As we kick off 2024, the champagne is put away for another year and we look ahead to another year of violence inside the UFC octagon, let’s look at who could be holding gold this time next year as 2025 begins.
With plenty of competitive fights possible in every division, this year could throw up some crazy results, so let’s have some fun, look into crystal ball and predict the champions at the end of the year.
Flyweight
Current Champion: Alexandre Pantoja
Champion at the end of 2024: Alexandre Pantoja
This is a tough one to predict because, after long last, there are plenty of flyweight contenders. After his UFC 296 victory over Brandon Royval, Alexandre Pantoja is on the hunt for his next contender. A potential next foe will be the winner of Amir Albazi and Brandon Moreno in February, or Muhammad Mokaev if he can get past Alex Perez.
Pantoja’s ground game is arguably the best out of the flyweight contenders and will have enough to get past any contenders that he comes across. Mokaev may get the next shot with a win over Perez in his attempt to become the youngest-ever UFC champion, however, it’ll be too much too soon, allowing Pantoja to regain his title. After a busy 2023, featuring two title fights, Pantoja may only compete once in 2024 and no one could blame him.
Bantamweight
Current Champion: Sean O’Malley
Champion at the end of 2024: Merab Dvalishvili
Current champion, Sean O’Malley is booked to headline the blockbuster UFC 299 card in Miami, Florida on March 9th. He will look to defeat Marlon Vera in their rematch and extend his unbeaten run to six straight. We believe that Merab Dvalishvili will hold gold come the end of the year. He’s set for a UFC 298 co-main event clash with former two-division champion, Henry Cejudo and once he out-works Cejudo, he’ll be cage side to challenge either O’Malley or Vera in the octagon after the UFC 299 main event. Now that his teammate, Aljamain Sterling is moving to featherweight, it has opened the door for the Georgian to thrive at 135lbs.
Regardless of who wins at UFC 299, Merab will put his championship potential to the test in August or September in a title opportunity with great success. Two fights, two wins and a big 2024 for ‘The Machine’.
Featherweight
Current Champion: Alexander Volkanovski
Champion at the end of 2024: Alexander Volkanovski
The champion, Alexander Volkanovski is set to defend his featherweight strap against undefeated contender, Illia Topuria at UFC 298 in what he hopes (and we predict) will be his sixth successful title defence. Although Topuria is a legitimate contender, he’s never faced anyone like Volkanovski. The champ will be coming back to prove a point after being finished by Islam Makhachev last time out and unfortunately for Topuria, he’s in the way.
There aren’t a whole host of featherweight contenders that Volkanovski hasn’t beat (at the time of writing he’s defeated #1,#2,#3 and is scheduled against #5). A potential contender could come to light after the fight between Arnold Allen and Movsar Evloev, however, it’s unlikely that either of those men cause Volkanovski any major problems.
Lightweight
Current Champion: Islam Makhachev
Champion at the end of 2024: Islam Makhachev (Gaethje interim champion)
This prediction is certainly controversial. After back-to-back wins against Volkanovski, 155lbs king, Islam Makhachev will again face Charles Oliveira in a rematch. Makhachev’s improved striking, along with his ever-reliable wrestling game will again prove to be too much for the Brazilian.
He’ll then move up to welterweight in the hope of becoming a two-weight world champion. That will then create an interim title opportunity between Justin Gaethje and Arman Tsarukyan. Gaethje’s experience will prove to be too much for Tsarukyan and he’ll secure the interim belt to go with his BMF title, setting up an early 2025 clash between the undisputed and interim champions.
Welterweight
Current Champion: Leon Edwards
Champion at the end of 2024: Shavkat Rakhmonov
Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards rounded out 2023 with a dominant performance over Colby Covington to secure his second title defence after he defeated Kamaru Usman in March. On that occasion, at UFC 296 Belal Muhammad weighed in as the back up fighter for the Edwards vs Covington match-up.
Muhammad will get the next shot, however, having faced back-to-back wrestlers in Usman and Covington, he’ll be able to handle the grappling game of the challenger. Next, he’ll face up-and-coming contender, Shavkat Rakhmonov. With 18 wins and 18 finishes, it’s hard to deny Nomad the next shot. After a big win at UFC 296 over Stephen Thompson, Rakhmonov will be rolling into a title shot with a lot of confidence.
He’ll likely just be too well-rounded for Edwards, can mix it like no one else in the division and 2024 will be his year. Islam Makhachev vs Shavkat Rakhmonov in 2025 anyone?
Middleweight
Current Champion: Sean Strickland
Champion at the end of 2024: Khamzat Chimaev
Sean Strickland is set to settle his heated rivalry with Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC 297 later this month. The South African will win this one and go on to clash with Khamzat Chimaev later on in the year. With the belt being contested so early on in the year, it leaves plenty of time for the belt to be defended multiple times. Even if Chimaev doesn’t get the immediate shot at du Plessis, there’s enough time for him to get the shot late on in the year.
Chimaev’s well-rounded game will be too much for everyone in the division and he’ll capture gold whilst remaining undefeated.
Light Heavyweight
Current Champion: Alex Pereira
Champion at the end of 2024: Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira captured the belt in devastating fashion knocking out Jiri Prochazka in the second round of their bout last year, capturing a second belt in a second division just 11 professional MMA fights into his career. We aren’t certain who may be next for Pereira, however, a potential clash with Jamahal Hill looks likely. Hill vacated the belt due to injury, allowing Pereira and Prochazka to battle for it. Hill’s stand-up is nothing close to the level of the champion, so shouldn’t cause him too many issues.
Magomed Ankalaev appears to be a logical contender, that is, if he can get through Johnny Walker. Even if he does and gets the shot at Pereira, the Brazilian’s kickboxing is simply too good. There are rumours that Pereira could go up to heavyweight to fight Tom Aspinall for the interim belt, however, these are unconfirmed thus far.
Heavyweight
Current Champion: Jon Jones
Champion at the end of 2024: Jon Jones
This isn’t a necessarily difficult pick. Jon Jones captured the belt when he defeated Ciryl Gane in March of last year and, unfortunately, has been out of action since then. Jones tore his pectoral tendon, keeping him out of a scheduled bout with Stipe Miocic.
This one will be re-booked and Bones will win with ease. It’s too late in the career of Miocic for him to truly test Jones.
Jones will then, unfortunately, sit out for the remainder of the year. He’s been extremely inactive during his career, especially since 2018. He’s competed just five times since 2018 and yet again, he’ll keep up that irregular routine in 2024, competing just once.
Let’s not forget, however, Tom Aspinall is in the shadows, waiting for Jones…
Strawweight
Current Champion: Weili Zhang
Champion at the end of 2024: Tatiana Suarez
2023 was certainly a frustrating year for Weili Zhang. She competed just once, albeit in a truly dominating fashion against Amanda Lemos. Winning 50–43, 50–44, 49–45, Magnum was awarded a performance of the night bonus for her victory.
An all-Chinese clash will commence between the champion and Yan Xiaonan. Yan is on a good run of form, finishing Jessica Andrade last time out. They will meet, with Zhang retaining her belt and will face Tatiana Suarez later on in the year.
Suarez beats Lemos at UFC 298 and her wrestling proves to be too much for Weili when they meet in December. Suarez makes the ultimate comeback, from thyroid cancer survivor to UFC world champion.
Women’s Flyweight
Current Champion: Alexa Grasso
Champion at the end of 2024: Manon Fiorot
Alexa Grasso was brilliant in 2023. She pulled off a huge upset when she submitted Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285. Although the two fought to a draw later in the year, Grasso retained her belt. The two are likely to meet once again in a trilogy bout and regardless of who wins, Manon Fiorot should be next.
Fiorot’s defensive wrestling game and skills on the feet are elite. She’s more than deserving of a shot, winning six straight including her last win over Rose Namajunas. The Frenchwoman has been dominant throughout her UFC career thus far and there’s no reason to suggest that she wouldn’t continue that form against Grasso. She has an uphill battle on her hands as she faces Erin Blanchfield in a UFC main event from Atlantic City in what many believe is a #1 contender fight. Leaning on her elite takedown defence (91%), Fiorot gets it done via decision before facing Grasso and rounding out the year as champion.
Women’s Bantamweight
Current Champion: Vacant
Champion at the end of 2024: Raquel Pennington
The belt is currently vacant after the GWOAT, Amanda Nunes huge up the gloves. With that being said, the first PPV of the year will see either Raquel Pennington or Mayra Bueno Silva walk away with the strap.
The division is certainly an ageing one, with Pennington competing for the belt aged 35 and Silva aged 32. Former champion, Julianna Pena is 34 and names including Meisha Tate (37) and Holly Holm (42) are still all active in a division that begs for young blood to come through.
Pennington will likely extend her winning run to six straight and be successful in her second attempt at capturing gold. With that being said, the female bantamweight division is similar to the men’s heavyweight division, the belt isn’t defended very often. Pennington had just one fight in 2022 and one in 2023, so if she wins the belt, we may not see her defend it in 2024. With the fight going down in January, however, it gives the champion plenty of time to defend her belt.
