Who Is Headlining UFC on December 2nd
Many fans may have realized how stacked UFC Fight Night 233, or UFC on ESPN+ 91, is getting. With massive matchups announced for the undercard, such as Jared Cannonier vs. Roman Dolidze and Sean Brady vs. Kelvin Gastelum, everyone wants to know who's headlining the card.
Let's break down the most likely outcomes for the card and try to answer who is headlining this stacked December 2nd card.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Arnold Allen
One potential matchup for the main event is the former Featherweight Interim Champion Yair Rodriguez vs. Arnold Allen. This would be a higher-ranked matchup than Cannonier vs. Dolidze, likely stealing the main event spotlight from them. Furthermore, both fighters have massive backing from their countries, creating a Mexico vs. England standoff in what would be a respectful but crazy main-event clash. Furthermore, with both fighters coming off losses, they'll be fuelled to get back in the win column, creating an excellent five-round bout.
Kamaru Usman vs. Belal Muhammad
Another potential matchup could see Kamaru Usman return to a non-PPV card since 2018 against the rising Welterweight contender Belal Muhammad. If they truly want to stack this card up, it needs a heavy-hitting main event, and this bout would undoubtedly deliver, with massive title implications and a #1 contender spot on the line. Usman is coming off back-to-back losses to Leon Edwards and must prove he can still compete with the best. Belal Muhammad is on a nine-fight win streak, excluding his NC to Leon Edwards, and is eager to claim the Welterweight title shot.
Tom Aspinall, Ciryl Gane, and Sergei Pavlovich
Heavyweight is an option for a strong main event headliner. With three top contenders attempting to reach the belt, it wouldn't be a surprise if two of the three got a chance at a number one contender bout. Tom Aspinall is 6-1 in the UFC, and his only loss was an injury to Curtis Blaydes. Coming off a sub-minute TKO vs. Marcin Tybura, Aspinall has stated he wants Pavlovich or Gane next, which makes a lot of sense. Pavlovich has gone undefeated since his UFC debut, with all of his victories coming via finish, and Gane has only ever lost in title fights, making any combination of these matchups a spectacle for fans, with high stakes in the division.
Vacant Title Bout for Women's Bantamweight title
Like UFC Noche, headlined by Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso, the women could take center stage on a stacked fight night card. Following Amanda Nunes' retirement, the Women's Bantamweight division has not had a Champion reign over it since June. Furthermore, there are still plenty of contenders in the division, including Juliana Pena, Raquel Pennington, and Ketlen Vieira. We could see a Champion finally get crowned to close out 2023.
So what do you guys think? Who would you like to see headline this card? As a member of the Verdict Community, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
