The UFC’s most decorated female fighter defends her Bantamweight crown against the rising star from Mexico, Irene Aldana, at UFC 289. We preview tonight’s event.
Remarkably, tonight’s main event between Amanda Nunez and Irene Aldana is the twelfth straight title fight for ‘The Lioness,’ who also currently holds the UFC Featherweight title. The number five ranked Irene Aldana will be looking to become the next breakout Mexican star in the UFC following the recent success of fellow countrywoman Alexa Grasso, who dethroned the long-reigning Flyweight Champion, Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285 back in March, and The men’s two-time Flyweight Champion, Brandon Moreno.
Standing at 5 foot 9 inches tall, Aldana possesses a slight advantage in the height department and has great boxing skills, ending two of her last four fights with her fists. If Amanda Nunes brings the heat as she did in her previous outing against Juliana Pena, in that case, we should be in for a highly entertaining fight. The withdrawal of Pena from UFC 289 could be a blessing in disguise for MMA fans, given how one-sided the last bout between Nunes and Pena was.
It’s not just on the feet where Irene Aldana has the potential to cause problems for the female GOAT. In her last fight against Macy Chiasson at UFC 279, Aldana was taken down on more than one occasion but could utilize both armbar and triangle submission attempts from her back. It will be interesting to see if Nunes has watched the tape and thought the ease at which Aldana was taken down is a flaw or if her ability on the ground is a strength. If it’s the latter, expect an all-out war on the feet.
Aldana turned 35 earlier this year, and this may be the last opportunity she gets to fight for UFC gold, and the woman she has to beat is considered by many to be the greatest female fighter in mixed martial arts history. Despite being so impressive, Nunes reminded us in December 2021 that she is, in fact, a mere mortal, but it should be said that the defeat to Juliana Pena in their first fight was Nunes’ only defeat inside the octagon for eight years.
Both of the main event fighters made the Bantamweight limit weighing in at 135lb. Aldana said at the ceremonial weigh-in that she had nothing but respect for Nunes and was ready to put on a show for the fans. Nunes was in a defiant mood as Jon Anik asked her for any final thoughts ahead of her title defense. Nunes responded with ” What’s up Vancouver, make some noise! And still, forever, see you guys tomorrow.”
Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush
Two elite lightweights go head-to-head in UFC 289’s co-main event. Number one-ranked Charles Oliveira faces the number four lightweight, Beneil Dariush, to determine the next challenger for Islam Makhachev for UFC gold.
Oliveira went on a remarkable run before his defeat against Makhachev, beating the likes of Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and Michael Chandler on his eleven-fight win streak, so it would be difficult to deny that a win over Dariush would warrant a chance to reclaim his title.
Dariush has gone under the radar somewhat, and there is a case for him being undervalued and underrated. He has been on the end of unfortunate cancellations over the past few years, with fights against Islam Makhachev and tonight’s opponent being canceled on previous occasions.
Both fighters are brilliant grapplers, with Dariush gaining a black belt in Brazilian Jui-Jitsu just five years after taking up the martial art. On the other hand, Oliveira has the most submission victories in UFC history. Like the main event, it’s difficult to predict whether this fight will primarily be on the feet or the ground, given that both men are well-rounded. A question mark still hangs over Dariush regarding whether or not he can compete with the highest-level fighters, as Charles Oliveira certainly presents his most difficult challenge to date.
During the ceremonial weigh in’s, both men displayed respect for each other, as they have all week. While there has been no trash-talking in the build-up between these top five lightweights, the fight is expected to be anything other than muted.
Elsewhere on the main card
Local hero Mike Mallott will face Adam Fugitt in a Welterweight contest. Both men provided some entertainment during the pre-fight press conference earlier this week, so hopefully, the energy continues into the fight. Mallott has an impressive 9-1 record and is a Dana White’s Contender Series graduate. Momentum is in Mallott’s favor, and will be looking for a victory as he looks to break into the top fifteen.
The number thirteen-ranked Dan Ige takes on Nate Landwehr at featherweight in Ige’s fourteenth fight for the UFC. Ige won his last fight via a second-round knockout against Damon Jackson, which ended a three-fight losing streak. After a difficult start to life in the UFC, Nate Landwehr has gone 3-0 in his last three fights and earned bonuses for each fight which has helped to build his name due to providing highlight reel moments that look great on promotional content. A lot is at stake for Ige as Landwehr will have his eye on his position in the rankings. UFC legend and commentator Michael Bisping was able to give his opinions on UFC 289’s card due to not calling the fights this weekend. On his YouTube channel, he said that he is picking this bout as the ‘Fight of the Night’ and is tipping the underdog, Nate ‘The Train’ Landwehr, for the victory.
The main card opener sees another hometown fighter, Marc Andre Barriault, against the American Eryk Anders. Both men are powerful strikers willing to trade in the pocket, and both are coming off impressive victories, with Barriault dominating Julian Marquez in his last outing with a great display of boxing, which led to a TKO stoppage in the second round. Barriault and Anders both weighed in at the 185lb middleweight limit.
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