UFC 289 Preview
The UFC will be invading the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Saturday June 10th for UFC 289. The main event will be for the women’s bantamweight title between women’s pound for pound champion Amanda Nunes and #5 Irene Aldana. The main event was originally scheduled to be a trilogy fight between Nunes and former champion Julianna Pena, but Pena was forced to withdraw due to injury. Aldana willingly stepped in to offer a new challenge to to Nunes.
35-year-old Aldana has won two straight fights and most recently defeated Macy Chiasson by TKO at UFC 279 in September, giving her two consecutive TKO victories in dominant fashion. The Mexican fighter is 7-4 in the UFC with all four losses coming by decision.
The challenger knows what type of challenge she is up against at UFC 289. “For me, she is the greatest of all time, for me, she is,” Aldana said. “That’s why it makes it even more great for me to be able to have this opportunity against her, to beat one of the greatest.”
Aldana has respect for Nunes, but she has grand plans for the fight. “I respect her, and it’s an honor for me, but as much as I respect her, for me, I’m coming with a mentality of winning,” Aldana said. “It’s not kill or die. For me, it’s kill or kill. That’s it.”
There have been constant talks of Nunes retiring even before this fight because she really has nothing left to prove. Aldana is not worried about what Nunes might do next. “I don’t know what’s on her mind,” Aldana said. “I don’t know if she wants to retire or not. We’ll never know how the other fighter is going to come mentally, but I’m expecting her best version.
“I’m thinking that if she’s going to retire that she’s going to want to retire as a champion, so I’m not taking it in the easy way. I’m expecting her best version and that’s it.”
Aside from Chiasson, Aldana has key victories in her career over Yana Kunitskaya, Ketlen Vieira and Bethe Correia. In order to defeat Nunes she will need to do what Pena did in their first meeting, and that is withstand the power of Nunes and shock her in the earlier rounds. The Mexican fighter brings a different type of boxing and a great left hook that Nunes has not seen in quite some time.
Nunes has only lost once since 2014, and that was to Pena in their first meeting in 2021. She dominated Pena in the rematch at UFC 277 winning by unanimous decision. She currently sits as a double champion in the UFC also holding the featherweight belt, and she is one of only four fighters in history to simultaneously hold two belts. She has done just about everything a fighter can do in their career and has already cemented her legacy as one of the greatest fighters of all-time.
The 35-year-old has not had much to say about Aldana, but has stated the trilogy fight with Pena still could happen. She confidently explained why. “I’ll fight her again after this, no problem at all,” Nunes said. “She makes me better. This is MMA. If she sticks with her style, I’m sorry, you’re going to be gone soon.
“I’m evolving all the time. Yeah, I can strike. I can wrestle you. My wrestling is better than yours. My ground is better than yours. If you attack anything, I can defend. I’m stronger. So I’m better than you everywhere. You’re gone.”
Is Nunes looking beyond Aldana, or is she still motivated? “I am,” said Nunes, who was quick to add “I’m motivated— if it was Julianna too, I would have been too. Because to compete is what makes me excited. So no matter who steps in front of me, that makes me excited.”
Nunes is widely considered the greatest women’s fighter of all-time. She certainly has made a strong argument for the title of women’s GOAT. Aside from being a double-champ, she has key victories in her career over Megan Anderson, Germaine de Randamie (twice), Holly Holm, Cris Cyborg, Raquel Pennington, Valentina Shevchenko (twice), Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate and Sara McMann.
The co-main event of the evening will be in the lightweight division and will have major title implications in the lightweight division. Former champion Charles Oliveira will battle worthy contender #4 Beneil Dariush.
Oliveira is trying to rebound from his last fight where he was submitted in the second round by Islam Makhachev to lose the title at UFC 280 last October. Prior to the fight he was on an 11 fight winning streak which included wins over Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, Kevin Lee, Jim Miller and Clay Guida.
Does Oliveira believe the winner of his fight will be the next to challenge for the title? “Surely,” Oliveira said. “Whoever wins this fight this Saturday is going to go for the title. I’m next. I’m in line for it.”
The former champion has a new mindset on how to get back to the top. “When (my manager) Diego (Lima) told us about the fight, he said, ‘Hey, I have a new challenge for you,” Oliveira said. “There’s a new step that you need to take on your way to the top.’ When I came here, every single time it was cold. It was snowing. Things are changing. It’s nice. It’s warm. It’s beautiful out. Things are changing. Thing are different. This is a new moment. This is a new Charles. Things are going to start changing as well, back to the top.
Dariush is currently on an eight fight winning streak and most recently defeated Mateusz Gamrot by unanimous decision at UFC 280. During the streak he also has key victories over Tony Ferguson, Carlos Diego Ferreira, Drew Dober and Thiago Moises.
The 34-year-old has been fighting in the UFC and is 16-4-1 during that time. He is one of the more under appreciated fighters in the UFC and especially in the ultra competitive lightweight division. Does he think he will get a title shot with a win over Oliveira?
“For the first time, I was told that I’m getting the title shot if I win this fight,” says Dariush. “That’s the first time I’ve ever been told that. Otherwise, I’d be thinking about other fights—like what would happen to the winner of Dustin Poirier and Justin Garthje, or even Conor McGregor’s fight—but I’m not worried about any of that now. I know what I have to do.”
Dariush understands the challenge Oliveira will bring to the octagon at UFC 289. “Charles is absolutely amazing,” says Dariush, who was originally supposed to fight Oliveira in May, but the fight was postponed due to an Oliveira injury. “I think he’s one of the best fighters of all time. I learn so much watching him. He has overcome so many challenges. Look at the obstacles he overcame as champion.”
Despite the respect, Dariush is confident. “I don’t see Charles doing anything I can’t handle,” says Dariush. “Once we’re in the Octagon, people will see the difference. I’m not walking in with any fear. That’s the opposite of faith. I’m entering with the faith that I can overcome him.”
The rest of the main card:
Welterweight - Mike Malott vs. Adam Fugitt
Featherweight - #!3 Dan Ice vs. Nate Landwehr
Middleweight - Marc- Andre Barriault vs. Eryk Anders
ESPN + Prelims:
Middleweight - #11 Nassourdine Imavov vs. #14 Chris Curtis
Women's Flyweight - #15 Miranda Maverick vs. jasmine Jasudavicius
Bantamweight - Aimenn Zhabi vs. Aori Qileng
Featherweight - Kyle Nelson vs. Blake Bilder
Early Prelims:
Flyweight - #10 David Dvorak vs. Stephen Erceg
Women's Strawweight - Diana Belbita vs. Maria Oliveira
