The UFC heads up north to the Rogers Arena in Vancouver this weekend for another stacked card and exciting night of fights. UFC 289 will see some of the very best fighters in the world step into the octagon, with a championship on the line in the main event.
The undisputed greatest of all-time will put her recently recaptured Women’s Bantamweight championship on the line in the main event of this pay-per-view. Plus, a former lightweight champion faces off with one of the many fast-rising stars in the UFC’s toughest class and a couple of talented welterweights will meet for a chance to crack the top 15.
Welterweight bout: Mike Malott vs. Adam Fugitt
If you want to become a fast fan-favorite in the UFC, do what Mike Malott does. The guy is a destroyer, with a 9-1-1 record and all nine of his wins coming by either knockout or submission. In fact, only one of his fights has gone to a decision and it resulted in a draw. In two UFC fights, he has knockout out Mickey Gall and submitted Yohan Lainesse, both in the first round. Another dominant performance like those in this matchup, and he could see himself in the top 15 of the class very soon.
That won’t be an easy task though, as Fugitt will step into the octagon with a 9-3 record, with five knockouts and three submissions. Coming off of a knockout win over Yusaku Kinoshita in February, Fugitt will be looking to build some momentum to potentially push himself into the rankings in the near future. Both of these guys can get the job done both on the feet and on the floor, so it will be interesting to see what kind of gameplans they come in with.
My pick: Malott via 3rd round knockout
Lightweight bout: Charles Oliveira vs. Benil Dariush
Former champion Charles Oliveira was riding an 11-fight winning streak and looked like one of the greatest lightweights of all-time before he was submitted by current champion Islam Makhachev in October. After that loss, Oliveira’s record stands at 33-9 with nine knockouts and 21 submissions. The 33-yeard-old has proven he belongs in the octagon with the very best and is going to be looking to earn himself a chance to recapture his lightweight championship. One of the best grapplers in the game today, if Oliveira gets himself into an advantageous position on the ground, the fight is likely finished.
Beneil Dariush does not often find himself in bad positions though. He comes into this co-main event the fourth-ranked lightweight contender, with a 22-4-1 record and eight submission wins. He hasn’t lost a fight since 2018, racking up eight straight wins in that time. Dariush has a very strong grappling base and that has allowed him to become a serious threat on the feet. It will be interesting to see if he is willing to grapple with Oliveira or is he tries to keep his distance. Either way, the winner of this fight could be next in line for a title shot.
My pick: Oliveira via decision
Women’s Bantamweight Championship bout: Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana
The women’s bantamweight division was shaken up in 2021 when Julianna Pena shocked the world by upsetting Amanda Nunes and taking the championship. Order was restored however, when Nunes dominated their rematch and took her title back last year. Now, she’s ready to take on a new challenger and prove she is still the best in the world.
Julianna Pena and Cat Zingano. That is a complete list of women who have defeated Amanda Nunes in the octagon. The latter came way back in 2014 and Nunes won 12 fights in a row between the two losses, including wins over champions like Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko and Holly Holm. Now that she has proven she can bounce back after a loss, Nunes may be more dangerous than ever before, and that’s saying a whole lot.
Even with that impressive resume, Nunes has faced few opponents with hands as good as Irene Aldana’s. The challenger sports a 14-6 record with eight knockouts, two of which have come in her last two wins over Yana Santos and Macy Chiasson. Having won seven of her last nine fights, Aldana has finally earned the shot she’s been looking for. Now she just has to beat some very tall odds to bring home the championship.
My pick: Nunes via 2nd round knockout
UFC 289 will be held Saturday, June 10 at 10 PM ET. Fight fans can order the pay per view through ESPN+ and receive a special offer: $124.98 for UFC 289 and an ESPN+ annual plan. ESPN+ subscribers can order the pay per view for $79.99.