Ditcheva v Shevchenko & Jones v Aspinall – five fights we want in 2025

If the stars align, 2025 could be another exciting year for British MMA fans.

Will Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall finally compete for the title of undisputed heavyweight in the UFC?

What will Dakota Ditcheva do after becoming the first British woman to win an MMA world title?

What will Paddy Pimblett’s follow-up to his welterweight victory over Bobby Green on the same card and how will Leon Edwards recover from his loss in July?

There really isn’t anywhere else we could have started.

More than a year ago, Tom Aspinall of Britain won the interim title in November 2023, making it the UFC’s longest-running heavyweight champion.

In November, Jon Jones will undoubtedly face off against Stipe Miocic in a fierce matchup.

Aspinall wants it, American Jones claims he doesn’t, while UFC president Dana White says he is “100% sure” the fight will happen.

This one is unlikely to happen because the pair are with different promotions, but it’s one we’d love to see.

Shevchenko, from Kyrgyzstan, defeated Alexa Grasso in a landmark trilogy fight in September, while Ditcheva, from Britain, defeated Taila Santos to win the PFL flyweight belt in November, reclaiming her UFC title.

Ditcheva’s resume is remarkable, finishing 13 of her 14 opponents, and with top contenders running thin in the PFL, what better way than to test yourself than against a fighter many consider the flyweight GOAT?

Shevchenko is a two-time champion, having defended the belt seven times during her first title run from 2019-2022.

This fight makes sense for a few reasons.

Machado Garry, who defeated Belal Muhammad in July, would be a good fit for Britain’s Edwards, who is aiming to defeat a top competitor and reclaim the title of welterweight champion.

The Irishman is now aiming to reclaim his title fight after losing to Shavkat Rakhmonov last month and is now targeting another well-known name like Edwards.

After training together in 2023, Machado Garry reportedly received an exemption from Edwards’ “Team Renegade gym in Birmingham.

In order to continue his unbeaten start in the UFC, Pimblett won a statement victory over American Bobby Green in a one-time fight in 2024.

The win moved Liverpool’s Pimblett up to 13th in the UFC’s lightweight rankings and a top-10 opponent could be on the horizon.

Of the opponents available, seventh-ranked American Michael Chandler stands out.

Win or lose, Chandler always entertains, proven by his defeat by Charles Oliveira in November, where he slammed the Brazilian to the canvas twice in the closing stages.

He would be perfect for a fight between two well-known Pimbletts.

Muhammad Mokaev has had a difficult year, winning twice in the UFC to increase his unbeaten streak to 13 before being let go by the promotion in July.

He defeated Joevincent So last month for his 14th career victory by signing with Bahrain-based Brave Combat Federation in August.

White and the Briton have both mentioned problems that exist in the background and why Mokaev was let go by the UFC, but White has stated his desire to return to the promotion.

Meanwhile, Alexandre Pantoja, the reigning UFC flyweight champion, defeated Kai Asakura last month to retain his title. He has already defeated many of the division’s top competitors.