[ad_1]
The UFC will take center stage in front of a national audience this weekend as the promotion hosts UFC Fight Night on Saturday (3 p.m. on ABC/ESPN+, with prelims at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN/ESPN+).
The fight card will be headlined by former interim featherweight title challenger Josh Emmett facing rising contender Ilia Topuria. Women’s flyweight up-and-comers Amanda Ribas and Maycee Barber will fight in the co-main event. But there are also some intriguing matchups further down the card that fans should also keep their eye on.
Former UFC women’s featherweight title challenger and current ESPN MMA analyst Megan Anderson highlights the top storylines to watch during the action this weekend.
Could we be looking at the next title challenger?
Considering the landscape of the men’s featherweight division, a win for Topuria could shoot him up the rankings into the next title shot.
The champion, Alexander Volkanovski, is defending his title against interim champion Yair Rodriguez next month at UFC 290. Max Holloway, ranked No. 2 in ESPN’s divisional rankings, is booked to fight “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in August. Fifth-ranked Brian Ortega is coming off an injury against Rodriguez last July. Eighth-ranked Arnold Allen is coming off a loss to Holloway. And Calvin Kattar, ranked No. 9, is also coming off an injury in a loss to Allen last October. This makes for an interesting situation: Topuria could…
[ad_2]
