UFC 269 | Main Card Preview
Saturday, December 11th (10:00 PM EST Main Card, 8:00 PM EST Prelims, 6:15 PM EST Early Prelims)
Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier
WATCH - A fight that needs no introduction. Charles Oliveira showed that he has knockout power in his title fight against Michael Chandler and has always been a very balanced and versatile fighter throughout his career. Don't be alarmed at his Murder Differential, it has been steadily improving the more experienced he gets. Dustin Poirier is not only the favorite to be the best fighter in the world at 155 pounds, but he is also the pound-for-pound most entertaining fighter in the sport. He has finishes over Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis, Eddie Alvarez, and Conor McGregor, as well as fight of the night wins over Max Holloway and Dan Hooker. The man fights everyone, beats everyone (except Khabib) and in wildly entertaining fashion!
Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena
WATCH - Might be a ton of fun if you bet on the round in which Nunes will finish the fight. Similar to how you should approach watching/gambling in the boxing world with guys like Canelo and Terrance Crawford. Otherwise, don't even bother with this one.
Geoff Neal vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
WATCH - Ponzinibbio is an absolute beast for a fighter who took over 2 years off due to injuries and then got KOd immediately on his return. Picked himself back up and beat up a highly regarded undefeated prospect and was awarded fight of the night. Just look at this man's Murder Differential, he is absolute gold in the entertaining department and will be an interesting veteran presence in the incredible stale welterweight top 10 if he can make it past Geoff Neal (who has looked absolutely awful recently).
Kai Kara-France vs. Cody Garbrandt
WATCH - THE BANGER OF ALL BANGERS! Cody Garbrandt is the definition of kill or be killed in the bantamweight division. Every fight he slings his guns till he knocks out his opponent or gets way too caught up in his rage and gets caught out with a check hook. His fights are like watching a prime Conor McGregor fight a clone of himself while drunk. And if that wasn't good enough on its own, he's going down a division to fight with the even faster paced flyweights. And his opponent is the most kill or be killed of the flyweights with the exact same chaotic finish-chasing fighting style that Garbrandt has (but with even more elements to his game).
Raulian Paiva vs. Sean O'Malley
WATCH - Bantamweight has gotten to the point in which you have to fight an incredible amount of top prospects with lengthy win-streaks just to sniff the top 15. And in this landscape, two absolute top prospects have emerged, and at a very young age, who look to cement themselves as deserving of being in the rankings in the most competitive division in the UFC. They couldn't have more different fighting styles though (just look at the differentials below) and this fight's entertainment is going to rely on Sean O'Malley getting going.
*Nothing contained in this post is financial advice, please bet at your own risk