UFC 259 full card: How the mega event with 3 title fights has shaped up so far
The UFC 259 fight card is considered to be one of the most stacked combat sports cards of the 2021 calendar year. UFC 259 will take place on March 6th, 2021, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. It'll feature not one but three UFC world title fights.
Additionally, fan-favorites like Thiago Santos, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, as well as top prospects like Islam Makhachev, are set to compete at UFC 259.
UFC 259 headliner – Jan Blachowicz vs. Israel Adesanya
Headlining UFC 259 is the much-anticipated UFC light heavyweight title fight between the division’s reigning champion Jan Blachowicz and UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
The Last Stylebender is one of the biggest stars in combat sports today and faces a tough challenge in the hard-hitting Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259. This fight is undoubtedly a pivotal one for Israel Adesanya.
If Adesanya were to lose to Blachowicz, not only would Adesanya miss out on winning the UFC light heavyweight title and becoming a double champ, but he’d also see his super-fight against archrival Jon Jones slip through his fingers.
The matchup is highly intriguing from a stylistic perspective – pitting two masterful KO artists against one another. Adesanya and Blachowicz are both well-rounded MMA fighters. And this matchup would surely answer a lot of questions as to how Adesanya fares against heavier opponents, which would help gauge how he’d perform in a future fight against Jon Jones.
UFC 259 co-headliner – Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson
This fight was supposed to transpire at UFC 256 on December 12th, 2020. However, Amanda Nunes withdrew from that booking due to injury issues, and the fight was rebooked to take place at UFC 259.
Reigning UFC women’s featherweight and bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will put her featherweight title on the line against feared KO artist Megan Anderson.
Many in the MMA community are looking forward to this match more than any other at UFC 259, especially due to Anderson’s striking skills, size, and KO power that could help her dethrone the dominant champion.
UFC 259’s third title fight – Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling
Akin to the aforementioned Nunes vs. Anderson fight, Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling too was booked for UFC 256. However, Yan withdrew from that booking owing to visa/travel issues.
The UFC subsequently rebooked the fight, and Yan will now defend his UFC bantamweight title against Sterling at UFC 259. This fight could very well steal the show at UFC 259, as it witnesses Yan’s terrifying KO power clash against Sterling’s sterling (no pun intended) wrestling skills.
Fans can check out the full UFC 259 fight card below
1. UFC men’s light heavyweight title fight – Jan Blachowicz (c) vs. Israel Adesanya
2. UFC women’s featherweight title fight – Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Megan Anderson
3. UFC men’s bantamweight title fight – Petr Yan (c) vs. Aljamain Sterling
4. Welterweight fight – Sean Brady vs. Jake Matthews
5. Light heavyweight fight – Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Carlos Ulberg
6. Flyweight fight – Rogerio Bontorin vs. Kai Kara-France
1. Light Heavyweight bout – Aleksandar Rakic vs. Thiago Santos
2. Lightweight bout – Uros Medic vs. Aalon Cruz
3. Bantamweight bout – Randy Costa vs. Trevin Jones
4. Flyweight bout – Joseph Benavidez vs. Askar Askarov
5. Bantamweight bout – Dominick Cruz vs. Casey Kenney
6. Lightweight bout – Islam Makhachev vs. Drew Dober
7. Flyweight bout – Tim Elliott vs. Jordan Espinosa
8. Bantamweight bout – Song Yadong vs. Kyler Phillips
9. Women's Strawweight bout – Amanda Lemos vs. Livia Renata Souza