Matches to Make After UFC 313

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to pay-per-view with an eagerly anticipated title fight. The UFC 313 main event featured a light heavyweight tussle between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev. Also on the card were fights with perennial contenders Justin Gaethje and Amanda Lemos, so there will be plenty of interest in what happens next for the winning fighters.

Here are five matches to make following UFC 313.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira 2

Ankalaev (21-1-1, 1 NC) made history by claiming the 205-pound title. While that does shake up the division, and it wasn’t an exciting fight, I believe running this one back make sense. I tend to heavily dislike immediate rematches, but few fighters have been a company man quite like how Pereira (12-3) has been for the UFC. Having saved multiple cards as a late replacement and fighting at an insane schedule, let’s give “Poatan” a chance to reclaim his belt. It’s only fair and fans will certainly be interested in seeing if Pereira can win a rematch.

Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker

The co-main event saw Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev clash for a second time. While Fiziev (12-4) looked good early, it was Gaethje (26-5) who took over the fight as it went on with powerful uppercuts. Now 2-0 against “Ataman,” let’s reschedule the fight that Gaethje was originally booked for against Hooker. It’s guaranteed fireworks and one of the most exciting fights possible at lightweight. So, let’s make it happen as fans badly want to see it.

Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Grant Dawson

Bahamondes showcased his impressive grappling by submitting Jalin Turner with a triangle choke. Bahamondes (17-5) has now put together three straight wins and six of his last seven inside the Octagon. "La Jaula" is ready for another veteran test, which I hope is Dawson. “KGD” is also on a three-fight win streak, including wins over Diego Ferreira and Rafa Garcia, so both men carry in a ton of momentum into the fight. It would make a great co-main event on a Fight Night.

Related » UFC 313 Round-by-Round Scoring

Amanda Lemos vs. Tatiana Suarez

Lemos made easy work of Iasmin Lucindo, who was outgrappled and had little to offer her more veteran opponent. Lemos (14-4-1) is still a top fighter at strawweight but unlikely to get another title shot with recent defeats to Weili Zhang and Virna Jandiroba. Let’s match up "Amandinha" with another recently dispatched title challenger -- Suarez. The two women were supposed to fight in 2024, so they have unfinished business and it’s a high-level fight without title implications, so it won’t derail a possible contender, either.

Mauricio Ruffy vs. Fares Ziam

Ruffy picked up the biggest win of his career with major style points as he landed a gorgeous spinning wheel kick knockout over Bobby Green. The Brazilian is now 3-0 inside the Octagon (12-1 as a pro) and is one to watch at lightweight. The Fighting Nerds product deserves to go up against another entertaining striker, so let's match him up with France's Ziam. "Smile Killer" is on an impressive five-fight win streak that includes a knockout of Matt Frevola and decision wins over Mike Davis and Jai Herbert. Both young men are promising prospects, so let’s see who has more upside.