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Jon Jones is your new UFC heavyweight champion and the path is clear for a dream fight with Stipe Miocic. Jones and Miocic are arguably the greatest light heavyweight and heavyweight fighters in mixed martial arts history, respectively. Jones ran through Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 on Saturday and immediately set his sights on his fellow legend.
Jones is now surrounded by rareified air, including longtime rival Daniel Cormier, as the eighth two-division champion in UFC history. In the aftermath of UFC 285, Jones laid out the challenge to Miocic.
An even greater shocker played out one fight earlier. Alexa Grasso cashed as a +450 underdog against longtime, dominant UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. The main card also featured a thrilling UFC debut by highly-accomplished collegiate wrestler Bo Nickal and a major showcase for Shavkat Rakhmonov, a likely future title challenger.
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Let’s break down the best fights to make coming out of UFC 285.
UFC heavyweight championship — Jon Jones (c) vs. Stipe Miococ: A dream fight between the most successful UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champions in history appears to be in the works. UFC president Dana White confirmed at the UFC 285 post-fight press conference on Saturday that Jones vs. Miocic was next. White did not set a date or location, but Miocic has repeatedly claimed the fight will headline UFC 290 at International Fight Week on July 8. This is certainly a reasonable time to book the fight. Jones deserves to be UFC heavyweight champion and Miocic is the best situated for a title shot. While it is true that Miocic has been absent since losing to Ngannou in 2021, Sergei Pavlovich — the only contender more deserving of a shot — woefully lacks name value and has a fight booked. There is no time like the present and everyone seems on board. Let’s book Jones vs. Miocic while there is still a chance.
Ciryl Gane vs. Tom Aspinall: Gane crumbled in the worst way possible against Jones and must work hard to repair his image. Fortunately, Gane did not absorb any damage in the fight and can make a quick turnaround. Ranked No. 1 in the UFC’s heavyweight rankings, at least until Monday, a fight against No. 6 ranked Tom Aspinall makes sense. Aspinall looked to be the next big thing before suffering a horrible knee injury 15 seconds into a fight with Curtis Blaydes. Aspinall resumed sparring in January and might be on the verge of a comeback. If Gane can remain patient, fighting the loser of April’s Pavlovich vs. Blaydes bout also makes sense.
UFC women’s flyweight championship — Alexa Grasso (c) vs. Valentina Shevchenko: If there was ever a champion that deserves an immediate rematch, it’s Shevchenko. She is the record holder for most UFC women’s title defenses and lost because of a tactical error. Grasso certainly proved to be a worthy adversary and is the rightful champion, but the performance wasn’t so dominant that you can dismiss Shevchenko’s chances in a rematch. Grasso can cement her place as the future and Shevchenko can turn back the clock. It’s the fight to make.
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Colby Covington: It took Rakhmonov until the final minute of the final round, but he scored his 17th career finish in as many fights against Geoff Neal. Rakhmonov made good on lofty expectations as a credible world title threat five fights into his UFC run. He is a violent force that can stop you with strikes or submissions. He outstruck Neal, one of the most powerful and technically sound strikers at welterweight, before choking him out. Dana White said that Covington has been itching to fight. Khamzat Chimaev’s future at welterweight appears murky and Rakhmonov is poised to take his place as the omnipotent welterweight destroyer. A win for either fighter would significantly boost their stock and give them leverage for a title shot.
Geoff Neal vs. Sean Brady or Michel Pereira: Neal deserves credit for putting in a gutsy performance. He took a lot of punishment but never relented. In fact, he nearly knocked down Rakhmonov in Round 3. White was so impressed with Neal’s performance that he paid Neal a Fight of the Night bonus despite Neal’s ineligibility after missing weight. A March 25 fight between Brady and Pereira was scrapped after Brady suffered a torn groin. Depending on everyone’s recovery time, you could book a fight between Neal and either man. Pereira would willingly exchange Neal on the feet, meanwhile Brady would employ a more grappling-heavy gameplan against the elite striker.
Bo Nickal vs. Wellington Turman or Chris Weidman: Nickal blew the doors off Jamie Pickett in his UFC debut; although, knees to the groin (missed by the referee in real-time) have soured some fans on Nickal’s otherwise spectacular start. Nickal is only 4-0 as a professional fighter since switching from amateur wrestling to MMA last year. The problem is that you can only match Nickal up from here. Turman is a fighter who has been very inconsistent in the UFC but is a much more competent grappler than Pickett. If you want to get really weird with it, Weidman has started competing in grappling events after suffering a gruesome knee injury against Uriah Hall in 2021. He certainly has the experience and wrestling base to test Nickal. Mix that with his lingering star power and degrading offensive threats and he could be a launching pad for Nickal.
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