Predict all division champions as of the end of 2019

My predictions:

Women's Strawweight champion: Jessica Andrade
Women's Flyweight champion: Valentina Shevchenko
Women's Bantamweight champion: Amanda Nunes
Women's Featherweight champion: Cris Cyborg
Men's Flyweight champion: Henry Cejudo
Men's Bantamweight champion: Marlon Moraes
Men's Featherweight champion: Jose Aldo
Men's Lightweight champion: Khabib Nurmagomedov
Men's Welterweight champion: Colby Covington
Men's Middleweight champion: Robert Whittaker
Men's Light Heavyweight champion: Jon Jones
Men's Heavyweight champion: Daniel Cormier

My reasoning:

I predict that Jessica will beat Rose Namajunas and hasn't got much other competition at that division (other than Joanna who is unlikely to want to cut that weight again). Tatiana is the future of that division but I'm predicting that she won't get the shot in the next 8 months.

Nobody is stopping Valentina at 125lbs, she will walk through Nicco and/or Eye in the next 8 months.

I think Amanda will out-point Holly and much like Valentina at 125lbs, I just don't see her losing to anyone in that division currently.

Cris Cyborg is the only star outside of Nunes at 145lbs. I predict that Nunes will drop that belt due to the reasoning of not wanting to yo-yo between weights. Cris will fight Megan or someone else and will regain that title.

I think Henry will lose to Moraes, although it'll be a great fight on paper. With a loss to Moraes he's going to want to hold onto a belt and I reckon Dana will allow him to defend against Joey B later in the year. Henry will still be champ by Dec 31st.

As aforementioned, Marlon beats Henry in my opinion. After that fight who is really competition for Marlon? Perhaps Yan later in the year? I reckon Marlon is the best in that division though, he'll keep that strap for a while.

Max Holloway beats Dustin Poirier and moves up weight permanently, bold prediction! Nobody else in that division is fucking with Jose Aldo, and it'll be a Cinderella story for Jose, once again becoming champ and going out on top.

Khabib vs Holloway later in the year, Khabib wrestle-fucks his way to a W and probably ends the year with his one fight being Max. Still champ, until Tony returns in 2020.

This might be the hardest one to predict, but with Woodley out of the picture, Colby/Marty being tough style match-ups with Ben Askren, I just think Colby is going to sneak this. I think Usman and Covington happens sometime in the summer and Colby outworks Kamaru. He may very well not defend it after that until 2020, but if he does it's going to be against Askren and I have Colby over him also.

Another tough pick, but this is how I see it going down. Israel out-points Kelvin and sets up a huge Aus/NZ battle later in the year, Robert wins it and holds the title until he fights Yoel somewhere down the line, again.

Jon Jones, duh. If he can get past one last tough test in Santos then it's back to easy fights.

Daniel Cormier doesn't appear to be keen on fighting. No fights booked, but no rumours of being stripped. If JDS beats Ngannou, he'll be next. If Ngannou beats JDS, he'll be next. DC beats both, or Stipe, or Brock. DC will remain champ.

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Let's hear your picks!

 

Henry Cejudo FW
Henry Cejudo BW
Max Holloway
Khabib Nurmagomedov
Ben Askren
Robert Whittaker
Anthony Smith
Francis Ngannou

 

Women's Strawweight champion: Jessica Andrade
Women's Flyweight champion: Valentina Shevchenko
Women's Bantamweight champion: Amanda Nunes
Women's Featherweight champion: Cris Cyborg
Men's Flyweight champion: Henry Cejudo
Men's Bantamweight champion: Marlon Moraes
Men's Featherweight champion: Max
Men's Lightweight champion: Gathje
Men's Welterweight champion: Askren
Men's Middleweight champion: Kelvin
Men's Light Heavyweight champion: Jon Jones
Men's Heavyweight champion: JDS

 

JDS beats DC?

 

If he beats Francis, I think he will have the momentum to defeat an aging (yes JDS is 35) DC.

 

I feel DC will be retired by the end of 2019.

HW: Ngannou
LHW: Jones
MW: Whittaker
WW: Usman
LW: Khabib
FW: Holloway
BW: Cejudo
FLW: Dissolved

 

Don't see the point specifying men for divisions that don't have female versions. Doesn't matter just saying it.

HW-vacant or Stipe-DC looks like he wants Brock and he'll be done after that. If that fight happens this year I expect him to be gone by new years. Think it would be best for his legacy to get Stipe's record of four title defenses but dude's over 40. He previously set 40 as his retirement date and is only pushing it back for a low risk high reward Brock fight. Don't see him fighting Stipe or Ngannou after that's done. Expect Stipe to fight the Stipe or Ngannou winner for the belt or an interim belt. I expect Stipe to win again.

LHW-Jones-Doesn't need an explanation.

MW-Israel-Gigantic MW, fighting an interim belt against a guy I can't see beating him and fighting a champ I can't see beating him. Think Israel didn't go all out against AS out of respect. Romero and Jacare at least a few years ago might have had a chance but think their windows are shut and both could be retired by the end of the year.

WW-Marty-Dude's undefeated, can't pick against him after what he did to a longtime champ. Askren and Colby don't have no chance but would be surprised if Marty lost to either of them or Masvidal.

LW-Max-I expect him to win the interim title and fight Khabib by the end of the year. I think Max beats Khabib. Thus I think Max is champ.

FW-Have no earthly idea tbh. Max is at 155 and Aldo apparently is retiring regardless if he could be champ again. This means I don't really know just that it will be someone else. Zabit, Ortega, guy who Aldo's fighting take your pick.

BW-Moraes or Cjuedo. Think Cjuedo has a chance but Cjeudo won't be defending the belt if he wins, he'll either be off to 125 or be doing that champ champ champ thing he wants to. That and his promise to 125 means even if he wins don't see him staying around at 135. The situation at 145 above also means Cjuedo would have something resembling an opening. Among the people already there I think Moraes is the best.

FLW-Cjuedo or Joe B assuming it still exists. They might still be killing the division but at least one more title fight has been confirmed as Joe B and Silva are fighting for a shot. Given Joe B's age(assuming Silva will lose same as in every title eliminator he's been in, it's basically what he does), I got to pick Cjuedo here and think Joe B's role as little Gus will be cemented in the books. Joe B's got a chance though would be fitting for the division to end with the man who was expected to win the first belt finally getting it at the very end.

Women's 145-Cyborg or the division won't exist. Division might be in as bad a shape as 125 cause this division exists really so the woman who insists on fighting there could be in the UFC. Cyborg losing puts this divisions future at risk more so than even 125 because it doesn't really exist yet.

Women's 135-Nunes. The only real champ champ in UFC history who did it right, dominated their division, went up beat a larger dominant champ then came back down. If Cyborg can't beat her, not picking one of her peers to.

Women's 125-I don't know anything about this division. Came into being when I was taking a break from MMA.

Women's 115-Don't know ANYTHING about this division same as 125, except that Rose is most attractive WMMA fighter so I'm pulling for her to be champ.

 

WMMA-who cares
FW-Henry
BW-Dominick
FW-Zabit
LW-Tony
WW-Khabib
MW-Robert (Mousasi#1)
LHW-Jon
HW-Alistair

 

I am not into WMMA, but here is my prediction for the lads:

HW: Francis
LHW: Jon
MW: Bobby
WW: Tyron
LW: Khabib
FW: Max
FLW/BW: Henry

 

Men's Flyweight champion: Henry Cejudo
Men's Bantamweight champion: Marlon Moraes
Men's Featherweight champion: Max Holloway
Men's Lightweight champion: Khabib Nurmagomedov
Men's Welterweight champion: Ben Askren
Men's Middleweight champion: Robert Whittaker
Men's Light Heavyweight champion: Jon Jones
Men's Heavyweight champion: Francis Ngannou

 

DC will take the Brock fight and done.

Too bad he doesnt defend the belt

 

Anthony Smith?????

 

Same as it is right now.
Only question marks around if Max vacates to stay at 155 and if DC retires.

Small asterisk around Whittaker rehab going well and Jon not getting in trouble again.

 

No

 

Put money on it boi

 

Flyweight: Jospeh Benavidez
Bantamweight: Marlon Moraes
Featherweight: Max Holloway
Lightweight: Tony Ferguson
Welterweight: Colby Covington
Middleweight: Robert Whittaker
Light Heavyweight: Thiago Santos
Heavyweight: Francis Ngannou

 

Sure. Jones fights Santos in July. Then Reyes will get next shot say Oct-Nov. Then Walker will be next in line and that fight might not even happen in 2019.

So how do you think a guy that is 31-14 and just got destroyed by the Champ is getting another title shot this year???

 

I'll bet you 100 bucks that Khabib doesn't even fight at Welterweight this year, never mind winning the title.

 

Jones won't get by Santos, or Walker.

Smith on the ladder for contender

 

If Jones loses to either Santos or Walker he will get immediate rematch which still means your boy Smith aint ever getting a LHW belt in 2019