UFC delivers its most stacked Pay-Per-View event of 2021 so far, headlined by a trio of world championship bouts. Newly crowned UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz makes his first title defense against UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who aims to become only the fifth fighter to simultaneously hold belts in two UFC weight classes. Two-division titleholder Amanda Nunes puts her UFC featherweight championship on the line against talented striker Megan Anderson. Plus, UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan looks to take out surging No. 1 contender Aljamain Sterling.
UFC 259: BŁACHOWICZ vs. ADESANYA will take place Saturday, March 6 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas and will stream live on Pay-Per-View, exclusively through ESPN+ in the U.S. at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT in both English and Spanish.
Preliminary fights will air nationally in English on ESPN and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes, as well as being simulcast in both languages on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Early prelims will be available on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ (in English and Spanish) at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.
Blachowicz (27-8, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) captured the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship with a spectacular TKO victory over Dominick Reyes in September. Known for his “Polish power,” the No. 14 ranked men’s pound-for-pound fighter has also earned impressive KO wins against Corey Anderson, Luke Rockhold and Ilir Latifi. Blachowicz now attempts to cement his reign by securing his first successful title defense and handing Adesanya his first career loss.
No. 3 ranked men’s pound-for-pound fighter Adesanya (20-0, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand by way of Lagos, Nigeria) quickly turned heads upon joining the UFC roster in 2018. The former kickboxer has since secured his spot atop the middleweight ladder with sensational KO victories over Paulo Costa, Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson. Adesanya now aims to etch his name in the history books by taking out Blachowicz to become a two-division UFC champion.
The greatest female fighter in combat sports history, Nunes (20-4, fighting out of Coral Springs, Fla. by way of Bahia, Brazil) looks to continue building her legacy by securing her seventh overall UFC title defense —and second in the featherweight division. Throughout her storied career, she has earned stoppage wins over former UFC champions Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, Cris Cyborg and Miesha Tate. Nunes now hopes to deliver another vintage performance by becoming the first fighter to KO Anderson.
Former Invicta FC featherweight champion Anderson (11-4, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo. by way of Gold Coast, Australia) is poised to send shockwaves throughout the MMA world if she can finish Nunes. A powerful kickboxer, she has delivered memorable stoppage victories over Cat Zingano, Norma Dumont and Zarah Fairn during her UFC run. Anderson now has her sights set on achieving her dream of UFC gold by handing Nunes her first loss in over six years.
Yan (15-1, fighting out of Yekaterinburg, Russia) realized his goal of becoming UFC champion by delivering a thrilling fifth-round TKO victory over all-time great Jose Aldo last July. Currently riding an impressive 10-fight win streak, the No. 10 ranked men’s pound-for-pound fighter has also netted KO wins against UFC Hall of Fame inductee Urijah Faber, Douglas Silva de Andrade and Teruto Ishihara. Yan is now gunning for another highlight-reel finish to secure his first successful UFC title defense.
Sterling (19-3, fighting out of Uniondale, N.Y.) hopes to make the most of his first title shot by becoming the first fighter to finish Yan. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and former NCAA Division III wrestling standout, Sterling holds notable submission victories over Cory Sandhagen, Cody Stamann, Johnny Eduardo and Takeya Mizugaki. Sterling now attempts to secure his biggest win yet by dethroning Yan in emphatic fashion to capture UFC gold.
- Main Card: 10pm ET / 7pm PT
- Prelims: 8pm ET / 5pm PT
- Early Prelims: 5:30pm ET / 2:30pm PT
