Give Chicago its Win-dy City dues
This weekend’s star-studded pay-per-view UFC 225 is a knockout fight card on all counts
Saturday night in Chicago, the UFC delivers its most complete fight card of the year, a star-studded pay-perview from the United Center capped by twin title fights and featuring a rich collection of established names, emerging stars and a former professional wrestler getting a second chance to step into the Octagon.
This is one of those shows where a portion of the fight-loving population is going to roll their eyes and declare the lineup underwhelming, citing the inclusion of CM Punk on the main card as the only evidence needed to support their claim. Ignore them.
This card is terrific from top to bottom and packed with fights carrying championship implications and crucial career stakes for some veteran talents.
Here’s a look at five key fighters to keep tabs on this weekend as they step inside the Octagon.
ROBERT WHITTAKER
The reigning middleweight champion was promoted to undisputed status when Georges St-Pierre vacated the title he won from Michael Bisping. Then he was forced out of his first title defence against Luke Rockhold at home in Australia earlier this year due to a hamstring injury, a gnarly staph infection and a case of chickenpox.
Now “The Reaper” runs it back against Yoel Romero, the man he beat to claim interim gold 11 months ago, in a fight that has the potential to solidify the young Australian as the dominant force in the middleweight division.
Whittaker was able to best Romero at UFC 213 despite an injured knee, handing the explosive Cuban wrestler the first and only loss of his UFC career.
He’s healthy this time around and a more emphatic performance will eliminate any doubt about his legitimacy atop the 185-pound ranks.
RAFAEL DOS ANJOS
Randy Couture. B.J. Penn. Conor McGregor. Georges St-Pierre.
Those are the only four men to ever win UFC titles in two different weight classes. With a victory over Colby Covington on Saturday, the former lightweight champion can join that exclusive group and cement his status as one of the top talents to ever grace the Octagon.
Dos Anjos has been a force of nature since moving up to welterweight, looking more impressive with each outing. Covington is a frustrating grinder who can turn fights ugly and make talented fighters look bad, but dos Anjos has the diverse game to thwart the brash American’s attacks and respond with power.
With a shot at history and a title unification bout later this year on the line, don’t be surprised if the Brazilian looks the best he ever has in the cage this weekend.
MEGAN ANDERSON
After more than a year on the sidelines, the former Invicta FC featherweight champion is getting tossed straight into the deep end in her UFC debut, squaring off with former bantamweight champ and perennial contender Holly Holm in what is ostensibly an audition to face Cris Cyborg later this year.
The rangy Australian rolled through the competition in her last four appearances under the Invicta banner, but beating Peggy Morgan and Charmaine Tweet isn’t the same as sharing the cage with Holm. While she’s just 1-4 since beating Ronda Rousey, the former titleholder was right there in three of those losses and is more than capable of spoiling Anderson’s maiden voyage into the Octagon.
That being said, Anderson has been actively seeking a fight with Cyborg for the better part of the last year, and if she can fell the former champion to set up that showdown, the UFC will have a fresh matchup between the most dominant female in the sport and a talented newcomer with an undefined ceiling and the size to contend with Cyborg in the cage.
MIRSAD BEKTIC
I’ve talked about Bektic a great deal in this space over the last six months — he was my lead selection as the featherweight to watch going forward and landed at No. 4 in the 2018 Keyboard Kimura Prospect Draft.
A pressure fighter with excellent wrestling and continually improving hands, the 27-year-old cemented his status as an emerging threat in the flush 145-pound division on Saturday by walking into Ricardo Lamas’ backyard and beating the former title challenger.
Bektic stumbled the last time he was tasked with taking on a veteran talent, but he’s made a lot of changes since that fight with Darren Elkins and looked incredible in his victory over Godofredo Pepey earlier this year. If he can build on that performance and bank a win over a talented Top 10 fixture like Lamas on his home turf, Bektic will put himself in position for more marquee assignments in the second half of 2018.
JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ
It’s a travesty that Benavidez’ fight with Sergio Pettis has been relegated to Fight Pass, but don’t let its placement blur the truth about this pairing. This is a meeting of Top 5 flyweights and the returning Benavidez remains one of the absolute best fighters competing south of the welterweight division in the UFC.
Back after suffering a torn ACL, the former title challenger, who has only ever lost to Dominick Cruz and Demetrious Johnson, looks to continue his run of success since suffering his second loss to “Mighty Mouse” more than four years ago. He’s rattled off six straight victories over very good competition and if he picks up where he left off this weekend against Pettis, he’ll put himself right back in the title conversation.
This is easily one of the top tilts of the night, and Benavidez’s return one of the most intriguing angles to watch.