The UFC returns to Vancouver on Saturday for the first time since 2019 with GOAT in the main event as the brilliant Amanda Nunes headlines UFC 289 inside Rogers Arena.
Nunes, widely considered the greatest women’s fighter of all time, is defending her bantamweight title against Irene Aldana. After regaining the belt last summer and avenging the loss of Juliana Peña, Nunes is looking to secure her first bantamweight title defense since her unanimous decision victory over Germaine de Randamie in November of 2019. Although Peña’s shocking upset is still fresh in fans’ minds, Nunes’ dominance and past wins over legends like Ronda Rousey and Cris “Cyborg” Justino speak volumes.
With an impressive MMA record of 22-5 and 17 finishes, Nunes is always showing off her formidable skills. Saturday should be no different against up-and-coming Dana. Nunes, at -325, is the firm favorite over Aldana, who is at +255 in betMGM.
Saturday’s UFC 289 includes the highly anticipated bout between Charles Oliveira and Neil Dariusz. Light showdown is undoubtedly the most exciting and exciting fight of the evening.
Former UFC lightweight champion Oliveira is aiming to bounce back from losing his title to Islam Makhachev last October. With exceptional grappling and elite hitting, Oliveira’s presence in the octagon guarantees an exciting clash.
Dariush, who is equally adept at wrestling, has honed his incredible abilities, turning him into a legitimate contender for the title. A clash between these lightweights in Saturday’s co-main event should ignite Rogers Arena and ultimately decide who deserves the next title shot.
Oliveira’s fights rarely make it to the judges’ scorecards, exemplifying his relentless pursuit of finishes. With a record 33 wins, 30 finishes decisively inside the distance. Of those victories, 21 were sealed by submission and nine via KO, leaving just three wins settled by decision. However, his losses show a mixture of knockout defeats, submission setbacks, and only one decision loss.
Darius, too, has a penchant for ending fights, though not as often as Oliveira. His career record of 22-4-1 includes 13 finishes, including eight submissions and five KOs. He has been dismissed three times and submitted once.
UFC 289 Live Tracker
UFC 289 Main Card, Odds (Now Live on ESPN + PPV)
All odds via BetMGM.
• Women’s Bantamweight Championship: Amanda Nunes (-325) vs. Irene Aldana (+255)
• Lightweight: Charles Oliveira def. Beneil Dariush by TKO (punches) at 4:10 from R1
Lightweight: Mike Malott (-210) vs. Adam Fugit (+170)
• Lightweight: Dan Ige def. Nate Landauer via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Middleweight: defeated Marc-André Barriot. Eric Anders via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
UFC 289 prelims results, highlights
Middleweight: Nassiruddin Imamov vs. Chris Curtis ends in a no-contest (cross headbutt)
• Women’s Flyweight: Yasmin Jasudavicius def. Miranda Maverick via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Bantamweight: Ayman Al Thahabi was defeated. Aoriqileng by KO at 1:04 from R1:
Featherweight: Kyle Nelson def. Blake Builder via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 39-28)
Early UFC 289 results
• Flyweight: Steve Erceg def. David Dvorak via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Women’s Strawweight: Diana Belpitta def. María Oliveira by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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