The 10 | Outlining the Top Action Inside the Octagon in April

The culmination of April’s initial event is a clash between Top 10 featherweights Josh Emmett and Lerone Murphy that is one of several critical fights in the 145-pound weight class this month.

One month after turning 40, Emmett makes his return to the Octagon, seeking to defend his place in the pecking order and put forth another blistering effort that may potentially afford him the opportunity to fight forward next time out. In his last appearance at UFC 296, the Team Alpha Male representative dispatched Bryce Mitchell, advancing his record to 19-4 in the process, and reminding everyone of the gnarly power he possesses.

FREE FIGHTS: Emmett vs Mitchell | Murphy vs Barboza 

Murphy touches down for his second main event assignment in three fights riding a seven-fight winning streak, and eight-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC, while brandishing a 15-0-1 record overall. He’s made slow and steady progress up the rankings with victories over Edson Barboza and Dan Ige, and now gets the chance to square off with a former interim title challenger and Top 10 mainstay in a spotlight event to start the month. 

Featherweight is in the midst of a massive realignment, which will be discussed throughout this piece, but the key here is that each of these men are angling to get themselves into the title conversation and avoid being swept up by the crush of new and emerging talent currently pushing forward. Emmett’s been close before and Murphy has been grinding away for five-plus years now, so if either is going to get into those discussions, it has to start here.

UFC 314: Volkanovski vs. Lopes — Saturday, April 12 (Miami, FL)

Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa

The only fight in this collection without a ranked competitor present, this veteran pairing makes the list because there is no feasible way this isn’t an absolute slobberknocker and I want to give Darren Elkins and Julian Erosa their flowers.

Elkins, who turns 41 in May, is in Year 16 (!!) on the UFC roster, having debuted with an injury TKO win over Duane Ludwig at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones on March 21, 2010. Everything about that sentence is preposterous at this point, as is the fact that despite 29 fights and innumerable grueling battles, “The Damage” continues turning in Fight of the Night-winning efforts, as he did last time out against Daniel Pineda when he picked up his 29th career victory.

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Erosa hasn’t made as many walks or been in as many chaotic battles, but that’s not for a lack of trying. The former TUF and Contender Series competitor is pathologically incapable of being in a boring fight, has earned consecutive first-round stoppage wins by guillotine, and is the heir to the “count on this guy to give you everything he’s got” throne Elkins has occupied for the last decade and change.

If this fight doesn’t entertain early in the night in Miami, I will dive into the snow in my backyard wearing nothing but a smile; that’s how confident I am this will be all kinds of fun for as long as it lasts.

Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson

Featherweight is so stacked right now that a proven stud like Dan Ige sits at No. 15 in the rankings and Sean Woodson, who is on a seven-fight unbeaten streak remains on the outside of the rankings looking in. At UFC 314, they face off in a bout that is guaranteed to be entertaining as all get out.

The 33-year-old Ige is one of those competitors where you can’t base your impression of him as a fighter on his record, as he’s the ultimate “context matters” guy in the 145-pound weight class. While he’s just 3-6 over his last nine and 10-8 overall in the UFC, the Hawaiian has only lost to divisional standouts, fighting all of them to the final horn while making things miserable for them the whole way through.

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Remember: this is the guy that came off the couch on four hours’ notice to push Diego Lopes harder than anyone has pushed the Brazilian title hopeful to date.

Woodson is someone that should be getting a lot more love and attention than he has heading into UFC 314 (and overall) given that he’s 7-1-1 in nine UFC starts and hasn’t dropped a fight in more than four years. The St. Louis native has been slowly working his way up the divisional ladder, most recently registering a first-round stoppage win over Fernando Padilla, and holds a victory over Youssef Zalal, who might be the only fighter in the division hotter than him at the moment. 

Can Ige turn back the ascending Contender Series grad or will Woodson keep winning and force his way into the Top 15?

Yan Xiaonan vs. Virna Jandiroba

From a low-stakes fun time to a high stakes clash at strawweight, Yan Xiaonan and Virna Jandiroba clash in South Beach with the title of No. 1 contender in the 115-pound weight class likely hanging in the balance.

Yan challenged for the title last year at UFC 300, dropping a decision to compatriot and champion Zhang Weili in a fight that was significantly closer than the final scorecards indicated. She rebounded with a precise, professional win over Tabatha Ricci in November, and looks to pick up her fourth straight non-title win over a Top 15 opponent as she makes her first start of the year at UFC 314.

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One could argue that Jandiroba has already done enough to merit a championship opportunity, having earned four straight wins, including a submission victory over former title challenger and Top 10 fixture Amanda Lemos last time out. She was slated to face off with Tatiana Suarez late last year before the former Ultimate Fighter winner was elevated into her championship clash with Zhang earlier this year, and will now look to take out Yan to further show she’s ready to fight for the belt. 

Can Yan turn back another top talent and position herself to potentially vie for the title again or will Jandiroba make it five straight, leaving no doubt as to her standing within the divisional hierarchy?

Yair Rodríguez vs. Patricio Pitbull

Former interim champ Yair Rodríguez welcomes world-class Brazilian Patricio Pitbull to the Octagon for the first time in this intriguing pairing that opens the pay-per-view main card in Miami midway through the month.

After besting Emmett to claim the interim title in the early part of 2023, Rodriguez has dropped consecutive contests, getting stopped by Alexander Volkanovski in the headlining tilt at UFC 290 before getting tapped out by Brian Ortega last year in Mexico City. The 32-year-old remains a dynamic offensive talent, but he needs a win here to keep himself in the upper tier of competitors in the deepening featherweight division.

MORE: Patricio Pitbull Press Conference Interview

The 37-year-old Pitbull is the best fighter in Bellator history; a two-division champion who has gone 24-7 over the last 15 years, including title fight wins over Pat Curran, Michael Chandler, A.J. McKee, and Jeremy Kennedy. Long considered one of the very best athletes competing outside of the UFC, it’ll be interesting to finally see where the Brazilian superstar stacks up against the best the UFC has to offer.

This is a perfect matchup on both sides, as it affords Rodriguez the opportunity to earn a statement victory if he’s able to spoil Pitbull’s debut, while the veteran newcomer waltzes right into a pairing with a Top 5 staple where a win instantly signals where he fits in his new surroundings. I cannot wait for this one.

Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva

We shift back to the featherweight division for this one, as Bryce Mitchell and Jean Silva square off in a grudge match where the bad blood escalated quickly.

The 30-year-old Mitchell has garnered more attention for things he’s said than the efforts he’s put forth of late, but the Arkansas native has been largely successful through his UFC run and earned his place in the Top 15. Last time out, “Thug Nasty” battered Kron Gracie at UFC 310, slamming him into the canvas and smashing him with elbows from top position to earn the third-round stoppage win and advance to 17-2 overall.

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Like his fellow Fighting Nerd Prates, Silva arrives in the Sunshine State sporting a 4-0 mark inside the Octagon, having garnered bonuses in back-to-back efforts. Following last year’s two-week, two-division breakout with wins over Charles Jourdain and Drew Dober, the 28-year-old added a first-round stoppage win over Melsik Baghdasaryan to his resume earlier this year in Seattle to extend his overall winning streak to a dozen. 

Silva called out Mitchell following that effort at Climate Pledge Arena, in part because of some of the things he’s said in recent months, but also, I’m sure, because it’s a smart shout to target a guy with a number next to his name that you think you can beat. His wish was granted, the two men got heated with one another at the UFC 314 press conference a couple weeks back, and now we’re going to see who emerges victorious when the rubber hits the road in Miami.

Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett

The co-main event of this month’s pay-per-view is a fascinating lightweight scrap between Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett that is sure to answer a lot of lingering questions about where each man stands in the division. 

Chandler, who turns 39 a couple weeks after the event, has dropped back-to-back contests and four of his last five, leaving him at just 2-4 in six UFC starts. Now, two of those losses came against Charles Oliveira, one in a title fight, and the others were against Justin Gaethjeand Dustin Poirier, so it’s not like he’s getting beaten by schlepps, but there is surely pressure on “Iron Mike” to show he’s still amongst the best in the division when he makes the walk here.

UFC 314 SIT-DOWN INTERVIEWS: Volkanovski | Lopes | Rodriguez | Pimblett 

All “Paddy the Baddy” has done since arriving in the UFC is post victories and prove his detractors wrong. Though he’s only competed once in each of the last two years, the 30-year-old Scouser showed his levels last time out at UFC 304, quickly putting King Green to sleep with a slick triangle choke that pushed his record to 6-0 inside the Octagon.

Will Chandler stem the tide and get things moving in the right direction again or is Liverpool’s favorite fighting son set to take another step towards title contention?

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes

UFC 314 wraps in the featherweight division, with former champ Alexander Volkanovskisquaring off with streaking Brazilian Diego Lopes in a battle for the vacant title. 

The Australian standout Volkanovski returns to action for the first time since losing the belt to Ilia Topuria last February, looking to end the first losing skid of his career and reaffirm his standing as the top featherweight in the world. He’s in a weird position here, having dropped three of his last four with a win over Rodriguez being his only triumph since wrapping his trilogy with Max Holloway, yet it’s nigh on impossible to envision his time as a championship-tier fighter just simply being done now.

Order UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Lopes

Lopes has been a revelation in his first two years on the UFC roster, debuting with a tremendous showing on short-notice at UFC 288 before rattling off five straight wins to establish himself as one of the top threats in the 145-pound ranks. Following his “Only Gangsters Allowed” clash with Dan Ige at UFC 303, the surging contender out-hustled Brian Ortega at UFC 306 to climb into the Top 5.

Thinking through this matchup is such a challenge because Volkanovski has such a lengthy history as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, but has been stopped quickly in each of his last two appearances, while Lopes has just continued winning with each step forward, but now takes another big step up. Something has got to give and I’ll be counting down the days until these two are standing opposite one another inside the Octagon at Kaseya Center on April 12.

I know you will be, too.

UFC Fight Night: Hill vs. Rountree Jr. — Saturday, April 26 (Kansas City, MO)

Giga Chikadze vs. David Onama

Let’s add one more featherweight fight to this list for good measure, shall we?

Giga Chikadze has been a bit snake-bitten in recent years, suffering a pair of bad injuries that knocked him out of fights, wiping out any momentum he’d accrued while scuttling his chances to continue pressing forward in the division. He landed on the wrong side of things in a bout with Arnold Allen last time out at UFC 304 in Manchester, and will look to get back to the form that produced quality wins over Alex Caceres, Edson Barboza, and Cub Swanson in the past here. 

David Onama ventures to Kansas City, where he trained and competed in the pre-UFC portion of his career, riding a three-fight winning streak. Now training at Factory X Muay Thai under Marc Montoya, the dangerous Ugandan has a chance to force his way into the Top 15 — or, at the very least, to a place on the doorstep — if he can extend his winning streak in this one.

Ian Machado Garry vs. Carlos Prates

The new main event in Kansas City carries massive implications in the welterweight division, as Ian Machado Garry takes on Carlos Prates.

Ireland’s Machado Garry competes off a loss for the first time in his career, having landed on the wrong side of the scorecards in his battle with fellow unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov last December. The talented 27-year-old is 15-1 overall, and has shown a deft ability to shine in all phases, and a willingness to follow whatever path will lead him to victory. 

Last year’s top newcomer, Prates went 4-0 in 2024, closing out his rookie campaign with a first-round stoppage win over Neil Magny that carried him into the rankings. A graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series, Prates sports an 11-fight winning streak, with each of his last 10 victories coming inside the distance.

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Originally slated to face Geoff Neal at UFC 314, Prates now gets the opportunity to force his way into the title conversation if he’s able to hand Machado Garry a second consecutive defeat. As for “The Future,” he has the chance to immediately affirm his place in the pecking order by turning back the streaking Fighting Nerds representative.

This is a fascinating matchup that will have an immediate impact on the landscape of the 170-pound weight class, regardless of who is victorious, and is a tremendous way to close out the action in April inside the Octagon.