Matches to Make After UFC 260

The otherworldly punching power for which Francis Ngannou has always been revered finally carried him to the pinnacle of his profession.

“The Predator” cleared his final hurdle with room to spare, as he took care of Stipe Miocic with second-round punches and captured the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight crown in the UFC 260 main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Ngannou nailed the figurative coffin shut 52 seconds into Round 2, drawing rave reviews for the strides he made since falling short in the first meeting between the two titans in 2018.

Miocic shot for a takedown in the first round, only to crash and burn. Ngannou pancaked him with a sprawl and unleashed a torrent of destructive ground-and-pound that put the champion in a state of mental and physical retreat. The one-minute respite between rounds did Miocic no good. Ngannou staggered him with a short but devastating left hook early in the second, withstood some return fire and then uncorked a second left hook that folded the Euclid, Ohio, where he stood. One final hammerfist from the Cameroon-born Frenchman sealed the deal.

In the aftermath of UFC 260 “Miocic vs. Ngannou 2,” here are four matches that ought to be made:

Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones: Ngannou has turned away five consecutive opponents, none of whom survived to see a seventh minute against him. The 34-year-old Xtreme Couture representative completed his climb to the top of the heavyweight mountain with a performance that left no doubt about his superiority, as he needed a little more than a full round to wreck Miocic, an all-time great who had lost just once in his previous nine appearances. While the UFC could conceivably rematch Ngannou with Derrick Lewis—the last man to defeat him—the smart money remains on Jones. The polarizing pound-for-pound great relinquished his light heavyweight crown following a controversial title defense against Dominick Reyes in 2020 and announced his plan to move up in weight in a bid to become a two-division champion. Ngannou-Jones could smash box-office records.

Vicente Luque vs. Michael Chiesa: An often-overlooked piece of the UFC’s welterweight puzzle, Luque became the first man to submit Tyron Woodley in the co-headliner, as he tapped the former champion with a first-round brabo choke. Woodley conceded defeat 3:56 into Round 1. Luque weathered some surprising aggression from the Ferguson, Missouri, native and remained lucid despite wobbling on the end of an overhand right. “The Silent Assassin” turned the tables on Woodley with a counter right of his own, followed him to the fence and drove him to the canvas, at which point he locked in the choke and forced the tapout. Luque has rattled off three straight victories since a November 2019 decision loss to Stephen Thompson. Chiesa last appeared at UFC on ESPN 20, where he took a unanimous decision from Neil Magny in their Jan. 20 main event.

Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili-Cody Stamann winner: O’Malley kept his detractors at bay and rebounded from a Aug. 15 defeat to Marlon Vera, as he punched out Thomas Almeida in the third round of their bantamweight showcase. Almeida bowed out 3:52 into Round 3. The talented but oft-injured O’Malley has compiled a 5-1 record since joining the UFC roster in 2017 and remains a key player in the promotion’s plans moving forward, provided he can stay healthy and active. For now, the 26-year-old MMA Lab standout can continue to grow his skills on the fringes of the Top 15 at 135 pounds. Dvalishvili and Stamann will lock horns at UFC on ESPN 23 on May 1.

Miranda Maverick vs. Antonina Shevchenko-Andrea Lee winner: It has not taken Maverick long to become a person of interest in the women’s flyweight division. The Mackens Semerzier protégé extended her current winning streak to five fights and improved to 2-0 in the UFC with a unanimous decision over Gillian Anderson in a three-round feature at 125 pounds. Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Maverick. Just 23 years of age, the 5-foot-3 powerhouse has ample time to develop into a contender. Shevchenko and Lee have been booked opposite one another at UFC 262 on May 15.