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With UFC 211, the MMA leader will host its first event in Perth, Australia. The previous 11 fight cards have given us some historic moments, including Ronda Rousey's shocking upset loss to Holly Holm and Hunt vs Bigfoot I, arguably the greatest heavyweight fight in the organization's history. This fight card shows a lot of promise too and with Valentine's Day just around the corner, the UFC are showering the host crowd with a lot of love by featuring local favorites like Mark Hunt, Tai Tuivasa, Jake Mathews and not in the least, Israel Adesanya.
UFC 211 was rumored to be headlined by a Middleweight title unification bout between Undisputed Champion Georges St. Pierre and Interim Champion Robert Whittaker, health issues have rendered both of them unable to compete. An Interim title bout was set up between former champ Luke Rockhold and Yoel Romero, but since the latter missed weight, only Rockhold will be eligible to win the title. But despite the blemish on the main event, the rest of the card has plenty of must-see reasons to leave fans talking about this event for days to come. Let's take a look at a few of them:
#6 Damien Brown vs "Maestro" Dong Hyun Kim
With Ross Pearson, Jussier Formiga and Israel Adesanya, even the prelims of UFC 221 are pretty stacked and this fight could be the pick of that undercard. Both Brown and Kim have been involved in two of last year's Fight of the Year candidates so it suffices to say that we're dealing with two combustible elements here.
Kim has the momentum with two wins heading into this bout while Brown will look to add to his 'win' column after 2 losses. If their last few fights are anything to go by, the Ozzy crowd could be in for a barnburner with FOTY potential.
#5 Israel Adesanya's UFC debut
There aren't too many fighters who you could associate the term "high-risk, high reward" with, but Israel Adesanya is one of them. To the unacquainted, Adesanya is a former kickboxing star and undefeated MMA fighter, whose fearless and unpredictable style has already drawn comparisons with legends Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. MMA fans in Australia and his adopted homeland of New Zealand went up in a roar when he signed with the UFC.
It's not presumptuous to say that this was expected, but "The Stylebender" now has to pass the age-old, legend-killing, litmus test of a debut under the bright lights of the big leagues. And standing across him is a hungry native son in Rob Wilkinson, who's looking for his first UFC win after hopes of a successful debut were dashed by Siyar Bahadurzada
#4 Li Jingliang vs Jake Mathews
In the past week, Li Jingliang has been all smiles while clicking pictures with koalas and wombats. But will he be the same after his upcoming fight with local boy Jake Mathews? "The Celtic Kid" has literally grown up in the octagon - he was 5'9" when he debuted in the UFC as a 19-year-old and now at age 23, he has gained a couple of inches while moving up to 170 from 155.
Jingliang is an aggressive striker with a proclivity for the knockout - his only UFC losses have come by putting him at a disadvantage on the ground. This is something Mathews, a ground specialist, will have built his game plan around. But that's easier said than done when he's being walked down by a man who some say could be China's greatest MMA fighter.
#3 Tai Tuivasa's seek and destroy mode
A former professional rugby player, Tai Tuivasa's finishes are quite similar to rugby tackles - head-on and at full speed. His flying knee knockout of Rashad Coulter made him the first Aboriginal-origin fighter to win in the UFC. This Sunday against Frenchman Cyril Asker, the explosive Ozzy will look to keep his perfect 6-0 record intact with not just a win, but a finish, like all his other victories.
#2 A changing of the guard?
The last up-and-comer to defeat Mark Hunt in his own backyard is now the baddest man on the planet. But that loss to Stipe Miocic was the Super Samoan's lone blemish in his battles down under. He stopped another surging prospect in Derrick Lewis in front of his home crowd last year and is showing that despite being the UFC's oldest fighter, he's still relevant and not just a gatekeeper.
Curtis Blaydes, whose only loss was to recent Heavyweight title challenger Francis Ngannou, is a powerful, athletic big man who finished his first five opponents while also taking them on a tour of Suplex City. His lone loss was to Francis Ngannou, who shares a couple of very important similarities with Mark Hunt - good takedown defense and nuclear weapons in his hands. Blaydes was wary of Ngannou's power and that could've been why his takedown attempts weren't effective. He has won 4 in a row since then and will look to make a huge leap in the rankings with a win over Mark Hunt.
#1 Yoel Romero's last charge?
The main event of UFC 221 has turned a little anticlimactic, at least from the title's point of view, but that doesn't mean the fight itself will fizzle out.
Rockhold's and Romero's paths were bound to cross - both their list of victims bear the same names. Both are physical freaks - Rockhold with his cardio and Romero with his athleticism. Their elite skill sets make them dangerous on the feet and on the canvas. But the fact that Romero took the fight on a month's notice, looked gaunt the whole of fight week and eventually missed weight could play a huge role.
Rockhold is a slow starter and has shown chinks in his armor when rushed during the onset of the fight. Romero can detonate at any moment and needs just one shot to close the show. But considering his cardio issues and his depleted state, will he make a huge gamble and pull the trigger early? The longer the fight goes, the stronger Rockhold's chances become. Whichever way it goes, this is an epic clash that fight fans have been chomping at the bit for, for years. Eyes will be fixated on this like it was a hypnotist's medallion.
