his loss column. If he truly wants to erase that blemish, he absolutely needs to defeat Vera.

The circumstances will surely be different in a rematch scenario. For one, we can only imagine the fight will not take place inside the UFC Apex, which will allow for a full-sized Octagon. One can only assume that this would benefit O’Malley’s vast and unpredictable movements. The fight will also be scheduled for five rounds, which, if one had to guess, would probably benefit Vera due to his slow-starting habits and seemingly limitless cardiovascular system. Vera is coming off a unanimous decision win over longtime bantamweight contender Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292 the same night as O’Malley’s championship-winning performance. It seems as though the UFC had been setting up this rematch since the moment the first fight ended, and we are all for it.

Sean Strickland vs. Israel Adesanya 2

When it comes to upsets in 2023, none have been bigger than what went down at UFC 293 in Sydney. Adesanya, a two-time champion and all-time middleweight great, was set to defend his title against Strickland on five weeks’ notice. Many expected Adesanya to fight Dricus Du Plessis due to the latter’s latest win over former champion Robert Whittaker and the overall animosity that seems to exist between the two Africa natives. However, Du Plessis was not ready to turn around so quickly because of lingering injuries. Reluctantly, the UFC decided to give the title shot to Strickland, a controversial character to say the least. The unfiltered contender was coming off two victories over top European prospects Abusupiyan Magomedov and Nassourdine Imavov, while the champion had just avenged his loss to Alex Pereira in devastating fashion at UFC 287. Strickland came into the fight as a 5-to-1 underdog, as many expected Adesanya to outpoint the Xtreme Couture product on the feet and to defend any takedowns Strickland had to offer. As it turns out, Strickland did not need to rely on his wrestling, as he essentially out-kickboxed the former kickboxing champion, winning the contest via unanimous decision. It was a shocking result, and while many people believe Adesanya was not his normal self, Strickland did not appear to be, either. He looked better.

Did Adesanya have an off night? Did he come into the fight with a pre-existing injury? Did he underestimate Strickland? Maybe, maybe and maybe. With that said, Strickland looked amazing and defeated the champion at his own game. At the post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White suggested that a rematch between the two would be next. While nothing is confirmed, a rematch makes a lot of sense considering the magnitude of the upset and Adesanya’s global popularity. Perhaps Du Plessis is a deserving candidate, but White has already expressed his dislike for fighters who turn down title fights. The Paulo Costa-Khamzat Chimaev winner at UFC 294 could definitely make a case, as well. Still, my money is on Adesanya to get the next title shot, and most everyone wants to see them run it back. We saw Adesanya win his last rematch against Pereira, cracking a puzzle that Strickland himself failed to crack in 2022. Who is to say Adesanya cannot do it again?

Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski 2

This rematch differs from the last two in that certain fights need to play out in certain ways in order for it to happen. Makhachev needs to successfully defend his lightweight title in his rematch against former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 294 on Oct. 21. Even if that does happen, Volkanovski is expected to face undefeated featherweight contender Ilia Topuria in early 2024. If Volkanovski wins that fight—and the EA Sports Cover Curse does not come into play—then we will most likely see the rematch take place in middle or back half of 2024. This champion-versus-champion superfight did not disappoint the first time they met in February. Makhachev ventured into hostile territory and defeated Volkanovski via close unanimous decision at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia. Volkanovski exposed some potential holes in Makhachev’s game, as he ended the “Fight of the Year” contender in top position while landing some vicious ground-and-pound. Despite the loss, Volkanovski remained No. 1 in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. As the old cliche might say, “Makhachev won the fight. Volkanovski won the night.”

While I scored the fight 48-47 for Makhachev, there is no denying its razor-thin nature, as both men had their moments in the five-round affair. If they retain their titles in their next appearances, a rematch simply has to happen. With heavyweight champion Jon Jones potentially fighting for the last time at UFC 295 in November, the sport needs a definitive pound-for-pound leader, and a Makhachev-Volkanovski rematch seems like the best way to determine one. Other contenders like Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway loom in the lightweight and featherweight divisions, but Makhachev-Volkanovski 2 could be a perfect fight to headline UFC 300.

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Those are the picks for the top three rematches we could see in 2024. Of course, others exist: Alexa Grasso-Valentina Shevchenko 3, Alexandre Pantoja-Brandon Moreno 3 and Leon Edwards-Belal Muhammad 2 in the UFC, plus Patricio Freire-A.J. McKee 3 and Ryan Bader-Linton Vassell 2 in Bellator MMA. All the more reason to look forward to the year ahead.