UFC 280: Who's next for Islam Makhachev, Aljamain Sterling and Sean O'Malley?

"Father's plan" worked. Islam Makhachev is the caller lightweight champion aft defeating Charles Oliveria by second-round submission (arm triangle) to triumph the vacant loop astatine UFC 280 successful Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates connected Saturday. Makhachev entered the combat connected a 10-fight winning streak and was acceptable to finalize the program of his manager and longtime teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov, the erstwhile UFC lightweight champion: To triumph the belt.

For Oliveira, who mislaid the loop connected the scales backmost successful May, this was his archetypal decision successful 11 fights.

Earlier connected the card, the bantamweight part took halfway stage. Champion Aljamain Sterling dominated TJ Dillashaw with a TKO victory, portion Sean O'Malley escaped with a split-decision triumph implicit Petr Yan. Should the winners combat each other? And however astir the losers? A combat betwixt either brace could beryllium a must-see.

So what should travel next? Let's instrumentality a look astatine what fights could beryllium up successful 2023.

Islam Makhachev, lightweight champion (defeated Charles Oliveira to triumph the vacant lightweight title)

Who should beryllium next: Alexander Volkanovski

Well, Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Volkanovski and the UFC made this 1 beauteous easy. Everything is lined up. Makhachev gets to support his loop against the No. 1 pound-for-pound combatant successful the world. And Volkanovski gets a changeable astatine a 2nd rubric -- successful his location state of Australia.

Send the contracts. Print the combat posters. We're going to Perth, Australia connected Feb. 12 for UFC 284 and this is the main event.

Wildcard: Beneil Dariush

Dariush is so, so, truthful deserving of a rubric fight, but adjacent helium seems to cognize it isn't successful the cards -- yet. There are conscionable excessively galore large fights up of him close now. One would deliberation he'll have to get his accidental if helium continues to win, but it won't beryllium close now.

Charles Oliveira (lost by second-round submission to Islam Makhachev)

Who should beryllium next: Conor McGregor

Oliveira is simply a cleanable foe for McGregor, if and erstwhile McGregor ever returns. He keeps saying helium will, but it feels similar we're ne'er immoderate person to it.

If helium does travel backmost though, this is the one. Oliveira has arguably the astir breathtaking benignant successful the athletics close now. He's already beaten a batch of the evident opponents you'd publication him against next. He deserves the attraction a megafight against McGregor would bring him. And I stake he'd adjacent instrumentality the combat astatine 170 pounds, if that's what McGregor demanded.

Wild card: Beneil Dariush

If Dariush doesn't get a rubric shot, which doesn't consciousness likely, this would beryllium a large combat for him, and 1 Dariush deserves.

From a rankings standpoint, it makes cleanable sense. Would emotion to spot Oliveira successful the biggest combat possible. This astir apt isn't that, but it's a quality, prime matchup.

Aljamain Sterling, men's bantamweight champion (defeated TJ Dillashaw by second-round TKO)

Sean O'Malley, middleweight (defeated Petr Yan by divided decision)

What should beryllium next: Sterling vs. O'Malley

UFC president Dana White said the 2 winners of these fights would quadrate off, and there's nary crushed to deviate from that aft watching them play out.

Whether you hold with the scoring of O'Malley's divided determination triumph implicit Yan oregon not, there's nary doubting helium proved himself to beryllium elite. He conscionable bushed the No. 1-ranked contender and a erstwhile champion. And Sterling feels adjacent much similar an undisputed champion now, getting the amended of 1 of the champion bantamweights of each time.

Convincingly. Sterling wants large fights, due to the fact that large fights adjacent large money. O'Malley is instantly the biggest combat for him, and the rankings warrant it. This should beryllium the adjacent rubric combat astatine 135 pounds.

Wild paper for Sterling: Henry Cejudo

This would consciousness retired of place, and I don't spot it happening, but we inactive don't cognize what is going to beryllium adjacent for Cejudo. He's coming backmost and evidently wants a changeable astatine the belt. Again, Sterling wants large fights, and this would beryllium 1 that's casual to sell. There would beryllium a storyline down it. Cejudo walked distant a mates years agone arsenic the champ, connected a ascendant tally that included 2 divisions. He's a quality successful this story, but it's hard to spot him getting a changeable up of O'Malley.

TJ Dillashaw (lost to men's bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling by second-round TKO)

Petr Yan, middleweight (lost to Sean O'Malley by divided decision)

What should beryllium next: Dillashaw vs. Yan

You've got to consciousness a small spot for Yan. That's back-to-back fights that plentifulness of observers felt helium won. Sometimes, the margins successful this athletics tin beryllium cruel. The quality betwixt 2 monolithic wins and 2 stinging losses comes down to good details.

Yan is inactive considered 1 of the best, arsenic is Dillashaw. Stylistically, this is simply a sick fight. Both of these guys deed hard, incorporated kicks, power stances. It's a Fight-of-the-Night campaigner connected paper, and the evident adjacent determination for both, depending however Dillashaw's wellness is coming disconnected what appeared to beryllium yet different enarthrosis injury.

Belal Muhammad, welterweight (defeated Sean Brady by second-round TKO)

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Belal Muhammad hands Sean Brady his archetypal vocation nonaccomplishment with a flurry of punches successful a TKO victory.

What should beryllium next: Wait.

Wait for what? I'm honestly not sure. Something to unfastened up. Right now, you're looking astatine Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman III next. And the UFC is going to effort to publication Khamzat Chimaev against Colby Covington. That lone leaves Gilbert Burns arsenic acold arsenic a welterweight ranked higher than Muhammad, but the UFC wants to publication Burns against Jorge Masvidal.

The lone reply is to wait. He's officially unbeaten successful his past 8 contests so, if Muhammad refuses to combat anyone else, you can't blasted him. Maybe Covington refuses to combat Chimaev. Maybe Masvidal refuses to combat Burns. My conjecture is Muhammad volition beryllium successful nary unreserved to publication immoderate different combat and fto those scenarios play out.

Wild card: Winner of Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov connected Jan. 14

Rakhmonov is looking a small similar a boogeyman astatine 170 pounds, and Neal is backmost connected way with 2 consecutive wins aft suffering a brace of losses. Whoever wins this combat connected Jan. 14 volition beryllium looking up the rankings, and Muhammad volition marque for an evident target.

If each of the names up of Muhammad are booked, don't beryllium amazed if the UFC asks Muhammad to enactment progressive and judge a combat against 1 of these two. We'll person to spot wherever things basal by Jan. 14, but this figures to beryllium a existent enactment for Muhammad travel aboriginal 2023.