UFC 289 marks the long-awaited return to Canada, touching down in Vancouver for the first pay-per-view of a loaded summer slate. While the card has dealt with cancellation after cancellation, leaving just an 11-fight card, there is tons of intrigue, and with intrigue, comes great fights. Here are five reasons to watch UFC 289!
Do Bronx vs. Dariush
The easiest #1 reason perhaps ever. While the term ‘people’s main event’ is thrown around a lot, this is a perfect example of a true main event bout that isn’t headlining the card. We haven’t seen either fighter since UFC 280 back in October, when Dariush continued his remarkable win streak with a unanimous decision victory over Mateusz Gamrot, while Oliveira lost for the first time since 2017, as Islam Makhachev submitted him in the 2nd round.
A win from either fighter could very well see them returning to Abu Dhabi to face incumbent champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, which he is widely expected to headline upon his return, although the BMF title matchup between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier adds yet another wrinkle to the ever-interesting lightweight title picture (it is worth mentioning that Dariush has said he was ‘given the UFC’s word‘ that he would be in line for a title shot with a win, so perhaps the Gathje/Poirier outcome is only likely if Oliveira wins).
Considering the implications, in addition to the fact that both Oliveira and Dariush are action fighters in their own right, this co-main event is sure to deliver an action-packed battle.
Dariush’s Skillset
Dariush is extremely well-rounded, boasting a jiu-jitsu black belt to pair with his already dangerous power, and has shown an extremely strong top game once the fight hits the mat.
Oliveira, meanwhile, is a finishing machine, scoring 6 of his last 7 wins inside the distance, with a perfect split of 3 submissions, and 3 knockouts. He does have a propensity to get hit, which may spell danger with Dariush’s power, but we’ve seen him face adversity and come out on top several times, and his submission game off his back will make for an incredibly interesting chess match between the two.
This is truly the type of fight that is why fight fans tune in, and it has all the makings of a fight-of-the-year candidate. While not the headliner, you can be sure that all eyes will be on the octagon come the co-main event of UFC 289.
Does Mexico’s Dream Year Continue?
Brandon Moreno. Yair Rodriguez. Alexa Grasso. Irene Aldana?
Aldana has an opportunity to become the 4th Mexican fighter in 2023 alone to claim UFC gold, fighting for the Women’s Bantamweight strap in the main event of UFC 289. Aldana, coming off one of the most unique knockouts the UFC has ever seen with an up-kick, body shot knockout of Macy Chiasson back in September, will battle the consensus GOAT of women’s MMA in Amanda Nunes.
Nunes, who we also haven’t seen in almost a year, is coming off a domination of Julianna Pena last July, avenging the shocking submission loss at UFC 269. While the two were slated to faceoff on Saturday, injury forced Pena from the fight, leaving the challenger slot open for Aldana.
While not the strongest main event the UFC has ever put on, Aldana taking on Nunes provides a ton of intrigue. Part of the intrigue, rather unfortunately so, is the fact that Aldana hasn’t made a weight under 137.5 pounds in almost 3 years (Aldana missed weight in July of 2021 and fought at a catchweight of 140 pounds in September).
Assuming all goes well on the scales, the fight itself could be a barn burner. Both Aldana and Nunes are finishers by nature, with Aldana’s past two wins coming via knockout, and Nunes being known for power and submission threats. There are many reasons that this card isn’t one of the UFC’s strongest, but the main event is not one of them.
Matchup 3 Years in the Making
In the (somehow) featured prelim bout, we finally get to see a matchup that was supposed to happen in 2020 in ARES. Nassourdine Imavov and Chris Curtis are two of the top 15 middleweights, with both men boasting impressive wins.
Imavov looked like a world-beater when finishing Edmen Shahbazyan, but suffered a setback at the hands of Xtreme Couture’s Sean Strickland to kick off 2023 for the UFC. Curtis, meanwhile, who is fighting out of the aforementioned Xtreme Couture, is coming off a loss to Kelvin Gastelum, although prior to that had an impressive knockout of Joaquin Buckley.
This battle features yet another matchup between heralded coaches Eric Nicksick and Fernand Lopez, with Nicksick’s fighters going 2-0 (Francis Ngannou over Cyril Gane, and Strickland over Imavov). Despite this bout being slotted into the featured prelim spot, it is one of the most skillful fights on the card, and will pit Imavov’s impressive ground game with Curtis’ expertise on the feet.
Either way, this fight goes, it will be a display of high-level MMA and is the exact type of fight that people tune in for. The placement on the card is absolutely questionable. The matchmaking certainly isn’t.
50k for 50k
Nate Landwehr. Fight of the night. Basically the same thing.
Landwehr taking on Dan Ige is an incredibly interesting matchup for the featherweight division, and given both Ige’s power and Landwehr’s desire to fight as entertaining as possible, we might be looking at another fight-of-the-year candidate.
Ige, who had a tough stretch before defeating another ascending featherweight in Damon Jackson back in January, will welcome another up and comer attempting to win his way into the rankings.
He’ll take on Landwehr, who is also streaking, submitting Austin Lingo in March, and will absolutely bring the fight to Ige, and should he win, will deliver a memorable post fight interview, as he always does.
The three fights at the top of this card provide about as much entertainment value as you could ask for, both in terms of personality, and skill inside the octagon.
Erceg’s Entrance
You’d think a round 1 finish over a UFC fighter would be grounds for getting to the UFC before now, but for Steve Erceg, it took 3 more wins, and 2 more first round finishes until he got the call.
Now? An immediate opportunity to break into the top 10 at flyweight, filling in for Matt Schnell in what will surely be a great fight against perennial top flyweight, David Dvorak.
Erceg is a finisher on the mat, and will be looking for one come this weekend, especially as Dvorak was soundly defeated at the hands of Manel Kape last December. Often with a decision as one-sided as Dvorak faced, there are questions about how one will rebound, and Erceg is no easy challenge to rebound from.
This fight will be fast, skillful, and potentially over before you know it, so make sure you don’t blink when these two 125ers take the stage.
What are you looking forward to the most in this Saturday at UFC 289? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
