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At UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall, Wales' Jack Shore notched up his 16th consecutive victory, defeating the highly touted Timur Valiev via judges' decision. Bizarrely, Shore has still not entered the top 15 of the bantamweight division, despite his perfect 16-0 record.
The undefeated Welshman has five wins inside the octagon and has proven his ability to hang with the best in the division. Despite not being ranked, it is still relatively likely that his next opponent will be a top 15 fighter.
With that being said, in the following list, we break down five potential opponents for Jack Shore after his UFC London victory over Timur Valiev. Honorable mentions go to Marlon Moraes, Song Yadong, and Victor Henry.
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#5. Jack Shore vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Umar Nurmagomedov is the only unranked fighter on this list and is only present due to the fact that he has already been booked to fight Shore. The two bantamweight prospects were initially set to face off at UFC London, but the bout was canceled prior to the event. Valiev stepped in to fight Shore, while Nurmagomedov fought Brian Kelleher at UFC 272.
The undefeated Dagestani submitted Kelleher in round one, instantly drawing comparisons from fans to his older cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov. A fight between Umar Nurmagomedov and Jack Shore would be a true prospect vs. prospect matchup that would likely be looked back on in a similar light to Conor McGregor's early career bout with Max Holloway.
#4. Jack Shore vs. Sean 'Sugar' O'Malley
Arguably one of, if not the biggest names at 135 lb, Sean O'Malley would be an excellent name to add to Shore's resume. Now ranked in the top 15, O'Malley would be the perfect entry point into the elite of the division for the Welshman, while simultaneously exposing his name to US audiences.
That is not to say that Shore is guaranteed a win over O'Malley. 'Sugar' is a lethal striker who has knocked out five opponents inside the UFC. O'Malley is also a solid Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and could certainly offer a submission threat should Shore attempt to employ his wrestling game.
Unfortunately, the UFC are unlikely to book O'Malley vs. Shore, as they appear to be hoping to fast track 'Sugar' to the top of the rankings. A fight with Shore would have little benefit for O'Malley and brings with it a significant threat to his place in the rankings.
#3. Jack Shore vs. Ricky Simon
No.12-ranked UFC bantamweight Ricky Simon could well be the ideal opponent for Jack Shore to take on next. Simon is riding an impressive four-fight win streak, having defeated Raphael Assuncao, Brian Kelleher, Gaetano Pirrello and Ray Borg.
While not as big a name as someone like O'Malley, Simon is still a well-known fighter who is currently riding high after a devastating highlight-reel knockout finish over Assuncao.
Simon also possesses extremely high-level wrestling, which may well force Shore to rely on his striking to a large extent and give him a chance to demonstrate just how multi-faceted his game truly is.
#2. Jack Shore vs. Raphael Assuncao
Raphael Assuncao appears to be finally coming towards the end of his career, now on a four-fight losing streak despite maintaining his place as the No.15 ranked UFC bantamweight.
This would be a very logical fight for Jack Shore to lobby for, as Assuncao is an established name to many fans of the UFC but also very beatable for someone with Shore's skillset.
Assuncao is a wily veteran who would certainly test Shore in certain aspects of the game, but if Shore hopes to live up to the hype around his name, these are the tests he should be able to overcome.
#1. Jack Shore vs. Frankie 'The Answer' Edgar
Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar has been competing in the UFC since 2007. He has fought in multiple weight classes and beaten some of the best in the world, including Anthony Pettis, BJ Penn, Charles Oliveira, Yair Rodriguez, and Pedro Munhoz.
Since moving to bantamweight, Edgar has gone 1-2, but maintains a No.11 ranking. Edgar's skillset is world class, and while his durability is clearly beginning to fail, he would still represent the toughest test Jack Shore has ever faced in his career till date.
A dominant performance or highlight-reel finish over 'The Answer' would elevate Jack Shore from an undefeated prospect to a legitimate 135 lb contender.
