Mr. Carter’s State of the UFC Part 3: Men’s Flyweight, Lightweight and Heavyweight divisions 

Figuerendo regained the championship in a highly competitive third fight with Brandon Moreno just recently at UFC 270 in January. While this has left Moreno as the Number# 1 contender (and Figuerendo was very quick to say that he endorsed having a fourth fight with Brandon) Expect that the league will give someone else a chance at the title first. Kai Kara France (#6) from New Zealand is on a four fight winning streak culminating with a nail biter of a significant strike victory this past weekend against #2 contender Askari Askarov, a wrestler from Russia. France’s victory makes him a likely candidate for the next shot at the Men’s Flyweight title.

Men’s lightweight (155lbs) 
Champion: Charles Olivera (32-8-0) (Brazil)

Charles Olivera’s first (and most recent) title defense was this last December at UFC 269 in the main event, when he faced off with Dustin Pornier. A rising star who has made quite a name for himself achieving two consecutive wins over Conner McGregor earlier in 2021.  This is the weight class which Conner McGregor built, and there is a lot left to say about him, but for now let’s remained focused on the reigning champion.  Olivera is scheduled for his second title defense coming up at UFC 274 against Justin Gaethje (23-3-0). Like Olivera’s recent fights against Pornier and Michael Chandler. Expect to see a close competitive fight. I haven’t started close analysis for this fight yet, but my instinct is that if Olivera was capable of figuring out how to outwrestle Dustin Pornier, he will be able to figure out how to do this to Justin Gaethje as well.   Waiting in the wings, the notorious whiskey brewing symbol of a sport… Irishmen Conner McGregor who badly wants a new title shot. It’s also possible that McGregor will move up in weight class to welter weight, but if he stays as a lightweight, he will probably have to defeat Michael Chandler or the loser of Olivera v Gaethje in order to be considered for a title shot thereafter.   Interestingly, McGregor was refused in an offer to fight Nate Diaz for a third and final time, as Nate Diaz has announced that his next fight will be his retirement fight. To have that fight be a trilogy against McGregor likely would have resulted in a large number of pay per view buys. But Diaz rejected the challenge and inked to fight Dustin Pornier (a fighter who defeated McGregor twice) for the upcoming retirement fight. In theory Diaz’s choice here is based on pride, and believing that McGregor may be deeply over the hill and an easy victory for him. Diaz wishes his retirement fight (win or lose) to represent a more serious challenge.   Olivera v Gaethje, Pornier vs Diaz, and McGregor vs whoever… I for one can barely wait to see any of these fights. 

Heavyweight (265lbs)
Champion- Francis Ngannou (17-3-0) (Camaroon)

Finally this takes us to the heavyweight division. Where Francis Ngannou of Cameroon is the champion for now. But expect this title to be stripped from him before Halloween day later this year.  Much was spoken and written (including here at Corner Pub Sports) regarding Ngannou’s contractual situation before his most recent defense against Cyril Gane.  Ngannou had begun an 8 fight contract in 2017, and the successful defense against Gane was number 8. Francis had been very vocal leading into that fight that he desires a bigger payday and would be willing to trade the Octagon for boxing gloves in order to get it.  Not to the surprise of many, within two weeks after UFC 270, Francis announced that he had broken his hand while fighting Gane even though he still managed to out wrestle him and win the decision.   The “hand injury” (and i don’t use quotations by accident here) was said to take Francis out of mma action until October. Thereby passing over the contractual commitment of time within the champions clause in Francis’s deal, which stated that a ninth fight (at the same pay rate of $500k per fight) was required if Francis held the championship belt after the 8th contractual fight.  Not to anyone’s surprise, the week after the hand injury had been announced. Ngannou also publicly stated that in December of this year, he will be strapping on boxing gloves to face heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.  Hopefully it will be a competitive boxing match, but let’s keep this article focused for the octagon.  Ngannou’s departure will ultimately result in the second interim heavyweight title fight since September 2021, and who can we expect to see in this interim title fight? Ceril Gane is a certainty, but his opponent a little less clear. It could be long time heavyweight veteran Stipe Miocic, (20-4-0) but alternately don’t be surprised if it’s New Zealand’s rising star Tai Tuivasa (15-3-0), who surprised odds makers at UFC 271 when he knocked out Derrick Lewis with an elbow strike in front of his hometown crowd in Houston Texas.  Although very different fighters, either Miocic or Tuivasa represent a very interesting challenge for Ceril Gane when the next interim title match is written. So get ready to get excited. I’ll have another UFC article for all of you within a few weeks. Until then gamble smart, sit back and enjoy some good fights.