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Another year is almost in the books for the UFC and it’s been a fascinating one, with some massive fights and shows bringing the Fox era of the promotion to an end with a bang. With 2019 now just days away, what can we expect from the world’s biggest MMA promotion in the New Year?
Well, we know that everything is about to change with regards to where to watch the UFC, in the US at least. The Fox deal – which began back in 2012 – has now ended, and the promotion’s new deal with ESPN is about to begin.
Pay-per-view unsurprisingly appears to remain the home of the UFC’s biggest shows – and will likely continue to be the biggest money-maker for the promotion – while the Fight Night series will now take place on the ESPN+ streaming service – the first time that the UFC will be streaming shows outside of their own Fight Pass service. The cards which once took place on ‘big’ Fox meanwhile will move to the ESPN network proper.
Hopefully, the new television deal will mean better-paced shows that don’t last for hours on end regardless of the length of the fights, and perhaps the ESPN spotlight shining on the promotion could mean the creation of new stars, too.
With plenty of fights already announced – and rumoured – for early 2019, here’s what we can expect, division-by-division, for the New Year.
#1 Heavyweight
The big question at Heavyweight going into 2019 obviously surrounds the status of Brock Lesnar. After Daniel Cormier won the UFC Heavyweight title at UFC 226, it was pushed as practically a done deal that he’d be facing off with former UFC champ and current WWE superstar Lesnar in early 2019, perhaps at March’s UFC 235. Now though, that fight feels like it’s up in the air.
Since the announcement of Roman Reigns’ battle with leukaemia, Lesnar has recaptured the WWE Universal title, throwing his status into question. Since then it’s been reported that he’s signed a new deal with the pro-wrestling company, but the reports also suggest that the contract will allow him to face Cormier.
It’s a risk for both WWE and the UFC, as both promotions risk losing face should their man lose the fight. Cormier has already stated he only has a couple of fights – if that – left in his career though, so win or lose, if the Lesnar fight goes ahead it may well be the last time we see ‘DC’ in the Octagon.
That could open up an opportunity for any number of contenders to claim the potentially vacant title. Interestingly though – perhaps acknowledging the questionable status of the next title fight – there haven’t been many Heavyweight matches booked for early 2019 thus far.
There is one big one on tap – hopefully – though, in the form of Cain Velasquez vs. Francis Ngannou, which is pegged to headline the first show on ESPN on February 17th. Velasquez hasn’t fought since July 2016 but his reputation precedes him and many still consider him the greatest big man in UFC history, while Ngannou looked back to his best in his November destruction of Curtis Blaydes.
The winner of that one should definitely see title contention, perhaps even a title fight later in 2019, but if Velasquez wins and Cormier still holds the title, then the plot thickens further; the two men are good friends and training partners and would likely refuse to face off.
Elsewhere at Heavyweight, the controversial figure of Greg Hardy is set to debut on January 19th on the UFC’s first ESPN+ show. The fight won’t impact the title picture – but expect to hear a lot more about it come the New Year due to Hardy’s already questionable status.
#2 Light-Heavyweight
The 205lbs division will have a much clearer picture as 2019 ends, as Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson are set to face off for the title vacated by Daniel Cormier at UFC 232 this weekend. Regardless of who wins, some fresh matches should be expected going forward as the top of the division has largely been in flux in 2018, with some new contenders rising up while a lot of veterans have slipped down the pecking order.
UFC 232 also sees Ilir Latifi take on Corey Anderson in a battle of top ten contenders, but given the styles of both men, it’d probably take something spectacular to elevate the winner of that fight into the next title match. The fact that Latifi is good friends with Gustafsson would make things more tricky if both men were to win, too.
2019’s first card – the EPSN+ debut on 01/19 – sees a major fight in the division as former title challenger Glover Teixeira takes on rising prospect Ion Cutelaba. If the Moldovan prospect can pick up his biggest win yet, then he’ll likely find himself in title contention sooner rather than later. For Teixeira, a win would resurrect his career while a loss would likely signal the end of his time at the elite level – after all, he’s 39 years old now and has been alternating wins and losses since 2016. It’s a fascinating fight.
A fight between Jan Blachowicz and Thiago Santos has also been announced as the main event for the UFC’s debut in Prague, Czech Republic on 02/23, and an impressive showing for either man could win them a title shot. Blachowicz is currently ranked #4 and has won his last 4 fights, while Santos is ranked at #7 and is unbeaten at 205lbs with two violent finishes. Neither man would sell that many pay-per-views, but it’d be hard to deny the winner a shot, especially if it’s a victory in violent fashion.
Elsewhere, prospects like Dominick Reyes, Magomed Ankalaev and Misha Cirkunov will have to wait for their first 2019 bookings – but a rising star in Johnny Walker is set to face Justin Ledet on ESPN+ on 02/02. If Walker can win as impressively as he did in his Octagon debut, expect his hype train to really pick up some steam.
The wild card in the division though could be former Middleweight champ Luke Rockhold. He announced an official move to 205lbs recently and given the success of former Middleweights Santos and Anthony Smith at Light-Heavyweight, a big win in his divisional debut could make Rockhold an instant title contender. His next fight remains unknown, however.
#3 Middleweight
The first title fight of 2019 at 185lbs is already set, as Robert Whittaker will defend against top contender Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 234 on 02/10. Both men have been on a roll and appear to be in the prime of their careers, so we should expect a fantastic fight.
Interestingly enough, the next title contender could also be decided on the same night. Rising star Israel Adesanya faces off with former champion Anderson Silva, and according to UFC President Dana White, Silva will be granted a title shot with a win. At 43 years old and without a fight since February 2017, though, it feels like a stretch to imagine that he’d beat ‘The Last Stylebender’. To me, this feels like a classic piece of UFC booking – sacrificing a legend to make a new star. If Adesanya wins in style, then it’d be hard not to give him the next crack at the title.
That could well anger de facto top contender Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, who is waiting for his next assignment following his big win over Chris Weidman this November. Whether Jacare will ever get a UFC title shot is a massive question coming into 2019, but we should find out come February.
Outside of that, 185lbs doesn’t have many bookings in the pipeline just yet. It’s interesting to see as despite the title picture being extremely clear, everything else is up in the air – meaning the likes of Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, Jared Cannonier and Elias Theodorou are all waiting for their next fights to be confirmed.
#4 Welterweight
Right now it feels like anyone’s guess as to what exactly is going on at 170lbs. Despite Tyron Woodley affirming his spot as champion by convincingly beating Darren Till in September, we’re now in a situation where there are two men vying for the next title shot – Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman – and there’s an argument to be made for either, really.
The issue is apparently with Woodley, as despite the champion stating that he’s ready to face Covington, Dana White has claimed that it’s becoming tricky to book him for a fight. Injuries have been the rumoured reason for this but White’s caustic attitude to the champion suggests money issues may well lie behind the whole thing. Hopefully, early 2019 sheds some light on this situation.
Outside of the title picture, it looks like we may have to wait until March’s UFC 235 for the first big Welterweight clash of the year; former ONE FC and Bellator champ Ben Askren is booked to make his long-awaited Octagon debut against former UFC champion Robbie Lawler. It’s a mouth-watering match that should show exactly where Askren belongs in the bigger picture – and perhaps how much Lawler has left in the tank, too.
Elsewhere, veterans Demian Maia and Thiago Alves are both booked for the ESPN+ card on 02/02, but both men feel like they’re on the downswing of their careers now, and their fights against Lyman Good and Max Griffin respectively shouldn’t do a lot to impact the title picture at 170lbs.
I would also discuss the status of Nick Diaz – who was supposedly booked against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 235 – but given Diaz has now claimed the booking is not official and thrown his entire future with the UFC up in the air, there doesn’t seem to be much point.
#5 Lightweight
2018 was probably the biggest year for the 155lbs weight class in UFC history and yet the future for the division going into 2019 is an absolute mystery. That is of course due to the questionable status of both champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former champ Conor McGregor, who are due to receive their punishment from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for their parts in the infamous brawl following their fight at UFC 229 in October.
An immediate rematch has been mooted, but so has a title match between Khabib and top contender Tony Ferguson – who’s on an 11-fight win streak – and a rematch between McGregor and high-flying Dustin Poirier, who went 2-0 in 2018. Until we know what’s going on with McGregor and Khabib though, everything is a mystery.
Despite this though, a couple of fights at 155lbs have been booked for early 2019 – most notably a surprising fight between prospect Alexander Hernandez and veteran Donald Cerrone. That goes down on the UFC’s first ESPN+ card on 01/19, and if nothing else it practically guarantees excitement.
Elsewhere, contenders like Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis and Al Iaquinta are all left waiting for their first assignments of 2019. 155lbs remains probably the most stacked division in the UFC, but it’s also the hardest to predict going into the New Year.
#6 Featherweight
We don’t yet have a title fight booked for 2019 at 145lbs, and that makes sense as champion Max Holloway only picked up his second successful defense by beating Brian Ortega at UFC 231 a few weeks ago. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that neither man has their next fight scheduled yet, and the likelihood is that we won’t see Holloway in action until midway through 2019.
Who he fights next is also a big question mark. Ignoring Ortega and Jose Aldo – both of whom Holloway has beaten – the next ranked contender is Frankie Edgar, but he hasn’t fought since a dull April victory over Cub Swanson. Could the UFC re-book Holloway vs. Edgar – which was cancelled at UFC 222 due to a Holloway injury – or will they look to a more marketable-sounding fight?
One man who could step into contention is Renato Moicano. He’s currently on a 2-fight win streak, has only ever lost to Ortega, and is extremely exciting to watch. He’s booked against Aldo on 02/02, and if he can overcome the legendary former champion then it’d be hard to deny him the next crack at Holloway.
Another possible contender could be the winner of the UFC 232 fight between Chad Mendes and Alexander Volkanovski – particularly if the Australian prospect can defeat the former title contender Mendes – but as far as 2019 goes, perhaps the most exciting fight booked at 145lbs will come at UFC 235 in March. Jeremy Stephens faces the rapidly-climbing Zabit Magomedsharipov, and if the Dagestani can come through that fight, then calls for him to fight Holloway would probably become louder and louder.
Elsewhere, not too many fights have been booked at Featherweight – but one interesting one comes in the form of the debut of Kron Gracie, the son of the legendary Rickson Gracie. Unsurprisingly he’s a decorated grappler, but he’s also done well in MMA thus far – he tapped veteran Tatsuya Kawajiri in 2016, for instance. He faces Alex Caceres on ESPN on 02/17 in what should be a fascinating fight to watch.
#7 Bantamweight
The title picture at 135lbs is blurry right now for a simple reason; reigning champion TJ Dillashaw is set to drop to 125lbs to challenge Henry Cejudo for the Flyweight title on ESPN+ on 01/19. It should be a great fight, but given the rumours of the death of the 125lbs division, quite why Dillashaw is moving down rather than Cejudo moving up is anyone’s guess. It simply doesn’t make sense in my opinion.
The UFC has booked a potential #1 contender’s match at 135lbs though, as Raphael Assuncao and Marlon Moraes face off in the headliner of the ESPN+ card on 02/02. The pair fought back in 2017 with Assuncao winning a questionable decision, but since then Moraes has defeated John Dodson, Aljamain Sterling and Jimmie Rivera. Realistically, he should already have a title shot were it not for the Cejudo/Dillashaw fight.
Outside of that, 02/17 sees Sterling and Rivera face off on ESPN in what should be a key fight in the division. Both men are ranked in the top ten of the division and a win for either would propel them forward deep into the title picture. #6 ranked John Lineker was also supposed to fight Dominick Cruz in what would’ve been a huge fight on 01/19, but with Cruz injured, he’s now set to face prospect Cory Sandhagen instead in a match which likely won’t impact a lot.
The likes of Dodson, Pedro Munhoz and Rob Font are awaiting their next fights, while the whole division could also be shaken up by the arrival of former 125lbers like Joseph Benavidez, Deiveson Figueiredo and Said Nurmagomedov.
#8 Flyweight
The UFC’s first title fight of 2019 is booked at 125lbs as Bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw faces Flyweight champ Henry Cejudo in a ‘superfight’ that headlines the first ESPN+ card on 01/19. Despite this, the rumours of the UFC simply doing away with the division remain strong. How this would work if Cejudo were to win is a mystery, but a Dillashaw victory would probably mean the Flyweight title would be retired.
For this reason, it’s hardly a shock that we only have three other fights booked at Flyweight in early 2019; Joseph Benavidez faces Dustin Ortiz on 01/19, with Benavidez also acting as a failsafe should either Cejudo or Dillashaw pick up an injury. On the 02/02 ESPN+ card, prospect Magomed Bibulatov returns to face newcomer Rogerio Bontorin, while UFC 234 sees Kai-Kara France face newcomer Raulian Paiva.
It’s anyone’s guess as to why the UFC is actively signing new Flyweights when they’re potentially cutting the division – and have already cut plenty of fighters at 125lbs – but hopefully early 2019, and the Cejudo/Dillashaw fight, in particular, should shed some light on the entire situation. Who knows, to be quite frank?
#9 Women’s Featherweight
Women’s Featherweight, like Flyweight, is one big question mark heading into 2019. Obviously, UFC 232 will see Cris Cyborg defend her UFC title against Bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes, but the champion is heavily favoured to win that match. A loss won’t harm Nunes too much, but for Cyborg, the path forward is less clear.
She’s already mooted the idea of leaving the UFC – the fight is the final one on her current contract, but the UFC’s infamous ‘champion’s clause’ may prevent her from simply walking away. Assuming she does stay, however, the winner of the UFC 232 match between Cat Zingano and Megan Anderson should probably provide the next title challenger for her.
Women’s Featherweight has no other fights booked for 2019 thus far, which makes sense given the thin nature of the division, which now has prospect Macy Chiasson – the recent TUF winner - but few other rising contenders. Quite what the UFC intends to do with this division in the New Year is anyone’s guess.
#10 Women’s Bantamweight
With champion Amanda Nunes stepping up to 145lbs to face Cris Cyborg for the Featherweight title, the title picture at 135lbs has been largely placed on hold for the time being. That makes a lot of sense too given there’s no clear-cut top contender right now. Germaine de Randamie is currently ranked as #1, but the likelihood of her being granted another title shot after her disastrous run as Featherweight champion feels slim.
Thus far then, Women’s Bantamweight has just one fight officially booked for 2019 – a match between Yana Kunitskaya and Marion Reneau, but even that doesn’t take place until the ESPN+ card on 03/09. A fight between Holly Holm and Aspen Ladd – a fantastic striker vs. grappler match – has been mentioned for UFC 235, but Holm’s manager – renowned for being an awkward negotiator – has recently denied the reports of the match.
With all this considered it’s very hard to work out where the title picture at 135lbs will head in 2019. Having said that, given Nunes is unlikely to be available for a fight until the late Spring – perhaps even the early Summer – it doesn’t seem like it matters all that much. Hopefully, more bookings in early 2019 will shed more light on this division’s future.
#11 Women’s Flyweight
Considering Women’s 125lbs is the newest division in the UFC, the title picture there is remarkably clear. We finally have a healthy champion now in the form of Valentina Shevchenko, and after her third Flyweight victory in a row over Katlyn Chookagian, it appears that Jessica Eye will probably serve as the next top contender in the division.
That title fight could take place as early a show like UFC 235, but as it hasn’t been officially confirmed yet the UFC could well go in another direction, although it seems unlikely right now. That clarity does mean that the promotion has been able to book plenty of fights in this division for the early months of 2019, though.
The first ESPN+ show on 01/19 sees Paige VanZant take on Rachael Ostovich while Joanne Calderwood takes on newcomer Ariane Lipski; 02/02’s ESPN+ show sees Talia Santos take on Mara Romero Borella; UFC 234 offers Nadia Kassem vs. Montana de la Rosa; Andrea Lee faces Ashlee Evans-Smith on ESPN on 02/17 and 02/23’s ESPN+ show features Liz Carmouche vs. Lucie Pudilova.
The division is still largely in flux when it comes to contenders, but all of those fights should provide some clarity on who exactly are the top fighters at 125lbs. Hopefully, Shevchenko proves to be a fighting champion, so 2019 can see plenty of action in what looks like a pretty exciting division.
#12 Women’s Strawweight
We haven’t seen a title fight at Women’s Strawweight since April when champion Rose Namajunas defended her 115lbs belt against former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. It’s high time for ‘Thug Rose’ to return, and so hopefully we’ll see her in action in early 2019, perhaps in April at the latest. Thankfully, we’ve got a pretty clear-cut top contender ready for her.
Jessica Andrade has won 6 of her 7 fights at 115lbs and knocked out former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz in devastating fashion in September; there’s literally no better fight to be made at Strawweight right now than Namajunas vs. Andrade, so hopefully, we finally see it come the New Year.
Elsewhere, there are a handful of Strawweight fights already booked; Livia Renata Souza faces Sarah Frota on ESPN+ on 02/02, and the first ESPN show on 02/17 sees three fights in the division including a big one between Cynthia Calvillo and Cortney Casey. That fight is the only one booked thus far that could impact the top ten – Casey is currently ranked #11, Calvillo #12 – meaning we might have to wait a little longer to see the genuine contenders in action.
The likes of Nina Ansaroff, Tatiana Suarez, and Michelle Waterson will all be in the hunt for potential title shots in 2019, while the possible return to the division of Joanna Jedrzejczyk could throw everything into flux depending on who she fights. Hopefully, the champion can be more active in 2019 as this is clearly one of the UFC’s most fascinating divisions going forward.
