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With just one UFC event left in Aug. 2024, it's now time to look forward. Sept. 2024 is set to feature just three UFC cards, but they're chock-full of good fights. With a major pay-per-view and a trip to Paris to look forward to, the month should be a big one for MMA fans.
Here are the five best UFC fights to look forward to in Sept. 2024.
#5. Nassourdine Imavov vs. Brendan Allen - UFC Fight Night 243
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The final event of Sept. will see the UFC visit Paris for the third time, and the event will be headlined by French star Benoit Saint-Denis, who is scheduled to face Renato Moicano.
However, the best fight on the card is the co-headliner.
Top ranked middleweights Nassourdine Imavov and Brendan Allen will face off, and with the division in a state of flux, the winner could move into title contention.
Currently ranked at No.7, Allen has been the surprise breakout star at 185 pounds in the past couple of years. 'All In' is currently riding a 7-fight win streak and has claimed upset wins over the likes of Andre Muniz and Paul Craig.
Imavov, meanwhile, beat Jared Cannonier earlier this year to claim the biggest win of his career to date. 'The Sniper' is 6-2-1 inside the octagon, and looks ready and primed for a run at the top.
This fight should come down to Allen's ground skills against Imavov's sharp striking, but realistically, anything could happen as both men are very well-rounded.
Overall though, with high stakes and two fighters who go for the finish, this should be one of the month's standout fights.
#4. Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes - UFC 306
UFC 306 is all set to be one of the biggest events of 2024. Not only is it the promotion's second event to celebrate Mexican Independence Day - hence its subtitle of 'Noche UFC' - but it is also their first event at the Las Vegas Sphere, too.
With that in mind, it should hardly be a surprise to learn that the card is one of the most loaded of the year thus far.
Outside of the event's two title bouts, the best fight on the card is undoubtedly the featherweight clash between Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes.
This fight should've gone down a few months ago, but Ortega suffered an injury, forcing Lopes to beat a last-minute replacement in Dan Ige.
Thankfully, Lopes lost no momentum in the fight. He's still the fastest rising star at 145 pounds thanks to his thrilling wins over the likes of Sodiq Yusuff and Pat Sabatini.
Ortega will be a big step up in terms of competition, though. 'T-City' is a little older now, but he's still a phenomenal grappler with a very underrated striking game and deadly killer instincts.
Given that Ortega's last fight saw him get back to his best in a win over Yair Rodriguez, if Lopes can beat him, it'd send a huge message to the rest of the division.
Basically, either Lopes will crash into the title picture in style, or Ortega will move back into that area himself by stopping a rapidly rising star. Either way, this should be a hell of a fight to watch.
#3. Gilbert Burns vs. Sean Brady - UFC Fight Night 242
The first UFC event in Sept. 2024 is a Las Vegas APEX Fight Night, but thankfully, the promotion looks to have put together a great card.
The headliner in particular is a truly great - and underrated - fight between two of the best welterweights in the world.
Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady have both parlayed their excellent grappling skills into a spot in the top fifteen at 170 pounds, and the winner here could well climb into title contention.
It's arguable, of course, that Burns is on his way down, while Brady is still on his way up. 'Durinho' is now 38 years old and has gone 3-3 since losing to Kamaru Usman in their 2021 title bout.
However, the Brazilian is still a very powerful grappler and puncher, and was able to use these skills to beat both Jorge Masvidal and Neil Magny. He was also doing very well against Jack Della Maddalena before he fell to a late TKO.
Brady is far less proven than Burns, even if he's beaten some very good fighters in recent years, including Michael Chiesa and Kelvin Gastelum.
A stifling grappler with a powerful top game, Brady's only loss came to current champion Belal Muhammad, and without injuries, he may have already cracked the top ten.
Whether he can do that here remains to be seen. With both men looking to deploy a similar offence, this one should be fascinating to watch, particularly over five rounds.
#2. Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko - UFC 306
The first of UFC 306's two title bouts will be the trilogy between flyweight rivals Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.
Either Shevchenko will regain her crown and be widely recognised as second only to Amanda Nunes in MMA's overall female pantheon, or Grasso will win and the division will finally be able to move on from 'The Bullet.'
What makes this one so fascinating is that it's so hard to call. Both of their previous fights were incredibly close and swung on a couple of big moments.
The first fight looked like it would be a routine defense for Shevchenko before she made a single error, allowing Grasso to capitalise with a rear naked choke finish.
The second, meanwhile, went to a draw despite many fans believing Shevchenko deserved the nod, with Grasso receiving a controversial 10-8 in the fifth round from one judge.
This third fight is highly likely to be close again. Both women are probably at their respective peaks now. Overall, then, this should be a great title fight and one that settles a truly great rivalry.
#1. Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili - UFC 306
The best fight set for Sept. is also one of the best fights of 2024. The fight in question, of course, is UFC 306's headliner, which will see bantamweight champ Sean O'Malley defend his strap against top contender Merab Dvalishvili.
This fight has been a long time coming, and both men have looked very impressive in the recent past. 'The Machine' is currently on a ten-fight win streak, and has claimed victories over Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan and Jose Also.
However, nobody could claim that this fight with O'Malley will be easy for him. The champion was once seen as a fighter who was protected by Dana White and company, but in the last couple of years, he's blown that theory out of the water.
After narrowly getting past Petr Yan in 2022, he shocked everyone by knocking out Aljamain Sterling to claim the title last summer. He has since dispatched Marlon Vera too, slicing him up with some beautiful striking in a one-sided bout.
On paper, this title bout is a classic striker vs. grappler matchup, but given how good both men are in their respective crafts, it's very difficult to pick a clear favorite.
