Viewers info: Three title fights, champs in 5 divisions … and that is the explanation factual for starters

The UFC is set to hit a compelling stretch of occasions by which we can perceive 5 title fights (that comprises six champions) in the span of 1 calendar month.

It begins on Saturday evening with UFC 259, which could per chance be the seventh tournament in UFC historical past to feature three title fights. In the critical tournament, gentle heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz (27-8) will learn about to crash a declare by middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (20-0) to change into a two-weight champion.

The tournament at UFC Apex in Las Vegas also capabilities the GOAT of females’s MMA, two-division champion Amanda Nunes (20-4), who will protect her featherweight championship for the 2nd time, facing Megan Anderson (10-4). The third title bout is at men’s bantamweight, where champ Petr Yan (15-1) will are attempting to knock off purple-sizzling No. 1 contender Aljamain Sterling (19-3).

How one can rob UFC 259

After I learn about at UFC 259, right here’s a form of occasions you have to search from talk in self assurance to form. Adesanya is coming off one in all essentially the most provocative fights of his career, a TKO of Paulo Costa in September, and ought to be main the charge by strategy of PPV buys. But essentially the most critical reason this card is unbelievable is the sum of its parts.

Allow me to rattle off one of the critical storylines that straight away soar off the page — and that don’t encompass the three title fights:

• Islam Makhachev could per chance be the suitable inheritor to Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s throne at lightweight. You check with folks around the American Kickboxing Academy camp, the studying home of every men, and that it’s possible you’ll hear that Makhachev is each bit as proficient as his critical friend, whom he grew up with in Dagestan and has been training with since they had been youth.

• Thiago Santos vs. Aleksandar Raki? is factual a heck of a battle. And with Jon Jones having moved on from gentle heavyweight, no longer decrease than for now, the division is huge birth and has hundreds of unusual faces. Younger abilities esteem Raki?, Jimmy Crute, Johnny Walker, Ryan Spann and Jamahal Hill aid compose gentle heavyweight provocative.

• I was an excellent deal surprised when Dominick Cruz licensed a battle towards Casey Kenney. No disrespect to Kenney, however he’s no longer a family name at all, and he’s a mighty battle. Here’s a crossroads battle for Cruz, who is restful essentially the most provocative bantamweight of all time, in my thought.

• What’s Joseph Benavidez bought left in the tank? We’re talking about a man who used to be the 2nd-most provocative flyweight on this planet for years and now could per chance be in what could per chance be the twilight of his career. Benavidez is coming off attend-to-attend knockout losses in title fights. I produce essentially wonder what Benavidez will learn about esteem this weekend. Askar Askarov will with out a doubt take a look at him.

• This card is heavy on younger possibilities who haven’t but utterly proved themselves: Mario Bautista, Uroš Medi?, Aalon Cruz, Carlos Ulberg, Kennedy Nzechukwu, Kyler Phillips and Rogério Bontorin. These are all names I judge are lawful passable to crack the live 10 and be contenders in some unspecified time in the future. That’s hundreds of younger skills in a single prelim lineup.

In point of fact, I’d scurry on, however you rep the purpose. In a week by which I’m assuming you’re going to rep your fetch of Blachowicz vs. Adesanya teach material, I wished to take this likelihood to mark: Originate no longer sleep on this undercard! There are no longer any squash suits. Every battle is price your attention. Sure your entire agenda for Saturday evening. You would possibly well presumably no longer remorse it.

Saturday’s battle card

PPV (by process of ESPN+), 10 p.m. ET

Jan Blachowicz (c) vs. Israel Adesanya | Light heavyweight

Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Megan Anderson | Ladies folk’s featherweight

Petr Yan (c) vs. Aljamain Sterling | Males’s bantamweight

Islam Makhachev vs. Drew Dober | Lightweight

Aleksandar Raki? vs. Thiago Santos | Light heavyweight

ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET

Dominick Cruz vs. Casey Kenney | Males’s bantamweight

Tune Yadong vs. Kyler Phillips | Males’s bantamweight

Joseph Benavidez vs. Askar Askarov | Males’s flyweight

Rogério Bontorin vs. Kai Kara-France | Males’s flyweight

ESPN+, 5: 15 p.m. ET

Tim Elliott vs. Jordan Espinosa | Males’s flyweight

Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Carlos Ulberg | Light heavyweight

Sean Brady vs. Jake Matthews | Welterweight

Livinha Souza vs. Amanda Lemos | Strawweight

Uroš Medi? vs. Aalon Cruz | Lightweight

Trevin Jones vs. Mario Bautista | Males’s bantamweight


(c) = defending champion

Light heavyweight championship:

Jan Blachowicz (c) vs. Israel Adesanya

By the numbers

7: Combatants who enjoy obtained UFC championships in more than one weight lessons. Adesanya is having a gaze to affix Randy Couture, BJ Penn, Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Henry Cejudo in carrying out that feat. He might be the fifth (alongside with McGregor, Cormier, Nunes and Cejudo) to aid each titles simultaneously.

4: Combatants who enjoy obtained their first 10 UFC bouts. Adesanya can change into the fifth on Saturday, joining Royce Gracie, Anderson Silva, Kamaru Usman and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

52: Percent of takedown attempts on which Blachowicz is a success, essentially the most provocative accuracy among crammed with life gentle heavyweights without a longer decrease than 5 UFC fights. He infrequently ever goes for takedowns, alternatively, and is 0-1 in his past four fights.

6-14-2, 1 NC: Blended file of challengers who had been making a guess favorites in UFC title bouts (since 2008, the time by which entire odds are available in). Adesanya is a -240 popular to raise the sunshine heavyweight belt.

10: Fights by which Blachowicz used to be an underdog, among his 15 UFC appearances. He’s 7-3 as an underdog, including 4-1 when facing odds of no longer decrease than +180. That ties Blachowicz with Daniel Kelly, Tim Boetsch and Andrei Arlovski for essentially the most wins as a +180 underdog prior to now decade. Here is the third straight time he has been an underdog.

Sources: ESPN Stats & Recordsdata and UFC Stats

A learn about attend

5 vs. 5

Jan Blachowicz’s most most modern results


Effect: Dominick Reyes (TKO2, Sept. 27, 2020; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Corey Anderson (KO1, Feb. 15, 2020; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (SD, Nov. 16, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Luke Rockhold (KO2, July 6, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Loss: Thiago Santos (TKO3, Feb. 23, 2019; look on ESPN+)

Israel Adesanya’s most most modern results


Effect: Paulo Costa (TKO2, Sept. 27, 2020; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Yoel Romero (UD, March 7, 2020; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Robert Whittaker (KO2, Oct. 6, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Kelvin Gastelum (UD, April 13, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Anderson Silva (UD, Feb. 10, 2019; look on ESPN+)

Angie & Gil’s film glance

Gilbert Melendez on Blachowicz’s standup:

Angela Hill on Adesanya’s counterattack:

And the winner is …

“I’d no longer ever elevate towards Adesanya,” mentioned Javier Mendez, coach at American Kickboxing Academy. “He’s awesome. I trip looking out at that guy. He has a huge MMA IQ. That’s a kickboxer that with out a doubt is conscious of how to use his recreation in MMA. That guy is badass. He’s my popular to search outside my guys — by a ways.”

That’s high praise, brooding about that the listing of Mendez’s guys incorporates a UFC champion (and pound-for-pound No. 1), Khabib Nurmagomedov, apart from gentle champs Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez and Luke Rockhold.

Inspect how Mendez and other consultants ruin down the critical tournament.

Ladies folk’s featherweight championship:

Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Megan Anderson

By the numbers

-1100: Making a guess odds on Nunes. Combatants favored by no longer decrease than -1000 are 12-2 in title fights prior to now decade. A victory by Anderson, a +700 underdog, might be the 2nd-greatest upset in a UFC females’s title battle, in the attend of +870 underdog Holly Holm‘s 2015 knockout of Ronda Rousey.

0: Combatants who enjoy defended UFC titles in more than one weight lessons more than one occasions. Nunes is seeking to be the first. She already has defended at each bantamweight (5 occasions) and featherweight (once), making her one in all factual three two-division champs (alongside with Henry Cejudo and Daniel Cormier) to successfully protect each of their titles.

7: Knockouts in the UFC by Nunes, by a ways essentially the most by a girl. Cris Cyborg and Jessica Andrade part 2nd pickle with four apiece.

5: UFC fights at featherweight by Anderson, tying her with Cyborg for essentially the most in a division by which there had been factual 15 entire bouts. Anderson’s three wins at 145 kilos are the 2nd most, one in the attend of Cyborg’s entire.

1,702: Days it will had been, on battle evening, that Nunes has been a UFC champion. She obtained the bantamweight title at UFC 200 on July 9, 2016, making her the longest-reigning unusual champ.

Sources: ESPN Stats & Recordsdata and UFC Stats

A learn about attend

5 vs. 5

Amanda Nunes’ most most modern results


Effect: Felicia Spencer (UD, June 6, 2020; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Germaine de Randamie (UD, Dec. 14, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Holly Holm (TKO1, July 6, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Cris Cyborg (KO1, Dec. 29, 2018)


Effect: Raquel Pennington (TKO5, Also can merely 12, 2018; look on ESPN+)

Megan Anderson’s most most modern results


Effect: Norma Dumont Viana (KO1, Feb. 29, 2020; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Zarah Fairn dos Santos (Sub1, Oct. 6, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Loss: Felicia Spencer (Sub1, Also can merely 18, 2019; Cat Zingano (TKO1, Dec. 29, 2018)


Loss: Holly Holm (UD, June 9, 2018)

Angie & Gil’s film glance

Angela Hill on Nunes’ posthaste begins:

And the winner is …

“It be in actuality hard to guess towards Nunes, however I judge hundreds of parents are having a stare upon it esteem a washout — esteem, it’s no longer linked what, she’s going to raise. I produce no longer in actuality perceive it esteem that,” mentioned UFC females’s featherweight Felicia Spencer, who has fought each females. “I’d be biased, because I more or much less desire Megan to raise. I judge a Megan elevate would compose things in actuality provocative in the division.”

Inspect the breakdowns and predictions by Spencer and other consultants.

Males’s bantamweight championship:

Petr Yan (c) vs. Aljamain Sterling

By the numbers

0: Yan opponents who had been in the live 5 at men’s bantamweight in the UFC’s rankings at the time of their battle. He obtained the championship in July with a victory over Jose Aldo, who used to be No. 6 at the time. Most effective two of Yan’s victories enjoy come towards fighters at conceal in the UFC’s high 15.

3: Consecutive victories by Sterling towards opponents in the live 5 in the UFC rankings. He has fought 5 fighters who are at conceal ranked by the UFC, including No. 2 bantamweight Cory Sandhagen, whom Sterling defeated by first-round submission in June.

7: Consecutive wins by Yan in the UFC, tying him with Raphael Assuncao and Renan Barao for the longest trudge in men’s bantamweight historical past.

8: Knockdowns in the UFC by Yan, one unnerved of the men’s bantamweight file shared by TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt.

4: Submissions in the UFC by Sterling, the third most in men’s bantamweight historical past in the attend of Urijah Faber‘s six and Rani Yahya‘s 5. Sterling’s 11 submission attempts are one unnerved of the file for UFC 135-pounders.

Sources: ESPN Stats & Recordsdata and UFC Stats

A learn about attend

5 vs. 5

Petr Yan’s most most modern results


Effect: Jose Aldo (TKO5, July 12, 2020; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Urijah Faber (KO3, Dec. 14, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Jimmie Rivera (UD, June 8, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Effect: John Dodson (UD, Feb. 23, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Douglas Silva de Andrade (TKO2, Dec. 29, 2018)

Aljamain Sterling’s most most modern results


Effect: Cory Sandhagen (Sub1, June 6, 2020; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Pedro Munhoz (UD, June 8, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Jimmie Rivera (UD, Feb. 17, 2019; look on ESPN+)


Effect: Cody Stamann (Sub2, Sept. 8, 2018)


Effect: Brett Johns (UD, April 21, 2018)

Ticket how Petr Yan bought to where he’s:

And the winner is …

“I judge one in all Aljamain’s greatest advantages is his size. He’s one in all the larger 135ers available in the market,” mentioned Brandon Gibson, placing coach at JacksonWink MMA. “His submission over Sandhagen used to be ultra-artful. But I judge my greatest unknown for Aljamain is, what is he gonna learn about esteem in a 5-round bout? What’s he going to learn about esteem in Rounds 4 and 5?”

Here is truly the most evenly matched of Saturday’s three title fights, according to oddsmakers. Inspect how Gibson and other consultants ruin it down.

How one can look the fights

Ticket the prelims on ESPN, ESPN Deportes or ESPN+: Download the ESPN App | WatchESPN | TV

Would no longer enjoy ESPN? Win quick rep admission to.

Would no longer enjoy ESPN+ for the prelims and PPV? Win it right here.

Bought the battle for your phone and are looking out for to circulate for your TV? Study how right here.

There’s also FightCenter, which gives are residing updates for each UFC card.

When three belts had been on the line …

Here is the seventh battle card in UFC historical past with three title bouts and the fourth on which three reigning champions will possible be placing their titles up for grabs, according to ESPN Stats & Recordsdata. All of these occasions enjoy took place within the past 4½ years.

UFC 205 (Nov. 12, 2016): One champion obtained (Joanna Jedrzejczyk), one lost (Eddie Alvarez) and one fought to a blueprint (Tyron Woodley). The challenger who obtained used to be Conor McGregor, who moved up from featherweight to change into the UFC’s first champ-champ.

UFC 217 (Nov. 4, 2017): Challengers went 3-0, with Georges St-Pierre submitting Michael Bisping at middleweight, TJ Dillashaw knocking out Cody Garbrandt at bantamweight and Rose Namajunas knocking out Jedrzejczyk at strawweight.

UFC 245 (Dec. 14, 2019): Champions went 2-1, as Kamaru Usman successfully defended at welterweight and Amanda Nunes did so at bantamweight. Max Holloway lost his featherweight belt to Alexander Volkanovski.

Cowl: The opposite playing cards that comprises three title fights had been UFC 33, 214 and 251, all of which had fights for vacant belts. And with the exception of UFC 217, there had been three other occasions at which more than one belts changed hands (UFC 46, 92 and 185).

5 more things to understand (from ESPN Stats & Recordsdata)

1. Islam Makhachev, who faces lightweight Drew Dober, has obtained six straight fights on the energy of no longer getting hit very most incessantly. He absorbs 0.76 most critical strikes per minute, the fewest in UFC historical past (minimal of 5 bouts). Dober comes into the battle off three straight knockouts and has 11 in his career.

2. Thiago Santos has 11 knockout wins in the UFC, one unnerved of Derrick Lewis‘ recent-technology promotion file. He faces Aleksandar Raki?, who is lawful at beating opponents to the punch. Raki?’s +2.67 most critical strike differential is 2nd most provocative in the UFC’s recent technology. Santos is No. 5 in the ESPN gentle heavyweight rankings, Raki? No. 9.

3. Aged men’s bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is in barely his 2nd battle since 2017 and has lost his past two. His closing elevate used to be a decision over Urijah Faber in June 2016, and his closing nontitle bout used to be a KO of Takeya Mizugaki in September 2014. He faces Casey Kenney, who has obtained three in a row.

4. Tune Yadong, who fights Kyler Phillips, is 5-0-1 in the UFC, tying him for the third-most wins among Chinese-born fighters. He can tie Yan Xiaonan for 2nd pickle with a victory.

5. Joseph Benavidez has lost his past two fights, each towards unusual men’s flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, however is 15-1 in UFC nontitle bouts. Benavidez, No. 4 in the ESPN rankings at 125 kilos, takes on sixth-ranked Askar Askarov, who is undefeated.

ESPN’s Jeff Wagenheim contributed to this battle preview.