The Friday before UFC 259 on March 6, should feel like christmas eve for mma fans all over the world. In a move reminiscent of Lebron James' introduction to the Miami Heat, we are getting not one, not two, not two and half, but three massive title fights. Izzy’s move to the next weight class to challenge for his second UFC world title officially entering the G.O.A.T talk, Amanda “The Lioness” Nunes running down some more history, and Petr Yan’s first title defence against the sizzling red hot Funk Master, are the three final mouthwatering courses on a night that promises to deliver delightful course after course of delectable skill and violence for fight starved fans.
On Saturday night, Thiago Santos vs Aleksandr Racic will set the table and serve as a nice little aperitif for the rest of the main card’s festivities. This is an important fight in the now Boneless light heavyweight division with Jon Jones pursuing the heavyweight title. Being that this match up features #2 and #4 in the world at light heavyweight, on the same night as the title gets sorted, this bout can potentially produce the next #1 contender for the 205 pound belt. To further open up the palate for the incoming, sense overwhelming heavy courses, we get treated to a fresh new matchup that can energize the lightweight division even further. This fight can thrust yet another fighter into title contention in the velociraptor infected patch of jungle that is the UFC’s lightweight division. Islam Makhachev is on a quest to bring another belt to Dagestan, and is currently on a seven fight winstreak. Islam was a star pupil of the late great sensei, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Islam is held in great regard by his teammates, and is thought by some to have a real chance of not only eventually winning the belt, but also defend it multiple times.
Speaking of Christmas in March , The UFC Bantamweight Champion of the world will show up to the Apex center from snowy Siberia by way of sunny Florida. “No Mercy” is fresh off one of his best performances inside the cage when he defeated the great Jose Aldo by stoppage, to become the UFC’s most recent Russian Champion. When it comes to Petr Yan’s style inside the cage I get one thought in my mind, “it’s coming.” With a Yan fight there is always this continuous feeling that something big, powerful, and fight changing is about to happen. Take the Jimmy Rivera fight for instance, you can see Petr just walking down his opponent for the better part of a round without throwing many shots, seemingly being out pointed by his opponent, when all of the sudden… BANG!!! Petr is looking down at a knocked down foe. Additionally, I submit to you the Uriah Faber fight. In the second round, after an exchange on the feet, Uriah smiles at Petr, apparently feeling good about how the fight is going, snap your fingers and Uriah is on the canvas desperately attempting to scramble to his feet after a ferocious three punch combination that had his eyes looking one way and his body going the other way after the second shot. On March 6th, No Mercy will be staring across the cage at Aljamain “Funk Master” Sterling. “Aljo,” comes to this title fight on the back of a five fight win streak that includes victories over Brett Johns, Cody Stamman, Jimmie Rivera, Pedro Munhoz, and Cory Sandhagen. The latter, by rear naked choke inside the first 90 seconds of the first round, a Sandhagen who recently knocked out the absolute legend and hall of famer Frankie Edgar out cold in 28 seconds. Doing so with one of the most spectacular flying knees ever witnessed inside the eight sided cage. You can be assured that whatever it may be that is coming to the Funkmaster from No Mercy, Ray Longo and Matt Serra will have their pupil as prepared as he can be to meet it.
UFC 259 is not just a phenomenal fight card top to bottom. It contains a main card that features one of the absolute greatest mixed martial artists of all time. First ballot hall of famer, Mount Rushmore resident, Amanda “the Lioness” Nunes will defend her title against the tall, rangy, and powerful Megan Anderson who is coming off an emphatic first round knockout win that earned her the “performance of the night” award along with the proverbial 50 Gs. Amanda Nunes could retire today if she wanted and would unquestionably be one of the most accomplished fighters in the history of the sport. A storied career that includes victories over some of the most impressive female athletes we have seen inside the octagon. The Lioness has beaten UFC champion after UFC champion. The likes of Meisha Tate, Holly Holm, Ronda Rousey, Valentina Schevshenko, and of course the spectacular knock out of one of the greatest and most feared fighters of all time, Cris Cyborg Justino. Hall of famers the whole lot. Still at the top of her game, and with renewed motivation and drive as a new mom, Amanda presents a terrifying challenge to anyone daring to step across from her inside a steel cage. A unique combination of size, speed, power, and technique, Amanda Nunes is, as David Goggins put it, “an uncommon person amongst uncommon people.” From choking out a bloody Meisha Tate, to knocking out a kicking expert with a head kick in Holly Holm, to face planting the terrifying Cris Cyborg, Amanda always shows different wrinkles in her game each time she steps on the UFC canvas. This time, she faces a long limbed, distance savvy striker who could never make 135 pounds in Megan Anderson. In her last outing Amanda Nunes fought a tough Felicia Spencer, who had plenty of chances in their fight to give up. It was a clear show from Amanda that she is just levels above the rest of the world. Coincidentally, Felicia Spencer has a win by rear naked choke over Megan Anderson. Now, if MMA math was a thing we'd all be Nostradamus, but there might be something to be said psychologically about facing someone who literally pieced up someone who wrapped you up like a christmas present. Excitement abounds around the Lionesses next hunt. And we should all respect, watch, and appreciate Amanda Nunes while she continues one of the most dominant runs in all sport.
And on this potentially Beautifully brutal bloody night of UFC christmas, dinner concludes with the pièce de résistance consisting of a delicious title bout featuring one of the most exciting, technically proficient, awe inspiring strikers to ever grace the octagon, in the UFC middleweight champion Israel “The Last Stylebender,” versus a man that possesses the legendary polish power in the Light Heavyweight Champion, Jan Blachowitz. This fight comes after they both turned in immaculate performances in their title bouts on the same fight card last September at UFC 253 in Yas “fight” Island, Abu Dhabi. At UFC 253 both men featured in 257’s main event, finished their opponents in the second round. Both victories, lopsided and dominant for the champions. For Adesanya, this bout is all about squeezing into the always contentious G.O.A.T conversation ( Greatest Of All Time). The coveted Champ-Champ status has only been attained in the UFC by a quartet of fighters, Connor Mcgregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Henry Cejudo. And although being the Champ-Champ does not guarantee one’s seat at the G.O.A.T table, it can certainly purchase a ticket for the sleigh that can take you there. For Jan, this is all about establishing that he is the one true Light Heavyweight Champion of the world. Those who follow the sport can usually see which way the wind is blowing in terms of the opinion on who will beat who. A quick glance on the internet and the thought emerges that in this one, Jan is the underdog. People are already talking about Izzy vs. Jon, or Izzy as the newest champ-champ. How quickly they forget that the man from Poland barbarically dismantled the man some people believed beat Jon Jones in Jones’ last contest. Jan utterly demolished Dominick Reyes. Jan really served up a chef’s choice tasting menu of destruction on that september night. Course after course of Lashing lowkicks, battering ram like shins to the body, a punch that shattered Dominick’s nose and moved it to a different location on his face, and then adding insult to injury, the final left hand that put Dominick on roller skates and sent him to the canvas where the legendary polish power ultimately devastated the devastator. Every part of Dominick Cruz’s body was punished by Jan. Jan’s body work left a visible purple welt on Dominick’s side with the 3D raised-relief you see in some maps indicating the presence of a mountain range. It was like watching an Explosive Ordnance Disposal demolitions expert, masterfully and calmly defuse a bomb.
So on the night of March 6, just sit back, leave your ugly christmas sweater in the closet where it should always be anyway and enjoy one of the most sensational fight cards the UFC’s matchmaking artists have ever curated.
