UFC predictions: 4 big heavyweight fights on the horizon

The departure of Francis Ngannou from the UFC has certainly left a gaping hole in the division, but the return of Jon Jones seems to have caught up with it. With the emergence of promising opponents such as Gilton Almeida, Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich, as well as Cyril Gan, Curtis Blaydes and Stipe Miocic, the future of the division looks bright.

Many key heavyweight fights will take place over the next two months, and things will look very different in the division over the summer.

#4 Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs Jailton Almeida

Brazilian Gilton Almeida is arguably the most promising heavyweight contender. Since his successful performance in the Contender Series in 2021, Almeida has looked great and deserved to fight Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Jailton Almeida enjoys a 100% finish. Of his 18 career wins, 11 were by submission and seven by knockout. He’s only 31, which is young for a heavyweight, but the future looks bright for the big Brazilian, currently ranked 14th in the division. However, it remains to be seen how he will handle a real puncher.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik has true one-punch knockout power, with 12 of his 13 career wins by KO/TKO. A long kickboxing career of over 60 knockouts is also a testament to his ability to end fights quickly. The powerful Surinamese heavyweight takes 9th place in the ranking.

Prediction: Jailton Almeida wins by TKO in the first round.

No. 3. Alexander Volkov vs. Alexander Romanov

Like Jailton Almeida, Alexander Romanov was also touted as a promising champion early in his UFC career. However, after the first defeat of his career last year, the hype surrounding the Moldovan has died down.

Romanov will be looking to get back on track the next time he faces Alexander Volkov.

Prior to losing to Marcin Tybura by decision last year, Alexander Romanov had an impressive 16-0 record, including 15 stoppage wins. His approach to wrestling, combined with a diverse arsenal of submissions, makes him an intriguing contender in the UFC heavyweight division.

Romanov will face a major test in his next fight. Alexander Volkov, with 45 fights under his belt, is the most experienced heavyweight on the UFC roster and has what it takes to put the Moldovan in trouble.

The chasm in both heavyweights’ wrestling abilities will prove to be a key factor in this fight. Volkov’s loss to Tom Aspinall last year showed that his ground fighting is far from proficient at the highest level, and it’s an obvious hole that Romanov can exploit.

Prognosis: Victory for Alexander Romanov by submission.

No. 2. Sergei Pavlovich vs. Curtis Blaydes

Curtis Blaydes has been in the UFC for quite some time, but a losing streak has kept the American from having a shot at the title. Blaydes is now getting in the way of rising puncher Sergey Pavlovich, and the two fighters are separated by a major win of a title shot.

Curtis Blaydes has suffered all the defeats of powerful punchers (of Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis). And his next opponent, Sergei Pavlovich, is the same puncher.

On the other hand, Pavlovich’s weakness is his wrestling. The only loss on his record came to Alistair Overeem in 2018, when he was completely outplayed by a kickboxer. An outstanding fighter like Blades probably won’t give the Russian a chance if he hasn’t improved in that regard over the past 5 years.

And understanding what Pavlovic looks like in wrestling is difficult, looking at his last five fights, all of which ended in first-round knockouts.

Prediction: Victory of Sergey Pavlovich by KO.

No. 1. Jon Jones vs. Cyril Gan – UFC Heavyweight Title Fight

Jon Jones is back and his return is long overdue. Jones, arguably the greatest fighter of all time, will make his heavyweight debut in the main event of UFC 285 against Cyril Gan, with the vacant title on the line.

Jon Jones last fought back in 2020 when he defended his belt against Dominick Reyes before vacating the belt a few months later. Jones devoted the next three years to building mass in preparation for the move up to heavyweight, which will finally begin at the next UFC tournament.

Heading into the next title fight with Cyril Gan, Jones’ speed will play a decisive role. Gun is the most elusive heavyweight we’ve ever seen and all of his opponents so far have been unable to match his movement and agility. If Gun avoids a knockout or submission, he can easily outplay Jones and pick up a decision win. Jones needs to be careful with his wrestling attacks and can’t afford to falter against a fighter like Gan, who is likely to be ahead in the punch exchanges.

It’s an intense fight, but Jones’ skill set will likely help him win.

Prediction: Jon Jones wins by unanimous decision.