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In just 10 days, the UFC presents its latest pay-per-view card from Las Vegas, Nevada. And to tell the truth, it’s the best card they’ve put together in some time. UFC 259 features no less than three UFC title fights, but there’s so much more to the card than just that.
Essentially, this is a top-to-bottom stacked card, meaning that even if late changes happen, we should be treated to a potential classic.
Here are five reasons why you need to watch UFC 259.
#1 Israel Adesanya could make history in the main event
The main event of UFC 259 sees a battle of UFC champions, as reigning Light Heavyweight kingpin Jan Blachowicz defends his title against Middleweight champ Israel Adesanya.
If Adesanya manages to win, he’ll make UFC history and become the first fighter to simultaneously hold both the UFC Middleweight and Light Heavyweight titles – joining Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Henry Cejudo on the list of UFC champ-champs.
So can Adesanya do it? It won’t be his easiest task.
Blachowicz has been proving the doubters wrong for years now. The Prince of Cieszyn was written off when he lost four of his first six UFC fights.
And even after winning seven of eight fights between 2017 and 2020, it never felt like he’d get close to the UFC Light Heavyweight title.
But that all changed last September, when Blachowicz upset Dominick Reyes to claim the title vacated by Jon Jones. The Polish fighter hits like a truck, is remarkably tough, and has strong cardio too.
And yet there’s still the nagging feeling that Adesanya – probably the most pinpoint UFC striker since Anderson Silva – will simply be too precise, too fleet-footed, and too brilliant for Blachowicz to handle.
The Last Stylebender has defeated crushing strikers like Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker before. Is another 20lbs in weight really going to make that much difference?
It doesn’t seem likely – meaning history could be made at UFC 259.
#2 The UFC’s greatest-ever female fighter is in action
The idea that UFC Bantamweight and Featherweight champion Amanda Nunes is the greatest female fighter of all time isn’t even up for debate at this point.
The Lioness is simply in a class of her own. No other woman in MMA history can boast accomplishments like Nunes, who has beaten a total of six current or former UFC champions during her career.
UFC 259 sees Nunes look to defend her UFC Featherweight title for the second time. And on this occasion, she’s got the chance to beat a former Invicta FC champion in the form of Megan Anderson.
A towering striker with knockout power, Anderson is on a two-fight winning streak and should give Nunes a different kind of challenge.
She’ll be the first fighter to really have a size advantage over The Lioness, as she stands a whopping four inches taller than the champion.
But even considering that, it’s hard to see the Australian having success here. Nunes is brilliant in all areas but should enjoy a huge advantage over Anderson on the ground in particular.
But even if this sounds like business as usual for The Lioness, at this stage, it’s worth watching any of her fights simply to see greatness in action. And this one is absolutely no different.
#3 We’re finally getting a legitimate UFC Bantamweight title fight
The UFC Bantamweight division has been a strange place in the last couple of years. Former champion Henry Cejudo’s reign was fun enough in terms of the fights it produced, but it’s safe to say that it wasn’t exactly productive from a sporting perspective.
In fact, there’s a very fair argument to suggest that the last time the top two Bantamweights in the UFC faced off for the title was when TJ Dillashaw defended against his bitter rival Cody Garbrandt at UFC 227 back in August 2018.
That’s all changing now, though. Petr Yan claimed the title vacated by Cejudo last July by defeating Jose Aldo. Aljamain Sterling choked out Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250 to mark himself out as the division’s top contender.
The two men now face off for the title at UFC 259, and incredibly, the fight might make for the most intriguing title bout on the card.
Fearsome striker Yan is unbeaten in the UFC at 7-0. And thus far, none of his opponents have really been able to test him, all falling prey to his fast hands and brutal power.
But The Funk Master – with his slick grappling and formidable athleticism – should provide the Russian with his toughest test to date. Judging on his recent form, if Sterling can get him to the ground, then we could easily see a new champion crowned.
Either way, though, this is a very legitimate UFC title fight between two of the very best in the world.
#4 Khabib’s heir is in action
Following the retirement of UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, UFC fans have marked out a number of fighters as ‘Khabib’s heir.’
It’s natural that the fighters in consideration are largely Russian-based wrestlers. And amongst those identified have been Welterweight tyro Khamzat Chimaev and Light Heavyweight beast Magomed Ankalaev.
However, the true heir to Khabib’s throne might be competing at UFC 259 and in Khabib’s old division, too. His name? Islam Makhachev.
A training partner and close friend of The Eagle, Makhachev has been in the UFC for longer than you might think – since 2015. And while he’s flown under the radar somewhat, the native of Dagestan has gone 7-1 in the years that have followed.
With a similar fighting style to Khabib – a powerful wrestling and submission game backed up by a heavy-handed boxing style – there seems to be no reason why Makhachev can’t climb to the top of the UFC mountain at 155lbs.
His opponent at UFC 259 – Drew Dober – is certainly no pushover. The striker is 6-1 in his last seven fights and has been knocking out anyone in his path.
But Makhachev will be favored here, and if he can win impressively, the heir will find himself one step closer to the throne vacated by his illustrious teammate.
#5 It might be the last chance to see UFC legend Cruz
A decade ago, the UFC famously showcased a list of seemingly unbeatable champions, with names like Cain Velasquez, Georges St. Pierre, and Anderson Silva amongst them.
But while a couple of those fighters remain active, the majority have now stepped away from the sport or have slipped down the ladder dramatically.
Former UFC Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is still kicking around, but for how much longer is anyone’s guess.
The Dominator has suffered horrendously with injuries over the last 10 years, and he’s only competed on five occasions since the end of 2011.
UFC 259 sees him return, but Cruz finds himself in an unfamiliar spot after two straight losses. He’s on the preliminary card, facing a largely unheralded opponent in the form of Casey Kenney.
But Kenney is no pushover. He’s actually 5-1 in the UFC, and his wins have come against stiff competition like Nathaniel Wood and Ray Borg.
This fight should tell us a lot about whether Cruz has anything left to offer. There’s no shame in losing to Kenney, but three losses in a row for The Dominator would be a tough pill to swallow.
That means that it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if this is the swansong for the former UFC Bantamweight champ. And that alone should make it a must-see fight for any UFC fan.
