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It's time! One of the most highly anticipated fight cards this year, UFC 259 aims to be packed with action throughout the entire evening. A belt is on the line in three of the five fights on the main card.
Petr Yan looks to win his first title defense against Aljamain Sterling. Amanda Nunes will be defending one of her two belts versus Megan Anderson. Then at the end of the night, Israel Adesanya plans to earn his second belt, fighting against Jan Blachowicz.
With that said, here are the odds and predictions for each fight on the main card.
Thiago Santos (+140) vs. Aleksander Rakic (-160)
The UFC 259 pay-per-view event kicks off at 10 pm eastern with a monstrous fight between two light-heavyweight candidates. Thiago Santos is currently ranked second, while Aleksander Rakic is just behind him in fourth. The winner of this fight could be next in line for a title shot.
Santos is a 37-year-old striker who plans to get back in the win column after suffering two losses in a row. Originally from Brazil, and now fighting for American Top Team, one of the most well-respected gyms in the world, Santos is a dangerous fighter who will go toe to toe with anyone. His weakness is the ground game, as we saw that first hand after he was submitted by Glover Texiera in his last fight.
On the other hand, Rakic's style is much more well-rounded in comparison to Thiago Santos. Rakic has the unique ability to fight whichever style he prefers. Fighting out of Serbia with the same gym he began his career with, he aims to earn the biggest win of his career in UFC 259.
PREDICTION: Aleksander Rakic wins by Submission.
Drew Dober (+350) vs. Islam Makhachev (-450)
The second fight of the night is a lightweight bout between Drew Dober and Islam Makhachev. This one should be busy on the ground, as Dober specializes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Makhachev is more of a Sambo-style wrestler. This is a huge fight, as Dober is looking to crack the top 15, and Makhachev aiming to continue to climb the ranks.
This UFC 259 fight might go to the ground immediately, however, Dober has three knockout wins in a row. There's a good chance he continues that streak as he might want to switch things up facing off against a wrestler. He's improved his stand-up game over his last few fights, so Dober's game plan might be to stay on the feet in this matchup.
Meanwhile, Makhachev is much more of a grind-it-out type of fighter. He likes to get on top and beat people relentlessly until they cant' fight back anymore. With his last two victories going the distance, Makhachev is likely to continue that game plan. He must be careful though, as Dober's Jiu-Jitsu background makes him dangerous on the mat.
PREDICTION: Drew Dober wins by Decision.
Aljamain Sterling (+105) vs. Petr Yan (-125)
In the first title fight of the night, Aljamain Sterling attempts to take the belt away from Petr Yan. Sterling is a flashy fighter that's quick and athletic. His kick-boxing style makes him dangerous on the feet, but he has eight wins by submission as well, making him a more well-rounded fighter. Yan is on a 10 fight win streak and looks to earn the first title defense victory of his career.
This might be one of the best Bantamweight matchups in history, as both fighters are dominant. Sterling can be flashy and has the reach advantage in this one. He'll want to keep his distance and try to pick Petr Yan apart, much easier said than done.
Yan is a very well-rounded athlete that is a relentless force in the octagon. In his last fight, he pummeled Jose Aldo, who is regarded as one of the best fighters in UFC history. However, Sterling is a bit better on his feet than Aldo but still has the ability to catch Yan with a submission. For “No Mercy” to win, Yan will have to keep this fight in the clinch and chip away at Sterling's body.
PREDICTION: Petr Yan wins by Decision.
Megan Anderson (+650) vs. Amanda Nunes (-1200)
Amanda Nunes is quite possibly the greatest female fighter in UFC history, and she's just getting started. Currently, on an 11 fight win streak, Nunes will be defending one of her belts in UFC 259 against Megan Anderson. This could be the matchup that finally knocks Nunes off from the top, as Anderson has the reach advantage to potentially pick Nunes apart.
Being on a two-win fight streak, Anderson aims to become the first person to beat Nunes since 2015. She has all of the tools necessary to do so, as Anderson is six feet tall. She has a 72-inch reach and long legs to keep Nunes at bay, which will be Anderson's best chance of walking away with a victory.
Meanwhile, Amanda Nunes holds two belts for a reason. She has demolished the competition for five straight years and doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon. Her knock-out power is unprecedented. Her strategy going into this one will be to break Anderson's reach and get inside with some dirty boxing.
PREDICTION: Amanda Nunes wins by KO.
Jan Blachowicz (+205) vs. Israel Adesanya (-240)
The main event of UFC 259, Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya could be the fight of the year. Each fighter likes to stand up and bang, however, Blachowicz is sneaky good on the ground, as he's earned a good number of wins by submission.
This is a huge fight for Blachowicz's first title defense. He's facing an undefeated fighter who is already in talks of being one of the best in history. However, Blachowicz has the size, and knockout power to end this fight early, which is exactly what he'll need to do to win this fight. If it goes the distance, it's possibly because Adesanay picked him apart all night long.
Adesanya is one of the best fighters in the world, however, some worry he's too small for the Light-heavyweight division. He'll be given a true test as he's facing off against a true powerhouse. The Stylebender's game plan for this fight is to keep his distance and use his speed to his advantage. He might avoid Blachowicz through the first couple of rounds, then make his strike after Blachowicz tires himself out.
PREDICTION: Israel Adesanya wins by TKO.
How to Watch
The main card is a pay-per-view event and will begin at 10 pm eastern. Stream the fights on ESPN+ by sign up for either a one-time monthly purchase or a yearly subscription. Then buy the fights on their site or the ESPN App.
