December is obviously a very exciting month for a lot of reasons, but this year the UFC will be among them as ESPN+ will offer several very exciting nights of fights. UFC 269 headlines the stacked month, but a couple of fight nights will also feature some of the most talented fighters the UFC has to offer. And even with a highly anticipated bout cancelled due to an injury, there are plenty of great fights to look forward to.
Derrick Lewis vs. Chris Daukaus
UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus – December 18
Who doesn’t love a good heavyweight brawl? This main event is sure to be exactly that as two of the UFC’s premier knockout artists will throw hands searching for their latest victim. With 31 career knockouts between these two, you can certainly expect to see some fireworks. Plus, both of these guys tend to deliver some classic post-fight interviews, so the fun doesn’t stop when the fight ends.
Raulian Paiva vs. Sean O’Malley
UFC 269 – December 11
It’s rare to see an unranked fighter be a heavy favorite against a ranked opponent, but that’s what we have here. O’Malley is unbelievably talented and is coming off of a win in which he put on an absolute striking clinic. The 15th-ranked bantamweight, Paiva is in for quite a challenge in this one. This is a classic grappler vs. striker matchup that should be quite a chess match.
Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo
UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Aldo – December 4
In the first main event of the month, a legend of the sport will look to stay hot and possibly launch himself into the bantamweight title picture. Standing in his way will be the fourth-ranked challenger in the division and an incredibly talented striker. This is sure to be a standup war as both of these guys possess some serious power and pinpoint accuracy. There’s also a lot on the line here, which only makes it more exciting.
Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena
UFC 269 – December 11
Speaking of all-time greats, it doesn’t get any greater than Nunes. The longtime dominant women’s bantamweight champion is already in the “best of all-time” conversation and only makes her case stronger every time she steps into the octagon. I mean, listen to this resume: 21-4 record, 13 knockouts, riding a 12-fight win streak and hasn’t lost since 2014. She quite possibly the most intimidating force in the UFC today and maybe ever. Oh yeah, Pena is really good too. Though, I’m willing to bet she’s never been a +600 underdog.
Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier
UFC 269 – December 11
UFC 269 took a hit when the Jorge Masvidal vs. Leon Edwards fight got cancelled due to an injury, but the card is still completely stacked thanks to a huge main event. Oliveira has looked as dominant as (almost) anyone in the division in recent years, winning nine in a row and finishing eight of those fights. On the other hand, Poirier is coming off of back to back knockouts of Conor McGregor. Both of these guys have some incredible striking skills but Oliveira very likely has a decisive advantage in the grappling. Gameplans will be important here and this should be a very exciting championship main event.
You can see all of these fights on ESPN+ throughout the month of December.