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Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer
2024 is already shaping up as one of the most dramatic years in MMA history, and it’s only just halfway over. Alex Pereira has saved not one but two major UFC events. Max Holloway delivered arguably the greatest knockout in MMA history. Conor McGregor is still teasing the biggest comeback in MMA history, much to the frustration of Michael Chandler.
And the year’s second half might be better than the first. The McGregor speculation will continue, of course. Jon Jones is expected to return. Sean O’Malley is potentially looking at a career year, if he beats Merab Dvalishvili. Israel Adesanya is searching for retribution in a grudge match with Dricus Du Plessis. The UFC is headed to the Sphere in Las Vegas, a megaevent based on the venue alone.
There’s plenty to look forward to outside of the UFC, including the tease of Francis Ngannou‘s PFL debut and Bellator title fights featuring champions Usman Nurmagomedov and Johnny Eblen.
Here are 10 fights I’d love to see in the next six months.
1. Ilia Topruia vs. Max Holloway, UFC
In January, this was the No. 11 matchup I most wanted to see in 2024. It’s now up to No. 1, based on what Topuria and Holloway did in the first half of the year.
Holloway’s BMF knockout against Justin Gaethje was an all-time performance. What Topuria did to Alexander Volkanovski in February was equally impressive. There’s a growing personal rift between these two, which is extremely rare for a Holloway fight. Historically, it’s been impossible to draw Holloway into pre-fight trash talk, but Topuria might be the exception. If I can only watch one fight the rest of the year, this is it.
2. Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall, UFC
The UFC is not going to book this fight. UFC CEO Dana White has adamantly maintained that Jones vs. Stipe Miocic will be next. I’m not a fan of that matchup. Miocic is the greatest heavyweight of all time, but booking him a championship bout when it’s been over four years since his last win is silly. Maybe if Aspinall knocks out Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in the most spectacular fashion of all time and cuts the greatest promo the sport has ever seen, White would pivot. But probably not. I’m going down with this ship, though. The heavyweight fight to make in the UFC is Jones vs. Aspinall.
3. Tom Aspinall vs. Alex Pereira, UFC
If the UFC doesn’t make Jones vs. Aspinall, I’d like to see it make Aspinall vs. Pereira. White has made it clear he’s not in favor of Pereira going up too quickly, but Pereira has countered that he is 37 years old and wants a third belt, so it needs to happen sooner rather than later. If we’re being honest, Aspinall should be fighting Jones. That’s the fight for Aspinall. So, if we’re not going to make the fight that makes the most sense, let’s do the next most exciting thing — give Pereira a chance to make history with a third belt by fighting Aspinall.
4. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa, UFC
The sport is very down on Chimaev, which is understandable. In the last two years, he badly missed weight against Nate Diaz, didn’t look great in a three-rounder against Kamaru Usman and pulled out of the biggest fight of his career against Robert Whittaker.
Costa is not exactly peaking, either. He’s lost four of five and was timid against Sean Strickland. However, if these two made it to fight week against each other, the buildup would be outstanding and highly anticipated. If it happened, fans would love it despite the millions of eye rolls that would occur when the UFC announced it.
5. Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler, UFC
We still don’t know what’s happening with McGregor, but Chandler seems ready to move on if the right opportunity comes. This matchup would make so much sense on so many levels. Gaethje did the UFC a solid by fighting Holloway in April, even though he was waiting in line for a lightweight title shot. Chandler has done everything the UFC has asked to stay the course on a potential McGregor fight, including filming “The Ultimate Fighter.” Islam Makhachev wants new opponents, preferably with name value. The first fight between Gaethje and Chandler was entertaining. Book the rematch and call it a No. 1 contender fight.
6. Kayla Harrison vs. Raquel Pennington OR Julianna Peña, UFC
All signs point to a Pennington versus Peña title bout in the fall, potentially in October. Depending on what happens there, it would be great to see the winner turn around quickly and fight Harrison by the end of the year. If it doesn’t happen this year, it’s perfectly understandable. It just feels like it’s a long time coming to see Harrison in a UFC title fight, and it’d be nice to see her compete more than once in 2024, as she only fought once in 2023 as well.
7. Patricio Pitbull vs. Aaron Pico, Bellator
In some ways, it still feels like Pico has never recaptured the hype he came into the sport with, after going 4-3 in his first seven pro appearances. Since then, however, he is 9-1 with seven finishes — with the only loss coming to Jeremy Kennedy when he suffered a shoulder injury in the first round.
Pico, 27, is realizing the potential he came into the sport with, and it’s fun to watch right now. Pitbull is one of the best featherweights — and arguably one of the best fighters — of the last decade. This might be a passing of the torch moment, or Pitbull will show Pico’s not at a championship level. It’s a fight that’s worthy of your attention.
8. Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira, PFL
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Ngannou ‘not done’ with boxing despite crushing loss vs. Joshua
Francis Ngannou reacts to his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in Round 2.
This is the most anticipated fight that PFL could put on at the moment, and it only became bigger when Ferreira knocked out Ryan Bader in 21 seconds in February. There was already so much intrigue around Ngannou, from how he might respond to a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in boxing to his first MMA appearance outside of the UFC. The African champion has endured a personal tragedy this year, with the death of his young son, Kobe. Ngannou is already one of the most inspirational figures the sport of mixed martial arts has ever seen. If he chooses to come back and take on a challenge like Ferreira, it will be impossible not to root for him.
9. Dakota Ditcheva vs. Liz Carmouche OR Taila Santos, PFL
The PFL has something in Ditcheva. She is charismatic, authentic, supremely confident and ready for the spotlight, which is huge considering her quick rise. She’s still relatively untested, but the skill set looks very legit. Ditcheva moves and throws strikes in a way that jumps off the screen. If Ditcheva remains the real deal, she has true star power. Next month, Ditcheva faces Jena Bishop in the PFL semifinals, which is an intriguing matchup. Bishop figures to test her on the ground in ways she has not been yet. If Ditcheva wins, throwing her in with either Carmouche or Santos would be the final step to see if she is a world-class talent at age 26.
10. Ian Machado Garry vs. Colby Covington, UFC
It’s a fight that makes too much sense now. A win would buy Covington back some goodwill with the fans and the UFC that he lost in a lackluster performance against Leon Edwards last year. If he beats a young, hungry, surging contender such as Garry Machado, it reaffirms his place near the top of the 170-pound division and gives any of his callouts more validity. For Garry Machado, it’s a chance to add the biggest name to his résumé yet and earn a good share of the spotlight. I’d love to see it as a main event, preferably in Ireland. Covington in Ireland would be a scene. Tell me you wouldn’t get up for that fight week.