With 2018 officially coming to a close, there’s a lot to be excited about in 2019. The world of MMA officially broke out into the mainstream in 2018. The UFC garnered a variety of new platforms to market themselves in. They have officially made their debut on ESPN and they also have a deal with twitch, the social media platform, to stream some of their fight nights.
With the company expanding faster than it ever has, Mr. Dana White and his friends have blessed the MMA community by putting on some of the most historic fights of all time in 2018. What should get fans even more excited is the fact that 2019 has just as much potential, if not more, for some outstanding fights. Here are the top 5 fights fans should be excited for in 2019.
Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier 3
I know D.C. has already lost twice to Jones. I know they each have other fights in front of them at the moment. But no matter the circumstances, we cannot deny this: the trilogy fight must happen. With Jon Jones returning at UFC 232 and winning in dominant fashion against Alexander Gustafsson, questions have officially resurfaced about who the baddest man on the planet is. Cormier has had as spectacular of a year in 2018, as any combat sports athlete could have. He has cemented himself as the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet. The conundrum here is that the man who beat him twice has officially returned. Let’s not forget the fact that these two men HATE each other. Two of the top 5 greatest mixed martial artists of all time hate each other, and want to have a trilogy fight. Yeah this is easily my most anticipated fight of 2019. I’d prefer Jones go up to heavyweight, but either way, this fight needs to happen. For history’s sake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEMf_XkSNFAKhabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor 2
The biggest pay-per-view draw of all time, Conor McGregor, returned to the octagon last year after a long hiatus and… well… and he got his ass whooped. But he got his ass whooped by one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC. Khabib Nurmagomedov is probably the most ferocious fighter to handle on the ground. If there were any doubts about McGregor’s fighting ability, they would come from his ground game. The truth is he had nothing for Khabib. With that being said, UFC 229 was the biggest pay-per-view event of all time. Two of the greatest and biggest fighters in the world, in the middle of their primes, collided. They both have to win their respective fights before they fight each other again, but there is no doubt this fight is one of the most anticipated fights of 2019. It may even be one of the most anticipated sporting events, not just fights, of 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4N5nSOeGI4Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson
Uhhh… we absolutely need this fight to happen. It was supposed to happen many times before in the past, but it was always postponed due to injuries from either side. As much as we want Conor. Vs. Khabib 2 to happen, this fight would be 10x more insane. It may not get the traction that the prolific rematch would get, but this fight has more to offer from a stylistic standpoint. As much as I love Conor, I just don’t think he has anything for Khabib. His volume of energy expanded is significantly less than Khabib’s. I don’t think Conor can take on the continuous pressure Khabib forces upon his opponents. What would happen, however, if Khabib was matched up with an opponent that keeps the pressure on as much as he does? I’ll tell you what would happen. Absolute chaos. Ferguson may not have Khabib’s wrestling pedigree, but he is extremely dangerous from the guard position. Not to mention, if you're in close with the guy, you better watch out for his elbows. If there was any fighter that could push Khabib to his limits, it would be Tony Ferguson. MMA Gods, please give us this fight.
TJ Dillashaw vs. Henry Cejudo
Over the course of the past couple of years, TJ Dillashaw has not only cemented himself as one of the greatest fighters on the planet, but one of the greatest fighters of all time. One of the toughest matches in the UFC for any opponent, Dillashaw is as quick as they come. Constantly moving and picking his shots. Henry Cejudo, on the other hand, is coming off a win against one of the best champions the UFC has ever seen, Demetrious Johnson. As a former olympic wrestler, Cejudo has the wrestling pedigree and strength to put Dillashaw on his back and seriously hurt him. Dillashaw wants to be another fighter to hold two different belts at two different weight classes. The thing is, this fight might be one of the toughest tests of his career. Cejudo is not the easiest matchup for Dillashaw, which is what makes this fight so interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2vTHWVZoTs&t=252sTyron Woodley vs. Colby Covington
This is one of those fights that we probably know the result going into it, but we still really really want to see it. Why? Simple. We want to see Colby Covington get wrecked. This guy has opened his mouth and said some of the most ignorant things one can possibly say with the platform he has. Covington has absolutely no respect for anyone in that division, including Tyron Woodley. The public knows these two guys don’t like each other. Colby has been running his mouth more than anyone in the UFC as of late. You’d think fans are enjoying his trash talk, but it seems like all he’s doing is making everyone want to see him get his ass beat. There is no better fighter to do that than Tyron Woodley. Woodley possesses a humongous physical advantage over Covington and is an excellent counter striker. Covington loves to push the pace but I wonder how many of Woodley’s shots he wants to come in contact with. Let 2019 be the year we see Colby Covington finally shut up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DZWI2D3s0M
