UFC matchmaker: Fights to make in a crowded yet always exciting lightweight division
With apologies to women's strawweight, there may not be another weight class in all of MMA that's as deep, competitive and unabashedly entertaining as the UFC's lightweight division.
A trio of recent fights -- which produced victories from new champion Khabib Nurmagomedov to top contenders Dustin Poirier and Kevin Lee -- did just as much to cloud the crowded division's future as the recent noted absences have from some of the biggest names at 155 pounds who sit idle due to injuries and/or indifference.
While the exact return date for fighters such as former champion Conor McGregor and injured interim titleholder Tony Ferguson remain uncertain (as does whether Ferguson's title is still a thing), the good news for the division is that there are a plethora of compelling matches for UFC to consider in 2018.
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Let's take a closer look at the best matches to make this calendar year:
UFC lightweight championship: Khabib Nurmagomedov (c) vs. Conor McGregor: This is the classic matchup of current champion facing the former king who never actually yielded his crown. Only, that's about the least juiciest part of what would make this fight so good. Considering the marketable backstory UFC has found itself in possession of following McGregor's maniacal attack in Brooklyn, New York, earlier this month, it's hard to believe the promotion won't punt on its own moral convictions and cash in. If McGregor were any other fighter, would his reckless actions have led to at least a one-year banishment from the Octagon? Probably. But no one else draws like McGregor and UFC has never been more in need for the kind of grudge match pay-per-view that attracts a crossover audience and challenges revenue records. This would be that type of event, whether it's held at New York's Madison Square Garden or in Nurmagomedov's backyard of Russia. Oh, and it's an incredible style matchup, to boot, with each fighter's greatest strength being the perfect Kryptonite for the other's biggest weakness.
UFC interim lightweight championship: Tony Ferguson (c) vs. Dustin Poirier: It's certainly unclear the exact timeline for Ferguson's return from MCL surgery. The same can be said as to whether the 34-year-old will ever be the same fighter until misfortune robbed him from the biggest fight of his career. Should "El Cucuy" bounce back and UFC still chase the money by moving forward with Nurmagomedov-McGregor, his bad luck would only continue. That doesn't mean Ferguson should simply wait around to hold his place in line, however. Fortune of late in UFC has favored the bold but it has also favored those willing to stay the course and defeat anyone put in front of them -- which defines Max Holloway's road to the featherweight championship. Outside of Ferguson, no one at 155 pounds is more deserving of a title shot than Poirier who is 7-1 (1 NC) since his 2014 loss to McGregor and has rapidly matured in terms of focus and poise. The fight would also be hot fire, pairing two explosive strikers with the winner guaranteed the next shot at the full title.
Nate Diaz vs. Eddie Alvarez: While fans' desire to see Diaz compete in a major fight will likely never diminish, the feeling that he's deserving of any fight he wishes upon returning slowly has. Diaz, who hasn't entered the Octagon since losing his August 2016 rematch to McGregor, has been more of a ghost to UFC than even his biggest rival, who at the very least returned to face Floyd Mayweather last year in a boxing match which UFC helped promote. Considering the amount of fights Diaz has turned down while waiting for his trilogy bout against McGregor, he could do worse than facing the former champion Alvarez in an extremely marketable fight. Not only has the idea of this fight been explored by UFC in recent past, Alvarez continues to hold a grudge against Diaz that stems from some backstage jawing at UFC 188 in 2015.
Kevin Lee vs. James Vick: Lee looked impressive in finishing a stubborn Edson Barboza last weekend despite missing weight and surviving a spinning head kick that left him on skates. Afterwards, he boldly called out Nurmagomedov. Although Lee very much looked the part of a future title contender, he's still one fight removed from an interim title loss to Ferguson and will need to repackage a few victories before jumping the line. Not only is the 6-foot-3 Vick the perfect opponent in terms of someone who appears poised to make that leap from pretender to contender in the top 10, he presents an interesting style matchup to counter Lee's wrestling.
Anthony Pettis vs. Jose Aldo: There was a time not so many years ago when UFC frowned against matching these two up in a champion vs. champion bout when each was atop their respective divisions, fighting for pound-for-pound supremacy. Those days are gone, of course, with both looking to regroup and find new life on the other side of 30 after tasting multiple devastating defeats. Why not pair them against each other in a marketable bout that could easily serve as a co-main event? The winner would gain a boost simply from the name value that comes with defeating the man across from him.
Edson Barboza vs. Michael Chiesa: While both could badly use a victory, Barboza could simply benefit from some time away from wrestlers who possess a dominant ground game. The Brazilian could also use a considerable break to simply clear his head and heal considering his damaging defeats against Nurmagomedov and Lee came within a span of just four months. With that said, the winner would hold his place within the middle ground of the top 10 in a sneaky-good style matchup between the highlight-reel striking of Barboza and the submission game of Chiesa.
Justin Gaethje vs. Donald Cerrone: It's useless to try and stop him; Gaethje is going to fight to the death and empty the jar each time he enters the cage whether it's smarter for him to tuck his chin and wrestle or not. That's just the way "The Highlight" is wired. In fact, Gaethje has openly stated he doesn't plan on having a long career and prefers proving each time out that he's the most violent fighter in the game. If you're UFC, you might as well go with it and match him in fun fights against marketable names. Gaethje is fresh off a pair of hellacious defeats that doubled as fight-of-the-year contenders against Alvarez and Poirier. Because of that, he's going to need some time before he's considered title contender material. Although it has been just over two years since Cerrone has willingly made the cut to 155 pounds, allowing him to meet Gaethje somewhere in the middle would produce nothing but fireworks.