UFC 259 Fighter Previews

Israel Adesanya - UFC Middleweight Champion

(Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC.)

Israel Adesanya is one of the faces of the UFC. His meteoric rise to Champion rivals those of Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Israel is a decorated kickboxer and boxer with over 100 professional wins in combat sport. He is a former Glory Kickboxing Champion with a career record of 75-4. Since transitioning into MMA, “The Last Stylebender” has amassed a 20-0 record with 15 KOs. His UFC career started off with a bang. Adesanya was a highly touted prospect and entered his UFC debut against Rob Wilkinson as a -340 favorite. For all you non-bettors out there, that’s quite the line for a debut. He showed the world he was worth all the hype, finishing Wilkinson with a barrage of attacks late in the 2nd round. "Stylebender" showed off the flare, in the octagon and on the mic, that earned him the nickname. After Wilkinson, Adesanya defeated Marvin Vettori by Split Decision. The decision being split was a bit controversial as most people thought Adesanya controlled the entirety of the fight. This fight was early in each man’s run and Vettori has since gone on to crack the top 5 at Middleweight.

(Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports)

Another 2 wins, a decision over Brad Tavares and a first round KO of Derek Brunson, set him up for the biggest fight of his life. Israel was set to fight his childhood idol and UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva. Adesanya had been open about his love for Silva and the inspiration “The Spider” had provided to his career. The fight turned out to be an incredible moment in each man’s career, and a much closer fight than people had assumed. Israel won the fight 2 rounds to 1 and scored a Unanimous Decision. This fight is one of the better “Passing of the Torch” moments in the history of the sport.

(Esther Lin/MMA Fighting)

Stylebender finally earned a shot at gold when he faced off against Kelvin Gastelum for the Interim Middleweight Belt. Gastelum was supposed to fight Robert Whittaker for the Undisputed Strap, but Whittaker needed emergency surgery and was forced out of the fight. Adesanya vs Gastelum should’ve never happened, but we’re glad it did. This fight turned into one of the greatest title fights in UFC history. Back and forth battles on the feet left both men on the verge of consciousness throughout 5 rounds. By the end, Israel had done enough. He brought home a Unanimous Decision and his first taste of UFC gold. Since earning the strap, he’s never looked back. He next defeated Robert Whittaker to claim the Undisputed belt. He’s defended the belt twice with wins over Paulo Costa and Yoel Romero, two of the scariest human beings you’ll ever Google. Now Izzy gets a chance to do what only 4 fighters before him have done, become double champ. He has shown himself to be one of the greatest strikers of all time, but will he be able to handle the strength of 205? Adesanya is on a track towards stardom not many have the chance to achieve, becoming double champ could make him the biggest star in the sport today.

(youtube.com/UFC)

Jan Blachowicz - UFC Light Heavyweight Champion

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People gotta put some respect on Jan Blachowicz’s name! The current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has improved greatly since beginning his UFC run and has some of the heaviest hands in the sport. Blachowicz looked nowhere near championship caliber when he first broke into the promotion. He debuted with a win over Ilir Litifi. A solid win. After his first successful outing, he would go on to lose 4 of his next 5 and was on the verge of being cut. Blachowicz dropped decisions to Jimi Manuwa, Corey Anderson, Alexander Gustafsson, and Patrick “I Beat Up DC” Cummins.

(Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Zuffa LLC.)

Since the Cummins loss, He has won 8 of 9 and avenged many of his early losses. He got back wins from Jimi Manuwa and Corey Anderson, stiffening Anderson in the first round of their rematch. New and improved Jan has been able to stuff the takedown more effectively and has found a new fluidity to his striking. He is able to move faster and showoff the legendary “Polish Power.” Jan is one of the most disrespected Champions in the UFC right now. Many believe he is not the real champion because Jon Jones never lost his belt. But Blachowicz isn’t the same fighter who debuted in 2014. He is much more dangerous and a big test for Adesanya. This is the biggest fight of his career and a title defense over Izzy will vault his name into some massive fights going forward. Don’t sleep on Jan, or he’ll sleep you. Probably. He seems like a nice guy though.

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Amanda Nunes - UFC Bantamweight and Featherweight Champion

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The greatest fighter in the history of Women’s MMA is back this Saturday. “The Lioness” Amanda Nunes looks to defend her Featherweight belt for the second time against Megan Anderson. Nunes has cemented herself as one of the best to ever do it. Since earning her first title shot at UFC 200, she has been the most dominant force in the UFC. Her and Khabib probably tied. Anyways, Nunes locked up the Title for the next decade when she submitted UFC Champion Miesha Tate in the Main Event of UFC 200.

Nunes wasn’t yet seen as the dominant fighter she is today and still had to earn respect, even after the win over Tate. She did it by demolishing who everyone thought was the GOAT, Ronda Rousey. Nunes and Rousey locked horns at UFC 207 in December 2016. The narrative of the fight was centered around the return of the GOAT to her throne. Nunes publicly criticized the promotion of the fight and showed what was up that Saturday. Amanda ran through Rousey in as lopsided a fight you can have, finishing her in just 48 seconds. She then went on to defeat Valentina Schevechenko for the 2nd time, Holly Holm, Germaine De Randamie for the second time, and KO Cris Cyborg. Her fight with Cyborg was seen as the biggest Women’s fight in MMA history and a clash of the two best ever. It was contested for Cyborg’s UFC Featherweight Championship, and like the Rousey fight, nobody thought Nunes could beat the true Women’s Greatest. Cyborg hadn’t lost a fight in 11 years and was on a 20 fight winning streak. Amanda finished her in 51 seconds.

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Nunes in the only women who is undefeated in Championship fights, and only fighter regardless of gender besides Jon Jones. She is the best to ever do it and is still building her resume. A win over Megan Anderson this weekend could shut down the whole division. She has literally beaten everyone.

Megan Anderson - UFC Featherweight Contender

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Megan Anderson is up for a tough challenge this weekend. Anderson is a very long and rangy fighter with impressive standup skills. She is a former Invicta Featherweight Champion and has long been seen as the best prospect in the division. She has been a bit inconsistent since joining the promotion, and with all honesty, is the only person left at Featherweight to challenge Nunes. Anderson is riding a two fight winning streak after victories over Zarah Fairn and Norma Dumont. She has struggled when it comes to the top of the division, but has shown fight in both contests. Her losses to Holly Holm and Felicia Spencer, two women also defeated by Nunes, have kept her from a shot. She must treat this fight like any other. If she is able to use her length to her advantage, she has a chance to spring one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.

Petr Yan - UFC Bantamweight Champion

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Petr Yan has that scary guy mystique about him. Kinda like Khabib and Fedor, you just know they could really harm you just for fun. Not saying Yan is as good as those two men, but he does have the potential to reach a similar status. He has looked like an absolute killer since joining the UFC in 2018. He entered the promotion the ACB World Champion and the hottest prospect at 135 in forever. He was 7-1 with his only loss being to Magomed Magomedov by split decision, which he avenged by Unanimous Decision before his UFC debut. Since finishing Teruto Ishihara in his first day at the office, he has been on a beeline towards the title. 5 straight UFC wins, including Ws over Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson and top contender Jimmie Rivera, earned Yan the biggest fight of his career. A scrap with UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber.

(Esther Lin/MMA Fighting)

Faber was at the tail end of his career, but had won 2 straight and was looking to get back into the title picture. Petr showed he was Championship material that fight and battered Faber. He was quicker to the punch and much more powerful when he landed. Referee Keith Peterson stopped the fight in the 3rd round after a massive head kick sent Faber to the mat. This performance, and Henry Cejudo vacating the belt, lead to a title shot for Yan against former UFC Featherweight Champion and Hall of Famer Jose Aldo. Aldo had looked sensational since moving down from 145. After a close first 2 rounds, Yan turned it on big time against Jose. He began to batter Jose on the feet and controlled the fight for the remaining time. A stoppage finally came in the 5th round, and probably could’ve came much sooner. Yan has shown himself to be an absolute force on the feet and most likely the best striker in the division. Some argue he hasn’t faced the very top level of competition so far. He has dominated every moment of his UFC career, we’ll see if the upper echelon gets to him this weekend.

Aljamain Sterling - #1 UFC Bantamweight

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Aljamain Sterling is the absolute cream of the crop of the bantamweight contenders. This man has paid his dues and is finally earning a well-deserved title shot. Is my man-crush bleeding through too much? Aljo has proved himself to be elite since his UFC debut in February, 2014. He is 11-3 in the promotion, with two of those losses being Split Decisions. He has secured wins over notable names like Renan Barao, Jimmie Rivera, Pedro Munhoz, and Cory Sandhagen. The latter being a 1:28 rear-naked choke victory and the best performance of his career.

(bloodyelbow.com)

He is currently on a 5-fight winning streak and looks as good as he ever has. His grappling control and submissions are among the best in the division and a real problem for anyone. Up to this point, he seemed like another guy who would never make it to the pinnacle, but now he seems poised to take it. Matt Serra must be hype for this matchup. If Aljo can pull off the victory, he will finally claim what many people have thought deserves to be his.

Islam Makhachev - #14 UFC Lightweight

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One of the more interesting names on this card, and on the UFC roster, is Islam Makhachev. And I don’t mean that phonetically. Makhachev is a close friend and main training partner of the GOAT Khabib Nurmagomedov. He is a very, very powerful grappler with improving stand up. His striking has looked great in his UFC appearances so far. Training out of the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California is a big deal. AKA is a brotherhood and is one of the most successful and respected gyms in the sport. It has produced Champions like Khabib, Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, and Luke Rockhold. Islam is seen as the next big thing for the camp.

Daniel Cormier has raved about Islam and Khabib believes he is a future champion.

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Mahkachev is 18-1 in MMA and 7-1 inside the UFC octagon. He was finished by Adriano Martins in his 2nd UFC fight, but since then, he has won 6 straight. All 6 were maulings with a vicious sub-minute KO of Gleison Tibau mixed in. His fight with Drew Dober will be his first shot at another top 15 type fighter. If he can put Dober away, he could find himself with a big name and a massive storyline. Kinda like WWE, a good storyline can bring you places. “The Next Khabib” could be a bit early, but Islam is one of the most hyped fighters in the sport and will look to make his big leap Saturday.

Drew Dober - Very Underrated UFC Lightweight

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Drew Dober has been around the block and few times and should be ready for Islam this weekend. Dober is a UFC vet dating back to 2013. He is 9-5-1 in the promotion and making his 15th UFC appearance Saturday. Did the math for ya there. Dober had an odd first 5 fights in the octagon. He started with two unanimous decision losses to Sean Spencer and Nick Hein, where he looked like he wasn’t ready for the big show. After that, he would keep his career alive with a rear naked choke over Jamie Varner as a +350 underdog. He then had one of the weirdest fights I’ve ever seen against Leandro Silva. Silva had Dober in a guillotine, but Drew wasn’t really in trouble. Referee Eduardo Herdy thought he saw a tap, call him Overeem, and stopped the fight.

Instant replay showed no tap, and the fight was ruled a no contest. Ironically enough, Dober’s next fight would end when he did tap to a guillotine in 54 seconds against Efrain Escudero. Since tapping to Escudero, Dober has started a renaissance of his career. He has looked like a changed man and is 8-2 in his last 10 fights. Impressive stoppages over Josh Burkman, Polo Reyes, and Nasrat Haqparast have shown Dober to be a tough and durable UFC veteran. His hand speed and punching power has improved dramatically since his early run. Dober finally has the chance to break into the top 15. He has made a habit of defeating lower ranked fighters, but a win over Islam would be the biggest of his career. Dober has earned his shot and has compiled a very respectable UFC resume, but coming out of UFC 259 with a win will finally turn him into a bonafide contender.

Thiago Santos - #2 UFC Light Heavyweight

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Thiago Santos has a very interesting resume. He has been in the UFC since 2013, when he was a cast member on the 2nd season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. Santos would be awarded a chance in the UFC despite not winning the show. He began in the Middleweight division, which is bonkers if you look at him now. 185 wasn’t bad for Santos, going 10-5 in the division with wins over Nate Marquardt, Jack Hermansson, and Anthony Smith.

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After stumbling to David Branch and seeing a recent wave of Middleweights moving up, Santos decided to join. Light Heavyweight was a much thinner division, and many former middleweights received massive fights upon arrival. Santos began his Light Heavyweight run 3-0 with wins over Jimi Manuwa and Current Champion Jan Blachowicz. These 3 wins earned Thiago a shot at gold against Jon Jones. Santos fought one of the closest fights of Jon’s career that night. He torn his ACL and MCL in the first round and managed to finish the 5 round war. By the end of the fight, Thiago couldn’t stand up. He is the first and only man to ever bring Jones to a split decision.

(theathletic.com)

Since losing that fight, he also dropped a TKO loss to Glover Teixeira in a number one contenders bout. Santos is now back to prove he is still amongst the best in the world. He needs to get back to the fast charging, powerful style that has won him so many fights. He is officially a veteran of the game now and looking to avoid the first 3 fight losing streak of his career.

Aleksandar Rakic - #4 UFC Light Heavyweight

(ufc.com)

Rakic is one of the major dark horses of the 205 lbs. division. Since joining the UFC, he has looked like a future champion. A professional since 2011, Rakic entered the UFC with a record of 7-1. His overall MMA ability and powerful striking highlighted a package destined for success at the highest level. He is skilled everywhere the fight goes and physically as strong as anyone in the division. After starting his UFC career with 2 decision wins, Rakic started racking up the highlights. His first came when he finished Devin Clark with a first round spinning back fist. Clark was also a rising star at the time and was seen as a tough matchup for Rakic. His shining career moment came in his next fight against Jimi Manuwa. Aleksandar hit Manuwa with a lethal head kick that put him out cold just 47 seconds into the fight. It is still one of the nastiest KOs I’ve ever seen and as graceful a head kick as any Light Heavyweight can throw.

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The only stumble of his UFC tenure was a Split Decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir, but if you ask me and 7 of the 8 media members at the event, he won the fight. Since the controversial loss, he bounced back by dominating former title challenger Anthony Smith. Rakic would most likely put himself in line to be next for the title with a win Saturday night. He is one of the most impressive athletes in the division and could easily be champion one day.