Top Five UFC Fights To Look Forward To In December

As per usual, the UFC brings fight fans an explosive end-of-year offering. Quintin van Jaarsveld highlights the five most-anticipated match-ups in December across three cards, with two title bouts being chief among them.

Beneil Dariush v Arman Tsarukyan

Sunday, 3 December SA time

Top-10 lightweights lock horns in the month’s first headliner at UFC Austin.

The action will be thick and fast as these two looks to establish themselves among the top title contenders. Dariush was one fight away from a potential shot at the belt but had his eight-fight win streak snapped by former champion Charles Oliveira. 

Tsarukyan, meanwhile, aims for his third win on the trot after triumphing over Damir Ismagulov and Joaquim Silva. With an impressive record of 7-2 in the UFC, he’s one statement win away from cementing himself as a big-time player in the division and a victory over Dariush would see him do just that. 

Song Yadong v Chris Gutierrez

Saturday, 9 December SA time

Song will receive a hero’s welcome when he walks out last in the main event of UFC Shanghai.

Chinese mixed martial arts’ hottest rising star, he’s lost just twice in his past 14 fights and is coming off a fifth-round TKO victory over Ricky Simon in April.

Gutierrez, who knocked out the legendary Frankie Edgar in the former lightweight champion’s last fight last November, has lost just once in his last 10 fights.

Fresh off a win over Alateng Heili, he makes a quick turnaround and hopes to play spoiler in China.

Leon Edwards v Colby Covington

Sunday, 17 December SA time

A heated humdinger headlines the final pay-per-view of the year as Edwards defends his welterweight title against brash contender Covington at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Since becoming an outspoken WWE-esque character a few years ago, Covington’s profile – for better or worse – has skyrocketed. Trash-talking every opponent he comes across, “Chaos” has a flair for making things personal and UFC 296’s main event is no different.

He’s not only talked the talk but walked the walk to cement himself as one of the best 170-pounders on the planet, but he’s yet to win the big one.

Edwards is an all-business mixed martial artist with no time for ego, pomp and circumstance. Claiming and retaining the gold in back-to-back meetings with long-reigning former king Kamaru Usman, “Rocky” is on a remarkable 12-fight win streak and seeks to continue to build his legacy.

Alexandre Pantoja v Brandon Royval

Sunday, 17 December SA time

The co-main event of UFC 296 is a bout of unfinished business for the flyweight championship.

These two have a history dating back to 2021 when Pantoja submitted Royval. He went on the highway to gold from there, his journey culminating in him beating Brandon Moreno by split decision to become champion back in July.

Royval, in turn, had to hit the dirt road after that defeat and did so spectacularly. Extremely motivated, he hasn’t lost since, finishing his last three opponents on the trot to earn an opportunity to avenge his loss to Pantoja and become the king of the flyweights.

Tony Ferguson v Paddy Pimblett

Sunday, 17 December SA time

In a battle of old school versus new school, lightweight legend Ferguson faces uber-popular prospect Pimblett.

One of the baddest 155-pounders in history, “El Cucuy” went on an iconic 12-fight win streak and claimed the interim lightweight title in his prime but the twilight of his career hasn’t been kind to him.

A loss here would be his seventh in a row and would all but end his tenure in the UFC while a win over a possible superstar like Pimblett would reignite his career.

Pimblett is a phenomenon outside of the Octagon and unbeaten inside of it. Oozing with “it” factor, “The Baddy” brings plenty of casual and new eyeballs to the sport with his Beatles-like look and charisma but just how good he is remains a mystery.

Now, with a serious step up in competition, Pimblett has an opportunity to prove he’s every bit as good as he says he is by taking down a future Hall of Famer. 

Quintin van Jaarsveld

Quintin Van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. Formerly the sports editor and Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com, he boasts over 15 years’ experience and is currently a freelance sports writer.