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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
MMA Junkie Staff

UFC free fight: Irene Aldana secures UFC 289 title shot with historic upkick KO to the body

Irene Aldana’s first UFC championship opportunity will come on the heels of a historic knockout.

Aldana (14-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) is set to challenge Amanda Nunes (22-5 MMA, 15-2 UFC) for the women’s bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 289, which takes place June 10 at Rogers Center in Vancouver with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The Mexican will enter the event on the power of four victories in her past five fights, the most memorable of which came in her most recent bout at UFC 279 this past September. Aldana put Macy Chiasson away in the third round with the only knockout in UFC history stemming from an upkick from bottom position.

It was a shocking result when Aldana flailed her legs to the midsection of Chiasson while on her back and landed a shot clean to the liver that folded her opponent for the ultra-rare finish.

Aldana will need that same type of magic if she hopes to dethrone Nunes at UFC 289, because she’s currently a sizable betting underdog just over two weeks from the event.

Before UFC 289 rolls around, the UFC has release the full fight video of Aldana’s stoppage of Chiasson, which can be seen above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.

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