UFC 313 is over, and for the first time this year, there’s a new champion. Magomed Ankalaev finally claimed the UFC light heavyweight title, securing a unanimous decision against Alex Pereira in their highly anticipated fight.
This victory has implications not only for the light heavyweight division but also for the heavyweight division. What’s next, and what about the lightweight performances from Saturday? Let’s address your questions this week.
“Jon Jones has nowhere to go now. No one thinks he’ll take the Tom Aspinall fight, but do you think Jon will delay things so Tom won’t fight anyone until November, wasting his prime?”
The most notable takeaway from Saturday was the realization that Jon Jones might be the biggest loser. If Pereira had won, a super fight between Alex and Jon seemed likely. Now, that’s off the table, leaving Jon Jones with the choice to fight Tom Aspinall or retire, and we know his likely choice.
My prediction is that Jones will try to negotiate for a higher price, hoping the UFC will need a major fight for broadcast rights negotiations. However, I doubt the UFC will meet his demands. By summer, I expect Tom Aspinall to defend his belt against Ciryl Gane as Jon retires from the sport.
“Not a question, just crazy that the top two Fighter of the Year 2024 contenders (Ilia and Alex) are no longer champions before the first quarter is over.”
It’s remarkable that this is true. It would have been unbelievable to bet against this scenario. Nobody anticipated this. Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira were seen as dominant in 2024. While Topuria vacated his title, it’s still surprising. This highlights the difficulty of defending a title in MMA.
A key aspect of MMA is its unpredictability, and this shows it. Fighters must perform at their best every time to keep their title. Even then, the challenge of continuous title defenses can diminish motivation, leading champions to seek new goals. Champions with 5, 6, or 7+ title defenses over years are truly exceptional, as it’s a feat few can achieve.
“Who is the toughest opponent for ‘Big Ank Time’ at 205 besides ‘Poatan’?”
Jan Blachowicz is a tempting choice, given their close split decision fight. However, Blachowicz is older and declining. The real answer is Jiri Prochazka.
Perhaps it’s bias, but Prochazka’s only loss in the last decade is to Pereira, showing his quality. While Pereira was a bad stylistic matchup for Prochazka, Ankalaev isn’t. Prochazka has a good chance of defeating the new champion if they fight. He’s faster and more athletic. While Ankalaev strategically outmaneuvered Pereira, Jiri is more likely to create chaotic exchanges.
I’d still slightly favor Ankalaev, but Prochazka is a serious threat in that matchup.
“Who from the next generation of lightweights (excluding Armen Tsarukyan) has the highest potential? Among Ignacio Bahamondes, Mauricio Ruffy, Joel Alvarez, Mateusz Rebecki, Myktybek Orolbai, etc. Maybe none are future champs, but they are FUN.”
Yes, they are fun. Lightweight is consistently the most exciting division in MMA.
Firstly, credit to the lightweights at UFC 313. Justin Gaethje added to his legendary career, Ignacio Bahamondes proved his potential, and Mauricio Ruffy likely delivered the Knockout of the Year. Great performances all around.
Regarding the best of the next generation, I’d pick Usman Nurmagomedov, even though he had a controversial decision in his last fight. He’s only 26 and possibly the most talented of the Team Khabib fighters. Paul Hughes is also a promising fighter to watch.
If limited to UFC fighters, I’d choose Bahamondes. Alvarez is older at 32, Rebecki and Orolbai are more effective than entertaining (important in lightweight), and despite his recent win, Ruffy is the Fighting Nerds guy I like least (still great, though).
Bahamondes is still developing his fighting style, but he’s large for lightweight, dangerous everywhere, and has the right mindset. My pick is Nacho.
Luke Thomas also discussed this week about how the current elite lightweights are exceptional. Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, and Michael Chandler have remained at the top longer than expected. Each time the next generation tries to overtake them, the old guard resists. It’s truly remarkable.
“What was the most surprising moment of UFC 313 for you?”
Jalin Turner’s shocking retirement after losing to Bahamondes was the most surprising.
I had high hopes for Turner as a prospect, and despite recent losses, he’s still young. Hearing Turner speak afterward, it seems he’s been considering this and his heart isn’t fully in the sport anymore. That’s understandable, and I wish him well, but it was definitely the most unexpected event of the night.
“If Jalin Turner has permanently retired, how will his career be remembered?”
He’ll be remembered as a “What If.” He had immense potential but only scratched the surface. When Turner was at his best, he was a threat to anyone. However, he seemed to lack the mental fortitude to become truly elite.
Nonetheless, he had a good run, and his five-fight finishing streak after the Matt Frevola loss was exciting. Farewell, Tarantula.
