Matches to Make After UFC 290

UFC 290 was one of the promotion's best events of 2023. Not only did it feature an incredible four knockouts in 38 seconds or less, but it boasted three huge fights, two of them for championships.

In the main event, Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski defended his throne against interim king Yair Rodriguez. Volkanovski's much vaunted 22 fight winning streak, 12 of which came in the UFC, may have come to an end in a champion versus champ showdown against Islam Makhachev, where he lost in a close five-round decision, but he was still the man to beat at 145 pounds, having never lost in the division, with four title defenses to his name.

Rodriguez had a winning streak of just two at featherweight despite being the interim titlist. He had narrowly lost a five-round verdict against former champion Max Holloway in late 2021, but had come back strong, triumphing over a Brian Ortega who was injured late in Round 1, and then brutalizing Josh Emmett with kicks and punches before submitting him late in Round 2 to win the interim crown.

Rodriguez landed a few powerful strikes on the feet, but he was overwhelmed by Volkanovski, who repeatedly took him down and shellacked him with punches and elbows. In the third round, Volkanovski scored with a gorgeous right-hand counter to a kick that badly hurt the Mexican challenger, eventually finishing him with strikes on the ground. Yet again, the champion proves he is the class of the UFC featherweight division.

In the co-main, flyweight champion Brandon Moreno sought to defeat nemesis Alexandre Patonja on a third attempt. Moreno triumphed in his legendary quadrilogy against Deiveson Figueiredo, winning by TKO after the third round in January of this year to become the UFC flyweight king for a second time. Eager to finally face a different foe, he chose a hard challenger in Alexandre Pantoja, who holds two victories over a young Moreno. He had tapped Moreno with a rear-naked choke on “The Ultimate Fighter” back in 2016 and had then won a judges' verdict in 2018 on a Fight Night card. Pantoja had experienced less success than Moreno outside of that fight, having been utterly dominated by Figueiredo back in 2019 and then losing to Askar Askarov in 2020, who the UFC bizarrely let leave the promotion. However, Pantoja was riding a three-fight winning streak heading into the title showdown, having easily outpointed Rizin champion Manel Kape before scoring back-to-back submissions of top contenders in Brandon Royval and Alex Perez. He certainly hoped to have Moreno's number.

What transpired was a true martial arts classic, with both men going back and forth for 25 straight minutes, attacking each other in every area of battle; striking, the clinch, wrestling and the ground. In the end, it was unclear who had done enough, but Alexandre Pantoja triumphed with a split decision verdict, becoming the new flyweight king at the age of 33.

Lastly, Dricus Du Plessis and Robert Whittaker squared off in what was essentially a UFC No. 1 contender match at middleweight. Whittaker was the former champion and had looked spectacular since losing his title to Israel Adesanya in late 2019, going 4-1 with victories over top contenders in Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, Kelvin Gastelum and Marvin Vettori, and only losing a rematch against Adesanya that many scored for the Australian. Du Plessis was a perfect 5-0 in the UFC but many questioned his gas tank, speed and overall ability, with him frequently losing fights before pulling out a comeback victory. This was reflected in Whittaker being a huge favorite. However, du Plessis proved the doubters wrong in a huge way, not only beating Whittaker but doing so in devastating fashion, knocking him out in punches just under halfway through Round 2.

In the aftermath of an exciting pay-per-view, here are several huge fights which will hopefully be booked.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria

Volkanovski is a great champion but there is one tantalizing challenger on the horizon in undefeated 26 year-old Topuria, who is 6-0 in the UFC. Topuria has proven himself an elite featherweight and with a lack of other suitable foes, he should get a crack at the crown. This will be a dynamic, high-energy war that will likely go the full 25 minutes. Frankly, I don't know who would have the advantage in either the striking or grappling, especially since Volkanovski would be 35 by then and Topuria would probably be even better than what he showed against Emmett. Either way, it would be a worthy co-main or main event for a PPV.

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

As great and close as Pantoja's title victory over Moreno was, I'm not a fan of immediate rematches, preferring to let themselves be built up naturally. Instead, I want to see a different rematch against former champion Figueiredo, who defeated Pantoja so handily back in 2019. Pantoja is a much better fighter now, especially with regards to his striking, and it may be the last chance that former champion Figueiredo, who turns 36 in December, will have at the title. It should be a fantastic fight with numerous highlight worthy exchanges in the striking and grappling between two Brazilians who always seek a finish.

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya

This is the most natural fight in the world, with Adesanya entering the cage after du Plessis' victory to scream a torrent of racial slurs at the South African. Du Plessis has clearly gotten under the UFC middleweight champion's skin and is also the clear top contender, having just knocked out the No. 1 contender in Whittaker. This will likely be the main event of a PPV card sooner rather than later, possibly in Sydney, and could be an explosive contest. Many might not give du Plessis much chance, but as he showed against Whittaker, that would be a grave mistake.

Robert Whittaker vs. Sean Strickland

Whittaker suffered a shocking defeat but at 32, he is far from finished. Why not a bounce-back fight against perennial Top 10 contender and highly-active Sean Strickland? The winner will put themselves back in the title conversation while the loser will remain in the Top 10. Furthermore, this will likely be a rousing striking battle between two highly technical martial artists. I'm especially interested since they also possess two of the better jabs in mixed martial arts.