As 2020 kicks off, many fighters will set out to accomplish their New Year’s resolutions of winning UFC gold. That dream will come true for some, but not for others.
Here's a look at who I think will reach - or stay at - the top of the UFC by year's end.
Flyweight
Champion at end of 2020: Joseph Benavidez
Henry Cejudo relinquished the 125-pound belt in December to focus on the bantamweight division, of which he's also the champ. A vacant flyweight title fight between longtime contender Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo is scheduled for February. For my money, Benavidez takes that bout and finally accomplishes what he set out to do years ago.
Bantamweight
Champion at end of 2020: Petr Yan
I don't think focusing on the bantamweight division will work out for Cejudo. In six straight UFC wins, Petr Yan has shown he's destined for greatness. He's risen quickly in the promotion, and I don't think that stops in 2020.
The bantamweight title picture is a bit foggy, so it's not a given that Yan will get his shot; there are plenty of contenders with their eyes on Cejudo. But even if it takes one more win, I see Yan getting paired up with Cejudo sometime this year. "The Messenger" is a tough test for anyone, but I think it's one "No Mercy" can pass.
Featherweight
Champion at end of 2020: Alexander Volkanovski
Well, what can you say about Alexander Volkanovski's title win against Max Holloway in December? Volkanovski's effectiveness shutting Holloway down on the feet was ridiculously impressive. It'll take the performance of a lifetime to dethrone such a smart fighter. He's won 18 in a row for good reason.
Things could change if Volkanovski happens to move up to lightweight, but he vowed after beating Holloway to be a great champion. To me, that means staying in his division and actually defending the belt. I don't see Volkanovski losing to anyone at featherweight for a while.
Lightweight
Champion at end of 2020: Khabib Nurmagomedov
If Tony Ferguson can't beat Khabib Nurmagomedov when they finally square off in April, no one can. Nurmagomedov is the most dominant fighter we've seen in years. Never mind the fact he's never lost; he's rarely been in a bad position in a fight. It took "The Eagle" a while to get to the belt, mostly because Conor McGregor held on to it for so long while sitting on the sidelines, but he hasn't looked back since capturing it in 2018.
An early retirement, which he's talked about before, is the only way Nurmagomedov doesn't end 2020 as UFC lightweight king.
Welterweight
Champion at end of 2020: Kamaru Usman
If anyone could beat Kamaru Usman anytime soon, I thought it'd be Colby Covington. That didn't happen. Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards pose threats to anyone, but Usman just seems to be on a different level. His wrestling has always been top-notch, but his striking has really come along in the past couple of years. "The Nigerian Nightmare" is the new breed of welterweight champion, and I think he's here to stay - at least through this year.
Middleweight
Champion at end of 2020: Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya's second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker in October was one of the most impressive performances I've witnessed in a long time. And I'm not just saying that. It was near perfect.
I've been wrong before - like the time I said Whittaker would be the champ for a long time - but I'm pretty confident no one is touching "The Last Stylebender" for the foreseeable future.
Light heavyweight
Champion at end of 2020: Jon Jones
Jon Jones looked beatable for the first time in years when he met Thiago Santos last summer, so there is reason to believe that maybe, just maybe, his reign could be coming to an end.
But nah.
Jon Jones is still Jon Jones, and he's still the best fighter on the planet. Whether he's finishing his opponents or just squeaking out a decision, wins are wins and that's really all that matters here. Jones faces Dominick Reyes in February. Assuming he gets past Reyes, I actually think that'll be Jones' only 205-pound title defense of the year. More on that shortly.
Heavyweight
Champion at end of 2020: Jon Jones
Yes, that's right, 2020 will be the year Jones finally reigns supreme as a two-division champion.
Jones has talked about a potential move up to heavyweight for a long time, but it's never come to fruition. Jones said in December there's a "very strong possibility" he finally makes the jump in 2020 and, for some reason, I believe him.
With Jones' rival Daniel Cormier nearing retirement and preparing for a trilogy fight with current heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic, a bout between "Bones" and the winner of that fight makes a lot of sense. I never seem to give Miocic enough respect in this regard, and he could very well prove me wrong again this year, but I'd ultimately favor Jones against both Cormier and Miocic. As long as he doesn't get into trouble outside the cage, I think 2020 is shaping up to be Jones' year.
Strawweight
Champion at end of 2020: Zhang Weili
I'm not confident about this one, because I haven't seen enough of reigning champ Zhang Weili to say with certainty that she can get past the likes of Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Rose Namajunas. Her quick win over Jessica Andrade was extremely impressive, but battling the aforementioned ex-champs for 25 minutes is a whole other ball game.
Still, I'll go out on a limb and say Zhang can do it. She proved me wrong against Andrade, so why can't she again? I maintain my reservations about how good she really is, but I have a feeling she might stay at the top for some time.
Women's flyweight
Champion at end of 2020: Valentina Shevchenko
No one is beating Valentina Shevchenko at 125 pounds. End of story.
If Nurmagomedov and Usman are on a different level, Shevchenko is three levels above everyone else in her division. That's no disrespect to her challengers. It's just a fact.
Women's bantamweight
Champion at end of 2020: Valentina Shevchenko
Shevchenko has fought current bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes twice, losing both efforts on the scorecards. The last time they fought, many actually scored the fight for "Bullet."
Shevchenko doesn't seem overly interested in challenging Nunes again just yet, but she's always said a trilogy will probably happen eventually. Assuming Shevchenko gets past Katlyn Chookagian in February and maybe one more opponent at flyweight, I think UFC brass will convince her to return to bantamweight, setting up a late-2020 showdown against Nunes.
Nunes looked beatable in her last title defense versus Germaine de Randamie, and that's something we haven't seen from the Brazilian champ in some time. Her striking looked suspect and she got tired. Irene Aldana might be the only fighter at 135 pounds who can beat Nunes on the feet, and there's certainly no one who can do it on the ground. But Shevchenko? That'll always be a competitive fight, and she surely has the skills to beat Nunes. Third time might just be the charm.
Women's featherweight
Champion at end of 2020: Amanda Nunes
Nunes won't end the year without a belt, though, because she's the champ at 145 pounds, too. The division barely exists, and among the few fighters who do actively participate in it, no one is nearly as good as "The Lioness."