UFC 263: Recognition, rematches and revenge on the line in Arizona
- Published
Israel Adesanya will defend his middleweight title against Marvin Vettori this Saturday in Arizona
UFC 263 looks set to deliver a spectacular night of action, with two world titles on the line in front of a capacity crowd in Glendale, Arizona.
But, before a punch is thrown in the two world championship bouts, England's Leon Edwards will step into the octagon to take on one of the UFC's biggest stars.
Edwards, 29, will take on fan-favourite Nate Diaz in a UFC first as they face off in a five-round welterweight feature bout on the main card.
Five-round fights in the UFC were previously exclusively reserved for main events and title fights.
But the UFC has opted to make an exception for Edwards' clash with Diaz, with the winner likely to be installed as the next man in line to fight for the welterweight title following Kamaru Usman's mooted title rematch against Colby Covington later this year.
Edwards is unbeaten in his last nine fights, with his last defeat coming against current champion Usman in 2015.
With a strong unbeaten run and his nemesis holding the title, Saturday's bout with Diaz represents a chance for "Rocky" to make a definitive case for a title shot with victory over one of the most popular fighters in the UFC.
"I have to go out there and prove my case, you know?" Edwards told reporters at the pre-fight press conference.
"If I smoke a guy like Nate, they'll put me in a spot that I deserve.
"That's nine in a row, and that's the third most in the history of the promotion. So I'm looking forward to it.
"Skill set wise, I'm leaps above him and I will show that on Saturday night.
"I know he said 'it's kill or be killed,' but I'm here to kill, so I can't wait."
Both men have gone the full five-round duration twice in the UFC, but Diaz has competed in more five-round bouts over the course of his UFC career.
But, when asked if that experience advantage over the longer format would prove crucial on fight night, the Stockton, California native laughed off the question and hinted that he's targeting an early finish.
"Ha ha, it's possible," he said.
"But I was ready for a two-round fight, regardless."
Repeat or revenge?
The main event will feature the return to middleweight of 185-pound champion Israel Adesanya, who puts his undisputed title on the line against Italy's Marvin Vettori.
Nigerian-born Kiwi Adesanya, 31, moved up to light heavyweight in his last outing and lost for the first time in his professional MMA career when he was outpointed by 205-pound champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 in March.
But "The Last Stylebender" remains unbeaten as a middleweight and he will return to his natural weight class this weekend to face "The Italian Dream" Vettori, 27, whose five-fight winning streak has earned him a rematch with championship gold on the line.
Adesanya and Vettori first faced off in April 2018 in only Adesanya's second fight in the UFC. The New Zealand native claimed the victory that night via split decision, and Vettori is determined to even the score on Saturday.
"I have the advantage because I am the superior fighter", Vettori said during a lively pre-fight press conference on Thursday night.
"I can do everything. He doesn't have all the answers for what I bring to the table.
"He's gotten better. He's gotten sharper. But he didn't add nothing, you know?"
But, during a series of heated exchanges, Adesanya fired back as he questioned Vettori's championship credentials.
"Honestly speaking, since we last fought, you can look at the stack of people he's fought and the stack of people I've fought — there's a vast difference," Adesanya said.
But Vettori interjected as he questioned the validity of the champion's recent results.
"You lost against (Yoel) Romero, you lost against me, then you lost against Blachowicz," he said.
"Who did you beat? You beat 'Borrachinha' (Paulo Costa)? And he was drunk the night before? That's who you beat? Great, wow!"
"Who have you beaten?" Adesanya retorted.
"Tell me, who have you beaten? Name three top-10 opponents you've beaten. Name them. Exactly."
Bad blood at flyweight
Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo will finally settle the score after their majority draw at UFC 256
The co-main event also features unfinished business between two rivals, as UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo takes on Mexican contender Brandon Moreno in a world title rematch.
The pair went toe to toe in a thrilling encounter at UFC 256 last December that was scored a majority draw after Brazil's Figueiredo received a point deduction for a low blow.
Now the pair will face off again with both men determined to secure a definitive win.
"First of all, he speaks a lot, and I'm going to shut him up, because I'm going to knock him out in the first round," he said, via a translator, before addressing Moreno in English.
"I'm going to knock you out," he stated.
A smiling, relaxed Moreno replied, "I speak too much because I have my own voice. I'm not a puppet of anybody. So that's why I talk too much," he said.
"The guy, he tried to knock me out in the first fight and then he started making excuses. That's fine.
"But hey, this next try is the real deal. He can try to knock me out, again, or he can try a little bit of me. So I'm ready."
Brits on duty
In addition to Edwards, three other British stars are set for action in Arizona.
Scottish light heavyweight Paul Craig will look to extend his unbeaten run to five fights when he kicks off the main card against undefeated American Jamahal Hill, while his compatriot Joanne Calderwood will attempt to earn a shot at the UFC women's flyweight title by defeating fellow 125-pound contender Lauren Murphy on the preliminary card.
Also on the prelims, England's Darren Stewart has a crucial assignment, as he takes on Eryk Anders in a middleweight rematch.
The first bout between the pair in March was halted in the first round after an illegal knee from Anders left Stewart unable to continue.
Controversially, the knee was considered accidental by referee Herb Dean and the bout was ruled a no contest.
Now the pair will face off for a second time on Saturday night looking for a clean, clear outcome.