2024 was another year of challenge and change in mixed martial arts, but with that chapter expired, there’s a chance to start brand new in 2025.
There are a lot of unknowns going into the new year, so without further ado, here are five bold predictions for 2025 …
Dricus Du Plessis ends 2025 as middleweight champion
UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis is somehow consistently underestimated despite his unbeaten record in the promotion that includes not only capturing a title, but successfully defending it against the greatest modern fighter in divisional history in Israel Adesanya.
It’s been a stellar stretch for Du Plessis, and if he can hang on to that 185-pound title for the next 12 months, it would be a defining period for his career.
Although many, including Du Plessis himself, would’ve preferred Khamzat Chimaev for his next title defense, it will instead be a rematch with Sean Strickland, which serves as the main event of UFC 312 on Feb. 8 in Sydney.
Although Strickland is a polarizing figure, it’s undeniable that he has been Du Plessis’ toughest fight in the UFC so far. The pair battled to a split decision at UFC 297 last January, and Strickland will carry the confidence of that competitive affair (which he thinks he won) into the rematch.
If Du Plessis is able to get through that, then his next fight must be Chimaev, who many believe is simply awaiting his coronation as UFC champion. Chimaev would be the betting favorite as the challenger, so as long as this matchup happens in 2025, Du Plessis ending the year with gold would be considered an upset scenario.
PFL bids farewell to traditional season format
2025 is the most pivotal year in PFL history. This is an undeniable statement.
After acquiring Bellator in late 2023, it was a largely disastrous 2024 for the organization, which co-founder Donn Davis has repeatedly touted as the “co-leader” to UFC in the MMA space.
There was a few bright spots for PFL over the past year, from Dakota Ditcheva’s rise to getting a fight and winning performance out of Francis Ngannou. Multiple things need to be different in the coming year, though, and it starts with doing away with the traditional season format – or at least scaling back on the number of weight classes.
Although I respect PFL’s approach of making a meritocracy situation where the opportunity for a season title and $1 million prize are earned through results, it’s hard to claim it has been an overwhelmingly beneficial formula. It’s often the very skilled but far lesser-known fighters who claim these season titles, and there are limited instances of those champions becoming a useful promotional tool.
I do feel like the PFL brass are coming to terms with this reality, and I predict significant change going into 2025. It should either do away with the season and points format completely and shift into divisional grand prix-style tournaments, or simply scale back to one or two of the deepest and more intriguing divisions, giving fans more reason to follow along throughout the year.
Islam Makhachev breaks Anderson Silva’s UFC winning streak record
For many years, I have held the utmost belief that Anderson Silva’s record of 16 consecutive UFC victories is perhaps the most unbreakable major record in the promotion.
Kamaru Usman was a few minutes and a Leon Edwards head kick away from tying Silva’s record at UFC 278 in August 2016, but other than that, the benchmark has remained unthreatened since “The Spider” saw his incredible run come to an end courtesy of Chris Weidman at UFC 162 in July 2013.
All that could change in 2025, however, with Islam Makhachev set to enter his UFC 311 lightweight title defense on Jan. 18 vs. Arman Tsarukyan on the power of a 14-fight winning streak inside the octagon. If this year plays out perfectly for Makhachev with three fights, which is realistic given how early in the calendar year he first competes, then he would surpass Silva at 17 straight wins.
The stars will have to align to have this come to fruition, and Makhachev of course has to continue to show he’s No. 1 pound-for-pound by getting his hand raised in each bout, but it’s doable and would be a tremendous achievement for his legacy.
Jon Jones will fight – twice
If you’d have asked me four months ago how many Jon Jones fights we had left to experience, my answer probably would’ve been one. It felt like the stage was set for him to walk away at November’s UFC 309 in New York after a layup title defense against Stipe Miocic in his home state.
Jones would’ve had every right to have done that, as he has nothing to prove in the sport. However, now I’m not only predicting he will stick around long enough to unify UFC heavyweight championships with Tom Aspinall, but he will have another fight beyond that.
This prediction is a far cry from what I’ve turned in over the past several years, where I have pretty much ruled out the idea of multiple fights over a calendar year for Jones (and been accurate in that analysis). But for some reason my gut tells me we get two in 2025.
What does that look like? Well, the Aspinall matchup should and hopefully will be the first. The second? Either a rematch (if Jones were to somehow lose), or, if he wins against Aspinall, then that’s when you look at his much-desired fight with Alex Pereira, assuming “Poatan” is able to keep winning until that point, which is no gimme, either.
UFC signs broadcast deal with Netflix
The biggest MMA storyline going into 2025 that doesn’t involve a particular fight or fighter revolves around what’s going to happen with the next UFC broadcast rights deal.
After linking up with ESPN in 2019 following a departure from FOX Sports, the deal for UFC’s Fight Night and pay-per-view events will be up for bid. The exclusive negotiation window between UFC and ESPN will expire around the end of the first quarter of the year, and if no new deal is struck before then, the UFC will have the freedom to explore all potential options and suitors.
The landscape of the market is vastly different from last time UFC’s rights were available. The move to ESPN was somewhat groundbreaking in the sense that many of the cards went behind a paywall on ESPN+. Now, however, streaming is the norm, and it’s entirely possible the majority or entirety of UFC content will be on a streaming-only service.
Which one has the best chance of landing UFC? It’s hard to look past Netflix, which in recent months has dipped its toes into live sports with the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match, NFL games on Christmas Day and, just this week, the debut of WWE Raw.
UFC parent-company TKO has already done business with Netflix for the WWE deal, and all sides appear overwhelmingly gleeful about that partnership. It seems like the stage could be well set for UFC to strike a deal with Netflix in 2025, as well, for a debut in 2026.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Bold predictions for 2025: Islam Makhachev makes history, Jon Jones stays active, UFC to Netflix, more
