Five UFC Dream Fights For 2025

Nobody does matchmaking quite like the UFC. They give fans the fights they want to see, almost of a weekly basis, unlike boxing, where a superstar such as Canelo Alvarez gets to pick favourable match-ups instead of fighting the killers fans want him to fight.

That said, the UFC goes above and beyond every now and then by treating fans to something truly special. A few such dream fights are a possibility in 2025, none bigger than these five box-office bouts:

Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall

It’s the biggest fight the UFC can make and the biggest in heavyweight history. It’s the consensus greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time in champion Jones against an anomaly of an apex predator in interim titleholder Aspinall.

An unstoppable, one-of-a-kind fighting phenom, Jones is a walking weapon without equal. From becoming the youngest-ever UFC champion at 23 to remaining unbeaten (aside from a DQ loss), becoming a two-weight champion and cementing himself as the GOAT with a TKO win over the best heavyweight ever Stipe Miocic in November, “Bones” has been the ultimate conqueror.

At 37, he’s at the stage where he’s looking for legacy fights and is pushing to fight light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, whereas the rest of the world – including UFC president Dana White – want to see him tested by the best, fastest and fiercest young heavyweight on the planet in Aspinall.

A natural-born killer, Aspinall has the shortest average fight time in UFC history and wants nothing more than to become the first man to defeat the decorated Jones. White has promised that the unification bout will happen and fight fans will be eternally grateful if he puts his money where his mouth is and gets it done.

Dricus du Plessis v Khamzat Chimaev

Two dominant forces on a collision course, Du Plessis is the undisputed king of the middleweights with a perfect 8-0 record in the UFC while Chimaev is the unbeaten boogeyman of the division.

This is a clash we could’ve gotten early this year, however, the UFC has instead booked the rematch between South Africa’s first-ever UFC champion and the man he took the title from Sean Strickland as the main event of UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, on February 9.

The winner of that fight will almost surely have to defend the title against Chimaev next after “Borz” improved to 14-0 in frightening fashion by crushing former champion Robert Whittaker’s jaw in his quick and brutal submission win at UFC 308 in October.

The baddest man in Mzansi refuses to take a backward step and would take the fight to the Chechen anomaly, so a bout between the two would be an absolute war, one we should get in the latter part of the year if “Stillknocks” puts his rivalry with Strickland to bed. 

Kayla Harrison v Amanda Nunes

An alpha female if there ever was one, Harrison took the UFC by storm in 2024 to cement herself as the No. 1 contender for the women’s bantamweight belt.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka and two-time PFL tournament champion rag-dolled and submitted former champion Holly Holm in her UFC debut and followed it up with a dominant decision win over Ketlen Vieira to set up a title fight with Juliana Pena.

At the same time, she’d earned the attention of Nunes, the greatest female fighter of all time, who retired as double champion in 2023. A clash with Harrison is the only fight that could potentially lure “The Lioness” out of retirement and could be the biggest in women’s mixed martial arts history.

Step one, beating Pena to become champion on their yet-to-be-determined date, won’t be a cakewalk, but if Harrison does get it done, it’s very possible that we see her and Nunes face off later in the year.  

Conor McGregor v Justin Gaethje

The first of two fights I had on my list last year that never materialised.

There’s an unrivalled buzz and energy whenever McGregor fights. The Irish megastar is a special attraction that transcends mixed martial arts. For as much as he talks the talk, he walks the walk as well and has never been in a boring fight.

Known as “The Highlight”, Gaethje lives up to his moniker every time he steps inside the Octagon. Arguably the most exciting fighter in UFC history, the violence-fueled American is an apex predator and knockout artist extraordinaire.

McGregor’s woes outside of the Octagon are mounting, but White expects him to finally make his much-anticipated return this year, most likely against Michael Chandler, after which Gaethje could be next.

Add the fact that these legendary lightweights don’t like each other and you have a bona fide blockbuster destined to finish in wickedly spectacular fashion.

Dustin Poirier v Nate Diaz

Two of the biggest names in the sport and long-time dogs of wars have been barking at each other for years and frothing to settle their beef inside the Octagon.

The legendary pair were originally slated to fight at UFC 230 at Madison Square Garden back in November 2018. The promotion even held a press conference and face-off before negotiations between the UFC and Diaz broke down.

Diaz wants back in the UFC after taking a hiatus from mixed martial arts for a big-money boxing bout with Jake Paul and “The Diamond” only has one or two fights left in him, so the time is now if these two are ever going to fight.