This article is part of our UFC Picks series.
UFC Futures 2025: Best Bets For End-of-Year Champions (Jon's Picks)
UFC futures for 2025 end-of-year champions are discussed by Jon Litterine, who makes four long-term betting picks on fighters capable of earning (or retaining) MMA gold. All UFC odds are courtesy of the DraftKings sportsbook UFC Futures listings.
Weight Class: Middleweight
Sean Strickland (+300)
This was the one bet that really stood out to me from a value standpoint, although there are some positives and negatives to it. Strickland is due to fight Dricus Du Plessis for the 185-pound crown in a rematch at UFC 312 on February 9th in Sydney, Australia. The first fight was a razor-thin split decision, in which DDP took Strickland's title. I thought Sean won, but it was close. Early odds have du Plessis as a -165 favorite for the rematch. I think Strickland has a better shot of getting the belt back than those odds indicate. The elephant in the room is Khamzat Chimaev. He's the clear betting favorite (-200) to end 2025 as champion, but he's been constantly banged up throughout the course of his career and fights infrequently as a result. The winner of the Strickland/DDP fight is likely going to have to face Chimaev late in 2025, but are we certain Khamzat is going to make it to fight day? I could easily see something popping up and the fight being pushed into 2026. If that's the case, and you assume Chimaev is correctly next in line, this bet could hit if Strickland is able to best du Plessis in the rematch.
UFC FUTURES BET: Sean Strickland (+300) to be Middleweight Champion on Dec 31, 2025
Weight Class: Flyweight
This is by far the bet most likely to hit, which is why it offers the worst payout by a considerable margin. Pantoja has essentially already cleaned out the division in making three successful title defenses. He competed twice a year in both 2023 and 2024, but he headlined the final pay-per-view of this past year in December, so there's a non-zero chance he fights just once in 2025. Manel Kape and Brandon Royval will fight in what will largely be considered a No. 1 contender fight on March 1. If we assume Pantoja gets the winner, figure that fight happens in mid-to-late summer, meaning there's absolutely a scenario in which he could hold the title at the end of 2025 with just one victory.
UFC FUTURES BET: Alexandre Pantoja (+100) to be Flyweight Champion on Dec 31, 2025
Weight Class: Welterweight
The current 170-pound king, Muhammad was scheduled to defend his title against Shavkat Rakhmonov on the same December PPV in which we saw the aforementioned Pantoja. He ended up withdrawing due to a foot issue, and Rakhmonov fought, and defeated, Ian Garry in a No. 1 contender co-main event. Shavkat is going to get his title shot at some point in 2025, but again, it's possible it's not until late-spring or early-summer, meaning Muhammad could close the year as champion with just one successful title defense.. Rakhmonov is going to be a big betting favorite there, but I'm going to pick Belal to pull the upset. I think his pace and wrestling ability are enough to keep Shavkat off-balance in the championship rounds.
UFC FUTURES BET: Belal Muhammad (+200) to be Welterweight Champion on Dec 31, 2025
Weight Class: Women's Flyweight
The 125-pound female division is arguably the thinnest in the sport, making it a prime target for a bet like this one. Champion Valentina Shevchenko will be 37 years of age in early-March. Each of her last three fights have been against Alexa Grasso, so we know the UFC isn't going back to that well. The presence of Erin Blanchfield is a concern, but Fiorot dominated Blanchfield in her last fight -- a five-round main event in Atlantic City in March 2024. Manon was also the backup fighter for the most recent Shevchenko v. Grasso bout -- a good indication of who is next in line. I think she beats Valentina when the two compete at some point in 2025, and I don't see another fighter that will dethrone her any time soon, at least before the end of the upcoming calendar year.
UFC FUTURES BET: Manon Fiorot (+200) to be Women's Flyweight Champion on Dec 31, 2025
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