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| 2018 promises to be a blockbuster year of title fights. |
With only a singular "numbered" event remaining this year in the form of UFC 219 on December 30th in Las Vegas, I take a look at all 12 weight divisions, and offer my prediction as to who will hold UFC gold in 2018. The final title fight of a blockbuster last period of 2017, sees Brazil's Cris 'Cyborg' attempt to defend her UFC Featherweight title for the first time since her crowning against Tonya Evinger, as she welcomes former Bantamweight topper Holly Holm in a highly anticipated matchup.
Heavyweight: Last weekend's UFC 218 co main event seen the emergence of one of the scariest and most deserving title challenger's in Heavyweight history, as the behemoth that is France's Francis Ngannou firmly cemented his credentials as Ohio's Stipe Miocic's next challenger, with an incredible first round knockout over the legendary striker Alistair Overeem. 'The Predator' landed a monster left uppercut on the chin of an overextended Overeem and immediately sent the Dutch veteran to the canvas before following up with a hammerfist for good measure. Facing his biggest test to date since Andrei Arlovski, Ngannou passed with flying colours to set up a Heavyweight title clash that will garner about as much excitement and attention as the prime days of Brock Lesnar and maybe Cain Velasquez. When the current champ
Stipe Miocic faces ripe contender
Francis Ngannou next, as confirmed in a media scrum by Dana White, I see the 31 year old former sand mine worker stopping Stipe and holding the Heavyweight gold for the foreseeable future.
Light Heavyweight: After a landmark head kick knockout victory for the returning Jon Jones at UFC 214, it seemed Daniel Cormier would always fall victim to the ever controversial Jones, but after news broke of an astonishing second failed drugs test for Jackson Wink's Jones, this time for the banned substance Turinabol. Olympic wrestler Cormier was reinstated as the undispued champion and the result was overturned to a no contest. Coincidentally, the main card opener for UFC 214 seen Jimi Manuwa face Swiss stream roller Volkan Oezdemir in a 205lbs title eliminator, with 'No Time' Oezdemir making short work of the 'Posterboy' as he earned his chance to face the main event winner for the title. Just last week, it was confirmed that Cormier will in fact seek a third title defence as he takes on the hard hitting Oezdemir at the premier banner event of 2018, UFC 220 in Boston.
Cormier should have more than enough credentials to overpower
Volkan Oezdemir similarly to the way he twice beat another heavy handed striker, Anthony Johnson.
Cormier to remain champion until the return of
Alexander Gustafsson.
Middleweight: After a main event rear-naked choke triumph over then middleweight king Michael Bisping, the returning consensus greatest of all time
Georges St. Pierre joined a select group of elites to hold two title in different weight classes, but a recently revealed injury and bout of colitis has prolonged any chance of a unification bout with Interim kingpin
Robert Whittaker. A return to his old stomping ground at Welterweight was said to be a target for 'Rush' as he looks to overthrow Tyron Woodley, while the St. Louis champ was apparently contemplating a move to Middlewieght to face St. Pierre, but would possibly have to vacate his title. If a unification bout where to materialise soon, I think Whittaker overpowers GSP and out strikes the Canadian favourite.
Whittaker to become the next champ, but keep a close eye on both former champ
Luke Rockhold and UFC Fight Night Shanghai big winner
Kelvin Gastelum.
Welterweight: With three successful title defences under his belt so far in a talent stacked division, it's hard to argue against the claim that Tyron Woodley may be one of the most dominant Welterweight kings in the division's long history. Starching then champ 'Ruthless' Robbie Lawler to take the title, before facing Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson twice in two memorable meetings, and then in a disappointing five rounder with Demian Maia, claimed a decision victory. With a title eliminator set for UFC Fight Night Winnipeg between former foe Lawler and recent Welterweight mover Rafael Dos Anjos, expect Woodley's next test to his throne to be his most difficult to date.
Woodley to defeat either
Lawler or
Dos Anjos, but faces considerable danger against
Darren Till and
Kamaru Usman, two contenders I fancy to hold Welterweight gold by the end of 2018.
Lightweight: Given the currently unclear path of current champion
Conor McGregor, the future of the highly talent rich 155lbs weight class is similarly uncertain. At the time of writing, it has been a ridiculous 387 days 'The Notorious' one has competed in the UFC, last defeating Eddie Alvarez in New York to claim the highly sought after Lightweight crown. Since McGregor's last appearance, Tony 'El Cucuy' Ferguson has grabbed an Interim crown, Dustin Poirier has shot back up the rankings along with former foe Eddie Alvarez, while the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov is lined up to face Edson Barboza at UFC 219. IF McGregor returns for the targeted UFC 222 card in March, he faces stiff competition against the aforementioned Ferguson or even a trilogy decider with Nate Diaz but if he is forced to vacate due to inactivity,
Tony Ferguson is my pick to next reign over the UFC Lightweight division.
Featherweight: Can anyone stop the winning streak of Max Holloway at Featherweight? It seems unlikely especially since he has run through the consensus best 145lbs talent of all time in José Aldo. A matchup alongside Frankie Edgar or maybe Ricardo Lamas would possibly offer a quite interesting stylistic affair and a Cub Swanson or Brian Ortega meeting doesn't really pose much of a threat to the Hawaii fan favourite. There's no doubting the evolution of Cub Swanson since his loss to 'Blessed' Holloway back in April 2015, but there is also no doubting Holloway's slick boxing improvements.
Holloway to remain champ and stretch that win streak even further, until a
Yair Rodríguez or maybe even
jeremy Stephens type contender rises.
Bantamweight: With the 135lbs crown changing hands recently at UFC 217,
T.J. Dillashaw once again finds himself on top of the pile. Scoring a surprising second round victory over
Cody Garbrandt, the former Team Alpha Male protege will face stern challengers in one of the most competitive Bantamweight divisions in years. With the likes of
Jimmie Rivera,
Raphael Assuncao,
John Lineker and even
Marlon Moraes making headway toward the top, Dillashaw will have to reignite his form that seen him overthrow Renan Barao back in 2014 to remain the king at Bantamweight. I would certainly pick Dillashaw as favourite for the majority of those matchups, but I envision
Garbrandt returning with a vengeance to stop Dillashaw and begin a second reign as champion before 2018 is through.
Flyweight: So right now, I can't see anyone at 125lbs beating pound-for-pound #1 Demetrious Johnson in 2018, but with the emergence of a self proclaimed 'superfight' alongside
T.J. Dillashaw seemingly close to being inked, things immediately become a whole lot more interesting. Both men matchup incredibly similarly in terms of style with their amazing footwork, movement, striking and evasiveness both on superior levels to the majority on the UFC roster. Maybe
Brandon Moreno can find himself close to a title bout in 2018 but for now, I can see
Dillashaw dropping down to DJ's home and upsetting the champ.
Women's Featherweight: Realistically there's only two real competitors fighting at 145lbs at the moment, champion Cris 'Cyborg' and the aforementioned UFC 219 opponent Holly 'The Preachers Daughter' Holm. For this reason, I will only comment on the two active fighters in the division. With both matched to headline on the final banner event, this is certainly one of the best female MMA matches in history. Both are phenomenally gifted strikers but with very different styles, 'Cyborg' and aggressive pace pushing boxer and Holm, a cool and precise counter striker with lethal kicking ability, evident from her stoppage of Bethe Correia and of course her shocking knockout win over the seemingly unstoppable Ronda Rousey. I'm going to go against the grain and pick
Holly Holm as the Featherweight queen come 2018.
Women's Bantamweight: Fast rising challenger
Raquel Pennington is widely touted to face current champ
Amanda Nunes in the Brazilian's next title defence, and in my opinion, the American has a huge chance to claim the 135lbs championship. With a rock solid boxing base and an underrated grappling game, 'Rocky' Raquel retired former Bantamweight queen Miesha Tate at UFC 205, adding to an already impressive resumé that houses the names Jéssica Andrade, Tonya Evinger and Jessamyn Duke. A second competitor at the highly impressive Bantamweight division is one time contender
Cat Zingano. In her premier title tilt, Zingano was easily dispatched with a quick throw and expertly executed triangle armbar, but has impressively stopped the champion Nunes, the aforementioned Tate, and even Raquel Pennington. If she can make an impressive return against Ketlen Vieira at UFC 222, I can see
Zingano finally claiming the throne if matched with 'The Lioness'.
Women's Flyweight: At the culmination of
The Ultimate Fighter 26: season, American
Nicco Montano defeated short notice replacement Roxanne Modafferi over five rounds, after original finalist Sijara Eubanks suffered with weight cutting issues. The 28 year-old may suffer the fate of being thrown to in this case the lioness' as the UFC look to legitimise the bleak looking divisions. One of these lioness' could be recent Bantamweight upstart
Valentina Shevchenko. Rumoured to be contemplating a move down to Flyweight, the Kickboxing expert would provide a mountainous challenge to overcome. Another realistic option but not for the right reasons, is the popular
Paige VanZant. The
Dancing with the Stars contestant was stopped convincingly by Michelle Waterson last time out, and tweeted during the UFC 217 broadcast how she had been informed she would be facing the
TUF 26 victor, something that was later denied by UFC officials. Despite her #12 sitting at Strawweight, the UFC brass may use the popularity of '12 Gauge' Paige to attract attention to the division.
Women's Strawweight: 'Thug'
Rose Namajunas pulled off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history at UFC 217, as she starched dominant champ
Joanna Jedrzejczyk in a simlar shock wave event to Rousey vs. Holm. The talented striker dropped Joanna early in the first to end her 6 fight title reign. Nevertheless, I believe if any past champion from the last year or two deserves an immediate rematch, it has to be Jedrzejczyk, and with a different gameplan and some more respect for the striking credentials for 'Thug' Rose, she can realistically reclaim her title in early to mid 2018. Keep a close eye on
Karolina Kowalkiewicz and
Jéssica Andrade who face off at UFC Fight Night Orlando in a guaranteed barn burner. Incredibly Joanna has beaten both in spectacular fashion.
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