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With last weekend’s event now in the books, January is over for the UFC. With no event this coming Saturday, it’s time to look forward to February.
The UFC is set to present four events next month, meaning that every weekend will feature plenty of great fights. Which, though, are the best ones to look forward to then? There are a number that come to mind.
Here are five great UFC fights to look forward to in February.
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#5. Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa – UFC 298
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In all honesty, in terms of the talent possessed by the fighters involved here, this bout probably ought to be higher on this list than it is.
However, given the number of times that Paulo Costa has withdrawn from big fights recently, it might not even be worth getting excited until the he and Robert Whittaker are actually in the octagon.
Assuming they get that far, though, this is a truly fantastic fight that could well decide the next challenger for new middleweight kingpin Dricus du Plessis’ throne.
Whittaker, of course, will be hoping to bounce back from the shocking knockout loss he suffered at the hands of the South African last year. However, it’s Costa who probably has more to prove here.
‘The Eraser’ last fought in August 2022 when he outpointed Luke Rockhold, but he hasn’t actually beaten a ranked opponent at 185 pounds since his 2019 win over Yoel Romero.
A win over ‘The Reaper’, though, would immediately propel him back into UFC title contention. At the age of 32, it could be one final run at the top for him.
If both of these fighters come in at their best, we could be treated to a genuinely great striking battle, and with a lot on the line, this is definitely one of February’s best fights.
#4. Renato Moicano vs. Drew Dober – UFC Fight Night 235
February’s first UFC event – set for the APEX in Las Vegas – will be headlined by a middleweight bout pitting Roman Dolidze against Nassourdine Imavov.
However, the best fight on this card, and one of the best of the month overall, is the lightweight bout between Renato Moicano and Drew Dober.
Sure, neither man is in title contention right now, with Moicano ranked at No.13 and Dober ranked at No.15, but that doesn’t really matter.
Put simply, these two men are amongst the most exciting fighters to watch in the entire UFC, and any time they step into the octagon is worth watching.
Against one another, though, they could produce a classic. Dober has literally never been in a dull fight, usually choosing to exchange blows with his opponent until one man is left unconscious.
Moicano is more of a grappler, but he’s also been wildly exciting to watch since his 2014 debut. The Brazilian has gone the distance just four times in 14 octagon bouts.
It seems nearly impossible to imagine this one going all three rounds, meaning we’re almost guaranteed some serious violence in this bout. Not only does it make the February 3 event worth watching, it’s also one of the month’s best fights overall.
#3. Yair Rodriguez vs. Brian Ortega – UFC Fight Night 237
The final event of February will see the promotion visit Mexico for a UFC Fight Night event. The event’s headliner is set to see flyweights Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval face off for the second time, and this fight should be a good one.
However, the best fight on this card is actually in the co-headline slot. That fight is another rematch that will see featherweight contenders Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega share the cage.
The last time these two fought, things ended anticlimactically when Ortega severely injured his shoulder early on.
Assuming any weird injuries can be avoided this time, then, this ought to be a truly brilliant fight.
While Ortega’s schedule has been sporadic to say the least in recent years, he remains one of the most dangerous finishers in the UFC. A deadly grappler, particularly with chokes, ‘T-City’ also makes use of his long limbs to attack his foes with a violent striking assault, too.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, is one of the most reckless fighters to ever step into the octagon. He’ll think nothing of throwing low-percentage strikes like a regular fighter would throw a jab or low kick, and he’s been responsible for some of the wildest finishes we’ve ever seen.
If both of these men fight to the best of their abilities, we could be in for a truly crazy – and unpredictable – fight on February 24, making it an absolute must-see affair.
#2. Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo – UFC 298
UFC 298, which is set for Anaheim on February 17, is an absolutely loaded card with some awesome fights to look forward to.
Outside of the headliner, though, the best fight on offer is almost certainly the bantamweight tilt between top contender Merab Dvalishvili and former champion Henry Cejudo.
Put simply, with so much at stake in this fight, there’s probably an argument for it being a five-round bout rather than a three-round one.
Dvalishvili is currently riding the longest win streak in the 135-pound division, having won his last nine bouts in a row. Not only did he defeat former champ Petr Yan in his last fight, but he retired the legendary Jose Aldo in the one before that.
Realistically, ‘The Machine’ ought to be fighting for the title against Sean O’Malley rather than being involved in this fight. If he wins here, though, it’d be impossible to deny him.
Cejudo, meanwhile, came out of a self-imposed retirement last year and pushed then-champ Aljamain Sterling to the limit in a five round thriller. He came up short, but he proved that he hadn’t lost much during his time away.
The big thing to watch for in this one, though, will be the wrestling exchanges. Dvalishvili has proven capable of grounding every foe he’s faced in the octagon thus far. But can he really outwrestle an Olympic gold medallist like ‘Triple C’?
It’s a question that will only be answered on February 17 in a fight that will almost certainly prove to be pivotal to the future of the bantamweight division.
#1. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria – UFC 298
There’s only one title fight set to take place in February, and that fight will see featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski defend his crown against Ilia Topuria in the headliner of UFC 298.
Volkanovski has been the champion at 145 pounds for the best part of four years now, and outside of a few scary moments against Brian Ortega, nobody has come close to beating him.
However, that could be about to change.
Firstly, Topuria is a very dangerous challenger, blending serious knockout power with some powerful wrestling skills. ‘El Matador’ is 6-0 in the octagon and 14-0 overall, and he’s taken out the likes of Bryce Mitchell and Josh Emmett.
Secondly, while the Georgian-Spaniard usually wouldn’t be favored to beat ‘Alexander the Great’, Volkanovski could well be more vulnerable right now than he’s ever been before.
The Australian is coming off the first knockout loss of his octagon career, as he fell to lightweight champ Islam Makhachev in their October clash. It’s likely that the loss could have a lasting effect.
So will Topuria be able to capitalize? Or will Volkanovski get back to business as usual and prove once again that he’s the best featherweight in UFC history? Next month we will find out.
