With the flurry of action we've had recently, and still to come with 2 more cards to go on Fight Island...what fights do you think need to be made for the big name winners and losers? -I'll start with Dustin Poirier. He needs the winner of Gaethje/Khabib (or Gaethje for interim belt if Khabib is going to be out an extended period) or Tony Ferguson. -Hooker needs a step back at LW...maybe someone ranked 5-8...maybe Oliveira. -Garbrandt v. Aldo. I hate to do that to Aldo; but I think its a necessary fight in that division right now. -Rose v. Zheng -Volk v. Zombie (if we're not gonna get Zombie v. Ortega) -Max Holloway v. Kattar (or if Max wants to do it the right way and move up to 155; I would love to see him v. Hooker) -Masvidal v. Edwards or Conor -Usman v. Burns
Dominick Reyes vs Glover Teixeira or Thiago Santos. Ngannou running it back with Blaydes if he isn't getting a title shot any time soon. Kelvin Gastelum vs Paulo Costa.
Diaz vs. Ferguson Masvidal vs. Covington Volk vs. Cejudo Adesayana vs. Costa Max vs. Zabit Rose vs. Zhang (if Rose ain't ready, wouldn't mind saying Zhang vs. Bullet)
I haven't been paying super close attention in the last few months TBH. There might be fights booked I'm not aware of. Refresh my memory--was Ferguson stripped of the interim championship before fighting for the vacant interim championship with Gaethje? If so I suppose he has no rematch clause. I'm not sure if that's even a thing with interim belts. I don't know what McGregor's status is right now but have heard a third Diaz match could be a thing. If so, Poirier should wait for the winner of Gaethje/Nurmagomedov, but that could be a long way out, so Poirier/Ferguson makes sense for now. Based on how Poirier's been looking of late I would tilt towards him winning, but it is a huge risk for him to take. He might because a fight with Khabib especially could be a year away or more and he's on a roll. Hooker/Oliveira sounds good, too. For FW, maybe Zabit is up for Volko? Looks like he's fighting Yair next but I'm guessing that's an eliminator for him. Kattar is also rising quickly but doesn't have marquee wins and lost to Zabit recently. Ortega/TKZ needs to happen ASAP. I would love to see Max take a year off as he's lost all his momentum and needs to recalibrate. I guess Usman/Burns is next but I am not stoked for that fight. Feels like an Usman/Covington rematch is the best the division can do. I don't know what's going on with JJ right now. I don't see him going to HW anymore. I feel like he'll wind up fighting the Polish kid and then rematching Reyes, supposing Reyes doesn't falter like Gusto did when they were going to run it back (losing to AJ). They can't wait too long. I don't know what Santos' status is. Too many B-level guys at LHW right now. Jones is pretty safe despite what's becoming an obvious decline. I don't love a third Miocic/Cormier fight but I also think Blaydes is a weak challenger. I think Ngannou, in no small part due to the fact he has a win over Blaydes, will be next. The women's divisions are all looking a bit rough. Beyond Namajunas/Weili I don't know what the UFC is planning. They really want Calvillo in the title picture so I'm assuming they'll keep pushing her to fight Valentina. Nunes could retire as the women's GOAT right now but I think they still want to have her fight Megan Anderson at some point.
As far as I know, Ferguson was stripped. He was beaten by Gaethje so bad that I can't see anyway a rematch is made right away. Ferguson is going to have to win his way back to that fight. I agree with everything else. Weird times how the internet has progressed. Forums are dead. Are any parts of this site still active?
Apparently Colby / Woodley (which was on yesterday) is now off... Dana is thinking about making Max v Volk 3. No need for that man. What if Max wins, does Volk get a rematch? So we could see this fight 4x in a row? What a joke...His reasoning was that Yair and Zabit are about to fight, Ortega and Zombie are about to fight, and Kattar just fought. News flash DFW, Kattar fought 4 days after Max and Volk. So let Max and Kattar fight and give Volk the winner of Ortega v Zombie
Will be Khabib's toughest fight of his title reign for sure. Gaethje's wrestling may be able to stuff some takedowns and givs Nurm a tough fight. If I am wrong and Nurmagomedov completely stifles Justin, a move up to the sharks of WW like Usman and Covington has to be the only thing left for him.
Khabib has two more fights before retirement, per his manager. Everything seems to be hinting at GSP as his final fight. Dana was asked about it and said if Khabib gets by Gaethje and asks him for GSP, he will consider making that fight out of respect for Khabib. I'm picking Khabib to maul Gaethje. Until I see otherwise, Khabib out grapples and submits everyone. Khabib round 3 RNC. I'm hoping for Gaethje TKO 2
https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2020...ay-rematch-doesnt-really-make-sense-right-now “(White) was throwing it out there but at the same time, he was saying the exact thing I’m saying,” Volkanovski said. “In this division, we’ve got all these guys about to fight. By the end of the year, we’re going to have a clear No. 1 – and you’re going to just keep giving Max rematches? … I won twice in back-to-back (fights). You know what I mean? It just doesn’t really make sense right now. Again, it’s definitely something that can be a big fight in the future, as well.” If I didn't know any better I'd say the UFC is hurting for money right now and will hotshot any match it thinks will sell whether or not it makes sense long term.
If so, I hope Volk holds out and waits for another opponent. He's 2-0 against Max, whether we all agree with it or not. Have him take a fight against the winner of Zombie/Ortega as the co-main event for a November/December card.
