The month of May gave us some exciting UFC fights, including one of the most brutal knockouts in UFC history. With three events on the schedule for June, we are sure to get some more thrilling contests, including an absolutely loaded pay-per-view card. Let’s take a look at five of the biggest matchups.
Alexander Volkov vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik – June 4
Who doesn’t love a good heavyweight main event? The number seven and number eight fighters in the heavyweight class will meet in this one, with the winner poised to make a big move up the rankings. Both guys are coming off of losses, so you know they’re going to be hungry for a big victory. With both of them proving that they can score a highlight reel knockout at any moment, this is a fight where you’re not going to want to let yourself blink.
Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
UFC 275 – June 11
If you haven’t seen the first meeting between these two fighters, go back and watch it. It was a wild and entertaining bout that resulted in Zhang taking a hard-fought decision victory. These two former champions will go at it again now and a win would be absolutely huge for either one of them. Sequels rarely live up to the original, but I’m still expecting some fireworks in this one.
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos
UFC 275 – June 11
Anderson Silva. Georges St. Pierre. Ronda Rousey. Amanda Nunes. Some fighters have been so dominant they have a certain mystique about them. Every time they walk to the octagon, you know you’re about to see one of the greatest fighters of all time. Valentina Shevchenko is one of those fighters. The dominant women’s flyweight champ is currently list as a -720 betting favorite in this co-main event, and with good reason. On the other had, Nunes was recently upset and that never seemed like a possibility. Perhaps Taila Santos will feed off of that and shock the world.
Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka
UFC 275 – June 11
It’s not every day the champion comes into a title defense as the underdog, but that’s exactly the case here. At 42 years old, Teixeira is the second oldest champion in UFC history. No one expected him to even get to the point of having the belt wrapped around his waist, but here we are. Now, he will try to defend his belt for the first time against a very game opponent and the second-ranked light heavyweight in the world.
Calvin Kattar vs. Josh Emmett
UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Emmett – June 18
The final fight of the month is sure ot be a good one. This featherweight main event pits the number four fighter against the number seven, in a class the allows plenty of room to move up. Both guys have a tendency to stand and strike and have proven that they have the power to put anyone to sleep. One way or another, June is going to go out with a bang for the UFC.
You can see all of these fights on ESPN+ throughout the month of June.