The UFC has a busy July stretch in store as the four-event “Fight Island” showcase in Abu Dhabi is set to take center stage in the MMA world. Four championship bouts are scheduled, with Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns (welterweight title), Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway (featherweight title) and Jose Aldo vs. Petr Yan (bantamweight title) all set for UFC 251 on July 11. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Benavidez (flyweight title) is set for the following week on July 18.
Although every bout with UFC gold on the line has a high level of significance, not all are built the same. MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Farah Hannoun and Simon Samano debate which title affair on “Fight Island” has the most meaning in the latest edition of Triple Take.
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Mike Bohn: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway 2
A valid argument can be made for all four of the title fights, honestly. We’re splitting hairs to a degree with this column, but when I look at all eight men who are scheduled to compete for a belt on “Fight Island,” it seems the most pressure sits on the shoulders of one: Max Holloway.
For that reason, Holloway’s featherweight championship rematch with Alexander Volkanovski takes the cake as the most critical matchup with deeper implications than the rest.
It wasn’t long ago when Holloway occupied one of the top spots on many pound-for-pound lists. He held the longest winning streak in the UFC at a dozen fights and was viewed as something of an untouchable champion. The narrative changed big in 2019, though, as Holloway lost two of three fights. The first came against Dustin Poirier in a move up to lightweight for an interim title, then when that didn’t go his way he returned to his division and logged a defense over Frankie Edgar before being matched up with Volkanovski.
It wasn’t a super lopsided fight by any means, but Holloway’s reign did come to an end at UFC 245 last December when Volkanovski put on an intelligent performance over five rounds to win a decision. The immediate rematch is a double-edged sword for Holloway, because while he could win and make this brief window without the belt look like a mere hiccup, a loss puts him in a bit of a box at 145 pounds.
We’ve seen how challenging it can be for a fighter when they have two losses to the current champion, and that’s a reality Holloway could soon encounter. I think lightweight still remains a possibility, and he’d do well there with the appropriate time to adapt his body, but there’s no guarantees he’ll enjoy the same level of championship success at 155 pounds.
There’s a whole lot hanging in the balance for Holloway, here, and that makes his fight the most compelling in my book.
Next page – Farah Hannoun: Jose Aldo vs. Petr Yan
Farah Hannoun: Jose Aldo vs. Petr Yan
The bantamweight title has changed hands a few times over the past couple of years, and the UFC is about to crown another new one.
After Henry Cejudo relinquished the title, former UFC featherweight king Jose Aldo and Petr Yan will battle for the vacant title.
While it’s probably not the expected matchup, it’s stylistically a fantastic one. Aldo may have fallen short in his bantamweight debut, but he showed that he still has what it takes to compete with the best. His body of work at 145 pounds is unmatched, and what he also brings to the table is his name value that will help bring eyes to the new crop of rising stars in the division.
It’s a big fight for Aldo, though, and could determine what his future will look like in the sport. He’s only 33, but Aldo has been in the game for a very long time and is coming off two straight losses. He’s never lost three in a row, and he’ll be taking on a dangerous Yan that has serious knockout power. His move down to 135 pounds surprised many, and despite looking good against Moraes, his back is against the wall going into this one.
For someone who doesn’t even speak English, Yan has done a phenomenal job of promoting himself. He is unbeaten since joining the UFC roster, and his incredible knockout over a guy that’s difficult to put away in Urijah Faber is likely what made him an obvious choice to fight for the title.
Fighting another legend in Aldo is a big opportunity for Yan, who could emerge as one of the sport’s prominent stars on July 11. Representing Siberia and Russia, Yan already has a solid backing and continues to garner a following with his exciting style and activity in the octagon, having competed three times in both 2018 and 2019.
Bantamweight is stacked, and with Aljamain Sterling already waiting in the wings as the No. 1 contender, the division is finally starting to move on. Cody Garbrandt bounced back emphatically, and Sean O’Malley continues to wow as few can disagree that 135 pounds is one of the most exciting divisions in the sport.
Cejudo entertained us and accomplished remarkable things, but his recent choice of opponents has caused a big cluster at the top of the division. That will no longer be the case when Yan and Aldo enter the octagon next week.
Next page – Simon Samano: Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo 2
Simon Samano: Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo 2
Let’s not get confused about the question here. We’re not asking what the “best” or “most compelling” title fight is. What we’re specifically asking is, which fight has the greatest stakes? When you look at it that way, it’s pretty clear that no fighter is facing more pressure than Joseph Benavidez entering his flyweight title rematch with Deiveson Figueiredo.
Why? It’s simple. Benavidez turns 36 later this month. For all intents and purposes, this is Benavidez’s last chance to remove his name from a list no fighter wants to be part of – greatest fighters to never win a UFC title.
Benavidez has put together a remarkable career that began in 2006, beating some of the best among the lighter divisions at bantamweight and flyweight, including former UFC dual champion Henry Cejudo before he became “Triple C.” But Benavidez never won UFC gold in three previous tries and before that failed in his lone WEC 135-pound title shot vs. Dominick Cruz.
Being on the list of greatest fighters to never win a UFC title means living with a sobering reality that you were good but not good enough.
And think about this even further in terms of the pressure Benavidez must be feeling: He lost to Figueiredo last year by second-round TKO in their first encounter. Losing a second time will hurt, but it will hurt even more knowing he lost four total UFC title fights to just two men (he twice came up short against Demetrious Johnson).
Mike Bohn went with Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway for his pick, citing the box Holloway would be in if he lost an immediate rematch. And that’s fair, but the difference is that Holloway is 28 and just about to enter his prime. If he loses, as much as it would hurt his career, he has time on his side.
Benavidez, quite frankly, does not. For that reason, it raises the stakes so much more for his title fight with Figueiredo.
It’s now or never to reach the pinnacle of his career and become UFC champion.
