Predicting the next UFC title fights in 5 divisions

#2 Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev - UFC lightweight championship

Makhachev is currently the no. 4 ranked fighter at lightweight

At one point, UFC president Dana White stated that Islam Makhachev would have to defeat Beneil Dariush to earn a shot at the lightweight title. However, after Charles Oliveira was stripped of his title for missing weight in May, he seemed to be wavering on this decision.

Oliveira defeated Justin Gaethje that night and will undoubtedly be one half of the next title fight in the division. The lack of alternatives to Makhachev leads one to think this might be the fight that gets made. Michael Chandler lost to Oliveira only recently and Conor McGregor's return appears more likely to be at welterweight.

Therefore, it seems increasingly likely that it will be Oliveira vs. Makhachev for the vacant lightweight title. While there remain question marks over the strength of opposition Makhachev has faced, he has been demolishing his opponents in recent times.

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#1 Carla Esparza vs. Weili Zhang - UFC women's strawweight championship

Zhang is currently the no. 2 ranked fighter at strawweight

Carla Esparza did not set the world on fire with her title-winning performance against Rose Namajunas. However, the way that fight played out means an immediate rematch won't be in high demand and so a new challenger will likely be selected.

Weili Zhang looks to have claimed that spot with her sensational victory over Joanna Jedrzejczyk on June 11. That fight already appeared to be a number one contender's bout but the spectacular nature of the finish surely secured her the title shot.

Esparza and Zhang is the fight to make in the strawweight division and this one seems the most certain of all the predictions on this list. If talks aren't already in discussion for this bout, expect them to get underway before long. While Esparza is now a two-time champ, Zhang could well be the favorite heading into this one.