10 Things I Like at UFC 263
Twin title fights, a welterweight banger, and so much more make this weekend's pay-per-view a must-see experience
You know the UFC is delivering a really fantastic fight card when this series doesn’t include the weekly holdover categories that, if we’re being honest with one another, are partially there as way to knock out two of the 10 talking points spots each week.
Yes, I really do “Want to Know More About…” at least one athlete on every fight card and there is a “Fighter I Can’t Quit” stepping into the Octagon every weekend. Part of that is because I’m a lunatic when it comes to this stuff, but the other part is that by going into each instalment of this series knowing those two categories are there, it automatically means there is 20% less hunting to do because I will always find an athlete to fill each of those sections, and can then focus on finding eight other things I really like on the upcoming card.
But this weekend’s UFC 263 pay-per-view is so loaded, so utterly stacked with meaningful, intriguing, compelling matchups that those two sections are getting the weekend off.
This is a must-see pay-per-view and I can’t wait for Saturday to get here.
Here’s what I’m looking forward to seeing when it arrives.
A Chance for Adesanya to Answer Some Questions
As I laid out in yesterday’s middleweight edition of Title View, one could, if they were so inclined, find a very “but how good is he really?” stance when inspecting the second half of Israel Adesanya’s run in the 185-pound weight class, and it’s not a totally ridiculous question like it is most of the time.
The good thing is that the middleweight champion has the opportunity to make an emphatic statement about his excellent on Saturday, as he meets Marvin Vettori for a second time, climbing into the Octagon with the challenger when he is at his absolute best.
Adesanya is a weird cat to try to place at times because there are times when his hype is so great that you’re convinced he’s the greatest fighter walking the planet, other moments where he throws a total of 48 strikes in a five-round staring contest with Yoel Romero that make you question everything you previously believed about him, which are then followed by him rolling the dice with a move up to light heavyweight in order to test himself, only to come away with the first loss of his MMA career, which he’s handled exceptionally well, right from the start.
He’s like a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a Puma tracksuit.
My sense is that he wants to make a statement here, in order to silence both Vettori and any doubters, but I do think it’s a more difficult and dangerous matchup than he’s letting on, which is why it is such a compelling fight.
What if Marvin Vettori is Destined to Win the Title?
Let me be clear: if Vettori is successful on Saturday night, I don’t think that it will because of some cosmic force coming together, but rather his tenacious approach and indomitable will.
That said, every so often there are athletes that reach this point at just the right time where it kind of feels like they’re just destined to win the title. Chris Weidman felt that way as he worked his way up the middleweight ladder and entered into his first bout with Anderson Silva. Max Holloway had it when pieced together his extended run of success at featherweight, culminating in an interim title win over Anthony Pettis and a unification victory over Jose Aldo in Rio de Janeiro. Francis Ngannou had it heading into his rematch with Stipe Miocic earlier this year.
I’m not saying that Vettori is all the way there, but he’s at least partially there and that’s good enough to get me fired up to see this fight.
The Italian middleweight has won five straight, looking more impressive, more complete, more dominant in each successive win. He’s figured out how to play to his strengths and that one of his greatest strengths is his pressure and pace, which he deploys in his grappling attacks. He suffocates you, forces you to deal with him in uncomfortable positions, constantly chipping away and making you carry his weight. It looks like a miserable way to spend your night at work.
He didn’t beat Adesanya the first time — the City Kickboxing representative won the first two rounds, Vettori won the third, and Chris Lee is crazy for giving “The Italian Dream” the opening stanza, which is why there was a split decision verdict in the first place.
But this is a new fight, a new Vettori, and a new opportunity for him to prove what he’s been saying all along: that he’s the better man, the best man, and the first Italian UFC champion.
It may not be destiny, but it’s also not out of the question either.
Deiveson Figueiredo: Rematch Specialist?
The last time Deiveson Figueiredo was in a rematch — which was the first time Deiveson Figueiredo was in a rematch — he clobbered Joseph Benavidez, taking the information he’d gleaned from their first encounter four-and-a-half months earlier and using it to craft a better game plan, one that resulted in a first-round submission win and the UFC flyweight title being wrapped around his waist.
Saturday night in Glendale, Arizona, Figueiredo takes on Brandon Moreno in his second sequel in less than a year, running it back with “The Assassin Baby” after their first encounter ended in a majority draw at UFC 256.
The first fight was outstanding, earning a podium finish in the Fight of the Year race, but it was also, to be clear, scored a draw because Figueiredo had a point deducted in the third round after hitting Moreno with one of the loudest nut shots I’ve heard in my life, which also happened to be his second unintentional foul of the bout. Without that point deduction, Figueiredo wins a majority decision.
I know. Trust me. But it’s also true and has to be taken into consideration.
In speaking with Figueiredo ahead of this matchup, I can tell you that this is personal and he wants to make it crystal clear that he and Moreno are not on the same level. In fact, he wants to make it so that no one thinks they’re on the same level as him, and given how he’s performed his last six fights, I don’t know that I can muster up a lot of energy to argue against him.
Just like the main event, this feels like another instance where the champion wants to make an emphatic statement with his fists, and having 25 minutes of experience against this same version of Moreno to draw from, I would not be surprised if this rematch goes similar to Figueiredo’s other rematch on Saturday night.
Leon Edwards Gets His Big Fight
It’s about goddamn time!
As a charter member of the Leon Edwards Booster Society, I’ve been waiting a long time to see “Rocky” get a marquee opportunity like this, which is also kind of an annoying thing to acknowledge because I’m not sure when thoroughly outclassing Rafael Dos Anjos stopped being considered an extremely meaningful achievement, especially when it pushes your winning streak to eight.
Three months after the unfortunate ending to his fight with Belal Muhammad, where he showed no signs of rust early on, despite a 19-month layoff, Edwards squares off with Nathan Diaz on Saturday in the first non-title, non-main event five-round fight in UFC history. It’s the marquee name everyone has long said Edwards needs to face and beat in order to truly solidify his standing as a title challenger in the welterweight division and it feels — at least to me — like an absolute golden opportunity for the Birmingham native.
Diaz may be a superstar, but he’s also a 36-year-old coming off more than a year on the sidelines and, as much as folks hate to hear this, a .500 fighter over his last 20 fights. Yes, he upset Conor McGregor and flipped the double birds while tapping out Kurt Pellegrino and can be an absolute handful in the Octagon at times, but he’s also a little delusional about what he’s accomplished, shown up completely disinterested at times, and been picked apart and beaten badly even in fights where he was completely locked in, and Edwards profiles as a terrible matchup for him.
Maybe this is wishful thinking — and it’s definitely tipping my hand when it comes to tomorrow’s Punch Drunk Predictions — but my hope is that Edwards has the kind of performance he’s capable of when he’s firing on all cylinders and he finally — FINALLY! — gets the recognition he’s long deserved.
Belal Muhammad’s Kinda, Sorta Do-Over
Belal Muhammad did the right thing jumping at the chance to replace Khamzat Chimaev and face Edwards in March, even if it went terribly wrong. The move put him on the map with a larger audience, elevated his overall standing in the division, and, in a round-about way, presented him with the opportunity to face Demian Maia this weekend in what is a matchup with far greater potential for a positive outcome.
Rushing in to face Edwards on a tight turnaround wasn’t going to represent Muhammad at his best, and then he got wobbled a little in the first and it looked like it could potentially turn catastrophic, and then it did turn catastrophic, but in a totally different way. The grim finish to the fight and the No Contest result actually, in a weird way, preserved the Chicago native’s image as an ascendent fighter in the division, which would have taken at least a little knock had everything progressed with Edwards the way it looked like it was going to progress after the opening stanza.
Now he’s paired off with Maia, who still maintains a place in the Top 10 in the same way rich people maintain residences in New York, Los Angeles, and whatever their favourite resort-type locale should be — he drops in once in a while, pays his taxes, and can say, “I’m a Top 10 welterweight.” The Brazilian standout has been on the verge of retiring for a couple years, and seemed like maybe the decision was being made for him when Gilbert Burns knocked him into the nether realm last year, but he’s back to face Muhammad, likely with designs on going out with a victory.
This is a tricky matchup for the awkwardly charismatic 32-year-old, who is 8-1 with that one No Contest in his last 10 outings, because he likes to crowd his opponents, which isn’t the best thing when you’re fighting a human octopus who just needs to get his tentacles on you in order for you to be in danger. That said, Muhammad is a considerably better striker and their reaches are the same, so he might be able to work from range and get this done.
After being in the shadows for too long, getting a main event opportunity was a tremendous way to garner greater recognition for Muhammad, but this is his real chance to bust into the Top 10 and prove what those that have been paying attention for a while have long known: this dude is an excellent fighter and one of the best welterweights in the UFC.
Light Heavyweight Grudge Match
The main card kicks off in the light heavyweight division with a rescheduled pairing between Paul Craig and Jamahal Hill that has become quite contentious.
Craig has rebounded from an inconsistent start to his UFC tenure by producing a 3-0-1 record over his last four fights, coming into this one off a second-round stoppage win over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua last time out. The strapping Scotsman is a submission specialist with developing striking and has shown the tenacity to keep fighting right up to the final bell, stealing a couple victories late with submissions off his back, which makes him a dangerous assignment for anyone in the division.
A Contender Series grad, Hill has done 2-0 with one No Contest in three UFC appearances, entering Saturday’s matchup off a dominant breakthrough finish of Ovince Saint Preux last December. The Michigan native profiles as an exciting new addition to the 205-pound ranks and someone that could quickly progress up the rankings, especially if he can dispatch Craig this weekend.
The duo was initially scheduled to clash in March, but Hill was forced to withdraw after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. That led to some jawing on social media between the two, with supports on both sides chiming in as they are want to do, which just added fuel to the fires. They got into a face-to-face exchange already this week at the fighter hotel and it seems like Saturday’s pay-per-view opener is one of those bouts that is going to pop off as soon as the referee gives them the go-ahead to get after one another.
In addition to seeing the tensions boil over, this is a chance to see which of these two improving light heavyweights is going to take the next step forward and which one will be forced to regroup after UFC 263, and fights like that are always compelling to me.
Big Moment for Brad Riddell
Saturday’s final preliminary card pairing is a lightweight clash that offers Brad Riddell the opportunity to really put himself on the map within the division and move one step closer to cracking the Top 15 as he takes on respected veteran Drew Dober.
The most unheralded member of the City Kickboxing team on the UFC roster, Riddell is a perfect 3-0 inside the Octagon and riding a six-fight winning streak overall, but as a guy that starts slow and rallies over the final two rounds to win hard-fought decisions, he hasn’t exactly been delivering the kind of highlight reel performances that make fans sit up and take notice. That doesn’t mean he’s not talent and dangerous; it just means he’s going to have to work harder to get their attention.
His pairing with Dober on Saturday is a great way to do just that, as the good-looking Nebraska native and Elevation Fight Team member is an established figure in the 155-pound weight class, having had his tidy three-fight winning streak snapped by Islam Makhachev earlier this year. Dober is one of those guys where you know what you’re going to get from him every time out and you know what level a competitor needs to be at in order to best him inside the cage, which makes this an ideal opportunity for Riddell to get in there, do what he does, and show folks he belongs in the mix for a place in the Top 15.
If you’re making Fight of the Night wagers, this wouldn’t be a bad choice.
Flyweight Title Contenders Clash
Flyweight veterans Lauren Murphy and Joanne Calderwood lock up in the middle of the prelims this weekend, with a spot as the No. 1 contender and potentially the next challenger for champion Valentina Shevchenko on the line.
The 37-year-old Murphy has won four straight and, if we’re being honest, needs this one — she’s been close to contention in the past, but stumbled, and another setback a few weeks ahead of her 38th birthday could leave her permanently positioned as the Jeremy Stephens of the women’s 125-pound weight class.
Calderwood looked phenomenal last time out, doubling up the output of former title challenger Jessica Eye to continue a pattern of alternating wins and losses that dates back a handful of fights. In order to get herself back in line to challenge for the title, she’ll have to break that pattern on Saturday by replicating the performance she turned in against Eye and halting Murphy’s run, or she too could find herself entrenched as the best not-quite-contender in the division.
There are going to be people who downplay the significance of this fight because they feel like regardless of who wins, they’re just going to get roasted by Shevchenko, but regard of it that is true or not (and it’s probably true), that doesn’t mean this isn’t going to be a spirited affair from start to finish or diminish the genuine stakes attached to this pairing.
Featherweight Gem
Here’s what I said about the featherweight contest between Movsar Evloev and Hakeem Dawodu last week in declaring it one of the 10 fights I’m most looking forward to this month:
While I’m not always a big fan of pairing off emerging talents like this, the timing of this one is precise, as they’ve each cracked the Top 15 and now it’s time to figure out which one takes another step forward and which one holds steady for the time being. None of the veterans and hopefuls ahead of them in the rankings was going to hustle to sign up for an assignment against either of them, so they fight each other and the winner comes out looking like the best up-and-coming talent in a division that is going to really get moving here in the next few months.
I stand by every word of that.
Evloev is unbeaten in the UFC and overall, while Dawodu has won five straight after losing his promotional debut, and while they’re very different in terms of their approaches, they’re quite similar in terms of their measurables and their stats in the Octagon. This is the advanced test each of these featherweight hopefuls needs at this juncture of their careers, and the kind of test they need to pass in order to really take that next step forward.
It should be tremendous and the winner is someone you’re absolutely going to want to keep close tabs on over the next 12-18 months.
Pannie Kianzad is Putting It All Together
Because Pannie Kianzad is someone fight fans have been aware of since somewhere in the 2014-2015 range, it’s easy to forget that she’s only 29 years old and just now coming into her own as a mixed martial artist.
While she fought quality competition in those early days on the radar, the Iranian-born, Swedish bantamweight who trains in Denmark lost more of those higher profile fights than she won, leaving her as solid, but still unestablished figure on the periphery of the division. But since losing to Julia Avila in the summer of 2019, Kianzad has rattled off three straight wins, propelled by the lessons she learned in those tough assignments and a smooth, fluid jab that has been and will continue to be a problem for whomever is standing on the other side of her inside the Octagon.
This weekend, that will be Alexis Davis, the former bantamweight title challenger who returned to the division last time out with a steady, gritty decision win over Sabina Mazo that halted a three-fight slide and put her back on the fringes of the Top 15 in the 135-pound weight class.
Although Kianzad is the ranked member of this twosome, Saturday’s fight still feels like an opportunity for her to make a statement and register that quality win that really advances her to the next tier in the division. She’s looked outstanding over her last couple fights and with a comparable effort this weekend, “Banzai” could be banging on the door of the Top 10.