It has been a long layoff for the champ, as Namajunas hasn’t fought in over a year. It will be interesting to see how Namajunas deals with the crowd and moment in Brazil. Namajunas typically allows herself to live in the moment and there might not be a more pressure filled one that she will feel on Saturday.
Jessica Andrade is the true number one contender and she has earned that spot by dominating Claudia Gadelha, Tecia Torres and Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Fighting for the belt in front of her home country is an opportunity that Andrade never thought she would have and she’s confident that she will make the most of it.
Get ready for UFC 237 by watching the past performances of some of the cards biggest stars and prospects. Watch the collection here: https://www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-237-fights-to-watch
Rose Namajunas vs Michelle Waterson
UFC Kansas City – April 15, 2017
A true champion bounces back from a tough loss and Rose Namajunas showed just how talented she is by responding to her loss against Karolina Kowalkiewicz with an impressive submission victory over Michelle Waterson at UFC Kansas City.
Jessica Andrade vs Claudia Gadelha
UFC Japan – September 23, 2017
Losing to Joanna Jedrzejczyk might have been the best situation for Jessica Andrade. As “Bate Estaca” went back to the drawing board, improved and started her run to redemption. That journey began with a dominant performance over the tough Claudia Gadelha in Japan.
Anderson Silva vs Isreal Adesanya
UFC 234 – February 9, 2019
It might be a surprise to see Anderson Silva vs Israel Adesanya on this list to watch. Yes, Silva did lose this fight, but it reminded the world just how fun he is to watch and how talented he is. This fight also earned Fight Of The Night honors.
Jared Cannonier vs Ion Cutelaba
TUF 24 Finale – December 4, 2016
Jared Cannonier’s long journey to the co-main event of UFC 237 against Anderson Silva started as a UFC heavyweight. But before “The Killa Gorilla” moved down to middleweight he made a stop at light heavyweight and picked up a well-deserved victory over the gritty prospect Ion Cutelaba.
Alexander Volkanovski vs Darren Elkins
UFC Boise – July 14, 2018
Since making his way into the UFC Alexander Volkanovski has done nothing but win. He continued busting up the rankings in Boise by destroying one of the toughest featherweights in the world in Darren Elkins.
Jose Aldo vs Jeremy Stephens
UFC Calgary – July 28, 2018
Suffering twin title losses is something that Jose Aldo never imagined he would experience, but he was able to remind the world just how dangerous he is when he faced Jeremy Stephens. The fight fans of Calgary were in for a treat as Aldo let out all his emotion after the massive victory.
Thiago Alves vs Patrick Cote
UFC 210 – April 8, 2017
If you’re a fan of MMA then you knew a battle between veterans Thiago “Pitbull” Alves and Patrick Cote would be fun to watch.
Antônio Rogério Nogueira vs Sam Alvey
UFC Sao Paulo – September 22, 2018
Taking a long lay off can result in Octagon rust, but that wasn’t the case for “Lil Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. The Brazilian fighter made a triumphant return by defeating Sam Alvey in emphatic fashion.
Watch the full UFC 237 collection on UFC Fight Pass: https://www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-237-fights-to-watch
Tune into UFC 237 Saturday at 6:15pm/ 3:15pm ETPT with the UFC Fight Pass Early prelims. The ESPN+ prelims begin at 8pm/5pm ET.
The UFC 237 main card will start at 10pm/7pm ETPT and is only available on Pay-Per-View. Order the card here.
Gavin Porter is a digital producer and writer for UFC.com, follow him on Twitter at @PorterUFCNews
