Khamzat Chimaev vs Jared Cannonier (Title Eliminator)

Jared Cannonier has spoken out about fighting Khamzat Chimaev (pictured) in his next fight, but could be convinced with the right offer. Photo by Yahoo Sports.

Jared Cannonier started his MMA career in Alaska, and has gone from heavyweight all the way down to middleweight in his UFC career. Jared Cannonier is coming off of a solid winning performance against Marvin Vettori, who once again proved that his chin is made from some otherworldly alloy. The “Killa Gorilla” has vehemently expressed his reservations against fighting Khamzat Chimaev next, citing Chimaev’s lack of experience in the division. However, money talks, and Jared Cannonier would surely listen if the winner were assured the next title shot. It wasn’t too long ago that Chimaev fought three times in three months to start his UFC career, but “Borz” has since stayed on the sidelines, save for two fights at welterweight in 2022. Fans are currently questioning the reasoning for his lack of activity, but the UFC likely wants to exercise caution with their new star, wanting to give him the right matchups at the right moments to maximize his value.

Conversely, Jared Cannonier is relatively stuck being the third-best guy at middleweight, losing decisively by decision to Robert Whittaker, and losing by decision to Israel Adesanya. The UFC will look to hold off on booking his next fight until they see the results of Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis in early July, given that Dricus could earn a title shot with a win, but Whittaker may have to do a little bit more, given his 0-2 record against the champion. Whether it’s a Whittaker rematch or a Chimaev showdown, Jared Cannonier should be one fight away from another title opportunity, and at 39 years old, time is of the essence for the MMA Lab product. Jared Cannonier’s next fight should be a title eliminator against Khamzat Chimaev, and Khamzat Chimaev’s next fight should be against a top contender at in the UFC middleweight division.

Jack Hermansson vs Derek Brunson

Derek Brunson was already scheduled against Jack Hermansson in the past, so they have unfinished business. Photo by Cageside Press.

Derek Brunson’s UFC run is as underrated as they come, compiling a 14-7 record in the promotion with nine finishes. Derek Brunson has a 23-9 record overall, showing how much of his career he made in the UFC. His last two fights depicted that his days of competing for a UFC title are over, but that doesn’t mean we can’t give the former title contender the send-off he deserves. Derek Brunson was scheduled to fight Jack Hermansson last December but had to pull out due to injury. Despite losing by KO/TKO in his last two fights, he still sits in the eighth spot of the UFC middleweight rankings, close to Jack Hermansson, who sits at 10. The two ground specialists haven’t been tested recently by fighters who have specialized in grappling for a long time, so it would be a refreshing change of pace for both fighters.

Jack Hermansson has a 23-8 record and is also coming from a TKO loss to Roman Dolidze, who replaced Brunson in December for a short-notice opportunity. This was Jack Hermansson’s worst performance in years, so the Swedish wrestler deserves an opportunity to redeem himself. Roman Dolidze’s grappling reversal into vicious ground-and-pound showed openings that Brunson could capitalize on. Still, the kickboxing from distance that Jack Hermansson showed in his fight against Chris Curtis could serve as a kryptonite for Derek Brunson, who likes to get in close to cause damage. Either way, both fighters need to get back in the win column, and this matchup would give Brunson a winnable, competitive opportunity to finish his career with a W.

Roman Dolidze vs Nassourdine Imavov

Nassourdine Imavov should look to get right back into the cage after his No Contest against Chris Curtis, barring injury. Photo by MyMMANews.com.

For a guy who isn’t talked about that much, Roman Dolidze has experienced an unprecedented rise in the UFC in the last two years. In just March 2021, Roman Dolidze lost a decision against unranked Trevin Giles. Since then, he went 4-0 with three finishes, quickly rising to title contention. He faced a bump in the road the last time out in a closely contested decision loss to Marvin Vettori, who had just lost his own last fight. While this pushed his timeline backward, not all is lost for the Georgian contender since he now sits firmly entrenched in the UFC middleweight rankings. Now sitting in the ninth spot, Roman Dolidze probably needs two more wins to get back into the title conversation. While he should face a lower-ranked opponent following a loss, fighting Nassourdine Imavov would put him back on the right track.

Nassourdine Imavov fought Chris Curtis a few weeks ago, and while he was winning the fight for as long as it lasted, it unfortunately ended in an accidental headbutt. Therefore, The fight would be ruled a No Contest, putting Nassourdine Imavov and Chris Curtis back into the same position they started. Despite the result, Nassourdine Imavov’s stock likely went slightly up, given his performance up until the accident. He should therefore deserve somewhat of a step up in competition, with Roman Dolidze being the perfect booking. With just one ranked opponent on Roman Dolidze’s record, the Georgian would benefit from fighting a contender who has faced three ranked opponents (Chris Curtis, Sean Strickland, and Edmen Shahbazyan (was ranked at the time of their fight)). On Nassourdine Imavov’s end, he wants Roman Dolidze’s ranking spot. Both fighters enjoy a striking affair but are happy to take it to the ground. Roman Dolidze has a clear power advantage, but Imavov’s length and slight grappling advantage could be an issue. Nassourdine Imavov has shown a propensity to gas out in the later rounds, but this could be an excellent three-round fight for him.

Caio Borralho vs Joe Pyfer

Joe Pyfer is riding an amazing hot streak, could anybody stop him? Photo by Yahoo Sports.

This battle of two prospects could lead to a UFC ranking spot or at least an opportunity to break through the UFC middleweight rankings afterward. Caio Borralho and Joe Pyfer have been perfect since entering the UFC from Dana White’s Contender series. Caio Borralho has already logged four straight wins in the promotion, finally earning his first finish inside the octagon with a submission win against Michał Oleksiejczuk. Despite the lack of finishes, Caio Borralho’s strength of schedule up until this point shows that he’s ready for that next level of competition in his career.

Enter Joe Pyfer, who made the biggest splash in the contender series last year aside from Bo Nickal and the 17-year-old. With two vicious first-round KOs to start his UFC career, followed by an impressive Fury Pro grappling circuit run, Joe Pyfer is equipped with all of the tools necessary not just to be a fan favorite in the promotion but also a legitimate contender. He would have the chance to prove that against a no-nonsense fighter like Caio Borralho, who won’t just play into Joe Pyfer’s fan-friendly style and will prioritize a win over anything. While Caio Borralho’s fights haven’t always been the most exciting, his suffocating ground control has been impressive. While the UFC may want to keep these two prospects from each other, I say the time is now for these two surging young fighters.

Rodolfo Vieira vs Armen Petrosyan

Rodolfo Vieira is one of the best submission artists in the UFC. Photo by UFC Youtube.

It’s constantly refreshing to see jiu-jitsu aces find success in mixed martial arts, and they don’t get more experienced than former ADCC Champion Rodolfo Vieira. The grappling ace has hovered around the UFC Middleweight Top 15 for a while now, with his only losses in the promotion coming against 15th-ranked Chris Curtis and Anthony Hernandez, who is scheduled to fight Chris Curtis for his ranking spot. The specialist rarely sees a decision, with his first such result coming in that Curtis bout. His last time out, he re-discovered his winning ways against fellow grappling specialist Cody Brundage, who fights this weekend. Rodolfo Vieira will probably need one or two more wins before getting a ranked opportunity, but a win against “The Black Belt Hunter” is a feather in the cap of any fighter who can get it done.

Armen Petrosyan just won his second straight fight this past weekend against English striker Christian Leroy Duncan in a fight that most people counted him out, giving him a decent amount of steam heading into the future. The Armenian striker has only seen the scorecards in his UFC career but has built a 3-1 record against tough opposition. With his only UFC loss coming against Caio Borralho, Armen Petrosyan still has much more fighting to do before he gets written off as a journeyman. With both fighters coming off of wins, this matchup would be an excellent opportunity to see who continues their trek toward becoming a contender. Still, it could also serve as the stylistic matchup needed to see which fighter has overcome their faults. Vieira gets an opportunity to submit someone who’s never been submitted and finish someone who has always seen a decision in the UFC. At the same time, Armen Petrosyan can fight a grappler to redeem himself for his loss against Caio Borralho. Book it, Dana!

Quick Hitter FAQs

What weight is middleweight? – UFC Middleweight is 185 lbs, or 84 kg.

Who is the UFC middleweight champion? – Israel Adesanya is the UFC middleweight champion.

Where is Khamzat Chimaev from? – Khamzat Chimaev is from Sweden, but originally hails from Chechnya.

Where is Joe Pyfer from? – Joe Pyfer is from Philadelphia and grew up in an abusive home. He rose to stardom after a spectacular performance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022.