UFC 289: Nunes vs. Aldana Odds, Predictions and Pre-Weigh-in Hype
Amanda Nunes got her groove back the last time we saw her in the cage. Now, she'll look to resume her reign of dominance with a win over Irene Aldana in the main event at UFC 289 from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada on Saturday.
The Lioness reclaimed her bantamweight championship in July 2022 with a unanimous-decision win over Julianna Peña to avenge a submission loss to the Venezuelan Vixen.
It was a nice addition to the legacy of a fighter in Nunes who is already a future Hall of Famer.
Aldana is one of the few contenders Nunes has yet to face in the Octagon. As her career potentially winds to a close, it's another opportunity for the Brazilian to show she's the best in the world.
Here's a look at the complete card along with the latest odds and the latest buzz around the biggest fights of the weekend.
Fight Card, Schedule and Odds
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Main Card (ESPN+ PPV at 10 p.m. ET)
- Amanda Nunes (-320) vs. Irene Aldana (+265)
- Charles Oliveira (+125) vs. Beneil Dariush (-145)
- Mike Malott (-205) vs. Adam Fugitt (+175)
- Dan Ige (-260) vs. Nate Landwehr (+220)
- Eryk Anders (+115) vs. Marc-André Barriault (-135)
Prelims (ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET)
- Nassourdine Imavov (-155) vs. Chris Curtis (+135)
- Jasmine Jasudavicius (+245) vs. Miranda Maverick (-295)
- Aiemann Zahabi (+100) vs. Aoriqileng (-120)
- Blake Bilder (-240) vs. Kyle Nelson (+200)
Early Prelims (UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. ET)
- David Dvořák (-265) vs. Steve Erceg (+225)
- Diana Belbiţă (-120) vs. Maria Oliveira (+100)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Aldana Expecting Best Version of Nunes
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One of the points of intrigue in the women's bantamweight main event is just how into the fight Nunes is. At this point, she's proved just about everything there is to prove, and the grind of always bringing your A-game can catch up to any champion.
That challenge is even greater when you've already publicly talked about retirement as Nunes did this week. The 35-year-old acknowledged she thought about stepping away from the sport after her loss to Peña but did not want the belt to stay with her bitter rival.
It begs the question of motivation. If the whole idea was to make sure the American didn't have the belt, then what's the motivation to fight Aldana?
The challenger, 35, isn't willing to see it that way. She's preparing to take on the same dangerous fighter Nunes has always been.
"I'm thinking that if she's going to retire that she's going to want to retire as a champion, so I'm not taking it in the easy way. I'm expecting her best version and that's it," Aldana told reporters.
That's the only way the Mexican fighter can afford to think. For her to win this, she needs Nunes to have an off night and put on the best performance of her own career.
Prediction: Nunes via second-round TKO
Oliveira Focused on Getting Belt Back
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Charles Oliveira will be making his return to the cage for the first time since losing to Islam Makhachev for the vacant lightweight title he dropped at the scale against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274.
Things aren't going to get much easier taking on Beneil Dariush, but the Brazilian, 33, has a one-track mind and it's focused on getting the belt back around his waist.
"I'm not the champ anymore," Oliveira said, speaking through a translator, per Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated. "That changes everything. I'm waking up early, I'm staying up late thinking about getting my belt back. It's always on my mind. Getting the belt back, that's my focus. That's my goal. With a good performance on Saturday, I'll be fighting for the title."
Do Bronx was outclassed by Makhachev en route to a second-round submission loss.
Dariush, 34, is likely to earn a title shot with a win in this spot. He is on an eight-fight win streak that goes all the way back to 2018.
While you can argue those victories haven't come against other contenders in the current landscape, the Iran-born fighter will answer that argument with a win over Oliveira on Saturday.
Prediction: Dariush via decision
Malott Excited for Dream Come True
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As the UFC spotlight heads to Canada, there wil be one native son staring down a dream. Mike Mallot will have the opportunity to fight on the main card of a pay-per-view in his home country in just his third UFC fight.
It's a great sign for the 31-year-old and how the organization views him, but he's just happy to check off a goal that he's had for a long time.
"It's been a dream of mine since before I got into MMA," Malott said, per Kevin Schuster of UFC.com. "I've always kind of had that dream since being a young kid of being able to represent my country on an international stage as an athlete. As a kid I didn't necessarily know that I was going to be a fighter, but I always knew I was a dreamer."
The welterweight doesn't have a ton of experience but what he's shown so far is intriguing. He has a great killer instinct, whether it's capitalizing on a punishing strike or latching on to an opportunistic choke. He has a natural proclivity for finishing fights.
Thus far, all nine of his wins have come by either knockout or submission.
That streak figures to continue when he faces Adam Fugitt on Saturday. The 34-year-old has two fights in the UFC and is just 1-1 with a TKO loss to Michael Morales.
Prediction: Malott via first-round TKO
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