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UFC 257 was a monumental night in the lightweight division and one that answered a lot of questions. First of all, Khabib Nurmagomedov, whose potential return had been looming over the division, seemed to indicate that he will not be coming out of retirement. Dustin Poirier picked up the biggest win of his MMA career and guaranteed his spot in any title match to come. Conor McGregor lost but indicated he was keen to be more active inside the cage and that we would not have to wait so long for his next match. Even Michael Chandler made a statement with his fantastic debut win over Dan Hooker.
With that said, UFC 257 also left us all with several questions. The next bouts for the division top ten are all mostly unknown, and a title bout seems sure to materialize in the coming months. Here is just one way we may see the fighters in the UFC lightweight division may end up pairing off.
1. Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor (for the UFC lightweight title)
While many will feel that McGregor doesn't deserve a shot at the title following his humbling loss at Dustin Poirier's hands, this bout seems destined to come next. With Dana White indicated he would like to see Poirier vs. Chandler for the title, and others calling for Charles Oliveira to get his shot following his eight-fight win streak, we may get McGregor vs. Poirier 3 next. With both men indicating that they want this fight, it won't be easy to get either to budge given how much money both men stand to gain from standing firm. The UFC is also unlikely to put up too much of a fight given how lucrative keeping McGregor happy and active in the octagon can be for them. Just like when McGregor got his wish for the Nate Diaz rematch, I feel things will play out similarly this time.
2. Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler
One of the positives from booking McGregor vs. Poirier 3 is that you can book a definite number 1 contender bout to face the winner. Oliveira has done more than enough to deserve a title shot, but perhaps the UFC could persuade him into this bout by clarifying that one more victory would be enough to guarantee that title shot. The same can be said for Chandler, who would likely settle for this bout as it would give him a clear path to the title.
While some will argue Justin Gaethje deserves to have a spot in any number 1 contender bout, he is coming off a convincing loss. It seems a little unfair to pick him over either of these two men who are both coming off signature career victories. While these two may not have the massive fanbases other names in the division carry, their stellar performances surely should earn them a chance to fight for the title.
3. Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael dos Anjos
While Gaethje may not be thrilled if things do pan out this way, a fight against the division's former champion is quite the consolation prize. Dos Anjos looked great in his return to the lightweight division and, despite being somewhat overlooked by some, is certainly still a major player at 155lbs. Gaethje's reputation wasn't damaged irreparably by a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Still, it does not seem unreasonable that he has to earn his way back up to the top of the division following a first-round loss. This fight would allow us to see how Gaethje will rebound from a loss in the biggest fight of his career and show if Dos Anjos is still able to compete at the top of the division against a new breed of lightweight. While each man would probably need one more win to get another title shot, these two could put on a hell of a fight that leaves one of them right back in contention.
4. Dan Hooker vs. Paul Felder
Hooker may have been the big loser from UFC 257 as his one-sided loss at Michael Chandler's hands certainly leaves him needing many victories to get back in the title picture. Felder, too, is some distance from the title despite losing little credibility in his defeat on five-days notice to Dos Anjos.
While these two have already fought before, it was a fascinating matchup with several feeling it should have been Felder, and not Hooker, who had his hands raised. In any case, the overwhelming majority of UFC fans would surely jump at the chance to see these two square off one more time. Despite losing last time out, these men are still ranked No. 8 and No. 9 in the division and are still far from an easy out. While this would likely be a make-or-break bout for both men, the winner would be well on his way to climbing back up the rankings to the title.
5. Tony Ferguson vs. Nate Diaz
While Ferguson is the forgotten man of the UFC lightweight division, he is still ranked No. 7 and is a big name with a strong fanbase. This bout gives him a deserved big fight and allows him one more shot to show he can still compete with the sport's elite. Diaz has been known to be picky with his opponents and would likely need someone with Ferguson's name-value to be convinced to return to competition.
A win for Diaz could be massive and put him right back in line for the trilogy bout against Conor McGregor that has been teased by those two for years now. Indeed, we likely would have seen this trilogy bout had McGregor beaten Poirier. The seeds for this bout have already been sown with Ferguson seemingly targeting Diaz on social media. This bout being this far down the pecking order in the division is no slight on either man and shows just how stacked the UFC is at lightweight.
