There’s just six cards left until the landmark UFC 200 card that has the fight world buzzing. And there are a ton of great headliners on each of these cards to keep us entertained until then. So today, we’re doing a power ranking of each of these main events -- and it was a surprisingly tough task.
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No. 1: Welterweight Contender Matchup
Rory MacDonald -110
Stephen Thompson -120
How is a non-title fight on a non pay-per view card the best upcoming main event? Because Stephen Thompson might be the most exciting fighter in the UFC right now, and Rory MacDonald is coming off the Fight of the Year. To top it all off, they’re fighting in the most unpredictable division in the UFC.
Here’s another way to look at it: “Wonderboy” Thompson fights like he’s in a kung fu movie and MacDonald fought four full rounds with a broken nose that was bleeding like a faucet.
No. 2: Middleweight Championship
Chris Weidman +166 vs. Luke Rockhold -195
UFC 199, June 4
Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and former titlist Chris Weidman are hands down the best middleweights in the division. Rockhold has been on a tear, notching four straight finishes against some of the class’ best. He’s a fan-friendly fighter, with punishing kicks and lightning quick submissions, and should he beat Weidman again we could be witnessing the rise of a lengthy title reign in the post-Anderson Silva era.
No. 3: Women’s Strawweight Championship
Joanna Jedrzejczyk -200 vs. Claudia Gadelha +160
TUF 23 Finale, July 8
This is the best grudge match in the UFC -- yes, better than Diaz-McGregor and Jones-Cormier. These two fighters cannot stand the sight of each other, and infamously got into a full-on brawl after recording The Ultimate Fighter Season 23. Throw in the fact that Joanna Champion is arguably the best, most violent Muay Thai stylist in the entire promotion and there’s almost zero chance that this rematch disappoints.
No. 4: Heavyweight Championship
Fabricio Werdum -165 vs. Stipe Miocic +140
UFC 198, May 14
Crazy that the heavyweight title fight is No. 4, ain’t it? But think about it: there’s no bad blood between the two, and you can’t really consider each of them as stars. You’d also be hard-pressed to find anyone that thinks the winner of this fight will keep the title for long either. The heavyweight division is in a rut right now, and neither Miocic nor Werdum has the starpower or dominance to lift it up. Still, it’s the heavyweight championship, and that counts for a lot.
No. 5: Bantamweight Contender Matchup
Cody Garbrandt +135 vs. Thomas Almeida -165
UFC Fight Night 88, May 29
I’m totally of guilty for having less interest in lighter weight classes, but this could be the fight that changes my mind -- and the opinions of the many fight fans that feel the same way I do. Garbrandt vs. Almeida pits the division’s two best prospects against each other -- and they just happen to be electric athletes and superb finishers.
No. 6: Heavyweight Contender Matchup
Alistair Overeem -200 vs. Andrei Arlovski +160
UFC Fight Night 87, May 8
What gives? We’ve got two heavy hitters, and Overeem is a former K-1 champion kickboxer who’s prone to violent knees and kicks. Arlovski is a good technical boxer with potent hands. This should be an entertaining matchup for sure, but it’s also one with lower stakes compared to the fights above. Overeem might get a title shot with a win, but that’s not a guarantee. You could argue that Garbrandt-Almeida isn’t a title eliminator either, but they’re fresh young faces, while both Overeem and Arlovski have been around a while.
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