Solving the UFC lightweight logjam: Matchmaking the top contenders

The UFC lightweight division got a new champion at UFC Freedom 250, when Justin Gaethje defied the odds and dethroned Ilia Topuria in a brutal fight. However, since then, there hasn't been enough movement, outside of a few fights, at 155 pounds to sort out some of the would-be title challengers.

Matchmaking at UFC lightweight

Unless the UFC lightweight division is upside down, Justin Gaethje will defend the title against Arman Tsarukyan next. There's not much more Tsarukyan can do. He's on a six-fight win streak, and is coming off a first-round knockout of Maurício Ruffy at UFC 331. He deserves to be next, but what about the others? A former opponent of his, Charles Oliveira, will defend his BMF title against ex-featherweight Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 335. While 'do Bronx' is one of the last fighters to have beaten Gaethje, having submitted him in round one at UFC 274, that was four years ago. Furthermore, a potential win over Lopes shouldn't warrant a title shot.

Lopes has accomplished nothing at lightweight, and recently lost in two featherweight title fights. Oliveira's other wins are a unanimous decision over Max Holloway at UFC 326, and a second-round submission of Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Fight Night 261. The Holloway win is a strong one, as Holloway is the other of the two fighters to have most recently beaten Gaethje, but the Gamrot win? Gamrot is 2-3 in his last five fights, and coming off a first-round submission loss to Quillain Salkilld. If 'do Bronx' wants another title shot, he'll have to win one more fight, provided he beats Lopes. As for who he should face if he wins? It should be the winner of a hypothetical Holloway vs. Salkilld matchup.

Holloway is also eager to fight for the title, and there's some interest in the matchup. He did beat Gaethje at UFC 300 in one of the most thrilling knockouts of all time. Unfortunately, he's 2-2 in his last four fights, and the win he is coming off of isn't truly a win. It's a first-round TKO over Conor McGregor due to injury after 'The Notorious' tore his meniscus and ACL early in round one of their UFC 329 clash. Before that, Holloway was manhandled by Oliveira at UFC 326. Holloway needs some wins at lightweight before he's in title fight discussions. He needs to face Salkilld, then take on one more fight, likely against the winner of the Oliveira vs. Lopes fight. Then, there are the stars of the division, Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett.

The popularity of both men is such that they're not going to have to take on too many more fights to earn a title shot. In fact, both Topuria and Pimblett need just one more fight, one against each other, likely at the end of a 'TUF' season, which Dana White is open to. It would be a high-profile title eliminator, and give the winner of the expected Gaethje vs. Tsarukyan title fight someone to face.