5 MMA predictions for 2020
From Jorge Masvidal's ridiculous knockout of Ben Askren and Henry Cejudo winning a belt in a second weight class to Israel Adesanya's lightning-quick rise to the top of the UFC's middleweight division, there were a lot of memorable moments in the world of mixed martial arts in 2019.
Now we're looking ahead to what the sport will offer this year, and here are five bold predictions for 2020.
Khabib Nurmagomedov retires
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is on top of the world, but he doesn't plan to be around when his prime ends.
So, what are the odds that Nurmagomedov retires in 2020? Perhaps better than you may think.
Nurmagomedov said in October that he'll likely only fight for a "couple" more years. And Abdulmanap, his father and coach, believes it'd be ideal if "The Eagle" retires with a 30-0 record, meaning Nurmagomedov only needs to fight and win twice more. That could mean his career ends this year, depending on how active Nurmagomedov is planning to be in 2020.
He's scheduled to face Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 on April 18 in Brooklyn. If he wins that matchup, and only wants big fights, what's left for him at that point?
The Conor McGregor rematch is always there, and with McGregor returning in January, another clash seems more likely. There are a lot of barriers to get past before Nurmagomedov could face Georges St-Pierre, and don't get me started on Floyd Mayweather.
There's just not a lot of marquee fights left for the undefeated Russian. If he can get two more bouts in this year, that may satisfy him enough to move on and begin a new chapter in his life.
Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones 3 happens
Hear me out on this one.
I know that Daniel Cormier losing to Stipe Miocic made the Jon Jones trilogy a lot less likely. I know that Cormier has to beat Miocic in their own trilogy first. And I know Cormier said his final bout will be the third fight against Miocic no matter what.
But if Cormier beats Miocic a second time, do you really think a 40-year-old who has delayed his retirement already once before wouldn't bite if the UFC waves a fat stack of cash in front of him?
Not a chance.
As soon as Jones' second win over Cormier in July 2017 was changed to a no-contest due to a positive drug test, we knew this rivalry wasn't over. There's no way that's how it can end. We need some clarity, and that will only come through a third fight.
But it has to be at heavyweight because that's where Cormier will get the best shot, making it more intriguing for fans. Jones dominated Cormier when they fought twice at 205 pounds, but "DC" was a legitimate champ at heavyweight, and no one can argue that. Meeting Cormier where he's most comfortable might not be fair to Jones, but so be it.
Jones said last month he could finally move up to heavyweight this year. Assuming he gets past Dominick Reyes and anyone else put in front of him at 205 pounds first, there's no better time to make the move than against his ultimate rival.
Nick Diaz returns
If Nick Diaz is ever going to come back to the sport, it will have to be against someone who makes sense for him. And after Diaz has spent five years on the sidelines, that someone may finally exist.
Jorge Masvidal defeated Diaz's younger brother, Nate, in November's UFC 244 main event in one of the biggest fights of the year, winning by doctor's stoppage after the third round.
It's very possible no fight will get Nick Diaz back in the cage at this point, but I suspect seeing his brother lose like that put a fire under him. He may want to avenge his brother's defeat against a man Diaz briefly wanted to face in early 2019.
Masvidal and Diaz have expressed interest in fighting each other. While it will take a bit more than that to convince me the Stockton native will be back in 2020, it's certainly a good start.
Conor McGregor wins multiple times
If McGregor's next 365 days go exactly to plan, he'll win three times this year, including his rematch with Nurmagomedov.
I don't have the guts to say that the 2020 McGregor envisions for himself will entirely come true, but I think the Irishman will experience a lot more success than he did over the past few years.
It sounds like McGregor will square off with the Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson winner if he beats Donald Cerrone on Jan. 18. While I'm confident he'll get past "Cowboy," I'm not so confident a Nurmagomedov rematch goes any differently than when they met in October 2018.
But if Ferguson upsets Nurmagomedov, a winnable fight awaits McGregor. Or, if he goes a different route and faces off with Masvidal or Nate Diaz, winning either of those fights wouldn't be crazy.
Will McGregor end the year as a UFC welterweight or lightweight champ? Probably not. But I think there's a pretty good chance we see him win a second time in 2020 after a victory over Cerrone.
Max Holloway moves to lightweight
Max Holloway losing the UFC featherweight title is just one more reason for him to test the waters at lightweight.
"Blessed" has talked about a future at 155 pounds for a while now. He's still young at 28 years old, but as that number increases, so will the difficulty of cutting down to the featherweight limit.
Holloway fought Dustin Poirier for the interim lightweight title in April and lost for the first time since 2013. But he didn't really commit to a jump up in weight. He was given an opportunity to go for another belt a few months after defending the 145-pound title, and of course he took the fight.
But he didn't try to bulk up and become a real lightweight, and that showed.
UFC president Dana White is talking about a rematch between Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski after the latter won at UFC 245 on Dec. 14 for the featherweight belt. Even if that happens, Holloway will still move up this year. Either he gets past Volkanovski and goes for two-division champ status (again), or he loses a second time and needs to make a big decision to get back on track.
Given the current state of his career, 2020 seems like the best time for Holloway to kick-start his run in a new division.