5 fights to make following UFC 271

#4. Derek Brunson vs. Sean Strickland

Prior to his bout with Jared Cannonier at UFC 271, No.4-ranked middleweight Derek Brunson stated he’d compete twice more and retire. Regardless of whether he won or lost, he reiterated that he didn’t want to be in the sport too long. He had an excellent opportunity to earn a title shot and rematch with Israel Adesanya if he beat Cannonier.

Despite a good showing in the first round, ‘The Killa Gorilla’ turned things around and knocked Brunson out with elbows in the second round. Sean Strickland is currently riding a six-fight winning streak and could be closing in on a title shot. Some of his wins include Jack Hermansson, Uriah Hall, and Krzysztof Jotko.

A bout between Brunson and Strickland would be a win-win situation for both. If Strickland wins, he makes a stronger case for a title shot. If Brunson wins, he retires from the sport with a win over a top middleweight contender.

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#3. Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori

Robert Whittaker is in an interesting situation after his loss to Adesanya at UFC 271. It was his second loss to the champion, so earning another title shot might be more difficult.

A comparable is Marvin Vettori, who also lost to the reigning middleweight champion twice. With that in mind, the promotion could book ‘Bobby Knuckles’ in a bout against ‘The Italian Dream'. Both fighters are still top-5 ranked and a win would be meaningful as they attempt to earn a trilogy with Adesanya.

Vettori is coming off an impressive unanimous decision win over former title-challenger Paulo Costa. The bout was contested at light heavyweight after ‘The Eraser’ arrived to fight week unable to cut to 185lbs.

‘The Reaper’ matches up well with the second-ranked Vettori, so it’d be a perfect opportunity to remain in the title picture.