UFC’s debut at the Sphere in Las Vegas has people talking: from the unique production to bizarre moments and what’s next for Saturday’s winners. Merab Dvalishvili and Valentina Shevchenko ascended to champions at UFC 306, and now look ahead to new challenges.
Dvalishvili overwhelmed Sean O’Malley in a strong performance to win his first UFC bantamweight title. Shevchenko, meanwhile, reclaimed her flyweight crown in a dominant showing against Alexa Grasso. There won’t be much appetite for immediate rematches in either case. Fortunately, there are clear contenders in both divisions. Speaking of challengers, Diego Lopes’ rapid rise at featherweight continues after defeating two-time title challenger Brian Ortega.
Take a look below at the best fights to make across the bantamweight, women’s flyweight and featherweight divisions after UFC 306.
Bantamweight
UFC bantamweight championship — Merab Dvalishvili (c) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov: This is a no-brainer. Nurmagomedov cemented himself as the most deserving contender behind Dvalishvili after beating Cory Sandhagen. The Nurmagomedov name carries weight and it’ll be great to see the great Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin fight for UFC gold. It’s also an incredibly intriguing style clash. Nurmagomedov is more well-rounded than Dvalishvili. Nurmagomedov could cause some real problems on the feet if he can fend off Dvalishvili’s wrestling.
Sean O’Malley vs. Cory Sandhagen: Fans have been asking for O’Malley vs. Sandhagen for a long time. O’Malley notched one successful title defense against Marlon “Chito” Vera who probably didn’t deserve the title shot. It’s as good a time as any to book these two dynamic fighters against each other. A win put either man in striking distance of a title shot. UFC could also book O’Malley against former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo in a title eliminator.
Women’s flyweight
UFC women’s flyweight championship — Valentina Shevchenko (c) vs. Manon Fiorot: We don’t need to see a fourth consecutive Grasso-Shevchenko fight. Grasso looked lifeless in her most recent title defense and people won’t be pining for a rematch immediately. Shevchenko was dominant and in retrospect, won most of her rounds against Grasso despite being winless in their first two fights. Fiorot weighed in as the backup for Saturday’s co-main event, meaning the UFC has her on the shortlist of title contenders. Fiorot has won a dozen consecutive fights since losing her debut in 2018 and is pining to bring France its first undisputed UFC title.
Alexa Grasso vs. Rose Namajunas or Erin Blanchfield: Fortunately for Grasso, there’s a great fight to get her back in title contention. Erin Blanchfield, who many pegged as a future champion before losing to Fiorot, meets former strawweight queen Rose Namajunas in a five-round co-main event at UFC Fight Night in Edmonton on Nov. 2. The winner of Blanchfield vs. Namajunas would make for a perfect title eliminator with Grasso.
Featherweight
UFC featherweight championship — Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway vs. Diego Lopes: The next featherweight title challenger likely comes down to Alexander Volkanovski or Lopes. If Holloway beats Topuria, it’s easier to make a case for Volikanovski. The former champion has defeated Holloway three times. If Topuria wins, I’d prefer Volkanovski to take a bounce-back fight after consecutive knockout losses to Topuria and Islam Makhachev. Lopes will likely be ranked No. 3 in the UFC’s official featherweight rankings, behind only Volkanovski and Holloway, after beating Ortega. Topuria has already highlighted Lopes as a potential title challenger. Regardless of the outcome of Topuria vs. Holloway, Lopes’ name is in the conversation.
Brian Ortega vs. Movsar Evloev or Aljamain Sterling: Ortega has taken tons of damage in his last four fights. It would behoove him to fight someone with a less striking-focused approach. Evloev and Sterling are two of the division’s best wrestlers. They meet on the UFC 307 main card on Oct. 7. Depending on where Ortega lands in the rankings next week, a fight with either grappler is plausible, but preferably whoever falls short next month.
