UFC 259: Amanda Nunes wants to maintain the reign and Adesanya goes in search of a second belt | combat

+ UFC 259: Adesanya weighs 2.1 kg lighter than Blachowiz and poses with a pizza box on the scale
+ Palpitão Combate: Amanda Nunes is the unanimous favorite at UFC 259

Champion of the middleweight division, Israel Adesanya wants to join the select group of fighters who have won two simultaneous titles in the organization, joining names like Amanda Nunes, Daniel Cormier, Conor McGregor and Henry Cejudo. To accomplish this feat, he must defeat Jan Blachowicz, the reigning light heavyweight champion, who won the title against Dominick Reyes, inheriting the position that was Jon Jones, who rose through the ranks.

Purple belt recently graduated in jiu-jitsu by André Galvão, Adesanya believes that the fight will be decided by hitting, but guarantees that he will be prepared if he goes to the ground.

– You haven’t seen me on the ground yet. I just won my purple belt from André Galvão in San Diego, at headquarters. While I was there for five weeks, I can tell you, they can tell you that my jiu-jitsu has improved a lot. I hope I can use my fight at some point.

Under 93kg champion Blachowicz bets his opponent will feel the difference in fighting heavier opponents than he was used to fighting at middleweight.

– You will surely feel something new, which you have never felt before. Everything is different at light heavyweight. Force and speed are different. Even if you train with light heavy weights or heavy weights, it is only sparring. The real fight has its own rules and he will feel them. I think I have an advantage, because this is my category. I’ve been fighting in it my whole life and I feel everything that happens in the Octagon. It will be better for me. I have the “legendary Polish power”, and when he feels it, it will be real. After the first kick or the first punch, you will know what I’m talking about, the fighter said at a press conference this week.

+ On the eve of the UFC title defense, Amanda Nunes admits, “I’ve done everything I wanted to do in sports.”
+ Megan Anderson cites wingspan and physical power as challenges for Amanda Nunes on Saturday

Who will also be in the Octagon tonight is the main fighter of the organization. Bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes will defend her under 66kg title against Megan Anderson in the main fight of the event.

Leone hasn’t known what it’s like to lose since September 2014. Since then, there have been 11 wins in a row, eight of them in belt fights at stake.

– Anything can happen in MMA. Connect a hit or something can be eliminated or finished. I think Megan is a very dangerous athlete, I have no way of saying that this fight will be a good one. Does not exist. It is dangerous, yes, it comes from two victories too, and with nothing to lose. She wants mine and I have to be very attentive to everything. She is also a very tall athlete and she knows how to use her wingspan very well, I have to be very careful and make the right decisions at the right time in the fight so that nothing goes wrong, “said Amanda. Combat.

Anderson is confident that his wingspan (1.82 m) can be a decisive factor in beating the champion.

– One thing Amanda hasn’t faced in a long, long time is someone who makes her respect her power. Although she respects her opponents, I don’t think any of them made her respect her abilities, and Amanda overruled them. I think Germaine (de Randamie) was the only one who hurt her a bit and changed her strategy. I have the ability to turn a fight with my power and wingspan. My ability to control distance is something you have never faced and it will bring you a lot of trouble. Amanda is good at hitting, but not so good when hit, the Australian analyzed in an interview with Combat.

In the penultimate fight of the night, another belt will also be at stake. Champion of the roosters, Petr Yan will defend his title for the first time when he steps into the Octagon to face Aljamain Sterling.

Opening the main card, Thiago Marreta will face Aleksandar Rakic, and will seek rehabilitation after being defeated by Glover Teixeira in November.

– Rakic ​​is an aggressive guy, he has a very good wingspan and he is also a knockout. It’s a dangerous fight, which motivates me a lot, but I prepared myself for everything. In some fights, use the grip to dominate opponents. But I want to surprise everyone, show a different game, that I improved my fighting and my jiu-jitsu, that I learned from my failures, that I evolved, but without losing my usual aggressiveness. I will be a thousand times better in this fight than in the last fight, and victory will come – said Marreta to Combat.

On the preliminary card, Rogério Bontorin will face Kai Kara-France and was confident of winning this match.

– I’m 100%, I’m going upstairs and looking for this victory. No one is going to take it away from me, no. With my heavy hand, I get closer to him, trying to knock him down the entire time, hitting with a fall. Let’s see what happens. I will bring a show to the Octagon, as I always like to do. I’m going to fight, that’s where I’m happy, I’m going to fight.

UFC 259 will also have a duel between Brazilians. In the third fight of the preliminary undercard, Livinha Souza and Amanda Lemos will meet dividing the straws.

– It will be a very strong event, there will only be one ‘fight’, three belts at stake, but we will not go unnoticed. It has everything to also be a ‘fight’, and if it depends on me … That the boys do not take their eyes off, as it will be an electrifying fight, it will be worth the attention of the spectators – Amanda promised in an interview with Combat.

Former Invicta champion, Livinha guarantees that she doesn’t mind having to face a compatriot in the world’s premier MMA event.

– Nationality matters little. American women are well prepared and Brazilian women are well prepared. Today, with the fusion of the internet, it is possible for everyone to have a camp with quality and information. As they say, in football there are no more fools, and in MMA, much less. Amanda is a very strong athlete, very focused and with heavy hands. I didn’t know much about his work before, but I respect him a lot. A very serious person, mother of a family. It is the portrait of the Brazilian, always with a human side behind.

THE Combat Broadcast UFC 259 live and exclusively this Saturday starting at 7:15 pm (Brasilia time). THE SporTV 3 is he Combate.com show the “Combat heating“and the first two matches live at the same time, the site tracks the entire event in real time.

UFC 259
March 6, 2021 in Las Vegas (USA)
MAIN CARD (0:00 GMT):
Heavyweight: Jan Blachowicz vs Israel Adesanya
Featherweight: Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson
Gallicweight: Petr Yan x Aljamain Sterling
Lightweight: Islam Makhachev x Drew Dober
Heavyweight: Thiago Marreta vs. Aleksandar Rakic
PRELIMINARY CARD (19h15 GMT):
Bantamweight: Dominick Cruz x Casey Kenney
Gallic Weight: Song Yadong x Kyler Phillips
Flyweight: Joseph Benavidez x Askar Askarov
Flyweight: Rogério Bontorin vs. Kai Kara-France
Flyweight: Tim Elliott x Jordan Espinosa
Heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Carlos Ulberg
Welterweight: Sean Brady vs. Jake Matthews
Strawweight: Livinha Souza x Amanda Lemos
Lightweight: Uros Medic x Aalon Cruz
Gallicweight: Mario Bautista x Trevin Jones

UFC 259: Night of Champions live and exclusive in Combat!