The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday will descend upon T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with UFC 248—an event headlined by a pair of title bouts. Stakes are high across the board.
WHO HAS THE MOST TO GAIN?
Yoel Romero: Rare are the instances in which a 42-year-old fights at a championship level, but then again, not all 42-year-olds appear as if they were built in a lab. The fact that Romero owns a 1-3 record across his last four appearances makes this opportunity all the more unlikely. It was the result of a perfect storm of circumstances and could represent the Olympic silver medalist’s last chance to strike UFC gold. Despite his age and recent track record, Romero ranks as one of the most dangerous threats to UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya’s reign due to his frightening combination of strength and athleticism. While Romero is a lethal striker in his own right, Adesanya operates on another level in that regard. As such, the American Top Team export’s best chance at an upset likely revolves around his world-class wrestling skills and the ability to chain together takedowns.
Weili Zhang: She reached the top of the women’s strawweight mountain just four fights into her UFC career, and a showdown with former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the co-main event represents a perfect opportunity for Zhang to cement her legacy. Though Jedrzejczyk has had her difficulties across two divisions in recent years, a win over “Joanna Champion” still means something. Many still have questions regarding Zhang’s legitimacy due to the sudden nature of her title-cinching victory over Jessica Andrade, but a successful outing against Jedrzejczyk would prove she was no one-hit wonder and allow her to nail down a spot as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.
Sean O'Malley: The undefeated bantamweight prospect set the Internet on fire with an impressive performance on Dana White’s Contender Series and back-to-back victories in the UFC. However, injuries and a United States Anti-Doping Agency suspension kept him on the sideline for more than two years and interrupted the momentum he worked so hard to build. O’Malley now appears ready to resume his run toward the top of the 135-pound weight class, and his combination of charisma and undeniable skill should allow him to rise quickly. The MMA Lab standout insists the time away from the cage allowed him to evolve at a faster rate, putting him in position to score his first finish in the UFC in a featured ESPN prelim against Jose Alberto Quinonez.
WHO HAS THE MOST TO LOSE?
Israel Adesanya: Since he joined the UFC roster in 2018, Adesanya has been nothing short of phenomenal, his march through the middleweight division culminating with a dominant, championship-clinching victory over Robert Whittaker on Oct. 5. Few fighters have traversed a weight class in such efficient fashion, and after seeking out Romero personally, his first title defense shapes up to be an entertaining affair. With Adesanya now sitting at 18-0 overall, stock in “The Last Stylebender” has risen to an all-time high. Outside of a “Fight of the Year” encounter with Kelvin Gastelum that brought him the interim 185-pound championship, Adesanya’s run to the top could not have gone smoother. Nevertheless, one shot from Romero has the potential to change everything. Adesanya needs to stick to what brought him to the dance—the movement-heavy standup attack with which he butters his bread—to retain his title against the 2000 Olympic silver medalist.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk: The former women’s strawweight champion finds herself in a peculiar position heading into her title fight with Zhang in the co-main event. After surrendering the 115-pound crown to Rose Namajunas in 2017, Jedrzejczyk had a difficult time finding her footing, and with wins in just two of her past five outings, skeptics wonder if she will ever return to her championship form. At 32 years of age, the pressure rests squarely on her shoulders. Does Jedrzejczyk have what it takes to reclaim the title in a division that seems to welcome an influx of talent on a regular basis? The American Top Team stalwart’s encounter with Zhang figures to shape her legacy one way or another.
Alex Oliveira: The Brazilian “Cowboy” has provided nonstop action during his stay in the UFC, but wins and losses still matter. On a three-fight losing streak, Oliveira could find himself on the chopping block with another setback. A wild and fan-friendly striking style endeared him to onlookers, but he truly shines on the mat, where he can use his long arms to sink submissions and apply damaging ground-and-pound. Opponent Max Griffin carries excellent standup skills, so Oliveira would be wise to hunt for takedowns and utilize his superior grappling ability to either salt away a decision or lock in a submission. Flash serves its purpose, but some old-fashioned work on the canvas could be key to Oliveira’s job security.