Matches to Make After UFC 278

UFC 278 featured one of the great pound-for-pound champions in the sport, Kamaru Usman, defending against a superb challenger in the absurdly skilled Leon Edwards. Edwards hadn't lost in almost seven years, not since late 2015 as a 23-year-old to Usman, and Usman had won 15 straight fights in the UFC, attempting to match the record of 16 set by Anderson Silva. Twenty-four minutes into the fight, it appeared Usman would do that, having won three of the first four rounds with a masterful blend of grappling and short-range striking, and about to take the final stanza. The commentators were all talking about how Edwards had given up, with Din Thomas ridiculously claiming he would find it a “moral victory” to survive to the final bell.

And then lightning struck, in the form of a sublime Edwards left head kick that rendered Usman unconscious on the canvas, his winning streak, perfect UFC record and title reign all instantly obliterated. “Rocky” had scored a more amazing and dramatic victory than anything his fictional boxer namesake had done across five films. Elsewhere, Paulo Costa won a unanimous decision over Luke Rockhold that was highly entertaining if not a paragon of either skill or cardio, with Rockhold retiring afterwards, and Merab Dvalishvili defeated perhaps the greatest MMA fighter of all time, Jose Aldo, in a close but largely bloodless bantamweight contenders’ match. Let's think of some tantalizing bouts that should be booked in the aftermath of this pay-per-view:

Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3

Normally I'm not a fan of the UFC booking immediate rematches whenever a title changes hands. It demonstrates poor match-making. But this is an exception: Usman was solidly and convincingly winning prior to being slept. There would be far more hype and excitement for the rubber match than for their second meeting. There is also considerable reason to believe that Edwards would do better over the first 24 minutes, as he is likely still improving at 30 years old while Usman might well be declining at 35. The tie-breaking trilogy fight would certainly be one of the biggest for all of 2023.

Paulo Costa vs. Paul Craig—at Light Heavyweight

Costa may have won, but it was anything but impressive. Rockhold was so thoroughly tired that he bent over like a basketball player, his hands on his knees and head forward, yet Costa was too tired to ever kick or uppercut him in the face. In fact, it was actually Rockhold who was consistently landing hard, damaging shots throughout Rounds 2 and 3, as exhausted as he was. Costa needs to change something, because his increasing lack of cardio and slow movement is now going to be exploited ruthlessly by top middleweight contenders. So instead of killing himself to make 185 pounds, why not move up to 205 permanently? It might give his career fresh life, and a fine first fight would be against Craig, a tricky and determined foe. It would be a classic striker vs. grappler battle where a finish could come at any time for either man. Will Craig find a way to submit the hulking knockout artist, or will Costa announce his arrival in the light heavyweight division with another thunderous finish of a Top 10 contender? It's an intriguing battle.

Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen-Yadong Song winner

When asked about fighting his stablemate, bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling, Dvalishvili credited Sterling with all his success in the sport and said he would refuse to challenge his “brother.” That's OK, since there is no shortage of other exciting fights to book in the division. In particular, I would love to see Dvalishvili against an elite striker with fantastic defensive grappling. That describes Sandhagen better than Song, but either one would make for an excellent, highly billed showdown against the relentless Dvalishvili. Against Sandhagen in particular, Dvalishvili wouldn't be able to keep him against the cage as much as he did against Aldo.

Jose Aldo vs. Dominick Cruz

Aldo's hope for another crack at the bantamweight belt—he lost to Petr Yan in his first attempt—was likely dashed on Saturday, but he took little damage, and there is no reason he can't have a few big fights before laying down his gloves. Facing another legendary champion in Dominick Cruz thus makes perfect sense. The greatest featherweight champion ever against the greatest bantamweight champion ever. The overwhelming offensive firepower of Aldo against the tremendous movement, defense and intelligence of Cruz. This duel between two all-time greats who are still very good would be an amazing treat for fans.