The UFC wasted no time in announcing a number of events for the first half of next year, accompanied by several big fights.
Five of the best UFC fights already announced for 2024.
No. 5. Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker – UFC Fight Night 234
The first UFC event of 2024 will take place in Las Vegas on January 13, headlined by a rematch between two of the promotion’s best light heavyweights.
The UFC 294 fight between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker was supposed to be one of the best fights of October, but unfortunately it turned out to be a disaster. Ankalaev delivered an illegal knee to Walker just over three minutes into the match, and the fight was called a no contest.
Fortunately, the promotion was able to arrange a rematch immediately, and given the controversy surrounding the final decision last time, there should be some bad blood between the fighters now. Hopefully this feud will turn into a fun fight.
Walker always brings heat to his fights, while Ankalaev is often accused of prioritizing safety. However, the last time he fought in a rematch, he went crazy and knocked out Ion Cutelaba. They are hoping for a repeat of this result.
More importantly, both fighters are legitimate contenders to become the new light heavyweight champion. All things considered, this is definitely one of the best fights of 2024.
Number 4. Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev – UFC 297
Most of the fights have already been announced for UFC 297. Aside from the headliner, the best fight at the moment is almost certainly the featherweight bout between Arnold Allen and Movsar Evloev.
Simply put, these two fighters are currently among the best in the featherweight division, and the winner could easily earn a title shot in the near future.
Allen was defeated by Max Holloway, but he held his own and gave the former champion problems, further enhancing his reputation. Additionally, Allen has scored convincing victories against fighters such as Calvin Kattar, Dan Hooker and Sodiq Yusuff.
Evloev, meanwhile, is 17-0 in MMA and recently defeated Diego Lopez. He has a total of seven wins in the UFC and his takedowns are almost unstoppable.
Can Allen act as kryptonite for the Russian or will Evloev earn his 18th MMA victory? It’s almost impossible to predict, and that’s what makes it one of the best fights to start 2024.
No. 3. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilya Topuria – UFC 298
The last time fans saw featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski fight, he suffered the most crushing loss of his career to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Sure, Volkanovski took the fight on short notice, but it’s basically impossible to find positives in a first-round knockout loss to the head.
Of course, the last time Volkanovski lost to Makhachev in their first fight, he easily came back to destroy Yair Rodriguez in his return to featherweight.
In February he will meet a new opponent in the person of Ilya Topuria. Will he manage to bounce back in the same way? To be honest, it’s debatable.
First, Volkanovski lost a close fight in the first showdown with Makhachev, and many fans believed he actually won. And second, while Rodriguez certainly presented an interesting challenge, Topuria could be even more dangerous. Topuria has incredibly heavy hands and effective takedowns, and is a dangerous finisher.
On paper, Volkanovski should win thanks to his boxing skills. But it is difficult to say to what extent this defeat against Makhachev will affect him.
This is one of the best fights announced for 2024.
No. 2. Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera – UFC 299
Sean O’Malley’s knockout of Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title in August was certainly one of the most memorable moments of UFC 2023, and it seemed like a star was born instantly.
Fortunately, O’Malley isn’t taking much time off and is expected to defend his title for the first time in March. What’s even more intriguing is that he will face the only man who has defeated him in his entire MMA career, Marlon Vera.
That fight ended in 2020, with Vera stopping O’Malley with a few bad shots late in the first round. However, Shawn always maintained that the leg injury he suffered during the fight contributed to the loss, and even claimed that he didn’t think he lost at all.
O’Malley will desperately try to prove that his first loss was a fluke and that he truly is the better fighter. Vera, on the other hand, will look to shock everyone by defeating the champion.
No. 1. Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis – UFC 297
The most important fight to start 2024 will almost certainly be the middleweight title fight between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis, which headlines UFC 297 in January.
The promotion was initially expected to ignore Du Plessis in favor of a title fight with Khamzat Chimaev. But for unknown reasons, the UFC went back to plan A.
While it would be great to see Chimaev challenge for the title, there is no doubt that Du Plessis has more than earned this chance. After all, he is the only man besides Israel Adesanya to beat Robert Whittaker at middleweight.
While it would be great to see the South African smooth things over with Adesanya, it would be just as intriguing to see a middleweight title fight without the New Zealander’s involvement. After all, the last time this happened was in 2018.
Of course, Strickland alone deserves a lot of hype after beating Adesanya, but this fight will show whether this victory was a fluke or not.
Vyacheslav Gorbachev/Athletistic
Source: Sport
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
