3 cities the UFC needs to travel to in 2024

2. Beijing, China

Like the previous entry, Beijing's value as a host city could be determined by the presence of a champion from China. Should Zhang Weili defend her strawweight belt against Amanda Lemos at UFC 292, a title defense at home would be warranted.

The strawweight title has been a hot potato between the division's best in recent years. Zhang won the title during the UFC's last visit to China in 2019. A TKO victory against Jessica Andrade saw Zhang crowned in Shenzen. Since then, Rose Namajunas held the belt, followed by Carla Esparza, only for Zhang to reclaim it one fight later.

Previous UFC events include a 2017 Fight Night in Shanghai and another one the following year in Beijing. Why return to Beijing, you ask? Assuming they both win their next fights, Zhang and fellow Chinese strawweight Yan Xiaonan are on a collision course. Yan won her last two and is currently third in the strawweight rankings. So why not book a battle between them, for the title, in their nation's capital?

Zhang's hometown, Handan, is 278 miles west of Beijing. Meanwhile, Yan's native Shenyang is roughly 427 miles east. Both are not that far off--considering China's size-- but Zhang will have a proximity advantage. Either way, fans will easily pack the Cadillac Arena to support their stars.

While COVID-19 partially made it hard to get into China, restrictions are slowly getting lifted. There should be enough time between now and the near future to book an event in Beijing.