Predicting the UFC champions at the end of 2019

#2 Women’s Flyweight

Valentina Shevchenko looks pretty secure as Flyweight champion for 2019

Current champion: Valentina Shevchenko

Predicted champion: Valentina Shevchenko

Given she had a tremendous run as an undersized Bantamweight, it’s hard to see anyone toppling current UFC Women’s Flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko in 2019. She defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk – one of her toughest challenges – to claim the title, and right now, the list of contenders for her remains pretty thin.

With 3 wins in the division, it looks like Jessica Eye is next in line, but it’s hard to see the veteran being the one to defeat ‘The Bullet’; she seems inferior in all areas in my opinion. And right now the likes of Sijara Eubanks and Katlyn Chookagian are simply too unproven to be solid picks to dethrone Shevchenko.

A wild card could emerge to shock everyone – someone like Ashlee Evans-Smith or Andrea Lee – but I’m confident in saying that Shevchenko will still have the gold around her waist when 2019 comes to an end.

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#1 Women’s Strawweight

Could Tatiana Suarez end the year as champion at Strawweight

Current champion: Rose Namajunas

Predicted champion: Tatiana Suarez

Current UFC Women’s Strawweight champ Rose Namajunas hasn’t fought since April, but hopefully, she’ll return in early 2019 to take on current top contender Jessica Andrade. It’s a tough fight for ‘Thug Rose’ given Andrade’s insane power at 115lbs, but it’s still one I’d pick her to win; Joanna Jedrzejczyk picked Andrade apart in their fight in 2017 and Namajunas has proven to be at least Jedrzejczyk’s equal when it comes to striking in MMA.

I don’t see Rose holding the title come the end of the year, though. That’s because there’s a monster prospect by the name of Tatiana Suarez shooting up the ladder rapidly. The TUF 22 winner absolutely destroyed former champ Carla Esparza in September, and I don’t see anyone in the division having an answer for her world-class wrestling and grappling skills.

If she ends up fighting Rose later in 2019, which I think will happen, then I see Suarez controlling the champion on the ground and grinding her out for either a late submission or a decision victory. Either way, the former Olympic wrestling hopeful will end the year with UFC gold in my opinion.