he UFC’s final pay-per-view card of 2019 promises to be a cracker, with a trio of title fights headlining what should be an explosive event.
The long-awaited welterweight clash between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington could be a fiery affair, with the pair doing little to hide their distaste for each other over the past few months.
Featherweight champion Max Holloway is also in action as he takes on Alexander Volkanovski, while women’s two-weight champ Amanda Nunes will go head-to-head with Germaine de Randamie. Read on as we preview the three title fights.
Heat between Usman and Covington is real
Usman and Covington made the headlines for the wrong reasons earlier this year after an ugly altercation in a Las Vegas casino.
Their very differing political views have generated genuine heat between them and that should lead to an epic battle on December 14.
Usman moved to the US from Nigeria when he was a child, leaving him with a far more enlightened view of what it means to be American than Covington.
The Californian-born fighter is a staunch Donald Trump supporter and his stance does not sit well with the current champion.
“This country is built off of immigrants, so when did we get to the point where it’s like we need to divide, we need to push this immigrant out, or that immigrant, or separate, and so I feel like that’s what he’s pushing,” Usman told FAIR GAME.
“That’s what he’s trying to say, and I need to let him know that I am more American than he is. I am absolutely more American than he is.”
Both fighters head into the bout with a 15-1 record in the professional ranks and it is a difficult task to try and separate them.
However, Usman’s greater technical acumen on the ground should give him the edge and he is fancied to stop Covington before the end of the fight.
Weight cutting talk overshadows women’s clash
Amanda Nunes has been sweeping all before in the women’s division over the past few years, but she faces a big challenge from Germaine de Randamie at UFC 245.
The pair have met once before, with Nunes winning in less than four minutes back in 2013, but de Randamie has improved significantly since then.
Nunes is undoubtedly in the form of her life, holding both the women’s 135 and 145-pound titles, although that versatility could prove to be her undoing against the Dutch fighter.
The 31-year-old has had plenty of time to prepare for the fight after beating Holly Holm back in July, but she once again faces the prospect of a severe weight cut before she meets de Randamie.
“I asked for this fight twice to be at 145, but for some reason she don’t want,” Nunes said.
“After back-and-forth with UFC, we decided we talk to our coaches, I discussed with my wife and we say, ‘You know what, if we keep fighting to make this happen at 145, we never going to fight. Let’s do this at 135. I’m gonna go down’. After this one I go up to defend my other one.”
Nunes will undoubtedly have her nutrition expert managing every part of her diet in the run-up to the fight including ensuring that she's getting the best and safest protein supplements, and Nunes should make weight comfortably, although cutting 10 pounds of water before weigh-ins can only be considered 'comfortable' in combat sports.
Constant weight cutting has caught up with fighters in the past, and while Nunes is a worthy favourite it would be foolish to underestimate the threat posed by de Randamie.
Volkanovski a genuine threat to Holloway’s dominance
Max Holloway has been a dominant force in the featherweight division since taking the title off Jose Aldo at UFC 212.
He followed up by defeating Aldo in their rematch, before recording comfortable victories over Brian Ortega and Frankie Edgar.
A unanimous defeat against Dustin Poirier was sandwiched in between those two wins, although that came in the lightweight division.
The Hawaiian clearly remains the man to beat at featherweight, but he would do well not to take Volkanovski’s challenge too lightly.
The Australian boasts a 20-1 record and has racked up dominating victories over Darren Elkins, Chad Mendes and Aldo in his last three fights.
Despite Volkanovski’s recent performances, Holloway is confident he can retain his title when the two fighters go head-to-head.
“Alex is Alex,” Holloway told MMA Junkie. “He’s a beast. When I sit down with my coaches, sit down with my team, we look for challenges.
“The No. 1 challenge that everyone keeps coming up with is about his power and stuff. That’s one of the questions we want to answer. I can’t wait. The only way to figure it out and see if we answer it is on ESPN+.”
UFC 245 Main Card (PPV)
Kamaru Usman vs Colby Covington
Max Holloway vs Alexander Volkanovski
Amanda Nunes vs Germaine de Randamie
Jose Aldo v. Marlon Moraes
Urijah Faber v. Petr Yan
UFC 245 Preliminary Card
Mike Perry vs Geoff Neal
Ketlen Vieira vs Irene Aldana
Matt Brown vs Ben Saunders
Chase Hooper vs Daniel Teymur
Brandon Moreno vs Kai Kara-France
Jessica Eye vs Viviane Araujo
Punahele Soriano vs Oskar Piechota
Ian Heinisch vs Omari Akhmedov
