MMA is known for producing almost impossible moments.
Wild knockouts, slick submissions and downright bizarre post-fight interviews have become commonplace in the sport the world has come to love over the past thirty years.
With another great year of battles almost behind us, the staff at Bloody Elbow is looking forward to the weird and wonderful things in store for 2025.
From Jon Jones being eliminated and Alex Pereira retiring to a tech mogul making his debut in the sport. If even half of our predictions come true, the next twelve months will be nothing short of extraordinary.
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Bloody Elbow contributors share bold predictions for 2025
Jordan Ellis: “I think we will see Mark Zuckerberg make his MMA debut in 2025. The Facebook billionaire won't be fighting Elon Musk, nor will he be competing in the Colosseum in Rome, but he will have some form of fight in the next 12 months.
Donagh Corby: “As far as I'm concerned, Nate Diaz is pretty much done as a serious competitor in the octagon or the boxing ring. I saw him lose to Jorge Masvidal in their fight earlier this year, and I imagine he'll have a tough time in the cage. He didn't win a round on my scorecard in the boxing ring with Jake Paul, who is also an established wrestler from his youth. If Diaz fails to catch him in a wrestling match, I think with smaller gloves and kicks implemented he will take out the Stockton star, and a $10 million offer from PFL might just get him back in the cage .
Tom Llewellyn: “This one hurts me; I believe Jon Jones will retire or at least vacate the title in 2025, leaving Tom Aspinall the one to welcome Alex Pereira to heavyweight for a superfight later this year.
But with 'Poatan' set to celebrate his 38th birthday in July, it will only be a one-off move for the Brazilian – and it won't go well.
Aspinall is faster, more powerful and has been open about his plan to spear Pereira in the opening ten seconds. Either way, Alex Pereira retires with a KO loss.”
Jamie Theodosi: “I had a hard time coming up with something for this because in the world of MMA, things just don't seem as bizarre or daring anymore. However, my bold prediction is that Ilia Topuria will finish 2025 as doubles champion. I think Islam Makhachev will eventually move up to welterweight and Topuria will claim the lightweight title.”
James Sweetnam: “Jon Jones is considered by many to be the greatest mixed martial artist of all time – a man with unparalleled creativity, a truly sensational fight IQ and a resume so amazing that it stakes his claim as the best ever on the rankings can put. octagon. However, that will all come crashing down around him when Tom Aspinall brutally knocks him unconscious in under 30 seconds. Although the undisputed heavyweight champion has seen almost everything there is to see in the sport, he has never encountered anyone with the size and speed of the Englishman, and that will pay off in the fight as the American doesn't know what hit him . his rival brings his chin into orbit with one of his thunderous right hands.
Curtis Calhoun: “All three female UFC champions (Zhang Weili, Valentina Shevchenko, Julianna Pena) will lose their titles by the end of 2025.
“Expect big changes in women's MMA in 2025. Zhang Weili will be the first female UFC champion to lose her title in the new year after suffering a lopsided defeat to Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312.
“Julianna Pena will suffer a similar fate to Kayla Harrison in the first title defense of her second bantamweight title reign, and Valentina Shevchenko will suffer a TKO loss to Manon Fiorot.
“The women's divisions have seen significant turnover in recent years and expect more parody in 2025.”
Dana White unveils plans for 2025
UFC boss Dana White has his work cut out for him if he wants to surpass 2024.
Conor McGregor is about to return to action. MMA's biggest star of all time has been out of action since breaking his leg in a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.
An exhibition boxing fight with Logan Paul is believed to be in the works, but 'Notorious' will almost certainly return to the Octagon sometime next year.
White recently spoke about a “crazy” fight he is currently working on, as well as a heavyweight unification clash between Jon Jones and interim heavyweight titlist Tom Aspinall.
The UFC CEO recently guaranteed that Jones vs Aspinall will take place in 2025.
Everything else remains up in the air at this point. All MMA fans can do is wait to see what the UFC has in store. Until then, you, like our employees, will continue to make bold predictions. Only time will tell if any of these will become a reality.
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