Who is Irene Aldana fighting against at UFC 279 this weekend?

Ketlen Vieira v Irene Aldana
Aldana leaving the octagon after her bout with Ketlen Vieira

Irene Aldana features on yet another stacked card, with the Mexican fighter facing Macy Chiasson at UFC 279 this weekend. This bout comes after she got the better of Yana Kunitskaya in the very first round at UFC 264: Poirier vs. McGregor 3 last year.

Chiasson is also coming into this fight full of confidence, beating the highly-rated Norma Dumont via a split decision a few months ago.

Chiasson has fought eight times under the UFC banner, winning six of her outings in the organization, including a victory over Pannie Kianzad in The Ultimate Fighter 28 finale. Her only two losses during her professional MMA career came against Lina Länsberg and Raquel Pennington while competing in the UFC.

Aldana hasn't had the most successful UFC career so far, losing four out of her 10 bouts in the organization. However, the Mexican is very much used to competing on pay-per-view cards since her debut in 2016, fighting on five PPV events during her time in the UFC.

Irene Aldana is currently ranked No. 4 in the UFC women's bantamweight division, with her opponent, Macy Chiasson, attempting to break into the upper tier of the 135lbs rankings.

The American is currently ranked No. 10 in the women's bantamweight division, meaning Aldana will likely be a big step-up in quality for Chiasson.

The 34-year-old Mexican will be hoping that a win can take her within touching distance of a UFC title shot, after already beating No. 6 ranked Yana Kunitskaya in her previous outing.

Aldana is also no stranger to big fights, facing names such as Holly Holm, Ketlen Vieira, Raquel Pennington, and Katlyn Chookagian during her six-year UFC career. So, the veteran will be looking to stake a claim for a title fight with a victory in the upcoming bout.

Watch Irene Aldana take on the legendary Holly Holm here:

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Did Irene Aldana lose before entering the UFC?

Yes, the Mexican fighter wasn't unbeaten before entering the organization. Aldana had already suffered defeat twice in her career before signing with the UFC, losing to Tonya Evinger and Larissa Pacheco. Her first loss came via a stoppage in the third round against Pacheco at Jungle Fight 63 in 2013.

Tonya Evinger managed to secure the vacant Invicta FC bantamweight title after defeating Aldana in the fourth round of their title fight in 2015.

Despite the title fight loss to Evinger, Aldana had a solid career under the Invicta FC banner and eventually managed to earn a spot on the UFC roster. Since joining the organization, the 34-year-old has a UFC record of six wins and four losses and faces Macy Chiasson at UFC 279 in her next bout.

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Edited by Akshay Saraswat