Given the timing of UFC 324 and the availability of worthy champions who haven’t been booked, below is a ranking of five potential event headliners – and, really, these are realistically the only five if the “big fight feel” is what we’re going for.
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1. Ilya Topuria vs Paddy Pimblett
Not only is it number 1 on this list, but it’s OneBattle of the making – period. Yes, Arman Tsarukyan returned from a 19-month layoff with an impressive win over Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar last Saturday, but there’s no need to rush his return. Pimblett has yet to lose in seven UFC appearances, is officially ranked No. 5, has already faced off with the champion, and has a heated history with Topuria, who is arguably the biggest star in the sport at the moment, making this matchup must-see TV on many levels. If the UFC does not make Topuria vs. Pimblett and instead opts for another Justin Gaethje title fight, it will be disappointing to fans.
2. Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes
Harrison is the current biggest female star in the sport, Nunes is the unanimous female GOAT, they used to be friends and training partners on American Top Team, and what more could you want? On paper, this would already be an elite level women’s MMA matchup. You add the above intrigue around it, and now you have a big fight that puts the Paramount debut in the spotlight.
3. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nasourdin Imavov
Admittedly, the “big-fight-feel” energy diminishes significantly from the first two to the next three. But if you can’t make any of those fights, booking Chimaev in an interesting bout with Imaev would suffice. Since this is the first middleweight title defense of Chimaev’s reign, why not make it Paramount’s first headliner, where, presumably, a larger audience will be ready to get acquainted with the UFC’s “Boogeyman.”
In combat sports, heavyweight has always been a glamor division, and you could do worse than a UFC Heavyweight Championship fight for a Paramount debut headliner. Aspinall and Gane have unfinished business to settle after the main event of UFC 321 ended in a no contest due to a poke to Gane’s eye. The timing is perfect to move it back to an even bigger location – assuming Aspinall’s eye recovers.
5. Alex Pereira vs. Carlos Ulberg
If all else fails, just call Pereira! He has been there from time to time to headline events on short notice for the UFC, which has made him a legend and star of the sport in a short time. Why wasn’t he cast in the lead role in his Paramount debut? The matchup with Ulberg isn’t particularly big-time from a name-value standpoint, but Pereira himself is the draw, making any fight a must-see on TV.
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