Five UFC Fights To Make In 2025

Five UFC Fights To Make In 2025

The UFC had an action-packed 2024. Now, it is time to turn our attention to 2025 and discuss a few bouts that need to take place in the calendar year. Here are five fights the UFC needs to book in 2025.

This list does not include fights that are already booked. Similarly, it does not include bouts that will be booked in the coming months. An example of that would be a welterweight title bout between Belal Muhammad and Shavkar Rakhmonov.

Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall

The fight that should be the highest priority for the UFC to book in 2025 is the heavyweight unification bout between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

This situation should be easy and simple, but it has been overcomplicated to the highest extent. Aspinall is the UFC interim heavyweight champion. On top of that, he defended that title. As the interim champion, he has the right to fight for the heavyweight title. If Jones does not want to fight Aspinall, he should not have the heavyweight belt. The title needs to be defended or vacated.

On top of the logistics, Aspinall is the most compelling fight for Jones. If the UFC were to go in any other direction, it would be a travesty. A bout against light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is continuously discussed. That has elements that provide intrigue, but the Jones’ grapple advantage ultimately makes the bout less competitive in comparison to the Aspinall fight.

This bout will also be a massive opportunity for both fighters. It is clear that Aspinall would benefit from a title fight against the consensus greatest of all time. At the same time, a win over Aspinall would allow Jones to take his resume to another level. Jones could retire with a win over Aspinall. If Aspinall goes on to have a sensational career, as most people expect, the win would age wonderfully.

It seems like the UFC is interested in the Jon and Aspinall bout. UFC CEO Dana White has predicted it will be the biggest heavyweight bout of all time. At the same time, Jones has voiced reservations about the fight and wants ‘f**k you money‘ to make it happen.

It will be interesting to see if the UFC can get this fight booker. After all, it was a fight that needed to be booked in 2024. It is hard to be overly confident when it comes together.

Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria

The UFC has a few different options for legacy-defining fights in 2025. Another outstanding option is a double champ fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria that puts the lightweight belt on the line.

Admittedly, this bout has the most concessions for it to make sense. That begins with Makhachev defeating Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311. Furtermore, I doubt the UFC is thrilled about Topuria leaving featherweight this early. The featherweight champion should probably defend his title one more time before moving up a division.

In an ideal world, Makhachev would defeat his title at UFC 311 and squeeze in another defense in the summer while Topuria takes out a featherweight title contender. This could make both fighters red-hot as they collide in a double-champ fight.

This fight could also help create the next UFC superstar. The winner of this fight will likely elevate themselves to another level. That is great for the promotion considering Makhachev is 33 while Topuria is 27. That provides each fighter with time to return on the UFC’s investment.

This fight certainly has hurdles that are preventing it. The pair would both need to be active and successful. It is possible, but it is not as simple as simply adding it to the UFC’s 2025 calendar.

Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier

The UFC has a few interesting questions on its hands entering 2025. A lot of those questions surround the lightweight division. Who will Max Holloway fight in his move up to lightweight? Is Dustin Poirier going to take a retirement fight? If he does, who should he fight? Well, the promotion can put the BMF belt on the line and have the pair fight one another.

This bout has its pros and cons. The most obvious flaw is that it is a rematch. That said, the first fight happened in 2019. It would be a vastly different fight at this point considering Holloway has committed to moving up to lightweight.

It is hard to decline this fight from an entertainment perspective. Holloway and Poirier have both been some of the most entertaining fighters of all time. A second fight between the two would have fans thrilled.

This fight would provide the UFC with some great options. It’s a solid tip of the cap to Poirier to let him fight for the BMF title on his way out of the door. At the same time, it allows Holloway to reenter the lightweight division and immediately put himself in title contention.

Cory Sandhagen vs. Sean O’Malley

A bantamweight fight between Cory Sandhagen and Sean O’Malley has to be on the UFC’s radar for 2025.

This is a sensational fight from a stylistic standpoint. Sandhagen and O’Malley are both highly intelligent strikers willing to get into a fan-friendly scrap. Plus, both fighters typically have a length and reach advantage. It would be interesting to see how they would perform against an opponent with similar advantages.

It helps that Sandhagen and O’Malley are in a similar position at the moment. Both fighters are coming off a loss that broke win streaks. It is different considering O’Malley lost the title, but both fighters are trying to get back in the win column.

Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker

The final both that the UFC needs to book for 2025 is Justin Gaethje against Dan Hooker.

I am never a fan of rushing a fighter back into the octagon after suffering a brutal knockout. In this instance, Gaethje is looking to return in March, according to his manager Ali Abdelaziz. I have a hard time believing Gaethje is a lock to fight in March; however, the point is that he is looking to get back in the octagon soon.

The ideal opponent for Gaethje would be Hooker. This is one of the few matchups that has not been booked between the violent lightweight contenders. Hooker’s resurgence makes this bout a possibility for the first time in a few years. Gaethje will have to fight down in the rankings after losing at UFC 300. Meanwhile, Hooker deserves an opportunity after defeating Mateusz Gamrot. That makes it a reasonable fight to make from a ranking perspective. That is enough reason to book this sensational matchup between violent lightweight strikers.

***

CLICK HERE for more of our UFC/MMA content

Check out the Vendetta Shop

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube

Check out Vendetta Fantasy Contests