5 title eliminator fights to book in the UFC

The landscape in the UFC is ever-changing. The promotion's matchmakers play a crucial role in ensuring that the narrative and pecking order is constantly evolving to keep things fresh atop every division.

At a recently concluded UFC Fight Night, top-ranked light heavyweights Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic squared off in a title eliminator bout. With the 205-pound strap set to be contested at UFC 275 next month, Blachowicz likely sealed his place in the next divisional title fight with his win over Rakic.

Other notable No.1 contender fights on the horizon are Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira and Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk 2. Interim title fights serve a somewhat similar purpose, with the rumored Stipe Miocic vs. Jon Jones and Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France 2 bouts set to determine the next challengers for undisputed gold as well.

However, for the purpose of this article, we won't be considering interim championship bouts. With that said, here are five title eliminator fights to book in the UFC right now.

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#5. Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez – UFC featherweight bout

Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway have cleaned out the top five in the featherweight division. Volkanovski has wins over No.2-ranked Brian Ortega and No.5-ranked Chan Sung Jung, while Holloway has beaten No.3-ranked Yair Rodriguez and No.4-ranked Calvin Kattar in addition to a win over Ortega as well.

The featherweight title will be contested at UFC 276 in July, where Holloway and Volkanovski will square off for the third time.

If Alexander Volkanovski emerges victorious, he will be 3-0 against Max Holloway and won't have any fresh contenders on the horizon.

Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett have already been booked to headline UFC Austin next month and could be vying for the No.1 contender slot. However, both fighters are still below top contenders Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez in the rankings.

Ortega has already made two attempts at the featherweight strap. The perennial contender came up short against then-champion Holloway back in 2018. At UFC 266 last year, he took an absolute beating at the hands of Volkanovski and will likely need a statement win to put himself back into title contention.

A fight against Rodriguez appears to be in the works for 'T-City'.

Although this booking hasn't been confirmed or announced by the promotion yet, it appears Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez will lock horns in the main event of the Fight Night on July 16th, just two weeks after the Volkanovski-Holloway trilogy bout.

The stylistic matchup is arguably the most explosive one that can be put together in the featherweight division. Both top-ranked contenders are tough as nails, as was evident in their latest outings. Additionally, they are nightmare matchups for one another, as Ortega has struggled against elite strikers and Rodriguez will likely avoid any grappling exchanges with 'T-City'.

With the UFC returning to regular arenas for Fight Night events on occasion, this is the ideal main event to headline a card in Mexico.

#4. Petr Yan vs. T.J. Dillashaw – UFC bantamweight bout

T.J. Dillashaw enjoyed a triumphant return to the UFC octagon last year following a two-year suspension. The former bantamweight champion edged out a decision win over Cory Sandhagen to stake his claim for a title shot. It looked as though he was the next contender for the reigning champion, Aljamain Sterling.

In an interesting turn of events, former two-division titleholder Henry Cejudo recently re-entered the USADA testing pool and has since targeted an immediate bantamweight title shot upon his return. Considering Cejudo already has a win over Dillashaw, and that he retired as the champion back in 2020, 'Triple C' is likely the next title challenger at 135 pounds.

Henry Cejudo's return puts T.J. Dillashaw in an awkward position. Dillashaw missed out on a shot at interim gold last year as a result of a knee injury he sustained in the Cory Sandhagen fight. The TUF alum is still undergoing rehabilitation for said injury, while Cejudo has been on the sidelines, likely unscathed.

Dillashaw might have to pick up another win before competing for the championship. A fight against fellow former titleholder Petr Yan appears to make sense for all parties involved. Yan is coming off a narrow split decision loss to the champion, a decision he vehemontly disagreed with in his post-fight interview.

Yan has called out Dillashaw previously. With both fighters itching to fight for the belt again, this would be a high stakes matchup between two former champions looking to re-claim what they believe is theirs to begin with.

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#3. Islam Makhachev vs. Beneil Dariush – UFC lightweight bout

In the immediate aftermath of Charles Oliveira's surprisingly quick submission victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 274, a large section of the MMA community started clamoring for a bout between the Brazilian lightweight and top contender Islam Makhachev.

No lightweight warrants a shot at divisional gold more than Makhachev. The Dagestani is riding a 10-fight win streak and is inarguably the toughest matchup for Oliveira, considering his wrestling prowess and impressive arsenal of submissions. However, the only fighter he's beaten in the top 15 is Dan Hooker, a fight the Kiwi took on short notice.

Oliveira has indicated that he's looking to fight for the vacant title this fall. While a fight between 'Do Bronx' and Makhachev is certainly plausible, UFC president Dana White has revealed that he's still looking to re-book the Dagestani phenom against Beneil Dariush to determine the next contender.

Makhachev and Dariush were previously slated to lock horns earlier this year. Unfortunately, Dariush sustained an injury just two weeks prior to the bout and was later replaced by unranked lightweight Bobby Green, who lost via TKO in the first round.

There are already some interesting names being thrown around for a potential fight against Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title. Featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski, former foe Max Holloway and global superstar Conor McGregor have all hinted at an interest in fighting 'Do Bronx' down the line.

Whatever happens with Oliveira and the lightweight belt, a No.1 contender needs to be anointed at 155 pounds, and Islam Makhachev vs. Beneil Dariush is the only logical matchup.

UFC Vegas 49 original poster [Image via @BigMarcel24 on Twitter]

#2. Rose Namajunas vs. Marina Rodriguez – UFC women's strawweight bout

Rose Namajunas' lackluster performance against Carla Esparza at UFC 274 saw the strawweight title change hands for the fifth time since 2017. Esparza, the new champion, edged out a split decision victory in one of the worst title fights in promotional history.

Esparza is now 2-0 against Namajunas, who will likely have to beat a fellow contender to earn another title shot. Moreover, for as long as Esparza remains the champion, it'll be very hard to market a trilogy bout after the astonishingly forgettable rematch.

A No.1 contender bout at 115 pounds is already on the horizon. Former champions Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk are set to run it back at UFC 275 in Singapore, with Dana White confirming that the victor will fight for the belt next.

Meanwhile, Rose Namajunas will need to return to the win column in her next outing if she is to fight for UFC gold again. The only logical opponent for the TUF alum is No.3-ranked Marina Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is also one win away from a shot at the belt. The rising Brazilian contender is coming off three wins on the trot against top contenders Michelle Waterson, Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan.

A potential title eliminator bout with Namajunas offers both fighters a chance to solidify their status as the next No.1 contender after the Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk winner fights Esparza.

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#1. Colby Covington vs. Khamzat Chimaev – UFC welterweight bout

With welterweight champion Kamaru Usman reportedly set to defend his title against Leon Edwards later this year, there is no clear-cut No.1 contender at 170 pounds. The promotion typically lines up a title eliminator fight around the same time as a championship bout and it remains to be seen who'll feature in such a matchup.

Colby Covington currently occupies the top spot in the welterweight rankings, despite having faced and lost to the champion twice. Covington will likely need another high-profile win before returning to title contention. A win over the hottest prospect in MMA right now, Khamzat Chimaev, would give 'Chaos' enough leverage to talk himself into another championship opportunity.

Dana White all but confirmed his interest in the matchup before and after the UFC 273 pay-per-view, where Chimaev beat top-ranked contender Gilbert Burns to break into the top five.

Khamzat Chimaev seemingly had an unbreakable aura of invincibility going into his high stakes bout with Gilbert Burns, having finished every opponent he had previously faced in his professional career.

His memorable barnburner with Burns gave fans, analysts and his peers a lot to work with going forward. Coming away with a razor-thin decision win, some of the chinks in Chimaev's armor were undoubtedly exposed during the bout. However, it's important to note that 'Borz' later revealed that he didn't attempt too many takedowns as he was wary of the submission threat posed by 'Durinho'.

Chimaev currently occupies the No.3 spot in the 170-pound division. A win over Colby Covington, who many believe is the second-best welterweight in the world behind Kamaru Usman, would further cement his claim to a title shot.

Moreover, the build-up to this blockbuster bout would be an absolute spectacle. Covington's ability to draw attention is world-class, irrespective of whether or not one finds his tactics unethical. 'Chaos' will likely verbally attack Chimaev to no end leading up to a potential clash between the duo, and it'll be interesting to see if 'Borz' can keep his cool under such circumstances.

Every way you look at it, it's an outstanding matchup. Stylistically, they are very similar, as both fighters come from wrestling backgrounds and appear to have unmatched grit and durability. Chimaev likely has more power, while Covington largely relies on his relentless pressure and volume.

A shot at gold beckons for the victor.