Ditcheva v Shevchenko & Jones v Aspinall - five fights we want in 2025

It could shape up to be another thrilling year for British MMA fans in 2025 if the stars align.

Will we finally get to see Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall face off for the UFC undisputed heavyweight title?

And what next for Dakota Ditcheva after becoming the first British woman to win an MMA world title?

How will Leon Edwards bounce back from losing his welterweight title in July and what next for Paddy Pimblett after a statement win over Bobby Green on the same card?

Here are five bouts BBC Sport would like to see in 2025 - contests that could answer some of these questions.

There really isn't anywhere else we could have started.

It's been more than a year since the UFC has had an undisputed heavyweight champion, with Britain's Tom Aspinall winning the interim title in November 2023.

With Jon Jones defending his crown in emphatic style against Stipe Miocic in November, it surely sets up an undisputed contest between the pair.

Aspinall wants it, American Jones claims he doesn't, while UFC president Dana White says he is "100% sure", external the fight will happen.

If it does, White says it will be the "biggest heavyweight bout in UFC history".

This one is unlikely to happen because the pair are with different promotions, but it's one we'd love to see.

Kyrgyzstan's Shevchenko reclaimed her UFC flyweight title in September, beating Alexa Grasso in a historic trilogy bout, while Britain's Ditcheva crowned a golden year by beating Taila Santos for the PFL flyweight belt in November.

Ditcheva's resume is remarkable, finishing 13 of her 14 opponents, and with top contenders running thin in the PFL, what better way than to test yourself than against a fighter many consider the flyweight GOAT?

Shevchenko is a two-time champion, having defended the belt seven times during her first title run from 2019-2022.

Ditcheva has not commented on the likelihood of fighting in the UFC, and is instead targeting a PFL Manchester card next year, but stranger things have happened.

This fight makes sense for a few reasons.

Britain's Edwards is looking to beat a top contender and get back in welterweight title contention following his defeat by Belal Muhammad in July, and Machado Garry fits the bill.

The Irishman lost his number one contender bout against Shavkat Rakhmonov last month, and is targeting another established name such as Edwards to get back in the title picture himself.

The pair also have history, with Machado Garry reportedly being barred from Edwards' Team Renegade gym in Birmingham after training together in 2023.

The icing and cherry on top of the cake would be if this fight were to happen in the UK or Ireland.

Pimblett fought once in 2024, earning a statement victory over American Bobby Green, to continue the unbeaten start to his UFC career.

The win moved Liverpool's Pimblett up to 13th in the UFC's lightweight rankings and a top-10 opponent could be on the horizon.

Of the opponents available, seventh-ranked American Michael Chandler stands out.

Win or lose, Chandler always entertains, proven by his defeat by Charles Oliveira in November, where he slammed the Brazilian to the canvas twice in the closing stages.

He would compliment a bout with the popular Pimblett perfectly.

Sign us up.

Muhammad Mokaev has had an up-and-down year, winning twice in the UFC to extend his unbeaten record to 13, before being released by the promotion in July.

He signed with Bahrain-based organisation Brave Combat Federation in August, beating Joevincent So last month for his 14th career victory.

White pointed to problems behind the scenes to explain why Mokaev was let go by the UFC, while the Briton has reiterated his desire to return to the promotion.

Meanwhile UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defeated Kai Asakura last month to retain his title, and has already beaten many of the top contenders in the division.

Mokaev was closing in on a title shot before his release, so if he can mend his relationship with the UFC, a bout with Pantoja would make sense.