Brett Okamoto, ESPN Personnel Editor
UFC president Dana White has grow to be extraordinarily dedicated to being non-committal on year matchups the evening of an match.
This present day, when White will get requested a few section’s ground, the words, We’ll see the way it performs out and We’ll determine it out at our matchmaking assembly later future have grow to be worthy responses. Infrequently, he’ll even throw an I do not know in for just right measure.
So, what’s really later for the UFC’s light-weight section, following Charles Oliveira‘s sensational win towards Beneil Dariush at UFC 289? It’s a heck of a dialogue. Listed below are some burning questions on arguably the UFC’s premiere weight elegance, together with a have a look at The Closing Fighter coaches and the way they have compatibility within the combine.
Who’s later for Islam Makhachev?
At this time, the front-runner is Oliveira. In spite of White’s refusal to decide to anything else, even he couldn’t reject that Makhachev vs. Oliveira is smart. He even mentioned he’d be excited to look that rematch (Oliveira misplaced to Makhachev in October).
Oliveira isn’t, alternatively, the best choice. A long way from it.
Dustin Poirier faces Justin Gaethje in the principle match of UFC 291 on July 29, in a rematch of a battle from 2018. Neither Poirier nor Gaethje has fought Makhachev but, and the winner will (deservedly) name for a identify shot. Despite the fact that that doesn’t occur right away, I think the winner will take a seat and look ahead to a identify shot, despite the fact that it method now not combating once more in 2023.
There’s additionally Alexander Volkanovski, who will glance to preserve his featherweight identify towards intervening time champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 on July 8. Volkanovski misplaced to Makhachev in an overly intently contested identify battle in February. So long as he beats Rodriguez, I’d create Volkanovski the favourite to stand Makhachev later. The primary battle was once grand, and Volkanovski has a immense platform on July 8 to create a remark, headlining the UFC’s World Struggle Future. If he’s taking assist of industrial and knocks his post-fight pronunciation out of the landscape, I’m guessing we’ll see that battle once more.
How do Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler have compatibility in?
They don’t. Now not presently. Every time the battle occurs, they’re going to for sure consider. However presently, it’s truthful to query whether or not that battle will occur in any respect. McGregor assists in keeping pronouncing he’s going to go into the necessary drug checking out lake with USADA — and but, one hour is going through upcoming every other with out legit affirmation that he’s achieved so. He must be in that checking out lake for 6 months sooner than he’s cloudless to battle. That already places us in December. How can any person be even relatively assured that the battle will occur in 2023?
Once more, when it does occur, all bets are off on how it would affect the section. Particularly if McGregor have been to win and insist a identify shot, it might be outrageous to signify the UFC wouldn’t believe it. McGregor wouldn’t have earned a identify shot in any respect, however the UFC is a industry, as everyone knows, and a McGregor identify battle is just right for industry. However this battle is up to now off on the hour and now not even an actual factor, it’s needless to take a position how McGregor suits right into a section through which he’s 0-3 since 2017.
The place does Beneil Dariush have compatibility in, following a disappointing loss to Oliveira?
This was once a tricky loss for Dariush. He did the whole thing the corporate requested of him (and nearest some) all the way through an eight-fight win streak. Resources say he had a brutal weight shorten important into UFC 289, which would possibly have impacted his efficiency. Possibly, perhaps now not. Age we will be able to’t pluck anything else clear of Oliveira, clearly, it’s nonetheless brittle to not really feel for Dariush who has nonetheless by no means fought for a UFC championship.
If we all know something about Dariush, he most likely gained’t take a seat round and lick his wounds for too lengthy. He’ll be searching for a battle reasonably quickly, and the UFC will most likely virtue his condition as a possibility to present a anticipation to one of the most unused blood of this section to battle a highly-ranked opponent. That unused blood contains …
Accumulation an optic on those names for the left-overs of the yr:
Arman Tsarukyan. The 26-year-old is scheduled to stand a reasonably unknown opponent in Joaquim Silva this weekend. If he seems to be just right, I may see him combating Dariush later.
Rafael Fiziev. Fiziev neglected a fat anticipation in April to store a win towards Gaethje, but when he learns from that have and springs again a greater model than he went in, there may be nonetheless champion-level possible right here. He’s able to just accept a battle, resources say, however the UFC has but to return to him with a plan.
Jalin Turner. Turner suffered his first loss since 2019 previous this yr, in a crack choice towards every other darkhorse of the section, Mateusz Gamrot. The UFC is top on his possible, regardless that, as evidenced through his reserving a matchup towards fan favourite Dan Hooker on July 8. Turner wins that, and the promotion will most likely search for every other alternative to show off his proceed.
