In the upcoming weekend, there will be no UFC events, which means November is officially over for the promotion. So, it’s time to look forward to December, with three UFC events lined up next month, including a blockbuster pay-per-view. Let’s have a look at the five best UFC fights to look forward to next month.
5. Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan
The promotion heads to Austin and Texas for the first UFC event in December and in the headliner, you will see two of the best lightweights face off. While it’s unlikely the winner of Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan will be in line for the title, there’s every chance they could get there in 2024, making this a really big fight. Tsarukyan has been in great form and won the last of his two bouts. On the other hand, Dariush saw his eight-fight winning streak come to an end in June when he was knocked out by Charles Oliveira in the first round.
However, “Ahalkalakets” has never defeated a truly elite-level opponent before, which means he will need to give a strong fight against Dariush. With both fighters possessing lethal skills, there seems to be a little chance of this being a dull fight. So, despite so much at stake, this is definitely one of the best matches next month.
4. Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez
The UFC was initially scheduled to go to Shanghai on December 9 for the Fight Night event. Although it has been rescheduled to the Las Vegas Apex, the card still has Asian fighters on it. The Bantamweight headliner between China’s Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez is definitely going to produce an interesting battle. Both fighters are currently ranked in the top 15 of the 135-pound division. Yadong is seven places higher than No. 14-ranked Gutierrez, but “El Guapo” will undoubtedly be hoping to surpass him.
“Kung Fu Kid” has been performing brilliantly and he has defeated fighters like Ricky Simon and Marlon Moraes. His only recent loss came against Cory Sandhagen. Gutierrez, meanwhile, rose to prominence in 2022 with some eye-catching knockouts, including the knockout of Frankie Edgar. He lost to Pedro Munhoz in April, but then bounced back with a victory and solidified himself as a genuine contender. Essentially, the winner of Yadong vs. Gutierrez’s match will advance to the Bantamweight title. These two are the most exciting fighters in the division, so the match will be entertaining for sure.
3. Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval
UFC 296 will be the final event of this year and its card features two title fights. Both of the matches should produce a great show. While the headliner of the event is a bigger match, the co-headliner could also be more exciting. This match features the current UFC Flyweight champion, Alexandre Pantoja, who will be defending his title against Brandon Royval in a rematch of their first fight in 2021.
In that fight, the Brazilian defeated Royval by rear-naked choke in the second round. However, since then, “Raw Dog” has improved and won three consecutive bouts. He is one of the most violent fighters at 125 pounds. “The Cannibal” on the other hand, won his title by defeating Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 on July 8. He is on a four-fight winning streak and is currently one of the best flyweights around the world.
2. Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson
UFC 296 has one of the most stacked cards of this year. One of the matches is the welterweight bout between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Stephen Thompson. Rakhmonov’s current MMA record is 17-0 and his last two victories came against highly rated fighters such as Geoff Neal and Neil Magny. However, despite Thompson being 40, he is definitely the toughest fighter for “Nomad”. The last time Stephen fought was in December 2022, when he defeated Kevin Holland via knockout. Rakhmonov will be looking to give a tough fight to the veteran. This fight will definitely be a wild one, and if Shavkat wins, then he can get a title shot as well.
1. Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington
The biggest and best fight for December is the headliner of UFC 296, which will see Welterweight Champion Leon Edward clash against Colby Covington. The last time Colby fought in the octagon was in March 2022 against Jorge Masvidal, which he won. There are still some debates about whether he deserves the title shot. Edwards, on the other hand, has been giving great performances and winning.
“Rocky” has defeated Kamaru Usman twice, first winning the Welterweight title from him and then defending it. Given that Usman defeated Covington on two occasions, the champion is the favorite for this fight. However, whether Edwards can handle the insane pace that Covington likes to push is a fair question to ask, and so this fight is difficult to predict.
Also Read: Everything that has been revealed about UFC 299 so far
