Predicting UFC’s Next New Champion
We Already Have Two New UFC Champions in 2024, but Who’s Next in Line to Lift the Coveted Prize?
Bright Days Ahead 🥊
We’re 52 days into 2024, and the landscape of UFC’s title picture has already shifted, with Dricus Du Plessis and Ilia Topuria becoming champions of their respective weight classes.
The world is about to see how fucking GREAT Dricus Du Plessis is. #UFC298 pic.twitter.com/mSFjt9k8AA
— King Bobby 👑🇿🇦 (@JustinHerronUFC) February 18, 2024
The UFC schedule is stacked with championship bouts in the upcoming months, but will any of the challengers follow in the footsteps of DDP and “El Matador” and be the next newly crowned titleholder?
Many will say you can’t do it. They will knock you down and doubt you. But remember, the only one you need to achieve anything is yourself. Trust in yourself, have faith, and work tirelessly because everything will come. It doesn’t matter where you come from if you know where you… pic.twitter.com/5KchM88w8m
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) February 20, 2024
UFC 299: O’Malley vs Vera II
The next in line to make new champions 3/3 on the year is Marlon “Chito” Vera, who’ll receive his first title opportunity as a UFC competitor against “Suga” Sean O’Malley at UFC 299 on March 9.
Many will believe that Vera can replicate his 2020 success over “Suga,” but said victory involved an injury, and before the stoppage, it seemed like O’Malley’s fight to lose.
The UFC has a star on its hands, O’Malley is extremely confident in his abilities versus Vera, and it’s obvious as day that good business would be for the champ to make at least one successful title defense.
Can Vera become the next UFC champion of 2024? Sure, he’s the only one to defeat O’Malley after all. Is it probable? Not so much. BetUS sportsbook and those triggering UFC rumors already favor the champ, and skill-for-skill, it’s hard to disagree on him being the rightful favorite.
Marlon Vera 🆚 Sean O’Malley
Voilà ce qu’il s’est passé lors de leur premier combat
pic.twitter.com/AUuE2NK7z6— MMA TIME (@MMA__TIME) February 20, 2024
UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill & Weili Zhang vs Yan Xiaonan
UFC news regarding the UFC 300 main event has been a focal point of MMA media since 2023, but following UFC 298 this past weekend, we were finally gifted with the answer.
The two-division titleholder, Alex Pereira, makes his first defense against the former light heavyweight champ, Jamahal Hill. Unfortunately for the latter, striking has been the MO, and he’s now facing one of the most dangerous strikers in UFC history.
Can Hill shock the world and slump Pereira? Sure, his chin isn’t made of steel, but the reality is that in an expected kickboxing exchange, the Brazilian is likely to hold onto his title for now.
BREAKING!!!
The #UFC300 main event will be Pereira vs Hill April 13th from Las Vegas pic.twitter.com/YrfTxLWsZ2
— danawhite (@danawhite) February 18, 2024
Yan Xiaonan: The Next New UFC Champion
That said, UFC 300 isn’t just providing one title bout, but two! China is represented heavily in women’s MMA as Yan Xiaonan gets her chance at gold versus the formidable Weili Zhang.
Weili has been almost perfect during her UFC tenure in the women’s strawweight division, but the old saying goes, “Styles make fights.” And you cannot look beyond Yan’s skill set when matched up to the current champ.
With UFC odds of +300 to end the year as the strawweight champion, Yan is severely overlooked, but this price is eerily similar to that of Rose Namajunas ahead of her back-to-back successes over Weili in 2021.
UFC 300 full fights and bout order pic.twitter.com/btk5A3aFuk
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) February 20, 2024
It’s an unpopular opinion, but Yan will prove the doubters wrong, become the second Chinese champion in UFC history, and achieve a historic win at the most anticipated event of 2024.
Yan Xiaonan finishes Jessica Andrade. Holy shit! pic.twitter.com/g7As8HwSBx
— MS (@UFC_Obsessed) May 7, 2023
UFC 301 & Beyond
In rare instances, UFC championships are defended at Fight Night events, but it’s an unlikely situation. So, we must look toward the next PPV events, and outside of 300, no other championship bouts have been announced.
However, if we’re looking at a list of contenders with the best chance of becoming undisputed champions in 2024, the following UFC fighters sit atop the said list:
- Shavkat Rakhmonov [Welterweight division]
- Merab Dvalishvili [Bantamweight division]
- Khamzat Chimaev [Middleweight division]
- Magomed Ankalaev [Light Heavyweight division]
- Tom Aspinall [Heavyweight division]
Merab presents the worst stylistic matchup for O’Malley, Chimaev is a wrestling machine that can crack the striking dangers of DDP, Ankalaev has the same wrestling dangers of Chimeav and Merab in a potential bout with Pereira/Hill, and Tom Aspinall already holds the interim title at heavyweight.
Yes, I’ve forgotten one name, and it was by design because I believe Shavkat Rakhmonov is the biggest pound-for-pound threat, and before the year’s end, whether it’s Leon Edwards defending the title or somebody else, the Uzbekistan native will be crowned as the welterweight champion.
Just how good is Shavkat Rakhmonov 🇰🇿 #UFC298 pic.twitter.com/f6dqqol9gM
— Send Me Location (@ControlYourHips) February 18, 2024
With scheduled events at the Las Vegas Sphere, International Fight Week, a return to Abu Dhabi, and the potential of a spectacle show at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the UFC in 2024 is guaranteed to be fireworks, and although predictions aren’t easy to make, new champions will be crowned! Who you got!?
Author: Sin City Sniper
Author: Sin City SniperBusting bookmakers and taking their money is his greatest joy in life. He’s been around the block more than once, knows the players both on and off the field of battle, and uses his experience to serve the bookies a heaping plate of humble pie washed down by a warm glass of their salty tears. You can find him in any number of Vegas books, sniping weak lines and getting paid to do it.
The opinions and view here expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Point Spreads or any of its affiliates. Point Spreads is not responsible and does not verify for accuracy any of the articles and content pieces included herein; moreover, besides being solely the opinion or views of the authors, these content pieces are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, anyone or anything.
