Top 10 UFC Fights: January, 2025
After a long holiday break, the UFC finally returns this weekend for UFC Vegas 101: Dern vs Ribas! 2025 is certainly going to be a wild year of fights, but before things really heat up, January only has two fight cards to offer.
Despite the lack of quantity, there is still plenty of quality fights between the first two cards of the year. Here are the top 10 UFC fights in the month of January: UFC Vegas 101 & UFC 311.
Marcel Dorff | Twitter
10. Jailton Almeida vs Serghei Spivak
- UFC 311 on January 18th, 2025
The heavyweight fight between Serghei Spivak and Jailton Almeida at UFC 311 is a very consequential one for each fighter. Spivak, coming off of an armbar submission victory over Marcin Tybura, is looking to finally crack the top 5 of the ranks.
Once considered to be the hottest prospect in the HW division, Almeida’s momentum was halted after a loss to Curtis Blaydes. But after his recent submission win over Alexandr Romanov, Almeida is right back where he left off.
This fight will likely be a grappling masterclass, with wrestling & BJJ going head to head. Almeida is eager to prove he’s still a top contender, while Spivak is determined on proving he’s ready for the elite. Expect a sloppy HW affair when these two big boys collide in the Octagon.
Christian Rodriguez & Austin Bashi | UFC
9. Christian Rodriguez vs Austin Bashi
- UFC Vegas 101 on January 11th, 2025
After beating 4 top UFC prospects in a row, Christian Rodriguez suffered a shocking loss to Julian Erosa, temporarily derailing the CeeRod hype train. Despite the loss, Rodrigues remains one of the most lethal prospects in the FW division and is only a win away from taking on ranked opponents once more.
It is rare that the UFC delivers a fights featuring two rising prospects, but UFC Vegas 101 sees undefeated Austin Bashi making his UFC debut against Rodriguez, fresh off of his DWCS victory. There is no easy “tune-up” fight for Bashi to get his feet wet. Instead he is immediately thrown to fight another young wolf.
Both of these men undoubtedly have long UFC careers ahead of them. The fact that they get to fight so early on in their careers is a rare treat for the fans. With both young fighters having so much to prove, this one has FOTN written all over it.
Holland vs de Ridder | HOF
8. Kevin Holland vs Reinier de Ridder
- UFC 311 on January 18th, 2025
Fresh off a successful UFC debut over GM3, Reinier de Ridder gets an even tougher opponent for his 2nd fight, this time against Kevin Holland. Each fighter presents a very well-rounded MMA game, but the stakes for Holland & de Ridder couldn’t be more opposite.
1-3 in his last 4 fights, Holland is in “do or die” mode, desperately needing a win to keep himself relevant within the promotion. Meanwhile, de Ridder is 1-0 in the UFC and entered the promotion carrying a lot of hype. A win for de Ridder almost certainly catapults him up the rankings while a win for Holland should be enough to earn himself another UFC fight.
What’s more motivating: fighting for a job or fighting for a future shot at the title?
Marcel Dorff | Twitter
7. Grant Dawson vs Diego Ferreira
- UFC 311 on January 18th, 2025
Buried on the prelims of UFC 311, Grant Dawson vs Diego Ferreira is an extremely underrated fight. Easily of main card level caliber, Dawson & Ferreira are two extremely exciting fighters who are also gunning at the UFC LW rankings.
Riding a big 2 fight winning streak after suffering his first UFC loss, Dawson is an extremely elite grappler who predicts he will be in championship conversation by the end of the year. Ferreira is more than eager to stop Dawson and steal his #15 ranking, pitting him against more ranked LW opponents.
Both fighters have proven themselves plenty of times before and despite the depth of UFC 311, a performance bonus will likely be on the line in this early prelim fight.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
6. Mackenzie Dern vs Amanda Ribas 2
- UFC Vegas 101 on January 11th, 2025
The first UFC main event of the year sees a rematch between Mackenzie Dern & Amanda Ribas. Back in 2019, Dern lost a unanimous decision to Ribas. With both fighters being in the top 10 of the SW division, there are plenty of title implications as play in this matchup.
It’s no secret that Dern will be looking for the submission over Ribas on Saturday night. Dern has a very one dimensional style that the well-rounded Ribas will look to expose. 6 years after their initial bout, Dern & Ribas meet again as better versions of their prior selves.
Marcel Dorff | Twitter
5. Payton Talbott vs Raoni Barcelos
- UFC 311 on January 18th, 2025
A classic veteran vs prospect matchup, Payton Talbott takes on Raoni Barcelos in a “passing of the torch” type of fight. Talbott is undefeated and already has fans matching him up against Sean O’Malley. Barcelos is a former ranked fighter who has loads of experience in the UFC.
A win over Talbott would remind everybody just how seasoned Barcelos is while a win over Barcelos would launch Talbott further towards his goal: the UFC championship. Having only fought prospects like himself so far, Talbott is certainly looking to add his first UFC veteran to his already impressive winning record.

Moicano vs Dariush | HOF
4. Renato Moicano vs Beneil Dariush
- UFC 311 on January 18th, 2025
‘Money’ Renato Moicano makes his 2025 UFC debut against top LW Beneil Dariush. Riding a big 4-fight winning streak, Moicano looks to make easy work of Dariush to climb further towards a UFC title. Dariush hasn’t fought since 2023 and is currently on a 2-fight losing streak despite being one of the most dangerous fighters on the roster.
Looking to rebound against Moicano, Dariush may not have many opportunities left to do so as he approaches 36 years old. Moicano has many other desires in the UFC, including fights against Paddy Pimblett & Islam Makhachev. It is important Moicano doesn’t overlook Dariush so he can get all of the big opportunities he seeks after a massive win.
Hill & Prochazka | UFC
3. Jiri Prochazka vs Jamahal Hill
- UFC 311 on January 18th, 2025
Before both men getting injured, Jamahal Hill vs Jiri Prochazka was the LHW title fight to make only a few short years ago. However, since the Alex Pereira takeover, neither Hill nor Prochazka have gotten a chance to dominate the division again.
Although a few years overdue and without a title on the line, Prochazka vs Hill is still an incredible fight to be made. Almost guaranteed to end in a KO, fans won’t want to blink when the boy boys enter the Octagon. Aside from all of the excitement involved in this fight, the winner could also be fighting for a LHW belt again soon.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
2. Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov
- UFC 311 on January 18th, 2025
The upcoming fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 has all the makings of an epic title showdown. Merab ‘The Machine’, the reigning bantamweight champ on an impressive 11-fight win streak, is known for his relentless wrestling and cardio, making him a nightmare for opponents over five rounds.
Umar on the other hand, is an undefeated prospect with a perfect undefeated record, eager to prove he’s not just benefiting from his famous last name. The tension between the two has been palpable, with Merab questioning Umar’s path to the title shot, adding extra spice to this already heated matchup. Fans are in for a treat as the BW championship is decided.
Islam vs Arman | UFC
1. Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan
- UFC 311 on January 18th, 2025
The most anticipated rematch of the year is set for the main event of UFC 311 as Arman Tsarukyan looks to avenge his loss against Islam Makhachev and this time, take the belt home too. This is an incredible fight. Both fighters are extremely well-rounded and present danger anywhere the fight goes.
Most fighters would crumble against the grappling of a Khabib Nurmagomedov student, but Tsarukyan is certainly up for the challenge. On paper this fight is nearly dead even. The next LW champion might be declared by who has the most ‘dog’ in them amidst a very competitive fight.
Want to know more about each event? Visit homeoffight.com or any of our social media accounts for more articles, fighter interviews, and plenty of more coverage. Enjoy the fights, let us know how you’ll be watching!