Here, Khamzat can be seen doing his thing, but nobody knew at the time that it might kick-start a chain reaction of roster reshuffles up and down the weight classes. Whittaker tapped after this face crank, then lost to De Ridder, then decided middleweight was too deep a cut to bring his best, so he’s now moved up a weight division, like Paulo Costa. In the background, Khamzat has been taunting Pereira for a light heavyweight bout, but then comes the twist. Carlos Ulberg’s injury throws a spanner into the light heavyweight picture and has created a gap where clarity should be, because he may not compete again until 2027, so there might be an interim title somewhere on the line. Might this open the window for Costa and Chimaev to settle their long-standing feud, but first, ‘Borz’ needs to get past Strickland because only then can the dominoes start to gain momentum. 

Date: October 2024

Location: UFC 308, Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi