UFC 281: Who's next for Pereira, Adesanya, Weili, Poirier, Chandler and more?

Alex Pereira defeated Israel Adesanya by fifth-round TKO successful the main lawsuit of UFC 281 to go the caller middleweight champion Saturday nighttime astatine New York's Madison Square Garden.

Adesanya wounded Pereira astatine the extremity of Round 1 and past dominated the crushed crippled successful the third, earlier Pereira took implicit successful the last round, forcing referee Marc Goddard to halt the combat aft landing a flurry of punches connected Adesanya.

So, present what? Is a rematch successful play? What different options does Pereira have?

In the co-main Zhang Weili regained the women's strawweight rubric with a second-round submission of Carla Esparza. Is it just to inquire for a trilogy combat against Rose Namajunas next?

Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler enactment connected a combat to remember, with Poirier stopping Chandler successful Round 3 with a rear bare choke of their bloody lightweight bout. Should a rubric combat beryllium adjacent for Poirier? How astir Chandler? Where does helium spell from here?

Earlier connected the card, Chris Gutierrez sent Frankie Edgar to status with a first-round TKO triumph and made a lawsuit for himself to look a large sanction successful the bantamweight rankings.

Dan Hooker was lone 1-4 entering the fight, but his second-round TKO triumph implicit Claudio Puelles enactment him backmost into the speech for a bigger combat aboriginal adjacent year. Same for flyweight Erin Blanchfield aft dominating Molly McCann. A combat against Maycee Barber could beryllium a must-see if they combat next.

Brett Okamoto shares his thoughts connected what fights could beryllium up successful 2023 for immoderate of the stars astatine UFC 281.

Alex Pereira, middleweight champion (defeated Israel Adesanya by fifth-round TKO to triumph the title)

Who should beryllium next: Rematch

I'm calling it the 2nd combat betwixt these two, not the fourth. They fought successful kickboxing, a antithetic sport, and they were conscionable 2 wholly antithetic versions of themselves. They've some matured truthful overmuch from those fights. In presumption of their rivalry, this was the champion chapter, and the astir implicit versions of themselves. They person to tally it back. Adesanya had fundamentally cleaned retired the part earlier this, and he's deserving of an contiguous rematch. Seems obvious.

Wildcard: Robert Whittaker

If Whittaker beats Paulo Costa astatine UFC 284 connected Feb. 11, I could spot the changeable going to him. I'd person to spot what Adesanya wants to bash -- erstwhile helium wants to combat next. And what the UFC wants to do. I'd see Costa successful this look ahead, but he's made it beauteous wide he's leaving the UFC, triumph oregon lose, aft Whittaker. If helium wants to rethink that, he'd beryllium successful this mix. I'm definite though, Whittaker watched immoderate of the wrestling exchanges of this combat and was licking his lips.

Zhang Weili, women's strawweight champion (defeated Carla Esparza by second-round submission to triumph the title)

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Zhang Weili forces Carla Esparza to pat to reclaim her strawweight rubric successful the co-main lawsuit of UFC 281.

Who should beryllium next: Rose Namajunas

It feels similar we're recycling the aforesaid rubric fights successful this division, but the circumstances person called for it. And for the astir part, the fights person been incredibly good matched. This has been an entertaining part successful caller years. It doesn't consciousness close to inquire Zhang to spell consecutive into a rubric defence against a pistillate she has fought doubly (and mislaid to twice) successful the past 1.5 years, but if we're stating facts, it's the close combat to make. Namajunas mislaid the rubric to Esparza, successful a bizarre combat that could person gone either way. Namajunas-Zhang 2 was close, truthful a trilogy bout makes consciousness for conscionable astir each crushed you tin deliberation of.

Wildcard: Amanda Lemos

If the UFC (or Zhang) truly wants to bash thing different, Lemos is simply a beardown option. She has one-punch knockout powerfulness and is coming disconnected a triumph successful a UFC Fight Night main lawsuit against Marina Rodriguez, an hostile who had built up a batch of momentum earlier the fight.

Dustin Poirier, lightweight (defeated Michael Chandler by third-round submission

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Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler commercialized blows successful an unthinkable archetypal circular of their fight.

Who should beryllium next: Winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski connected Feb. 11

This felt evident coming into the week, for maine -- that if Poirier won, his adjacent determination would beryllium a rubric shot. Why wouldn't it be? He was the No. 2 ranked contender successful the part coming into this matchup, down lone Charles Oliveira, who conscionable mislaid to Makhachev. He's inactive a name, little than a calendar twelvemonth removed from beating Conor McGregor -- twice. And this show against Chandler volition lone proceed to rise his stock. Poirier deserves the opportunity, and matches up good with either option. It gets tricky if Volkanovski wins, due to the fact that Volkanovski would apt spell backmost down to 145 pounds to support his featherweight title, but Makhachev vs. Poirier is simply a good rubric fight.

Wildcard: Rafael Fiziev

The UFC has been looking astatine Fiziev vs. Justin Gaethje, but if that doesn't travel together, Fiziev vs. Poirier is simply a terrific fight. On its surface, it's hard to spot wherefore Poirier would instrumentality this fight. It's fundamentally each risk. But Poirier is simply a madman who likes to combat frequently. He doesn't similar extended clip off. If he's down for it, it's a bully one.

Michael Chandler, lightweight (lost to Dustin Poirier by third-round submission

Who should beryllium next: Conor McGregor

How galore times person we brought this up? Chandler has fought successful the UFC 5 times, and we've said it each 5 times. Chandler is connected a shortlist for the astir entertaining fighters successful MMA. He is each gas, from the archetypal bell. He knows however to physique a fight. Chandler vs. McGregor, it's a cleanable fight. Exactly when McGregor volition ever combat again, if ever, we ne'er know. But erstwhile again, Chandler is coming disconnected a concern wherever he'll astir apt request immoderate clip disconnected aft taking harm connected Saturday. There's nary Nate Diaz successful the UFC (at slightest astatine the moment) for McGregor to travel backmost to. McGregor vs. Chandler sells, but again, we've said that before.

Wildcard: Wait?

Chandler needs immoderate pieces to reset earlier we cognize what's adjacent for him. Unfortunately, that's sometimes the lawsuit erstwhile you're a large name, but not stringing unneurotic capable wins. If helium does privation to travel backmost much timely, helium mightiness person to combat down the rankings. A rising contender successful request of a higher-ranked fight.

Chris Gutierrez, bantamweight (defeated Frankie Edgar first-round knockout)

Who should beryllium next: Pedro Munhoz

This was Frankie Edgar's past combat and successful those situations, sometimes the victor gets recognition and sometimes they don't. Sometimes we chalk up the triumph to their hostile having 1 ft retired the door. In this case, it's both. Everyone would hold it was astir apt the close clip for Edgar to extremity his legendary career, but astir would hold Gutierrez looked awesome with his performance. He's a increasing unit successful this division. It's clip to publication him against a sanction successful the rankings, who needs to support his spot. And that's Munhoz. That was fundamentally the concern Munhoz was successful for his past combat against Sean O'Malley, and that ended successful a no-contest. So, publication him a akin fight.

Wildcard: Adrian Yanez

If you privation to person immoderate fun, we could bash 2 much intriguing rising contenders and strikers astatine bantamweight against 1 another. And you cognize what? You could marque this a main event. These 2 aren't of the accustomed sanction worth you'd spot successful a main event, but sometimes the UFC tin determine to tell radical what to attraction about, and giving these 2 that benignant of promotional hitch mightiness beryllium a superb thing.

Dan Hooker, lightweight (defeated Claudio Puelles by second-round TKO)

Who should beryllium next: Jalin Turner

Hooker wants to combat astatine UFC 284 successful Australia, and you cognize the UFC volition oblige. Expect him connected that card, successful a large spot. He's precise fashionable successful the portion and volition beryllium connected the main card. If you're the UFC, you privation to usage that attraction wisely and brace Hooker successful a amusive combat wherever the UFC volition payment nevertheless it goes. That's what makes Turner perfect. If Turner wins, he's a surging contender who is adding a large sanction to his resume. If Hooker wins, it'll apt beryllium successful a amusive fight, and re-solidify him arsenic a superior sanction astatine 155. Turner has won 5 contests successful a row, and wouldn't you cognize it, his past 1 was against Hooker's teammate, Brad Riddell.

Wildcard: Renato Moicano

Moicano besides gave a large show connected Saturday, which besides happened to travel astatine Riddell's expense. Moicano isn't ranked and Hooker deserves that, but honestly, the fig isn't important for Hooker's combat now. A prime combat that radical privation to spot should beryllium the goal. And this would qualify.

Erin Blanchfield, flyweight (defeated Molly McCann by first-round submission)

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Erin Blanchfield stuns the Madison Square Garden assemblage by forcing Molly McCann to pat out.

Who should beryllium next: Maycee Barber

No exaggeration, Blanchfield conscionable became 'Must Watch' with this win. It's not conscionable that she bushed McCann, oregon adjacent that she dominated her -- it was conscionable the clear, evident accomplishment she showed successful doing so. Everything from the level alteration connected the takedown, positional advancement, control, and composure, Blanchfield's accomplishment acceptable is scary. And she's lone 23.

In immoderate ways, she is who we thought Barber would be, and inactive tin be. Barber is besides a ace endowment astatine a precise young age. I don't similar the thought of pairing them aboriginal successful their careers, but the storyline is large and would physique the winner. Barber said she was astatine the extremity of her UFC declaration successful July, truthful we'll request clarity connected that. But this could beryllium the one.

Wildcard: Andrea Lee

To beryllium frank, this is simply a benignant matchup that would astir apt favour Blanchfield connected paper. But it would trial her against idiosyncratic with unsafe striking and a batch of experience. And also, the rankings accidental this 1 makes cleanable sense. Lee is No. 9 astatine the moment.