"There's an enticing aura of unpredictability surrounding the main lawsuit of UFC 282."
That was the opening enactment successful my archetypal draught of this story. I wrote it soon earlier Thanksgiving, figuring I'd smartly get a leap connected assessing the last Octagon pay-per-view of the year. Who knew the unpredictability I spoke of would travel backmost to wound maine weeks earlier immoderate combat could adjacent instrumentality place?
The rematch betwixt Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira for the UFC airy heavyweight title didn't conscionable autumn isolated -- it imploded. Prochazka injured a enarthrosis successful training, and connected Nov. 23, helium pulled retired of what was to beryllium his archetypal rubric defense. (Unpredictable.) And due to the fact that helium required country and a agelong betterment time, helium opted to vacate the throne. (Even little expected.)
The adjacent unforeseen twist was that Teixeira was besides removed from the rubric fight. UFC president Dana White says helium offered the erstwhile champ a replacement rubric bout against Magomed Ankalaev, who was scheduled for the co-main event, and Teixeira turned it down. Teixeira says helium accepted the combat but conscionable wanted it to instrumentality spot a fewer weeks aboriginal truthful helium could hole for a southpaw. Of course, that would person near the promotion inactive successful request of a UFC 282 header fight, and successful this game, the pecking bid sorts retired successful work to the calendar.
In the end, the UFC opted to elevate the co-main betwixt Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz to the apical of the marquee and enactment the vacant rubric up for grabs. For circumstances similar this, the UFC often books a 2nd high-level bout successful the aforesaid part arsenic the headliner. The program C main lawsuit mightiness not energize casual fans, but it's a truly absorbing fight. Blachowicz is simply a erstwhile champion who has powerfulness to beryllium feared astatine each moment, and Ankalaev, astatine 18-1, is among the hottest contenders successful immoderate value class.
Beyond the caller main lawsuit for the 205-pound belt, plentifulness of different matters volition beryllium settled Saturday astatine T-Mobile Arena successful Las Vegas (ESPN+ PPV astatine 10 p.m. ET, prelims connected ESPN/ESPN+ astatine 8 p.m., aboriginal prelims connected ESPN+ astatine 5:30 p.m.). What this 14-fight paper lacks successful prima power, it makes up for with a heavy good of endowment and intrigue.
On the undercard is simply a erstwhile UFC champion who mightiness oregon mightiness not inactive person different amusement of convulsive amusement near successful him. There are besides respective rising contenders with eyes fixed connected a shiny strap. And a fewer person been rubric contenders but are present conscionable warring to clasp connected to their UFC roster spots.
Here is 1 observer's ranking of the apical attractions astatine UFC 282.
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1. UFC airy heavyweight championship: Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev
It mightiness look similar a no-brainer to fertile the main lawsuit astatine No. 1. But earlier the card's reshuffling, erstwhile this was inactive the co-main, I had stuck it underneath the conflict of unbeatens that's present ranked close below. What changed? Let's conscionable accidental these guys struck gold. They went from being possibly 1 combat distant from competing for a title -- and that "maybe" cannot beryllium dismissed, considering the vagaries of UFC rubric combat matchmaking -- to getting their changeable astatine the loop close away. That ramps up the value of this contention successful a immense way.
If you're into this athletics for the personalities, bigger and bolder ones are little connected the card. But we cannot disregard that Blachowicz is simply a erstwhile airy heavyweight champion who, astatine property 39, is astir apt taking his last tally astatine the loop (unless helium pulls a Glover successful his 40s). As for Ankalaev, helium is 1 azygous tick disconnected the timepiece from being undefeated. He was good up connected the scorecards successful his UFC debut successful 2018 but succumbed to a Paul Craig triangle choke astatine 4, 59 seconds of Round 3. How'd helium bounce back? Ankalaev has won 9 fights successful a row, with the past 3 victories coming against one-time rubric challengers. The meaty resumes of these two, positive the sky-high stakes, much than marque up for immoderate deficiency successful prima power.
2. Bryce Mitchell vs. Ilia Topuria
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Ilia Topuria catches Ryan Hall with a large punch precocious successful the archetypal circular of their bout astatine UFC 264.
Mitchell is 15-0 and Topuria 12-0, which makes this a must-see attraction. But the entreaty goes adjacent deeper. Topuria is coming disconnected 3 consecutive knockout wins and, astatine property 25, is connected his mode to becoming the aboriginal of the featherweight division. Mitchell could bargain that thunder here, and if helium does, helium could measurement to the mic and accidental thing -- from an unhinged conspiracy mentation to announcing different donation to a children's charity. "Thug Nasty" is an enigmatic quality who refuses to beryllium pigeonholed.
3. Paddy Pimblett vs. Jared Gordon
OK, now it's clip for immoderate prima power. Pimblett is 1 of the latest to tickle the imaginativeness of MMA fans arsenic portion of a Scouser drama duo with "Meatball" Molly McCann. He's got a property arsenic immense arsenic his value cut. But it's not conscionable his antics that entertain. Pimblett has won each 3 of his UFC fights -- and has taken location a Performance of the Night bonus cheque each time. He'll beryllium tested present by his creation partner, the resilient lightweight Gordon.
4. Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Jay Perrin
Is this excessively precocious to fertile a matchup betwixt a bantamweight making his UFC debut and 1 who's 0-2 successful the Octagon? Not astatine all, due to the fact that the debutant is astir to marque history. Rosas turned 18 conscionable past month, truthful helium volition beryllium the youngest to vie successful the Octagon. Do you retrieve however you were spending your Saturday nights astatine property 18? Even if you, too, were regularly getting punched successful the face, you astir apt weren't getting paid for it and putting your sanction successful a sport's grounds book.
5. Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Chris Daukaus
A collision betwixt heavyweight knockout artists mightiness precise good beryllium higher connected this list, particularly if we're talking astir the caller opening circular of a don't-blink contention successful which either antheral could autumn astatine immoderate moment. Rozenstruik and Daukaus are acold from the aforesaid fighter, but successful presumption of results wrong the cage, they're practically twins: Each antheral has scored knockouts successful 11 of his 12 wins, and each is connected a two-fight skid and coming disconnected a KO defeat. Who'll beryllium the past large antheral standing?
6. Darren Till vs. Dricus Du Plessis
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Dricus Du Plessis needs conscionable 1 punch to sound retired Trevin Giles successful their prelim bout astatine UFC 264.
Till went into his 2018 welterweight rubric situation unbeaten successful his 18 bouts. But since getting smoked that nighttime by then-champ Tyron Woodley, Till has conscionable 1 triumph successful 4 fights. His astir caller 2 losses person travel pursuing a determination to middleweight aimed astatine reinvigorating his flagging career. Now he's successful what has the consciousness of a make-or-break matchup with Du Plessis, who is looking to adhd the biggest sanction to his already awesome 17-2 resume.
7. Robbie Lawler vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
There was a clip erstwhile a Lawler combat would automatically beryllium No. 1 successful immoderate credible combat paper ranking. But that was years ago, erstwhile helium was pushing the limits of his "Ruthless Robbie" nickname. These days, astatine property 40, Lawler is simply a little ruthless mentation of his aged self. When helium dropped the UFC welterweight rubric successful 2016, it acceptable disconnected a skid that lasts to this time -- six losses successful 8 fights. It's pugnacious to watch, but intolerable to look away, due to the fact that it's Lawler, for God's sake.
The rest? A mates of questions to beryllium answered
Will Ovince Saint Preux yet get the MMA/BJJ satellite to rename his favourite decorativeness the Von Flue Choke? The maneuver bears the sanction of the archetypal combatant known to utilize this top-side choke, Jason Von Flue, who managed 2 of them successful his career. OSP already has four. Some person called for it to subsequently beryllium a "Saint Preux Choke," but I'm with those who'd half-honor the past with "Von Preux Choke."
Will Edmen Shahbazyan commencement to unrecorded up to his younger self? He won his archetypal 11 fights earlier property 22, including 4 victories successful the UFC, 3 by finish. Twice helium appeared successful the apical 3 of ESPN's yearly rankings of the apical MMA fighters nether 25. But Shahbazyan has mislaid 3 successful a enactment and hasn't fought successful implicit a year. Has helium reached his ceiling and bounced off?
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