Alexander Volkanovski dismissed any suggestion that his victory over Diego Lopes last April was a fluke when he defeated Lopes again at UFC 325 in Sydney on Saturday. With this resolved, the focus now turns to who could He defeated Volkanovski. Two names immediately come to mind, but to get to Volk they may have to go through each other.
With their own big wins, lightweights Benoît Saint Denis, Mauricio Ruffy and Quillan Salkilld took important steps to establish themselves among the division's elite. Luckily for them, pairing options are plentiful at 155 pounds. Take a look at who we predict as the next opponents for the stars of UFC 325.
Alexander Volkanovski, featherweight champion
Who should be next? Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy Winner
The UFC hasn't announced a fight between Evloev and Murphy, but it's a strong possibility, and at this point, it makes sense. Volkanovski likes quick changes, but at 37 years old, it would be appropriate for him to take some time before returning to camp. And to make Volkanovski's next title defense as big as possible, let's be honest, Evloev and Murphy need a win first. Both deserve a title shot, but neither fighter is very exciting right now. Perhaps a fight between them would give UFC fans a truly exciting number one contender.
Wildcard: Evloev
If Volkanovski decides he really wants to fight again in a matter of months, he would need a challenger. And although Evloev hasn't fought in over a year, he is the number one contender and Volkanovski wants to face him.
Diego Lopes, featherweight
Who should be next? Yair Rodriguez
There is animosity between these two, dating back to a press conference last spring when they discussed Lopes' ties to Mexico. Rodriguez has struggled to stay active throughout his career and has been dealing with a hand injury lately. But if he can be ready to go in a reasonable amount of time, this is 100 percent the fight to go for.
Wildcard: Josh Emmett vs. Winner Kevin Vallejos on March 14
Especially if Vallejos beats Emmett. Vallejos looks like a giant, with knockouts in two of his first three UFC appearances. If he were to knock out Emmett in his first UFC main event, the UFC would have a hard time fighting the temptation to let him loose against the division's best. Stylistically, Lopes vs. Vallejos would be a home run, with two of the hardest hitters in the division. And to be clear, Lopes vs. Emmett would be nice too. Emmett is 40 years old, so he's looking to make the biggest moves possible as soon as possible. If it stops the hype behind Vallejos, why not elevate him to a big opportunity, knowing he's on borrowed time?
Benoît Saint Denis, light weight
Who should be next? Arman Tsarukian
Anything short of a title shot seems like a snub to Tsarukyan, but that's where we are. He won't get a title shot next, other than something really wild happening. So what? Saint Denis has now entered similar territory. It makes no sense for him to fight his way down the rankings, other than simply staying active. Frankly, it's not a perfect situation for any of these guys. The entire division is stagnant, with champion Ilia Topuria licensed, an interim belt in the mix and two monster names, Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, still ranked in the top five. Unless Saint Denis and Tsarukyan want to sit back and wait, they will have to keep fighting, and this one certainly makes the most sense.
Wildcard: Oliveira winner vs. Holloway at UFC 326
This fight is doubtful because I don't see Oliveira or Holloway having any interest in it. Sometimes the UFC will try to force a matchup, but I don't think even the promotion makes sense in this one. The winner of the BMF title fight at UFC 326 will definitely be looking for a bigger fight than Saint Denis, but depending on what happens, he may not have a choice. For his part, Saint Denis was smart to call out the BMF winner in his post-fight interview.
Mauricio Ruffy, lightweight
Who should be next? Michael Chandler
I feel bad about this suggestion because Chandler deserves better. We all know it. Chandler played all his cards right in terms of getting a fight with Conor McGregor, but McGregor took too long and some of the steam he built is gone. Is it “the right thing” for the UFC to book Chandler and McGregor a fight? Yes it is. Are there any other great options to pair up with McGregor? Yes of course. If Chandler doesn't get the McGregor fight, he's probably looking for a matchup like Ruffy, a dangerous fighter who has more to gain than Chandler. As unfair as it may be to Chandler, it's a great proposition for Ruffy. Ruffy has all the potential in the world, despite losing to Benoît Saint Denis last year, and this is the type of matchup that could catapult his popularity.
Wildcard: Beneil Dariush
Ruffy called out the likes of McGregor and Paddy Pimblett, which is smart and could come to fruition. At the moment, I don't see either of them lining up. So if Ruffy can't land the big name (add Chandler too), the best thing he can do is continue to establish himself as a legitimate contender against the division's established names. Dariush is very established, although he is probably near the end of his career. Dariush needs to defend his ranking and Ruffy is one of the most important figures knocking on the door.
Quillan Salkilld, light
Who should be next? manuel torres
How much hype can a fight have, right? It's hard to temper enthusiasm for a young talent like Salkilld. He is a complete finisher with a lot of charisma and has performed well in the spotlight. The UFC has a million matchup options for Salkilld and could opt to take a slow approach. Personally, I wouldn't do it. A matchup against another high-octane finalist like Torres would be electrifying and could already serve as a main event. Torres is 5-1 in the UFC with five first-round knockouts. The UFC always needs a star and one way or another, a star will emerge from this matchup.
Wildcard: Jalin Turner
Not long ago, Turner was seen as a potential title contender. He then lost four of five fights and even “retired” for a minute before returning to the win column in December against Edson Barboza. Is Turner back for real and ready to make a career, or is he on borrowed time, less than a year away from announcing his departure from MMA? We could find out in a matchup like this.
