5 UFC Questions Heading Into 2024
As the UFC heads into 2024 there are a few serious questions that need to be answered. Let’s discuss those questions and examine a few potential solutions.
What is going on at heavyweight?
The heavyweight division is an absolute mess. The crux of the issue is that Jon Jones was forced to pull out forced to pull out of UFC 295. That led to Tom Aspinall becoming the interim champion. Still, Jones is expected to return to fight Stipe Miocic. That will only happen once Jones is recovered. Oh, let’s not forget that we have no idea if Jones will retire after that bout.
It is easy to see how the division got messy fast. In 2024, we need to figure out when Jones will return. In the meantime, what do we do with Aspinall? Is it worth waiting for Jones? I would say yes, but Aspinall gets screwed if Jones retires.
It is truly hard to answer any of the aforementioned questions. At this point, all we can do is make educated guesses. This issue does not have any great solutions if we are being honest. The UFC has a difficult task at hand.
Will the BMF Belt be defended?
At UFC 291 Justin Gaethje knocked out Dustin Poirier to become the second BMF title holder. The first owner of the title, Jorge Masvidal, never defended the belt. Will Gaethje follow the same path?
Masivdal never defended the BMF Belt, but he also never had a strong opportunity to put it on the line. After winning the brand-new title, Masvidal fought Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington and Gilbert Burns; despite all being tough opponents, none have been distinguished as a BMF.
In 2024, Gaethje may have an opportunity to defend the BMF Belt against a fighter who embodies the meaning behind the championship. The hottest name for that honor would be Max Holloway. If the former featherweight champion decides to move up to lightweight, a fight against Gaethje would be the most appealing option.
If that fight goes down, you might as well raise the stakes with the BMF Belt.
While Holloway is the most appealing contender for the BMF Belt, the line does not stop there. I don’t think it is out of the realm of possibility that we see Conor McGregor get a crack at the title. A matchup between McGregor and Gaethje already has steam. In the past, McGregor has called out Gaethje.
“The Highlight” responded by saying “he has dreamt of ending McGregor’s career”. For the UFC, it would be beneficial for McGregor to have the belt. It would allow the promotion to book McGregor in fun fights while filtering his future opponents through the qualifications of BMF. I am sure the UFC would love to book the McGregor and Nate Diaz trilogy for the BMF Belt. That said, all this is null and void if McGregor loses his next fight.
This question may be put on the backburner while Gaehje fights for the lightweight title. The two-time challenger has earned a third crack at gold. Although, if he comes up short, it would make even more sense to defend the BMF Belt. That is the only way he will remain a pay-per-view headliner and that should be a priority.
What weight class is Kamaru Usman?
Kamaru Usman has been in no man’s land since concluding his trilogy with Leon Edwards. It was always difficult to forecast exactly how his career would move forward. Well, Usman was willing to move up a division on 10 days’ notice to fight Khamzat Chimaev. That was a gangster move, but it does not help us determine what his future will look like.
In the future, is Usman going to plant his flag at welterweight or middleweight? Each has pros and cons. At middleweight, Usman would be staring down a ton of new matchups. In turn, they are much tougher fights. At welterweight, Usman can compete, but the division lacks fresh faces. That could change if up-and-coming prospects start the year hot, however.
Regardless of which weight class Usman selects, there is a new excitement around his name after his most recent performance.
Is Khamzat Chimaev fighting for a title?
Some of the biggest UFC questions entering 2024 surround Khamzat Chimaev. What is the plan for him? Is he fighting for a title in his next fight? It is hard to say.
A lot of the confusion surrounding Chimaev comes from the fallout after his win against Kamaru Usman. Prior to the fight, the bout was ruled a title eliminator. That made complete sense. What is puzzling is that the UFC then proceeded to give Dricus Du Plessis the next title fight.
If I were forced to project Chimaev’s future, I would expect him to get the next title fight. I didn’t expect COVID to keep him sidelined for a year and the Nate Diaz fight came out of left field. It only got crazier when he missed weight for the Diaz fight and was forced to move to middleweight. If that isn’t enough, he wasn’t even supposed to fight Usman in his middleweight debut. That job originally belonged to Paulo Costa.
Hopefully, Chimaev’s career gets straightened out soon. I do not think the spurts of chaos have been positive for his career. I think that is backed up by the fact that he has lost a lot of steam and publicity despite being red hot 12 months ago.
How will UFC 300 be constructed?
UFC 300 will be a landmark event. Historically, based on UFC 100 and UFC 200, the event will feature two title fights and several of the sport’s biggest names. How will the UFC construct the card with those qualifications in mind?
The traditional plan of stacking UFC 300 with superstars and champions. That is not as easy to do this time around. The champions that could reasonably compete on the card include Alex Pereira, Leon Edwards, Alexandre Pantoja and Zhang Weili. It should be noted that Alexa Grasso is potentially available, but that depends on her health status after having hand surgery.
The problem is that none of these fighters have the superstar power expected for UFC 300. In comparison, Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir headlined UFC 100 with Georges St-Pierre in the co-main event. The original plan for UFC 200 was for Jon Jones to fight Daniel Cormier. That fell apart, but Cormier remained on the card to fight Anderson Silva and Lesnar returned to fight Mark Hunt. It is a struggle to see how UFC 300 includes a similar level of stardom.
One fighter can solve the stardom issue: Israel Adesanya. I do not think it is out of the realm of possibility that Adesanya returns to fight the winner of the UFC 297 main event between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.
Obviously, that requires the winner to remain healthy enough for a fairly quick turnaround. In either scenario, you have a compelling story about Adesanya’s return woven into a storyline with an arch-rival. That type of fight could headline UFC 300 with one or more of the aforementioned champions added to the main card.
This hinges on Adesanya returning to MMA. Previously, he claimed he wanted to take a break from the sport; however, he also said he wanted to headline UFC 300. If I were forced to guess, the significance of headlining a historic card would get Adesanya’s competitive itch flowing.
If Adesanya does not compete at UFC 300, who is the superstar at the top of the bill? I struggle to find one.
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