UFC 299 is about to go down Saturday evening from the Kaseya Middle in Miami, Florida. The cardboard is stacked from high to backside, that includes a lineup that is without doubt one of the greatest on paper in current reminiscence.
Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley will look to avenge his solely profession loss towards Marlon “Chito” Vera, whereas Dustin Poirier will look to stave off the brand new guard in Benoit Saint-Denis within the five-round co-main occasion.
Michael Web page is making his highly-anticipated UFC debut in an action-packed welterweight showcase with Kevin Holland. The remainder of the principle card options former title challenger Gilbert Burns taking up the boxing-heavy contender in Jack Della Maddalena and former bantamweight champ Petr Yan trying to flip apart surging contender Tune Yadong.
However there’s a stacked preliminary card first. The undercard options high contenders, a former champion and intriguing prospects. Whereas each struggle is value watching, listed here are 5 you shouldn’t miss.
Curtis Blaydes vs. Jailton Almeida
This struggle can be on the overwhelming majority of UFC payperview fundamental playing cards. Blaydes is without doubt one of the greatest fighters to not earn a title shot within the UFC. The perennial high contender is 12-4 within the promotion however has had hassle profitable the struggle that may get him that elusive title shot. He’s confronted the likes of Francis Ngannou, Derrick Lewis and Sergei Pavlovich, who’ve all fought for a heavyweight title – Ngannou was the champ earlier than he left the UFC for boxing and the PFL. However Blaydes has a number of high-quality wins on his ledger: Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexander Volkov, former champ Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Aleksei Oleinik and present interim champ Tom Aspinall, who suffered a knee damage of their bout.
With Jon Jones‘ damage backing up the heavyweight division, it’s unknown if this bout will be considered as a title eliminator, however the winner would virtually actually be only one extra win away.
Almeida is 6-0 within the UFC, most just lately cruising to a unanimous choice win over Lewis. He additionally has a win over Rozenstruik. The jiu-jitsu ace ought to have hassle bringing the standout wrestler in Blaydes to the bottom, and Blaydes might not wish to danger going to the bottom with Almeida, so we might get a hanging battle between two nice grapplers. One with heavy implications at heavyweight, as No. 5 Blaydes will look to remain in that class towards No. 7 Almeida.
Katlyn Cerminara vs. Maycee Barber
Katlyn Cerminara (previously Chookagian), a former title challenger, will look to show apart the upstart Barber, who’s beginning to notice her potential at flyweight.
Barber put a hurting on Amanda Ribas in her most up-to-date bout, ending her with ground-and-pound strikes to push her profitable streak to 5. It was simply probably the most spectacular win of Barber’s profession. It is going to be attention-grabbing to see if she will be able to replicate that towards a artful veteran in Cerminara, who has a knack for getting ladies to struggle at her tempo and outpointing them. She has defeated Ribas, former title challenger Jennifer Maia twice, Viviane Araujo, Alexis Davis, Cynthia Calvillo, Antonina Shevchenko, and lots extra. Beating her can be Barber’s largest win of her profession.
Cerminara is ranked No. 4, whereas Barber is now No. 6. A win might put both lady one other win or two away from a title shot, as flyweight queen Alexa Grasso and former champ Valentina Shevchenko are probably set to proceed their rivalry with a trilogy.
Mateusz Gamrot vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Former light-weight champion “RDA” attracts standout grappler Gamrot for his subsequent bout. Dos Anjos has fought and defeated a who’s who at light-weight and welterweight. A few of his biggest victories are over the likes of Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz, Robbie Lawler, Neil Magny, Kevin Lee, Paul Felder and Renato Moicano. Gamrot can be one other worthy win on his document.
The previous KSW light-weight champion is 6-2 within the UFC, incomes wins over Rafael Fiziev, Jalin Turner, and Arman Tsarukyan. Dos Anjos, the previous guard, sits at No. 11 at light-weight whereas Gamrot is No. 6. An emphatic win over “RDA” might be what Gamrot must earn a date towards somebody forward of him.
Pedro Munhoz vs. Kyler Phillips
Perennial top-15 bantamweight Munhoz might be placing his rating on the road towards Phillips. Munhoz has wins over Cody Garbrandt, Jimmie Rivera, Chris Gutierrez, Rob Font and Bryan Caraway. For Phillips, a win over Munhoz can be one of many largest of his profession, contemplating Munhoz has felled a former champion in Garbrandt.
Phillips has a win over Tune Yadong, who has come on sturdy and fights Petr Yan on the principle card. Yadong sits at No. 7 whereas Munhoz is at No. 13. A win over Munhoz would put Phillips within the top-15, the place he has pedigree with a win over somebody within the top-10. That would fast-track “The Matrix” up, however he has to get by Munhoz first. The stakes are excessive.
Michel Pereira vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
This struggle must be pure motion. Pereira fights are can not miss occasions, as he throws the whole lot and the kitchen sink at his foes. Oleksiejczuk has crisp boxing that would hassle Pereira if he isn’t on high of his sport. Whereas neither man is ranked at middleweight, a win right here ought to get them a shot at a top-15 opponent. Whereas there are potential implications within the top-15, simply sit again and luxuriate in as violence unfolds.
Honorable point out:
Robelis Despaigne vs. Josh Parisian
The previous Olympic taekwondo bronze medalist, Despaigne, who has an 87-inch attain, attracts Parisian for his highly-anticipated UFC debut. Despaigne’s final three wins got here in a mixed 19 seconds. Yeah. Knockouts of three and 4 seconds paved the way in which to his UFC debut at simply 4-0.
Parisian, a 22-pro struggle veteran, has plenty of expertise and makes for an intriguing first struggle within the promotion for Despaigne. Parisian has wins over Alan Baudot and Roque Martinez however is making an attempt to snap a two-fight skid.
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