Five reasons to watch UFC 239, with Jones x Marreta and Amanda x Holm

Jones x Marreta and Amanda x Holm will be attractions at UFC 239. Photo: Montagem SL MMA Press

MMA enthusiasts certainly have reason to celebrate this weekend. This Saturday (6), Ultimate holds the biggest event of 2019 in Las Vegas (USA). O UFC 239 brings a card full of great attractions, as well as two title fights with two Brazilians in their main clashes.

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In the most anticipated fight of the night, Jon Jones puts the light heavyweight reign (up to 93 kg.) on the line against Brazilian Thiago Marreta. 'Bones' tries to assert his favoritism against the Rio native and confirm the premise of being one of the greatest athletes in the history of MMA.

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In the co-main attraction, the Brazilian Amanda nunes tries to defend the bantamweight title (up to 61,2kg) for the fourth time against the North American Holly holm, former division champion. Just like Jones, Amanda has demonstrated that she can now be considered a reference among female athletes. The Bahian is the first woman to have won two titles in different categories within the organization.

The main card is also completed by two unmissable duels. The controversial Ben Askren seeks the chance to compete for the welterweight title (under 77kg) against Jorge masvidal, While Luke Rockhold makes his debut in the light heavyweight category in a fight with Jan Blachowicz.

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O UFC 239 will start at 19:15 pm (Brasília time) with the preliminary card. The main fights are scheduled to start at 23pm (Brasília time).

To get you into the spirit of the event, we've prepared five reasons for you to stay tuned for this weekend's show.

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1 – Jon Jones, the greatest of all time

J. Jones at a ceremonial UFC weigh-in. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @jonnybones

The light heavyweight Jon Jones He is considered by many to be the greatest athlete in the history of MMA. With only one defeat in his career, when he was disqualified for illegally elbowing Matt Hamill, in the final of TUF (The Ultimate Fighter 10), in 2009, the athlete fulfills the role of feared champion and, since then, many fighters have tried to unravel the secret surrounding the North American's invincibility.

With 26 fights in his career, the fighter, this time, will face an opponent famous for his knockout power. Thiago Marreta This Saturday he will try to go against the bookmakers, statistics and, of course, against the champion's obvious talent. A self-confessed 'underdog', the Brazilian is trying to make history and be the first competitor to knock out Jones through normal means.

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2 – Amanda Nunes, the best of all time

A. Nunes boasts UFC belts. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @amanda_leoa

There are times when Amanda nunes It stopped being a promise and became a reality within Ultimate. Owner of impressive strength in her fists, the fighter comes, fight after fight, proving to the public that she can be considered the best female athlete in mixed martial arts, even surpassing Ronda Rousey, who reigned in the UFC between 2012 and 2015.

In addition to defeating Ronda, in a duel that took place in December 2016, the 'Lioness' shocked the world by defeating the feared Chris Cyborg by knockout in December last year and win the featherweight title (up to 65,7kg), becoming the first woman in the company to hold two titles in different divisions.

Amanda recently declared that she doesn't consider herself the best athlete just among women, but among all Ultimate fighters.

This will be the fourth time that Nunes defends her bantamweight title and, in front of her, she will have a figure who has already held her current position. Against Holly holm the Bahian woman hopes to continue her good run and consolidate herself as the greatest fighter in history.

3 – Mallet and his (almost) impossible mission

Marreta wins by knockout. Photo: Reproduction / Facebook UFC

If there are difficulties in the world of fighting, Thiago Marreta, this Saturday, you will have a complete idea of how they work. The Brazilian born in Cidade de Deus (RJ) will have the opportunity to face an opponent with qualities that are often inconceivable in the world of mixed martial arts. Known for his high knockout power, Marreta will face an opponent capable of adapting to any fighting style, making the opponent have difficulties in different situations.

Thiago, however, arrives without the pressure of responsibility for victory. In several media outlets, the fighter is treated as an underdog and his chances of success in the fight are minimized.

If he manages to defeat Jones, the 35-year-old fighter will go down in the history of the event as the athlete who managed to find a flaw in 'Bones' game and defeat a dominant and globally recognized athlete.

4 – Holly Holm tries to shock the world for the second time

H. Holm (photo) in victory for the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @UFC_Brasil

Known for her promising boxing career, Holly holm became known worldwide after displacing Ronda Rousey by delivering a historic knockout in 2015 to what was considered, for many, the most important name among women in MMA. At the time, the 'Pastor's Daughter' was considered an 'underdog' in the duel against her compatriot, but managed to silence her critics and end Rousey's reign.

Holm was unable to successfully defend his belt. Just over three months into holding the title, Holly had her failure when she was submitted by Miesha Tate, in 2016, at UFC 196. After the episode, the North American went through a moment of great instability in the company, however, this Saturday, the athlete will, once again, have the chance to fight for the lost belt.

This time, the opponent is Amanda nunes, Brazilian bantamweight and featherweight champion. The fight may be even more complicated than the fight against Ronda, but the blonde has already proven her ability to face adversity and prove her efficiency in mixed martial arts.

5 -Claudinha, Rockhold’s light heavyweight debut and Askren x Masvidal

J. Masvidal (left and B. Askren (right) facing the UFC 239. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube The Mac Life

It's not just the fights for the belt that stir up tempers within the UFC 239. In addition to the co- and main fights, three more fights can excite spectators of the event.

In the third fight of the main card, Ben Askren fights a controversial duel against Jorge masvidal. Throughout the promotion of the event, the fighters provoked each other through the press and promised to give the public a great show.

Askren is making his second appearance this Saturday since signing a contract with Ultimate. Previously, the fighter was a ONE FC athlete and was even the welterweight champion (up to 77kg) of the competing company. Undefeated in his career, Askren is currently fifth in the division rankings and faces an opponent who is one position above.

Masvidal, in turn, has been trying to recover from a complicated phase within Ultimate. In 2017, the fighter had three fights and was defeated on two occasions, one of them to the Brazilian Demian Maia. The American, however, took the first step towards his recovery. In his last commitment, Jorge defeated the Englishman Darren till and showed that he can still dream of higher flights within the company.

Another clash that has generated expectations is the duel that marks the debut of the former middleweight champion (up to 83,9kg), Luke Rockhold in the light heavyweight category. In his debut in the top category, the North American was selected to face the sixth athlete in the rankings, the Pole Jan Blachowicz. Jan comes from a defeat to Thiago Marreta, which took place in February this year, and sees the duel against a former UFC champion as a chance to enter the top 5 and, who knows, dream of a title fight.

The Brazilian team in UFC 239 will be represented by three athletes. In addition to Amanda and Marreta, the former challenger for the strawweight title (up to 52,1kg.), Claudia Gadelha, tries to move away from the image of her last commitment to Ultimate, when she was defeated by Nina ansaroff, Nunes' partner, by unanimous decision of the judges in December last year. This Saturday, Cláudia will face the Canadian Randa markos, currently 14th in the category ranking. If she wins, the Brazilian, who currently ranks fifth among straw athletes, will be able to once again dream of competing for the division belt, which currently belongs to the Brazilian. Jessica Stacker.