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With the final show of July now in the books, the UFC is looking towards August, and with four events on tap, it could be a big month.
August features three UFC Fight Night events as well as a major pay-per-view, meaning there’s plenty for the fans to look forward to. So with two major title bouts, as well as some other great fights on tap, it’s time for fans across the world to get excited.
Here are the five best UFC fights to look forward to in August.
#5. UFC featherweight bout: Max Holloway vs. Chan Sung Jung
Many fans have slammed the matchmaking behind the featherweight clash between Max Holloway and Chan Sung Jung. The bout is set to headline the UFC’s visit to Singapore on August 26, and in a lot of ways, the criticisms are valid.
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Holloway, the former featherweight champion, has only lost to current titleholder Alexander Volkanovski in recent years. A truly fearsome striker, ‘Blessed’ has defeated everyone else he’s faced, including high-level contenders like Arnold Allen and Yair Rodriguez.
Jung, meanwhile, is arguably past his best these days. ‘The Korean Zombie’ has only won once since the end of 2019, and considered retirement after losing to Volkanovski in April 2022.
However, there’s still a chance that this fight could produce genuine fireworks. Jung is still remarkably durable for a shopworn veteran, meaning that to take him out, Holloway is going to have to throw his whole arsenal at him.
That’s something the Hawaiian is more than capable of. While it might not be a back-and-forth fight, seeing how much punishment ‘The Korean Zombie’ can take before he goes down will still be fascinating, making this one a must-see bout.
#4. UFC welterweight bout: Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos
August 12’s UFC Fight Night event is set to be headlined by an all-Brazilian welterweight clash between Vicente Luque and Rafael dos Anjos. While the fight doesn’t have a huge amount of name value, it may well prove to be one of the month’s most exciting.
The No.10-ranked welterweight in the promotion, Luque hasn’t been on the best run as of late, losing his last two fights to Belal Muhammad and Geoff Neal.
However, ‘The Silent Assassin’ is still a consummate finisher who has dangerous skills in all areas. With a ridiculous finish rate – just one of his 13 octagon wins has gone the distance – he’s a must-see attraction.
Dos Anjos, meanwhile, returned to 170 pounds last December and looked brilliant, whitewashing Bryan Barberena and forcing him to tap out in the second round. He’s still somewhat undersized for the weight class and he’s probably past his prime now, but he’s still a very live threat to any opponent.
Overall, particularly over five rounds, the chances of this fight going the distance seem somewhere between slim to none. That means it’s definitely one of the best fights to look forward to in August.
#3. UFC strawweight title: Weili Zhang vs. Amanda Lemos
UFC 292 on August 19 features two title bouts at the top of the card. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much fanfare around the first one, which pits strawweight queen Weili Zhang against top contender Amanda Lemos.
The reasons for this are pretty obvious. Firstly, neither Zhang nor Lemos are considered big stars by the fans at this point, and secondly, Lemos is only ranked at No.4 in the division and arguably wouldn’t have been many fans’ chosen challenger.
However, the Brazilian is still a hugely dangerous fighter who is on a great run. She’s lost just once in the octagon since moving to 115 pounds, and has stopped both Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Marina Rodriguez in recent clashes.
Zhang, though, is clearly the top fighter in the world right now, having brutally dispatched former champ Carla Esparza last year. She has deadly skills in all areas, no real weaknesses, and is remarkably durable, as we found out in her two legendary bouts with Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
‘Magnum’ will definitely be the favourite in this fight, but Lemos will be a live underdog for sure, and with any luck, the two women will produce an excellent bout that will be well worth watching.
#2. UFC welterweight bout: Geoff Neal vs. Ian Garry
While it isn’t for a title, and only features two fighters ranked in the lower part of the welterweight division’s top 15, the bout between Ian Garry and Geoff Neal at UFC 292 has the potential to steal the show.
Right now, it’s arguable that Garry is the best prospect in the entire 170-pound division. With an unbeaten record of 12-0, the Irishman has looked fantastic in the octagon thus far. He’s gone 5-0 since arriving in the promotion, and most recently dispatched Daniel Rodriguez with some serious violence.
Neal, though, promises to be his toughest test to date. ‘Handz of Steel’ was last seen in a brutal fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov, and while he was defeated, he still gave a good account of himself. Prior to that, though, he’d used his heavy hands to take out the likes of Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad.
Garry’s size, speed and striking ability should give him the edge on paper in this one. However, given Neal’s punching power, it’s impossible to count him out, as he only needs one big shot to land to finish a fight.
Basically, the chances of this one going the distance seem slim, and while the bout lasts, as long as the fighters bring their a-game, it should be awesome to watch.
#1. UFC bantamweight title: Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley
The best fight on tap in August is undoubtedly the headliner of UFC 292, which will see bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling face off with top contender Sean O’Malley.
This title shot has been a long time coming for ‘Sugar’. Considered a high-level prospect since his arrival in the UFC back in 2017, O’Malley has been built up gradually, snacking on overmatched foes before climbing up the ladder in recent years.
Every hurdle he’s been presented with, though, he has passed. Most recently, O’Malley edged out former titleholder Petr Yan in a genuine thriller, earning himself this shot.
Sterling, however, may well be able to class himself as the greatest bantamweight of all time at this point. ‘Funk Master’ holds two wins over Yan, is the only fighter to finish Cory Sandhagen, retired T.J. Dillashaw, and most recently defeated former champ Henry Cejudo.
The New York native is a brilliant grappler, is more than capable of finishing his opponents, and as we’ve seen over the years, he’s remarkably tough.
Can he withstand O’Malley’s heavy striking game, though? That’s the big question coming into this bout, although the same can be said for whether ‘Sugar’ can survive if the fight hits the mat.
Add in the fact that these two clearly don’t like each other, meaning the build-up as the fight gets closer is likely to become even more dramatic and personal, and we could be in for a classic.
More than any other fight this month, this one cannot be missed.
