Cejudo (left) and Marlon (right) duel in the UFC 238. Photo: Montagem SL MMA Press
Ultimate arrives in Chicago (USA) and presents the public with another great card in the UFC 238. The event, which takes place this Saturday (08), will bring MMA enthusiasts 13 fights, including two title fights. In the main fight of the show, the Brazilian Marlon moraes and the North American Henry Cejudo duel for the bantamweight belt (up to 61,2kg.), vacant by TJ Dillashaw earlier this year.
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In the co-main clash, the flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko will defend his kingdom against Jessica Eye. In addition to the title fights, the UFC board also scheduled exciting clashes, such as the Tony Ferguson, who faces his compatriot Donald Cerrone, in the third fight of the main card; and that of Peter Munhoz against aljamain sterling. The athletes aim to be the next challengers for the bantamweight belt.
To get in the mood, our team selected five reasons to follow the UFC 238. Check out:
1-Marlon Moraes and the chance to win the bantamweight title
M. Moraes (photo) fights for the bantamweight belt in UFC 238. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook ufcbrasil
The Brazilian Marlon moraes This Saturday, he will have the opportunity to become another Tupiniquim athlete who can add to his resume the fact of having become UFC champion. However, the task of the fighter from Nova Friburgo (Rio de Janeiro) will not be the easiest. Marlon will face the current flyweight champion (up to 56,7 kg.) Henry Cejudo, who moved up a category to try to fill the position, which has been vacant since TJ Dillashaw was caught in a doping case.
Moraes debuted in Ultimate in 2017, when he was defeated by his compatriot Raphael Assunção. However, the Friborg native managed to recover and, after four consecutive victories in the division, achieved title challenger status. This will be the first time that the Brazilian steps into the Octagon in a title fight.
Cejudo, the Brazilian's opponent, is known for having been Olympic champion in 2008. Since switching from wrestling to mixed martial arts in 2013, the athlete has won 13 victories in 15 fights and has become increasingly respected in MMA circles.
2- Valentina Shevchenko makes her first title defense
V. Shevchenko makes his first title defense in the UFC 238. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @bulletvalentina
The former challenger to the bantamweight title (up to 61,2kg.) and current flyweight champion (up to 56,7kg.), Valentina Shevchenko, will make his first belt defense this Saturday. Since winning the title, in December last year, by defeating the Polish Joanna Jedrzejczyk, the athlete had not yet put her title on the line.
Valentina will face the North American Jessica Eye in the co-main event of the night. Favoritism is with the champion, who in 19 professional fights, has 16 victories and only three defeats.
Jéssica, in turn, has a slightly more modest record. In 19 official clashes, Eye won 12 opportunities, suffered six setbacks and had one fight without result.
3- Tony Ferguson returns to MMA and faces the exciting Donald Cerrone
T. Ferguson (left) x D. Cerrone. Photo: Montagem SL / MMA Press
Two of the UFC's most charismatic athletes will share the octagon this weekend. Donald Cerrone e Tony Ferguson will fight the third duel on the preliminary card and aim for the opportunity to face the winner between Khabib Nurmagomedov e Dustin poirier, who will face each other in September in a fight valid for the unification of the lightweight title (up to 70,3kg.).
Donald is experiencing a magical moment in his career. After going through a difficult period in the organization, in 2017, in which the 'Cowboy' suffered three consecutive defeats, the athlete managed to find himself in the sport again and, currently, has three consecutive victories, which earned him the number one position. four in the category ranking.
Tony, in turn, finds himself in a moment of reaffirmation. Despite maintaining an unbeaten run that lasted more than seven years, the North American experienced particular problems, which prevented him from competing in Ultimate. The last time Ferguson entered the Octagon was in October last year, when he defeated Anthony Pettis. Even after the period away, 'El Cucuy' is still considered one of the most dangerous names in the division and is currently in third place in the rankings.
4- Pedro Munhoz faces Aljamain Sterling in a direct dispute to become a title challenger
P. Munhoz (left) faces A. Sterling (right) in the UFC 238. Photo: Montagem SL / MMA Press
the paulista Peter Munhoz will go through a really intense challenge this Saturday. In the penultimate fight of the preliminary card, the Brazilian will face the North American aljamain sterling. The duel is interesting because it brings together two athletes who are in the top positions of the rooster rankings.
Sterling is currently third, while Munhoz is just behind, in fourth. A victory for either fighter puts them in a position to challenge the winner of the clash between Marlon moraes e Henry Cejudo, considering that the second placed, Raphael Assunção, comes from a defeat against Marlon. This may not come to fruition if the organization chooses to promote an immediate rematch for the loser in this Saturday's fight.
5- Brazil could have a male champion again after two years
Image of the new UFC belt. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @ufc
Brazilian male fighters are experiencing an uncomfortable fast. Of the seven existing categories (excluding the bantamweights, which have a vacant title), none presents a Tupiniquim athlete as a representative at the highest point of the divisions.
Brazil is recognized worldwide for revealing great talents for MMA, however, in recent years, no man has managed to put the country on the map of champions. The last time a Brazilian athlete held a UFC belt was in 2017, when José Aldo was defeated by Max Holloway, at UFC 212, in Rio de Janeiro.
Women, however, represented by Amanda nunes, they have done well. The athlete holds two belts in two different categories in Ultimate: bantamweight and featherweight. Before, however, the 'Leoa' won her last title, the Curitiba native Chris Cyborg held the rank of 'queen' of the division.
Recently, the Brazilian Jessica Andrade also entered the group of female champions, when she defeated Rose namajunas by knockout and won the strawweight title (52,1kg.), in UFC 237, in Rio de Janeiro.
Marlon will then have the opportunity, after more than two years, to place Brazilian men's MMA in a prominent place within the UFC.
UFC 238 technical sheet
DAY: June 08, 2019
HORA: From 19:15 pm (Brasília time)
PLACE: Jeunesse Arena, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
HOW TO WATCH: SUPER FIGHTS (the first two fights LIVE) and Combate channel (all card)
MAIN CARD (23pm Brasília time):
Bantamweight: Henry Cejudo x Marlon moraes – fight for the belt
Fly weight: Valentina Shevchenko x Jessica Eye – fight for the belt
Lightweight: Tony Ferguson x Donald Cerrone
Bantamweight: Jimmie rivera x Petr yan
Heavyweight: Tai tuivasa x Blagoy Ivanov
PRELIMINARY CARD (19:15 p.m. Brasília time):
Straw weight: Tatiana Suarez placeholder image x Nina ansaroff
Bantamweight: aljamain sterling x Peter Munhoz
Straw weight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz x Alexa grasso
Featherweight: Ricardo Lamas x Calvin kattar
Straw weight: yan xiaonan x Angela Hill
Middleweight: Bevon Lewis x Darren stewart
Bantamweight: Eddie Wineland x Grigory Popov
Fly weight: Katlyn chookagian x Joanne calderwood
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