The UFC has been on fire lately, putting together some of the most high-level fights we’ve ever seen in the sport. The month of April is going to keep that momentum going with an epic championship rematch, a welterweight slugfest, a battle of big heavyweights and more. Let’s take a look at five of the biggest matchups.
Gilbert Burns vs. Jorge Masvidal
UFC 287 – April 8
April is going to kick off with a bang as a big pay-per-view card gets us started. In the co-main event, two of the top welterweights in the world will square off with a lot on the line. Both of these guys can end a fight in the blink of an eye so this is going to be one fans are not going to want to miss.
Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya
UFC 287 – April 8
Right after that Burns-Masvidal fight, the top middleweights in the world will close out the first event of the month. The highly anticipated rematch will decide the undisputed champ and the former middleweight king will be looking to avenge his past losses and finally bury his boogeyman. For Pereira, one more good punch and he can close this chapter of his career.
Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen
UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Allen – April 15
There may not be a championship on the line in this main event, but this is still a very important fight in the UFC featherweight division. The former champ and top-ranked contender is looking to bounce back from a loss and get himself back into the title picture. Meanwhile, a hungry up-and-coming will be looking to keep his momentum rolling and possibly earn himself a championship opportunity.
Sergei Pavlovich vs. Curtis Blaydes
UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes – April 22
Talk about “blink and you’ll miss it.” The over/under on total time of this heavyweight main event should be set at about two minutes, and I still might take the under. Pavlovich took just 54 second to finish Tai Tuivasa his last time out, an improvement from when it took him 55 seconds to finish Derrick Lewis in the fight before that. The guy is a destroyer and another big knockout could put him next in line for a shot at the crown. The same can be said for Blaydes, who took just 15 seconds to defeat Tom Aspinall in his last fight, granted that was due to a knee injury. Both of these guys will get after it and this is going to be one of the most fun fights of the month.
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Renato Moicano
UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Moicano – April 29
And finally, the lightweights will wrap up the month for the UFC. In this #8 vs. #13 matchup, sparks are sure to fly. The lightweight division is tight right now so there may not be a whole lot of room for advancement in the standings for these guys, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to get after it. Stylistically, this is very interesting with one guy favoring striking while the other excels in grappling. However, both guys can get it done wherever the fight takes them so this could be an exciting chess match.
You can see all of these fights on ESPN+ throughout the month of April.