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UFC 313 went down last night in Las Vegas, and lived up to the billing as a big event. Following the show, we now have a new light-heavyweight champion.
So following UFC 313: Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev, is it time for a 205-pound title rematch? And what's next for some of the event's other big names?
There's no doubt that the promotion's matchmakers have a big job on their hands following this event, so it'll be interesting to see which direction they go in.
With this in mind, here are five fights to make following UFC 313: Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev.
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#5. UFC strawweight bout: Amanda Lemos vs. Tatiana Suarez
It wasn't the most entertaining bout of the night, but Amanda Lemos got the job done against up-and-comer Iasmin Lucindo at UFC 313.
Lemos essentially used her grappling and little else to shut Lucindo down, landing numerous takedowns and controlling most of the fight en route to a clear-cut decision win.
It wasn't flashy, but it was what the doctor ordered for a fighter in dire need of a win after a disappointing result last time out.
What's next for the Brazilian? A showdown with another former title challenger in Tatiana Suarez might make sense.
The two women were booked in an eventually-canceled bout in February 2024, meaning they've got some unfinished business.
More to the point, though, a big win for either could propel them back into the title picture, especially if current champ Weili Zhang vacates to move to 125 pounds as Dana White suggested last month.
Seeing how Lemos would deal with Suarez's powerful wrestling would be fascinating, making this fight one worth booking for later this year.
#4. UFC lightweight bout: Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Rafael Fiziev
One of two lightweight prospects to pick up the biggest win of their career at UFC 313, Ignacio Bahamondes should find himself in the top fifteen next week.
'La Jaula' dispatched No.13 ranked Jalin Turner with a slick first round triangle choke. He's now on a three-fight win streak, and has scored a Performance of the Night bonus in each of those wins.
Clearly lethal both on the feet and on the ground, the Chilean probably needs another step up after beating Turner so easily.
A good foe for him, then, could be No.11 ranked Rafael Fiziev. 'Ataman' lost to Justin Gaethje on late notice last night, but fought well and is still an elite-level lightweight.
If Bahamondes could come out on top against Fiziev, he'd be considered a legitimate title thread. Meanwhile, a win for Fiziev would get him firmly back on track too.
This fight would be a highly exciting one, and could make for a perfect Fight Night headliner.
#3. UFC lightweight bout: Mauricio Ruffy vs. Renato Moicano
UFC 313's most explosive performance definitely belonged to Mauricio Ruffy. The lightweight prospect lived up to his nickname, needing just 'One Shot' to turn the lights out on veteran Bobby 'King' Green.
The fact that the 'one shot' was a wild spinning wheel kick, of course, made things even better. This was probably one of the best knockouts in UFC history, in fact.
Despite the fact that he's only got three octagon wins to his name, Ruffy clearly has elite potential and ought to find himself in the top fifteen next week.
He also should face a higher-level foe next time out, so with that in mind, why not match him with Renato Moicano?
'Money Moicano' was unable to really test Islam Makhachev in a late-notice title bout, but he's become very used to turning back prospects, most notably stopping Benoit Saint Denis last year.
If Ruffy could get past his fellow Brazilian, then he'd crash into the top ten at 155 pounds. However, Moicano - a wily veteran - may be confident of finding a way to beat the Fighting Nerds representative.
Overall, this would be a great fight to make, and if the UFC intends to visit Brazil this year, it would be perfect for that card.
#2. UFC lightweight bout: Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker
While it wasn't a flawless performance, Justin Gaethje got back in the saddle last night, erasing some of the memories of his KO loss to Max Holloway.
Gaethje probably lost the first round of his clash with late-notice foe Rafael Fiziev, but clearly won the next two rounds, dropping 'Ataman' in the second and battering him with heavy strikes in the third.
'The Highlight' is clearly not shot post-Holloway, as some fans worried, and this win will keep him well afloat in the UFC's lightweight rankings.
Therefore, the promotion would probably be best to simply re-book the fight that he missed out on last night, against fellow brawler Dan Hooker.
That bout sounded like a potential classic war between two iron-chinned gladiators, with the winner probably moving onto another big fight somewhere down the road.
Basically, it's still the best fight for both right now, and so it ought to be put back together once Hooker has healed up from the hand injury that forced him out last night, while giving Gaethje a much-needed rest too, of course.
#1. UFC light-heavyweight title: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira
The big winner at UFC 313 was Magomed Ankalaev, who shocked a lot of fans by outpointing Alex Pereira to claim the light-heavyweight title.
Ankalaev showed no fear of the intimidating 'Poatan', and after a slow first round, he took the fight away from the Brazilian. He stunned him with a left hand in the second, and then largely worked him over from the clinch in the following three rounds to claim victory.
Who should the Dagestani's first title defense come against, then? The best option, realistically, would be a rematch with Pereira.
Firstly, there are no other viable contenders right now. Jiri Prochazka still probablt needs one more win to earn a title shot, while Jan Blachowicz and Carlos Ulberg are set to fight each other later this month.
Secondly, while Ankalaev earned his win, there are enough questions around the fight to make it worth doing again.
Did the Dagestani's clinch work really warrant him a victory? Why was Pereira so gun-shy late in the fight? How badly hurt was he after the second round? And were his struggles caused by Ankalaev's southpaw stance?
All of those questions could be answered by a rematch, and more importantly, Pereira - who had three successful defenses to his name prior to last night - deserves it, too.
Hopefully, then, the UFC can book this one again before 2025 is out.
