January 9, 2024 10:00 pm ET
2023 didn’t disappoint in terms of great MMA action, and 2024 looks just as promising, if not more.
With 2024 underway, there’s a new year of fresh possibilities for dream matchups across the MMA landscape, from the UFC to Bellator, PFL, RIZIN FF, ONE Championship and more.
For 2023, unfortunately, only four of the 23 dream fights MMA Junkie wished for came to fruition. We’re not deterred, however, and are back with another slate of 24 matchups we aspire to see in 2024.
Below, we present MMA Junkie’s wish list of 24 fights we’d like to see in 2024.
24
Jessica Andrade vs. Loopy Godinez
Nov 11, 2023; New York, NY, USA; Loopy Godinez (blue gloves) celebrates beating Tabatha Ricci (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Loopy Godinez was one of the biggest standouts in 2023, and because of it, she deserves some big opportunities in 2024.
With four wins, Godinez broke the record for the most victories in a calendar year for a female fighter in the UFC. She was active, and she was good, earning one Performance of the Night bonus in the process, getting herself in the UFC strawweight rankings and defeating a then top-10 opponent Tabatha Ricci in the process.
I’d love to see Godinez, who is booked against Virna Jandiroba at UFC Atlantic City on March 30, clash with former champion and respected veteran Jessica Andrade at some point in 2024. They’re two of the best athletes in the division, and they both come to fight. It would surely be an entertaining scrap, and a solid matchup for both.
23
Bryce Mitchell vs. Diego Lopes
Aug 5, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Diego Lopes (red gloves) fights Gavin Tucker (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Diego Lopes is turning into must-see T.V., and there are a lot of fun matchups for him at featherweight.
I think one that makes a ton of sense, and at the same time promises to be a spectacular fight, it’s Lopes vs. Bryce Mitchell. Mitchell has been regarded as arguably the best grappler in the division, but Lopes is beginning to put that in question.
Both these guys are fantastic, entertaining grapplers. Lopes is on a two-fight winning streak and Mitchell is coming off a bad knockout loss against Josh Emmett, which his recovery from could be the primary hiccup in getting this in the short-term. Nevertheless, I think this fight makes a ton of sense for both.
22
Aaron Pico vs Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire
Brazil’s Patricio Freire
Patricio Freire’s 2023 wasn’t great, but he’s still one of the most respected names outside the UFC, and still holds the Bellator featherweight title.
Having lost to Sergio Pettis in an attempt to become a three-weight division in Bellator, plus getting surprisingly knocked out by Chihiro Suzuki in Japan, I’m sure “Pitbull” can’t wait to get back in the cage and prove he’s still a top dog despite his recent defeats. One of the best ways to do that is to defend his title against hungry lion like Aaron Pico.
This is a fight that makes sense for Bellator’s featherweight division, and one of the more important fights to make outside the UFC. This was in my wish list of 2023, and once again finds itself in the 2024 edition.
21
Yair Rodriguez vs. Edson Barboza
Jul 8, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alexander Volkanovski (red gloves) fights Yair Rodriguez (blue gloves) during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
I consider Yair Rodriguez to be the most lethal kicker in the UFC, but some have argued against me by throwing Edson Barboza’s out there, and I can’t say it’s unfair.
Both these guys have an insane highlight reel, and a good chunk of it was built by kicking. Maybe a year ago, this fight didn’t make much sense, as Barboza was on a two-fight losing streak and Rodriguez on the verge of fighting for a title.
However, the landscape is much different. Rodriguez is coming off a TKO loss to Volkanovski and Barboza is on a two-fight winning streak with quality victories in Billy Quarantillo and Sodiq Yusuff. This fight seems like a lot of fun to me, and it would put to bed the argument on who’s the best kicker in the UFC.
20
Johnny Eblen vs. Derek Brunson
There’s no doubt Johnny Eblen is one of the best middleweights on the planet. But how good is he actually?
It’s tough to tell as usually the best measurements and tests for that are founds in the UFC. However, PFL recently acquired a tool that might just give us some clarity in Eblen’s upside.
Long-time UFC contender Derek Brunson joined the promotion late last year, and he makes the perfect fight for Eblen’s next title defense. Brunson is proven, he’s fought the very best in the world and still has plenty to offer, having won his PFL debut against former PFL champion Ray Cooper III in September.
This is a fun matchup and one of the biggest fight Eblen can get outside the UFC.
19
Bobby Green vs. Dan Hooker
We got teased towards the end of 2023 with a magnificent matchup between Bobby Green and Dan Hooker, but unfortunately, the fight didn’t happen, as Hooker had to pull out of UFC on ESPN 52 in December due to injury.
Hooker was replaced by Jalin Turner, and well, we know how that story went. Still, even though Green is coming off a knockout loss and in his late 30s, he’s still a very fun fighter to watch. A matchup against Hooker still makes sense (even though a little less now), and looks to me as a solid Fight of the Night candidate.
Green doesn’t have a ton of fights left, so I hope the UFC uses him wisely and gives him some fun fights like the Hooker one.
18
Gilbert Burns vs Sean Brady
Jan 21, 2023; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Gilbert Burns (red gloves) before the fight against Neil Magny (blue gloves) during UFC 283 at Jeunesse Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports
I know Gilbert Burns has business to take care of with Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 299 in March, but win or lose, next or not, I’d like to see him fight Sean Brady at some point this year.
Burns has long been regarded as the best grappler at welterweight, and maybe even the entire UFC. However, Brady has been looking good recently and this matchup has me intrigued. Although clearly top contenders, both Burns and Brady seems to be a few wins away from fighting for the title, so it would make sense for them to collide at some point in the future.
17
Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad
Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad is a pretty good matchup, but action is not really the motivating factor in this pick.
Part of my wish list criteria is that I want to see awesome fights, but another part is that I want to see the right fights. There’s no denying Muhammad is the most deserving challenger for the UFC welterweight title. Putting anyone else in the mix against Edwards is a crime, so this rematch needs to get done in 2024.
16
Michael Chandler vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
Nov 12, 2022; New York, NY, USA; Michael Chandler (before his bout against Dustin Poirier during UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports
I know Michael Chandler is expected to fight Conor McGregor on June 29, and I know Benoit Saint-Denis is scheduled to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 299 on March 9. But whatever happens in those two matchups, I hope that it leads to an eventual clash between the former three-time Bellator champion and the streaking Frenchman.
These two are made for each other. They’re both good athletes with exceptional power and explosiveness. This might be the most exciting fight you can book at lightweight, and for that reason alone, it’s a must for this list.
15
Michael Page vs. Stephen Thompson
Michael Page vs. Stephen Thompson is a fight that fans have been dreaming about for years.
For a long time, it seemed impossible that these two would meet. For starters, they were in different promotions and they both felt like fixtures in their respective organizations. But things have changed, Page is now in the UFC, and after his debut against Kevin Holland at UFC 299 in March, the possibility of a showdown against “Wonderboy” is a reality.
No matter what happens in MVP’s debut against Holland in Miami, the UFC needs to book him immediately against Thompson. It’s a match made in heaven between two of the most accurate and defensively sounds strikers in MMA history.
14
Max Holloway vs. Josh Emmett
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 01: Max Holloway poses on the scale during the UFC 276 ceremonial weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena on July 01, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
This matchup had never crossed my mind until Josh Emmett recently decided to shoot his shot and call out Max Holloway. See why callouts are important?
The thought for some time now is that Holloway had fought everyone relevant at featherweight. Well, that’s not entirely true. Holloway has yet to meet Emmett, despite them sharing the division for several years.
The fight makes perfect sense. Holloway stays busy by fighting someone in the rankings, and the 38-year-old Emmett gets one last chance at making a run at the UFC belt. Also, if Holloway wins, he wouldn’t be killing off a promising contender, given that Emmett has already had his chance. It’s also a story of power vs. volume. All in all, is a great and slept on matchup.
13
Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill
Like the Edwards vs. Muhammad matchup, Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill also needs to happen because it’s the right thing to do. It also just happens to be a badass fight.
Screw this whole conversation about Pereira vs. Tom Aspinall at heavyweight. Hill is the former light heavyweight champion who never lost his belt, and only relinquished it due to injury. This needs to happen for the health of the 205-pound, not to mention it’s a wild showdown between two heavy hitters and almost certain to end in highlight-reel fashion.
12
Tatiana Suarez vs. Zhang Weili
Zhang Weili
I don’t think there’s a fight on this list that has been in the making as long as Tatiana Suarez vs. Zhang Weili. This women’s strawweight bout, which would almost certainly be for the title, has been talked about since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ever since Zhang first won the UFC women’s strawweight title in 2019, people have been dreaming of her and Suarez fighting for the belt. However, we know the unfortunate story. Suarez suffered a plethora of injuries that kept her away from the octagon for years. Zhang also took a pair of loses that derailed her from her championship track.
Fast-forward almost five years, and things have returned to normality. Zhang is once again, champion and Suarez is a healthy and active top contender. The path to it is clear if Suarez beats Amanda Lemos at UFC 298 in February, and it’s one of the best female fights you can book for 2024.
11
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Colby Covington
Dec 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Shavkat Rakhmonov (red gloves) reacts after defeating Stephen Thompson (blue gloves) during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Like we’ve seen with the recent announcement in the UFC lightweight division, it’s time that the legacy names fight the up and comers at welterweight. And yes, I mean you, Colby Covington.
It’s natural for top-five fighters to fight each other, but the recycling of the same names precludes certain divisions from truly determining the best fighter. That has long been the case at welterweight, and it’s time for some of the veterans to take on rising contenders and prove they’re still top.
This is the case for Covington. After his third title loss against Edwards in December, he needs to fight someone like Shavkat Rakhmonov. He can’t linger around the top anymore, just fighting the older names. I think this fight makes sense for the division, and it’s one hell of a matchup, too.
10
Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3
Kyrgyzstan’s mixed martial arts fighter Valentina Shevchenko (L) and Mexico’s mixed martial arts fighter Alexa Grasso (R) face off as President of Ultimate Fighting Championship Dana White (C) looks on during their ceremonial weigh-in in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 285 mixed martial arts event at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 3, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
I feel like the shock factor of the upset in the first fight, and then the questionable judging of the fifth round by one judge in the rematch, has overshadowed the magic that two fights between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko has created.
It’s not talked about enough, but Grasso vs. Shevchenko might be the greatest pair of championship fights we’ve seen in the history of the UFC women’s flyweight division, and it’s also likely to be the biggest rivalry. The two contests have been bangers, and I can’t wait for a third one, which seems inevitable.
9
Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier 3
Jul 29, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dustin Poirier (red gloves) fights Justin Gaethje (blue gloves) during UFC 291 at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Unfortunately, there will be a day, and in the near future, where the UFC lightweight division is no longer home of Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier.
These two have long been at the top of the game, and continue to be, but not for much longer given they’re in their mid 30s. MMA fans have been lucky to watch them, because they’re easily some of the most exciting fighters in the history of the sport.
Luckily, they have already fought twice and given us great moments. And we’re even more fortunate that they’re 1-1, meaning the potential for a third fight is quite high. I don’t suspect either Gaethje or Poirier will be prime for much longer, so 2024 would be the ideal year to settle the trilogy.
8
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Moreno 3
Jul 8, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Brandon Moreno (red gloves) fights Alexandre Pantoja (blue gloves) during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Moreno 2 was my pick for 2023 Fight of the Year. The majority of the staff at MMA Junkie disagreed and went with Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski, which is certainly not a bad pick either.
Regardless, I’m ready to die on the hill that Pantoja vs. Moreno 2 was the best fight of the year, and naturally, I want to see them do it again. I know there may be some fatigue around Moreno once again fighting for a title, but if he beats Amir Albazi in Mexico City on Feb. 24, how can you deny him?
Also, fortunately for Moreno, the division is not that strong, so there’s not a big line of contenders. Pantoja vs. Moreno 3 is a fight I’d love to see. And who knows? Maybe this time around they win Fight of the Year.
7
Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal
I really can’t understand why Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal never picked up steam or interest from the UFC brass.
After all, they’re similar in size (despite Dana White thinking otherwise), and they’re two of the biggest names in the sport. Moreover, they’re a good matchup for each other. What happened? Maybe it just made too much sense for MMA, that’s what happened.
Well, there’s nothing lost in dreaming. If McGregor wants to break the bank on pay-per-view buys, Masvidal is the best name out there outside a trilogy with Nate Diaz. It’s a fun matchup between two strikers, they’re both in similar places in their careers, and it’s a winnable fight for both.
Business wise, not only it’s a big fight, but it also can headline a UFC pay-per-view on its own, allowing a title fight to be stacked on another events.
6
Cris Cyborg vs. Kayla Harrison
Cris Cyborg vs. Kayla Harrison is maybe the biggest women’s fight you can make in MMA today. There’s definitely a strong argument.
These two have been going back and forth for years on social media, and there’s been a nicely built rivalry that hopefully culminates in a fight. Besides Amanda Nunes and early days Gina Carano, there hasn’t been a name that posed a threat to Cyborg while also being known in the space until Harrison showed up to the scene.
Harrison recently fought out her contract with the PFL, and it’s unknown if she’ll re-sign. If she does, PFL needs to book this fight, and not Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco. It’s one of the biggest and most intriguing fights PFL can make today.
5
Israel Adesanya vs. Khamzat Chimaev
For a good while, Israel Adesanya vs. Khamzat Chimaev was one of the bigger fights you could make in MMA. It since has lost steam, but it’s still a good matchup, and one that makes sense to make.
Adesanya has lost some of his aura with his defeats to Pereira and Sean Strickland, and so has Chimaev with his inactivity and health problems. Even though there was a better time for this fight, you can still book it today and have it draw eyeballs. Stylistically, it’s an awesome fight, pitting a crafty striker vs. a powerful grappler. There’s also some history between the two.
We’ll see how the UFC manages the middleweight division, but hopefully Adesanya vs. Chimaev is part of the plan in the next 12 months.
4
Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 3
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 12: Alex Pereira battles Israel Adesanya during their Middleweight fight at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
One of the things that bothered me in 2023 was how quickly everyone moved on from the idea of a trilogy fight between Adesanya and Pereira.
Dana White said it was over. Adesanya said it was over. Are we forgetting the facts? I highly respect Adesanya, but sorry, things are far from settled. “Poatan” is 3-1 in combat sports over Adesanya and 1-1 in MMA. Adesanya can’t just beat Pereira after losing to him three times and then say he’s settled the rivalry.
For me, this rivalry is unfinished, and an MMA trilogy bout should happen at some point before it’s all said and done. It will likely be at light heavyweight too, which is a new twist, because I see it as unlikely Pereira ever returns to middleweight.
3
Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan
A few things first need to happen before Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan can become a reality, and given the competitiveness of the UFC lightweight division, it’s hard to imagine everything will give.
First, if Makhachev ends up defending his title, perhaps against Justin Gaethje, he will need to win. Then, Tsarukyan will have to beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April, a fight that’s been deemed a title eliminator. So it’s not a given Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan will go down in 2024, but it’s not impossible, either.
For those that don’t remember, Tsarukyan debuted in the UFC in a short notice fight against Makhachev in 2019. Despite being his first fight and without proper preparation, Tsarukyan gave a Makhachev a super competitive out in one of the best grappling-heavy fights I’ve ever seen. Since, both have gotten better and grown in popularity. A rematch between the two would be fantastic.
2
Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3
Every year that I’ve done this wish list, McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3 has a spot. Sometimes it’s higher priority, sometimes it’s lower – but it’s usually within the top five.
This year is no different. I feel like last year or maybe the year before was the perfect time for McGregor vs. Diaz 3. This fight is no longer as good, because I feel both these guys have fallen a bit in terms of ability and relevancy. Either way, it’s a huge fight and a fun one from all angles.
The McGregor vs. Diaz rivalry proves that you don’t need to talk about someone’s murdered father or abusive parent to sell a fight. This rivalry was heated, but in the perfect way. I think it’s one of the best examples on how to sell a fight without crossing the line, and the numbers prove it, given both their previous bouts are among the most successful pay-per-views in UFC history.
The more we wait, the less appealing this fight seems to get. But it’s not too late to make it happen, and there aren’t that many obstacles preventing it.
1
Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou
This is it, right? Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou was the No. 1 fight on MMA Junkie’s wish list for 2023, and it is again for 2024.
However, now more than ever it seems this one won’t happen. Ngannou is signed to PFL for MMA and it etching his name into boxing’s heavyweight division with a March 8 bout vs. Anthony Joshua, and Jones is signed to the UFC, and currently sidelined after recent surgeries on his shoulder and elbow.
Both are closer to the beginning of all contractual obligations than they are the ends, so barring what would be a shocking and unprecedented co-promotion agreement by the UFC with PFL, the outlook is grim. I won’t hold my breath for this one, but as Ngannou recently stated: Dreaming is free.
Tom Aspinall has certainly made things interesting, but the argument of who’s the baddest man on the planet still lies between Jones and Ngannou. And until these to get locked in a cage, we can only speculate on the answer. Strange things happen in MMA, so maybe somehow we can get this one before it sails away. It would be a true shame if these two never fight.
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