The UFC has had two back-to-back successful events with UFC 288 and a Fight Night in Charlotte. The events were headlined by Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo and Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Jailton Almeida.

After these successful events, the main question is “What’s next?”.

1. Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley

Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling successfully defended his belt for the third time against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288. After going five rounds with the former champion, Sterling called out his next opponent, Sean O’Malley. Also, President Dana White confirmed this bout at the post-fight press conference.

Sterling #C (23-3-0) – O’Malley #2 (16-1-0)

Credit: Craig Kidwell-USA TODAY Sports

2. Henry Cejudo vs. Merab Dvalishvili

Although Cejudo lost his previous fight for the title, he showcased that he still belongs at the top of the sport. After a three-year layoff, Cejudo returned and put up a close fight against Sterling. Furthermore, the most reasonable fight for Cejudo is to take on the #1 contender, Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili is on a nine-fight win streak and is coming off a dominant performance over Petr Yan.

Cejudo #3 (16-3-0) – Merab Dvalishvili #1 (16-4-0)

Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

3. Belal Muhammad vs. Winner of Leon Edwards/Colby Covington

It is already set in stone that Colby Covington will be fighting for the welterweight belt later this year. Following Belal Muhammad’s dominant win over Gilbert Burns, Muhammad should be next in line no matter what. Also, Muhammad has won nine of his last ten fights and is on a five-fight winning streak.

Muhammad #3 (23-3-0) – Leon Edwards #C (21-3-0) – Colby Covington #2 (17-3-0)

Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

4. Jailton Almeida vs. Sergei Pavlovich

Heavyweight Jailton Almeida has been on a tear since joining the UFC. Almeida is on a five-fight win streak with all finishes. Also, Almeida made easy work of Jairzinho Rozenstruik last week in Charlotte. A fight between Almeida and Pavlovich would definitely be a treat for the fans and announce a true #1 contender.

Jailton Almeida #9 (19-2-0) – Sergei Pavlovich #2 (18-1-0)

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