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Charles Oliveira capped off UFC 274 with an incredible submission win over Justin Gaethje. The two lightweights fought to determine who the best 155-pounder was.
Unfortunately for Oliveira, he was stripped of the lightweight championship after failing to make the 155lb weight limit. As a result, only Gaethje was eligible to capture the title at UFC 274. Meanwhile, ‘Do Bronx’ would earn an opportunity to fight for the vacant title with the win. The matchmakers will go back to the drawing board and come up with the best matchups based on the event’s outcomes.
Despite not competing on the card, Conor McGregor was called out multiple times. Many intriguing bouts could be booked even for the fighters that lost at the event.
Here are five fights to book after UFC 274:
#5. UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza against winner of Joanna Jędrzejczyk vs. Zhang Weili
Carla Esparza regained the UFC strawweight championship this past weekend after earning a split decision over Rose Namajunas. This is her second title reign, which coincidentally came from defeating Namajunas. Fans will likely not look back too fondly on her title victory, but a win is a win, and she is the champion once again.
During his post-event press conference, Dana White revealed who could be next in line for a title opportunity. He mentioned that the upcoming rematch between former champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk and Zhang Weili would receive a title shot. Their 2020 bout is regarded as the greatest female MMA fight of all time, so that the rematch will be extremely intriguing.
‘Cookie Monster’ could potentially be in a position where she could have an opportunity to avenge her loss to the Pole. Esparza's first reign ended after Jędrzejczyk earned a unanimous decision to win the title.
#4. Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson vs. Dan Hooker
Tony Ferguson was on the receiving end of a devastating front-kick knockout to Michael Chandler at UFC 274. His losing skid was extended to four straight and will likely see him drop in the rankings. Based on where he stands in the division, a bout with Dan Hooker makes sense.
Hooker is another exciting fighter who is looking to snap his losing streak. In March, he returned to featherweight for a bout against Arnold Allen but was defeated via first-round TKO. It was back-to-back losses as he was also defeated by Islam Makhachev last October.
Since the loss, ‘Hangman’ said that he wouldn’t be returning to 145lbs anymore. And so, a bout with ‘El Cucuy’ could be on the horizon. Both fighters aren’t in the title picture, so a win could get them back in the discussions.
#3. Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier 2
Despite coming up short in his second title attempt, there are still plenty of options for Justin Gaethje in the UFC. This past weekend, he was involved in a thrilling main event but came up short against Charles Oliveira.
Perhaps the time is right for the promotion to book a rematch between Gaethje and Dustin Poirier. Both fighters are coming off a loss to ‘do Bronx’, and are still among the top lightweights in the world. It would be a great matchup for both, and could outdo their first bout. ‘The Highlight’ and ‘The Diamond’ are more prominent stars since the first fight, which could generate more interest.
Their 2018 encounter earned 'Fight of the Night' honors and saw Poirier defeat Gaethje via second-round TKO. In recent months, ‘The Diamond’ has been teasing a move to 170lbs, but a rematch against ‘The Highlight’ could be enticing.
#2. Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor
Michael Chandler made a statement at UFC 274 with his vicious knockout of Tony Ferguson. The crowd erupted as Chandler finished Ferguson with a front kick that knocked him out immediately.
‘Iron’ then took full advantage of his post-fight interview to issue a challenge to Conor McGregor. Not only did he issue a challenge, but he offered 170lbs as the weight class for the fight. The Irishman hasn’t competed since his loss to Dustin Poirier, during which he broke his leg, which forced a doctor’s stoppage. Based on how the former two-division champion has looked recently, a welterweight bout with the former Bellator lightweight champion is realistic.
Dana White said Chandler’s performance against ‘El Cucuy’ made him open to the idea of a bout with McGregor at 170lbs. ‘The Notorious’ even tweeted that he likes the idea of fighting ‘Iron’ at a future date.
#1. Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev
Despite being stripped of the title, there’s no doubt that Charles Oliveira is still considered the UFC lightweight champion. He had a stellar performance against 'The Highlight' and showed how resilient he is. Oliveira was dropped twice but regrouped and took Gaethje’s back before submitting him.
Dana White had mentioned that the promotion was looking to book Islam Makhachev vs. Beneil Dariush. He added that after seeing what ‘do Bronx’ did, he’s considering Oliveira vs. Makhachev instead. Their respective styles would match up well and could make for an intriguing title fight. Both fighters are riding long winning streaks. Oliveira has won his last eleven bouts, while Makhachev has won ten in a row.
Makhachev trains under the tutelage of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, which makes the bout even more interesting. Many fans and media members wonder how a bout between ‘do Bronx’ and ‘The Eagle’ would play out. They could get their answer as Makhachev has a very similar style and has looked dominant during his 10-fight winning streak.
