UFC 289 Nunes Vs. Aldana + Weekly MMA Report
UFC Vegas 74 didn’t look too good on the piece of paper, but there were many technical fights and nice finishes. The main event ended via the questionable razor-close win of Amir Albazi over Kai-Kara France, despite the New Zealander landed way more significant strikes. Check the round-by-round stats in the tweet below.
27-5 in significant strikes advantage + a takedown does not win you a round now apparently pic.twitter.com/liZLTrQegY
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) June 4, 2023
UFC Vegas 74 Recap
Jim Miller picked up career bonus number 14 for a thunderous knockout win over Jesse Butler in the first round. Miller knocked him out cold in the first minute of round 1 with a big counterpunch.
ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT ADDED TO @JimMiller_155’s RESUME!!! 🤯 #UFCVegas74 pic.twitter.com/Xv24b2Kbvd
— UFC (@ufc) June 4, 2023
Muhammad Naimov pulled out a massive upset with a knockout victory over Jamie Mullarkey in the preliminary card. He also scored the Performance of the Night bonus.
THAT RIGHT HOOK SENT HIM DOWN 😳😳😳 #UFCVegas74 pic.twitter.com/KzTrwu3JLc
— UFC (@ufc) June 3, 2023
The Fight of the Night bonus went into the hands of Alex Caceres and Daniel Pineda, who fought in the co-main event of the evening and took part in a three-round all-around war.
UFC 289 Announcement
The promotion travels to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for another high-level UFC PPV card. It is headlined by the clash between the two-division champion Amanda Nunes and the tough Mexican challenger and huge cat lover Irene Aldana.
Image source: UFCBrasil Twitter
Amanda Nunes is a brawler with a powerful overhand right. She is a pressure fighter who constantly marches forward and tees her opponents up on their feet. Nunes’ only downside is cardio, and Aldana could have the advantage if the fight advances into later rounds. Nunes scored brutal knockout victories over Holly Holm and Cris Cyborg, and she is extremely dangerous in the first two rounds.
Irene Aldana is a technical fighter with many tricky strikes and an excellent all-around game. She surprisingly scored a victory via an up-kick to the body in her last fight, she is a master of unorthodox strikes for a reason. She likes to start slow and push the pace in the later rounds. Unfortunately, she’ll hardly survive five rounds against Nunes.
Prediction: the fight will not go the distance
The co-main event of the evening is also fun – BJJ specialist Charles Oliveira squares off against one of the most technical wrestlers at 155 – Beneil Dariush.
Charles Oliveira scored submission wins over some of the greatest names in the division. His stand-up game is solid, but he is traditionally having a hard time with Southpaw fighters. Oliveira’s armbars and chokes are on a whole different level, so he’ll have to try to submit his opponent.
Beneil Dariush is a top control specialist with very technical strikes. He is feinting and staying active all the time, so Oliveira might have a hard time anticipating his next move. This fight could be too much for the Brazilian.
Prediction: Dariush to win
UFC 289 Full Fight Card
Please take a look at the UFC’s full fight card below.
Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10 PM ET, 3 AM UK time)
UFC Bantamweight Title Fight: Amanda Nunes (22-5-0) vs. Irene Aldana (14-6-0)
Lightweight: Charles Oliveira (33-9-0) vs. Beneil Dariush (22-4-1)
Welterweight: Mike Malott (9-1-1) vs. Adam Fugitt (9-3-0)
Featherweight: Dan Ige (16-6-0) vs. Nate Landwehr (17-4-0)
Middleweight: Eryk Anders (15-7-0) vs. Marc-André Barriault (15-6-0)
Preliminary Card (ESPN, ESPN+, UFC On Fight Pass, 8 PM ET, 1 AM UK time)
Middleweight: Nassourdine Imavov (12-4-0) vs. Chris Curtis (30-10-0)
Flyweight: Jasmine Jasudavicius (8-2-0) vs. Miranda Maverick (11-4-0)
Bantamweight: Aiemann Zahabi (9-2-0) vs. Aoriqileng (24-9-0)
Featherweight: Blake Bilder (8-0-1) vs. Kyle Nelson (13-5-1)
Early Prelims (UFC On Fight Pass, ESPN, ESPN+, 7 AM ET, midnight UK time)
Flyweight: David Dvořák (20-5-0) vs. Steve Erceg (9-1-0)
Strawweight: Diana Belbiţă (14-7-0) vs. Maria Oliveira (13-6-0)
UFC 289 Full Card Predictions
Please check the playlist below to get to know my picks and predictions for the upcoming event.
We’ll finally see enjoy a PPV card after a long time. Yes, it might be headlined by the female bout, but you never know – many knockout artists are going to participate in this amazing pay-per-view. Please tune in on Saturday and enjoy Vancouver’s pay-per-view!
