10 UFC Fights in July that Intrigue Me the Most
From a highly anticipated trilogy bout and two former champions returning to contenders sorting things out and prospects getting a push, the upcoming month promises plenty of action inside the Octagon
July is usually a pretty big month in the UFC and it’s no different this year, even though it’s totally different this year.
For the second consecutive summer, there is no International Fight Week, and while there remains pageantry and excitement surrounding the post-holiday weekend pay-per-view in Las Vegas and fans will be in attendance, it’s pretty obvious that we’re not as “back to normal” as some want to believe because if we were, there would be a whole lot more going on ahead of UFC 264 and it’s just not happening.
And that’s okay.
That’s actually the right move.
There really is no reason to rush things, to get too far out ahead of coming out of this pandemic and stumbling because the headlining act for that show sells itself and the event sets the tempo for everything else scheduled to follow throughout the rest of the month.
Fingers crossed, we can do International Fight Week in style next year — a Friday show at the UFC APEX, a Saturday pay-per-view at T-Mobile, me back in Sin City for the first time in forever, covering a couple events in person, catching dinner and a glass of wine with friends a couple times throughout the week; it sounds lovely, doesn’t it?
Before getting to the list of July tussles that have me excited, we have to pour one out for the fights that we’ve lost along the way, most notably the welterweight clash between Sean Brady and Kevin Lee that would have landed on this list because I think Brady is a, as Paul Felder describes him, “a brick house” and a future contender, and Lee remains an intriguing figure, even after a handful of stumbles. I wasn’t as pumped about Sean O’Malley’s return against Louis Smolka as some others were — it felt like another lateral move for the brash hopeful — but my excitement level will escalate if he gets thrown in there with someone interesting on short notice now that Smolka has been forced out.
My top two picks: Merab Dvalishvili and Ricky Simon; I want to see how O’Malley deals with relentless pressure and being forced to wrestle.
With the “In Memoriam” montage out of the way, let’s get to the fights that are still slated to hit the Octagon in the weeks ahead.
(As with last month, the fights are listed below in the order they will hit the Octagon, not some kind of ranking)
10 UFC Fights in July that Intrigue Me the Most
Ryan Hall vs. Ilia Topuria
Like a lot of people, I am fascinated by this fight.
The 36-year-old Hall is a perfect 4-0 in the UFC and riding an eight-fight winning streak overall, but fights so infrequently that he’s struggled to create any real momentum for himself. He’s a miserable stylistic matchup for just about anyone and because of that, he’s one of those guys most ranked fighters are looking to avoid, since no one wants to lose to an ultra-tricky grappler only hardcore fans really know about, especially when he perpetually looks like he’s just woken up from a really long nap.
But Topuria jumped at the opportunity and I absolute love it because it gives the unbeaten prospect a chance to potentially skip a couple steps in his progression up the divisional ladder.
The 24-year-old burst on the scene in the latter part of 2020, earning a unanimous decision win over Youssef Zalal in his short-notice debut before returning and dusting Damon Jackson just under two months later. He’s not been shy about his ambitions, telling me ahead of his win over Jackson that “in a maximum of two years, I will be UFC champion; I have no doubts about this.”
He may not have doubts, but I have some questions that I would still like answered, and this bout should help in that venture. Additionally, it should set up the winner to take another step up in competition next time out, and in a division as deep and brimming with talent as the featherweight ranks, the prospects of that potential next fight directly contribute to my level of anticipation and intrigue for this one.
Gilbert Burns vs. Stephen Thompson
I don’t know if this one determines the next title challenger in the 170-pound ranks; I don’t think it should because Leon Edwards is a person that exists in this world and hasn’t lost a fight in six years, but stranger things have happened.
What I do know is that I want answers to the following questions:
Can Burns find a way to deal with Thompson’s frustrating style?
When, if ever, will the 38-year-old “Wonderboy” lose a step and stop being able to frustrate opponents with said frustrating style?
Will Thompson be able to defend if Burns decides he wants to grapple?
What impact, if any, did getting knocked the hell out in February have on Burns?
How does this being a three-round fight change the dynamics?
Burns looked great on his way to challenging for the welterweight title earlier this year, and Thompson has rebounded nicely from his surprising knockout loss to Anthony Pettis two years ago in Nashville, earning quality wins over Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal. Both can make a case for deserving consideration for a championship opportunity and win here certainly strengthens their respective positions.
This has the chance to go any number of ways and I genuinely look forward to seeing how it plays out.
Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor
Let me just start by saying I’m as intrigued by all the basic components of this fight like everyone else — the adjustments McGregor makes following his loss earlier this year, the immediate confidence that win infuses Poirier with heading into this one, seeing who comes out ahead in this rivalry — but I’m actually more interested in this fight because of everything that could come next, regardless of who wins.
The victor is almost assuredly getting the next title shot, and the only reason I include “almost” in there is because nothing is guaranteed with Conor McGregor; dude could move in 73 different directions after this and none of them would shock me.
That said, either man fighting for the title is hella interesting from a narrative standpoint and a competitive standpoint, because Charles Oliveira has looked so damn good and presents a different series of problems than either of these guys have traditionally faced.
There are also a ton of legacy implications, including, but not limited to Poirier winning two straight to claim the series and McGregor falling to 3-4 since making history at UFC 205, which would then kick off a series of “How good was he really?” conversations that will infuriate me, but provide an opportunity to write cool, nuanced pieces about how this sport is best consumed as “moments in time” rather than as eras and extended periods of unending success.
Plus, I really love each man’s trademark walkout and can’t wait to hear them both and see them both again.
Marion Reneau vs. Miesha Tate
One is heading into retirement and one is coming out of retirement; that right there is the kind of angle that piques my interest.
Reneau has been a staple in the bantamweight division for the last seven years, and while the results haven’t been there of late, the now 44-year-old has always been game, earned a couple really nice wins, and stands as an outstanding role model and example to people everywhere looking to chase their dreams, even when others may doubt you.
More than four years removed from her last appearance, Tate is stepping back into the Octagon, returning with the goal of reclaiming UFC gold. She’s spoken opening about her struggles with depression and the impact her previous relationship had on her career and decision to walk away following her loss to Raquel Pennington at UFC 205, and is still young enough (34) and accomplished enough to become a potential threat in the 135-pound weight class, with a move to the barren 145-pound division not out of the question either.
Like everyone else, I want to see how Tate looks after that much time off because as bad as it looked in those two final appearances in 2016, I was there the night she doggedly hunted down Holly Holm and put her to sleep in the waning moments of their clash at UFC 196, and feel like a return to anything close to that form would make Tate a viable threat once again.
I also want to see Reneau’s final appearance and hope that she gets the flowers she deserves because although her UFC record is average, she’s always been a gritty, resilient competitor who gamely faced whomever was stationed across from her, and athletes like that deserve praise and recognition, especially when they’re making the decision to walk away.
Islam Makhachev vs. Thiago Moises
Let me start by saying this: fuck everyone that moaned about this matchup because they’re not as familiar with Moises as some of the other lightweight options they would have preferred Makhachev face, and fuck anyone that wants to lament this being a five-round main event as if the No. 9 and No. 14 lightweights in the UFC shouldn’t be headlining a Fight Night event.
Some people really do just like to complain about everything, don’t they?
Makhachev is at or near the top of my personal collection of “Just Might Be the Best in the Division” fighters, a group that also includes Cory Sandhagen, Movsar Evloev, and Magomed Ankalaev. He’s won seven straight, is 19-1 overall, and looked the best he’s looked to date last time out against Drew Dober. He’s long been compared to his friend, training partner, and now coach Khabib Nurmagomedov and we just might be seeing him reach his “Khabib 2.0” stage right now.
I understand the inclination to dismiss Moises or downplay his standing as a Top 15 lightweight given that we’re less than two years removed from his losing a decision to Damir Ismagulov, however, he’s 26 years old, has earned three straight quality wins since then, and Ismagulov is actually really goddamn good too. This might be a bridge too far for Moises, but even if it is, this still feels like one of those situations where the prospect manages to make an impression in a losing effort and becomes that fight everyone points to in two or three years as the moment they knew s/he was the real deal.
Stylistically, this could be a scramble-fest and I’m always up for a good grappling match, but mostly, I want to see these two outstanding lightweights lock horns because I think this bout will end up having a significant impact on the division in the not too distant future.
Aspen Ladd vs. Macy Chiasson
Each of these woman have shown flashes of championship potential, but they each still have some questions to answer going forward as well, which is why I’m stoked to see them share the cage midway through the month.
This will be Ladd’s first fight back after suffering a torn ACL and MCL last year ahead of a proposed bout with Sara McMann. The 26-year-old rebounded from her first (and only) career loss with a punishing third-round stoppage win over Yana Kunitskaya towards the end of 2019 and has always profiled as someone who, if give the opportunity to garner enough experience and hone her skills, could challenge for and potentially hold UFC gold one day, so this will be a good chance to see where she’s at in that progression, especially coming off a major injury.
Chiasson blasted her way through the featherweight tournament on Season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter, finishing Larissa Pacheco and Leah Letson in the house and Pannie Kianzad on the finale before earning stoppage wins over Gina Mazany and Sarah Moras in her first two UFC appearances. She was outclassed and out-savvied by Lina Lansberg in the fall of 2019, but has since added wins over Shanna Young and Reneau to her resume to get moving in the right direction once again.
Still a little green, the Fortis MMA product has the size, power, and potential to be a force in the division in time, but the trouble with shallow depths is that there isn’t a lot of time to figure out how to swim before you’re thrown into the deep end. This isn’t quite that as Ladd’s time off mitigates some of the “too much, too soon” potential here, but Chiasson is at an experience disadvantage, even if she only has two fewer fights.
With Amanda Nunes slated to defend her title in early August and contenders Irene Aldana and Yana Kunitskaya penciled in for the UFC 264 main card, this one doesn’t necessarily have immediate championship ramifications, but the winner should be in good position to land a potential title eliminator next time out.
Punahele Soriano vs. Brendan Allen
Historically, I haven’t always been a fan of sticking emerging talents like Soriano and Allen in the cage opposite one another this early into their UFC careers when (a) there are numerous other options, and (b) the winner is unlikely to get thrust into the title chase, but I’m starting to come around to it more because I do think whoever emerges victorious here is going to get a real push in the middleweight division.
Soriano looked good, but not great in earning a contract on Season 3 of the Contender Series, grinding out a decision win over Jamie Pickett. Since then, however, he’s looked terrific while racking up first-round stoppage wins over Oskar Piechota and Dusko Todorovic to push his record to 8-0 overall. Allen is 4-1 in the UFC, having earned finishes over Kevin Holland, Tom Breese, and Karl Roberson, while beating Kyle Daukaus on the cards, and losing to Sean Strickland last fall. He’s still just 25 years old, but has a wealth of experience, and has always struck me as someone capable of making an early-career run at contention.
I’ve been hammering this point for a while now, but it’s true: middleweight is wide open right now.
A ton of veterans have fallen by the wayside, there are a number of vulnerable fighters stationed in the rankings, and a handful of young bucks are going to be able to take advantage of things if they can string together a couple quality wins at the right time in order to land a more significant assignment. The fact that Allen has a finish of Holland is his back pocket, yet remains kind of off the radar right now is hilarious to me, though partially because the Holland hype was always overblown, and beating him would be a massive bump for Soriano.
The winner of this one likely gets a dance partner from the Top 15 next time out and from there, the sky is the limit, just like Biggie said.
Cory Sandhagen vs. TJ Dillashaw
As I mentioned a couple spots further up this list, Sandhagen is in a small group of fighters that I think might just be the best in their respective divisions, and after his walk-off flying knee finish of Frankie Edgar earlier this year, I’m champing at the bit to see what he does for an encore.
Yes, he got submitted by Aljamain Sterling a year ago, but I’ll take a guy losing to an elite talent like Sterling and then rebound over someone blazing an unbeaten path to the top where they didn’t face anyone in the Top 5. Sandhagen is tough as nails, fluid on the feet, and laser focused now, and it would not be the least bit surprising to me if he were seated atop the division by this time next year.
And then there is Dillashaw, who is facing a mountain of questions and criticism and backlash while coming back following a two-year suspension after testing positive for EPO ahead of his flyweight title fight with Henry Cejudo at the start of 2019.
I get that scores of people will now mark everything he achieved pre-EPO with an asterisk and view it with some uncertainty, and that everything he does from here on out will come with a “Yeah, but how do we know he’s not doping?” or “See, he can’t win without doping” whenever he catches a loss, but that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to see the former two-time bantamweight champ back in the cage on a quest to prove his greatness and claim the title for a third time.
This is a tremendously compelling fight with legitimate championship ramifications, plus a plethora of narrative threads that deserve to be examined, and like everyone else, I was amped to see when it was initially slated to take place in May and I’m even more jazzed now that it’s only a couple weeks away again.
Askar Askarov vs. Alex Perez
Given how quickly and effectively Brandon Moreno defeated Deiveson Figueiredo in their championship rematch at UFC 263, I’m not sure I need to see the new flyweight champion face the former flyweight champion in a third consecutive meeting between the two.
What I would like to see, however, is the winner of this one share the Octagon with “The Assassin Baby” with UFC gold hanging in the balance.
Askarov is unbeaten to this point in his career and coming off a clean unanimous decision win over Joseph Benavidez, long the standard-bearer in the 125-pound weight class. He’s a smooth boxer and a strong grappler, and he has a history with Moreno, which increases his standing as a contender now that the Mexican fan favorite sits atop the division.
Perez won three straight to earn a title shot last November, but was quickly submitted by Figueiredo, dropping his record to 6-2 in the UFC. Winning 75-percent of your fights is great, however those two losses have come in the two biggest fights of his career (the first was against Benavidez), so I’m curious to see how the 29-year-old bounces back because, fair or not, the outcome of this one could determine his future in the division.
Alexandre Pantoja also deserves to be in the title conversation, especially given that he’s bested Moreno twice, which ratchets up the importance on delivering a strong performance here for Askarov and Perez, and earns it a place on this list.
Uriah Hall vs. Sean Strickland
I adore this fight.
I’ve spoken with Hall a lot over the last couple years and truly believe that he’s finally in a place where he’s got things figured out and ready to make a run, with the way things played out in his fight with Chris Weidman having delayed that ascent for the time being. It has never been a question of skill with Hall, but rather focus and self-confidence, and I can tell you from speaking with him ahead of his last several outings, he’s locked in and fully believes that he is the best fighter in the division.
With a convincing win here, Strickland could land himself a place on the “might be the best fighter in their division” squad I’ve mentioned a couple times now because four wins in four starts after two years off and potentially never fighting again, while taking a small step up in competition each time out and sporting an undefeated record in the 185-pound weight class feels like the kind of thing you can’t overlook or discount.
The unfiltered Californian is a technically sound striker with excellent conditioning and a desire to make his opponents feel uncomfortable in the cage by constantly marching forward, content with eating a shot if it means landing one of his own, confident that he’ll hold up longer. As I’ve said in this space several times, it remains unreal to me how few people are talking about Strickland as a contender given that he’s 18-0 at middleweight, including 5-0 in the UFC, but if he can topple Hall in his first main event assignment, that should change.
Plus, as I said in the Soriano-Allen section, the division is wide open, so it would not surprise in the least to see the winner of this one paired off with someone like Marvin Vettori or Jack Hermansson next time out, with an opportunity to compete in a title eliminator tilt going to the winner of that one.
I know everyone likes to fixate on the immediate, but the winner of this one is two, maybe three wins away from a title shot, which makes it a tremendously important fight and one I can’t wait to see.