Mailbag: What are the three best UFC fights still to come this year?

This week is an off week in the world of mixed martial arts, but the biggest event is Nate Diaz versus Jorge Masvidal Boxing matches. And since we’re halfway through the year, we’ll answer any and all questions you might have, like what was the best match of the year? Dustin Poirier“The Last Dance” Jiri ProchazkaA crisis of existence.

Upcoming matches

What are your top three most anticipated fights (UFC) for the second half of the year that are either already booked or likely to be booked this year?

I liked this question because two were ridiculously easy, but the third one was pretty hard.

The games I’m most looking forward to for the rest of the year are: Drix du Plessis versus Israel AdesanyaI supported “DDP” from the beginning and was one of the most vocal supporters of this fight. Derek Brunson After 17 months, I finally got what I wanted.

DDP vs Izzy is probably Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Conor McGregorin the grand scheme of things. These two are polar opposites in and out of the cage, there’s real animosity between them, and really meaningful stakes. Matches like this don’t come around very often. Plus, if DDP can run headfirst into Izzy’s attack and get pummeled, there’s a good chance something interesting could happen. A+++ match.

The second, and this will be the biggest struggle for most people, is Ilia Topuria versus Max HollowayThis is a special matchup between a newly-won champion and a veteran player putting in perhaps the best performance of his career. Great in every respect.

The reason this isn’t #1 for me, other than my longtime love of DDP-Izzy, is because I’m a little more skeptical than most about Holloway’s chances. No one seems to take into account that Holloway was in very good form against his opponents. Justin Gaethje I think it was a good fight because a) Gaethje himself is a bit older and b) he was a lightweight. Max’s last few fights at 145 were decent performances, but they weren’t the best of his career. I wish he’d stayed at 155 and seen what kind of havoc he could wreak there. Still, it was a great fight.

In the end it was a difficult choice. Jon Jones Never fight Tom AspinallThat’s no good. Nobody has ever been excited about it. Leon Edwards Fight (or Belal Muhammad You can’t fight it either way, so I’ll rule that out. Islam Makhachev versus Arman Tsarukian It looks like it’s floating in the air, and it’s a bit… Georges St-Pierre–Jon Fitch Situation. So I’m going to follow my heart even if 82% of you hate it. Alex Pereira versus Magomed Ankaraev.

Ankalaev is a good fighter! Probably the best light heavyweight in the world. Sure, he was boring before, but he’s not like the aforementioned Jon Fitch. Ankalaev has a lot of exciting performances. Plus, I’d love to see how strong Alex Pereira’s magic is. In theory, Ankalaev is a difficult opponent, but is that really the case? I’d love to find out. It’s a lot more interesting than fighting some random heavyweight.

Also, as an aside, I’m wondering if this question is just limited to UFC, but also to real Bullet Fight No.1 For me it’s Eddie Hall Vs. Marius PudzanowskiAny true MMA fan would agree.

Dustin Poirier

Would Dustin Poirier vs. Nate Diaz be the perfect final bout for “The Diamond”?

So despite Poirier Something like retirement rear UFC 302It didn’t take him long. Immediately withdraw itI never thought Poirier would retire (MMA is like cartoons and death; everyone comes back except for Uncle Ben, Bruce Wayne’s parents, and Khabib), but I was surprised it happened so soon, and yes, while it’s obvious that Poirier’s opponent for “The Last Dance” is Nate Diaz, I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Diaz is fresh off a minor upset win over Jorge Masvidal in a boxing match last weekend, and he’s coming off a string of Stockton-winning moves. Laying the foundation for a return to the UFCWill it happen? We don’t know. But even if it does happen, Nate won’t be fighting Poirier. There’s a chance that Nate will fight for the welterweight title when he comes back. If he doesn’t, Conor McGregor is waiting. Conor will (likely) pass on Poirier. Michael Chandler It’s an instant fight. It’s a bigger fight for Nate and just bad timing for Poirier.

If Poirier really wants to make this final rodeo, he has only two options. Alexander Volkanovski, Already called itand the other is a trilogy bout with Justin Gaethje. The Volk fight is a fun new matchup that will satisfy everyone. The Gaethje fight is the end of the rivalry (and careers) between two of the greatest action fighters of all time. Personally I’m hoping it’s the latter, but the Volk fight would be a nice consolation prize too.

Jiri Prochazka

What do you think about Jiri dropping down to middleweight? I think light heavyweight is the right weight class for him. Alex is too technical a striker for him. Do you think Jiri should move down a weight class and work on his defense?

Apparently, Jill Considering losing weight to 185 pounds It’s a fresh start after being put on ice by Pereira for the second time and personally I couldn’t hate anything more.

Jiri wasn’t knocked out because he was too small for the light heavyweight division (I’ve never thought of him as anything other than giant at 205 pounds), and he was knocked out because Pereira’s Spiritual PowerHe got knocked out because of poor defense and hadn’t learned a thing from the first match.

Seriously, Jiri was killed by Pereira and went back to the gym to get a rematch. I will do the same“If I just change my stance, his leg kicks will hurt less.” And he thought that was the key to victory? That’s insane.

The truth is, Jill need I’m not going to change anything. This has always been his style, but 95% of the guys at light heavyweight couldn’t beat him. That was Pereira. I don’t know if anyone else at light heavyweight can beat him. At middleweight? That’s a different story. Middleweight is a better weight class and it’s unlikely that Jiri will be able to strike the same way after he cuts weight. At 185 pounds it’s just not good for him.

The solution to Giri’s problem is to actually work on his game, like Justin Gaethje did after his losing streak. Gaethje realized his limitations and learned how to not fight like a crazy guy all the time. He still has the power and will deploy it at the right time, but he’s also a much improved defensive fighter with a more diverse game. That’s what Giri needs. Maybe he’ll train with Jason Parillo or Duke Rufus and Actually “evolving” Instead of hoping that getting bigger will solve the problem.

My Favorites

Top 5 favourite fighters of all time.

This one is easy because I think about these things all the time.

Just to be clear, this is the chronological order in which I became a fan, not a ranking. It’s too difficult for me to decide on a ranking. But these guys really make me nervous when they fight. There are other guys who fall into this category too. Carlos Condit Although they just missed the cut, these are the biggies. Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone who sent in tweets (Xs?)! Do you have any burning questions about anything remotely related to martial arts? Then you’re in luck, send me a tweet. translatorand I’ll answer any question I like! It can be topical or outlandish. As long as it’s a good question, that’s fine. Thanks again, and I’ll see you next week.