One of the best UFC bets around is on the 2024 championship-holders. If you know who’ll be holding gold when 2024 ends, then you’ll be very rich. That’s our goal, which is why we’ve hammered down on different UFC champion predictions. Keep reading for our expert advice!
UFC Heavyweight Champion At End Of 2024
Jones Jones and Stipe Miocic will clash for the heavyweight belt before 2023 ends. However, neither is a favorite to hold the title all the way through 2024. Per the best betting sites for UFC, here’s who the end-of-2024 championship favorite is on the heavyweight side:
| Fighter |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergei Pavlovich | +175 | +175 | +175 |
| Jailton Almeida | +225 | +225 | +225 |
| Jon Jones | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Tom Aspinall | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Ciryl Gane | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Stipe Miocic | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
Age is the obvious reason why neither UFC 295 main-eventer is the betting favorite or even close to being it. Jones is 36 and Miocic is 41. The heavyweight division has a history of aging fighters sticking around longer than other weight classes, but the clock is ticking against both Jones and Miocic. We’re certainly not putting any money on either of them, which means something.
It means something cause we’re essentially betting Jones gives up the title in one of two ways. Either he’s stripped of the belt, which given his history of failed drug tests and arrests, is certainly not out of the question. Or second, Jones is handed his first-ever UFC defeat (not counting disqualifications). The undefeated record is a big reason why Jones is perceived as the G.O.A.T. of the sport so whoever hands him that first loss will be a legacy-maker.
To us, that legacy will belong to Pavlovich. The 31-year-old is peaking — both biologically and inside the octagon. He’s on a six-fight winning streak right now, and more impressively, each of those wins were by first-round knockout. That’s the longest such KO streak in UFC heavyweight history. Pavlovich can stop anyone at heavyweight, including Jones. We’d confidently put out money on Pavlovich here. He’s overdue for a title shot and “crowning” so Dana White will make it happen sometime in 2024.
UFC Bantamweight Champion At End 2024
Speaking of “crowning”, the latest star crowned was Sean O’Malley. He finished Aljo Sterling to become the bantamweight champion — and White might’ve shed a tear. O’Mallet is super marketable with his unique look, personality, and stoppage power. But he’ll have his work cut out for him to stay atop the division through 2024. Here are the bantamweight fighters most likely to be champ next year:
| Fighter | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean O'Malley | +150 | +150 | +150 |
| Merab Dvalishvili | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Umar Nurmagomedov | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| Aljo Sterling | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Cory Sandhagen | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Henry Cejudo | +600 | +600 | +600 |
There’s a pair of names on the list that grabbed our attention immediately— Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov. Both are rising quickly in the division and have yet to face O’Malley. Dvalishvili is in line for a title shot first. He’s currently ranked third at bantamweight, plus he’s teammates with Sterling so there’s a built-in rivalry with the champion already. Dvalishvili can certainly win that O’Malley matchup, but his fighting style aligns closely with Sterling too. We’d think another O’Malley KO victory is within reason here.
Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, is a bad matchup for O’Malley. Hell, he’s a bad matchup for most of the division. Nurmagomedov is a cousin of Khabib obviously and he’s an equally fierce wrestler and grappler. Though, this Nurmagomedov is a bit of a better striker too. We’d predict Nurmagomedov to overwhelm O’Mallet in a matchup and render his power useless if he’s on the ground so much.
There’s the risk with betting Nurmagomedov, however. He’s only ranked No. 11 right now. So he still needs to win many fights before earning a title shot. But with his last name, this Nurmagomedov might only need an impressive win here and there to get a shot at the title. We think that’s a risk worth taking, especially at these steep odds.
UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion By End Of 2024
Let’s give some love to the women fighters too, especially in the stacked flyweight division. Alexa Grasso is the current champion and the favorite to stay the flyweight title-holder through 2024. Here’s the full odds:
| Fighter | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexa Grasso | +200 | +200 | +200 |
| Erin Blanchfield | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Valentina Schevchenko | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Manon Fiorot | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Taila Santos | +1500 | +1500 | +1500 |
This might surprise bettors, but we actually don’t think the 2024 champ will be either Grasso or Shevchenko, who seem to be destined for a trilogy fight. They fought to a draw a few weeks ago, but here’s the issue: Shevchenko injured her hand and will require surgery now. That likely means Grasso will have to fight someone in the interim, and that someone should be Blanchfield.
Only 24 years of age, Blanchfield has a shot at becoming the youngest women’s champion in UFC history and we’re betting she does. Blanchfield is the real deal at a 12-1 record with six finishes. Her grappling style would give serious problems to both Grasso and Shevchenko, who are strikers. These possible matchups should be fun, but we’d predict Blanchfield to win them all, making her a very deserving bet.
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