2025 is likely going to be another record breaking year for the UFC. The biggest MMA promotion in the world seems to set records year after year. 2024 is going to be tough to beat after they had their 300th numbered card and the historic card at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
However, Dana White and company are always committed to beating their previous year and you know that the UFC is going to pull out all the stops to do that in 2025. Earlier today, I published a piece on the dream title fights that I’d like to see materialize in 2025.
However, there are so many massive fights that could happen this year without a title on the line. With that, I wanted to look at three dream non-title matchups that I’d love to see happen in 2025.
UFC Dream Matchups
Justin Gaethje – Dustin Poirier 3
This one has to happen, right? The first fight I desperately want to see happen in 2025 is the trilogy matchup between former interim lightweight champions Dustin Poirier (30-9) and Justin Gaethje (25-5). If you ask me, it’s the perfect fight for both men and it just makes all the sense in the world.
Poirier wants one more big fight before he hangs up his gloves. He’s coming off a title loss to Islam Makhachev so despite the fact that he’s saying he wants to retire after his next fight, he’s still at the very top of the division. Justin Gaethje was next in line to fight Makhachev but opted to defend his BMF belt against Max Holloway at UFC 300 and lost which opened the door for Poirier.
Poirier stopped Gaethje in the first fight and Gaethje knocked Poirier out for the BMF belt in the rematch. It just makes too much sense for all parties to run this one back and personally, I’d love to see it happen in Louisiana for The Diamond.
Israel Adesanya – Khamzat Chimaev
Now, the odds of this one happening in a non-title fight are probably low, but there’s a reason why I have it on the non-title dream fights. I feel like it’s inevitable that we see a matchup between Israel Adesanya (24-4) and Khamzat Chimaev (14-0). Chimaev ran through Robert Whittaker in the first round back in October to seemingly lock up a title shot.
Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland are running things back for the middleweight title in February. A week prior to their title fight, Adesanya is facing Nassourdine Imavov. Should Adesanya win that fight and come away with little damage, I think the UFC should actually book Adesanya – Chimaev first before Chimaev’s title fight.
DDP and Sean Strickland are likely going to beat the hell out of each other again for five rounds so I’m assuming the winner won’t fight again until late summer or early fall. If Strickland wins a close decision, I could see the promotion going straight to a trilogy given how close the first fight was between those two.
In that scenario, Adesanya – Chimaev would definitely happen. However, even if DDP wins, I think the UFC would be wise to still book Adesanya – Chimaev before either would get the next crack at DDP. Adesanya being the ultimate competitor wants to fight Chimaev badly after watching what he did to Robert Whittaker.
There is also a clear scenario where this fight happens this year as a title fight. In that scenario, either Du Plessis or Strickland wins their title fight convincingly. Chimaev would then fight and defeat the winner setting up a fall showdown with Adesanya for the title. Either way, I want to see Chimaev – Adesanya before the end of 2025.
Conor McGregor – Dan Hooker or Michael Chandler
I know, you’re probably rolling your eyes. It seems to be a common theme when the name Conor McGregor (22-6) is mentioned nowadays. The former two-division world champion is still the biggest star the UFC has ever produced. McGregor is the PPV king and nobody sells a fight like The Notorious one.
That said, we haven’t seen McGregor in almost four years. The last time we saw him was when he broke his leg in the trilogy matchup with Dustin Poirier. McGregor was supposed to return last June against Michael Chandler (23-9) after the two coached against each other on The Ultimate Fighter, however, McGregor pulled out with a toe injury.
McGregor has been dealing with a ton of stuff outside the cage and honestly, I don’t know if he’ll fight again. However, it’s a dream scenario for the UFC and for fans to have him come back next year. If / when he does, there’s two fights I like for him. The obvious one is for Michael Chandler and honestly, I’m rooting for Chandler to get that opportunity after waiting for more than two years just to have the fight fall through.
However, if Chandler opts to fight someone else like he did a couple of months ago, I think Dan Hooker (24-12) is the perfect opponent for McGregor. The Hangman has revitalized his career after a rough stretch going 3-0 in his last three and now he’s ranked near the top of the lightweight division.
Like Chandler, Hooker is one of the most exciting lightweights in the sport. From his style to his ability to speak on the microphone, Dan Hooker would be the perfect opponent to welcome back Conor McGregor.