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With May’s UFC events in the books and this weekend having no show booked, its worth looking forward to June in the MMA promotion.
June features a total of four UFC events, meaning that each weekend of the month is covered, and so unsurprisingly, there are some great fights on tap.
With key bouts in the flyweight, middleweight and women’s bantamweight divisions, then, this should hopefully be a month to remember.
Here are the five best UFC fights to look forward to in June.
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#5. UFC flyweight bout: Kai Kara-France vs. Amir Albazi
The first UFC event of June isn’t a stacked card per say, but the headline bout will feature two of the world’s best flyweights in action.
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No. 3 ranked Kai Kara-France will face off with No.7 ranked Amir Albazi in this clash. With Brandon Moreno’s title defense against Alexandre Pantoja set for July, there’s every chance that the winner of this one fights for the title next.
Of the two, Kara-France is the more proven in the octagon. He’s got wins over Cody Garbrandt, Askar Askarov and Rogerio Bontorin to his name. However, ‘Don’t Blink’ hasn’t fought since his loss to Moreno last July, meaning he could either be refreshed, or vulnerable.
Albazi, on the other hand, is still unbeaten in the octagon at 4-0. The native of Iraq last appeared in December, knocking out Alessandro Costa in an impressive showing. With knockout power in his hands and a strong submission game, he doesn’t have too many weaknesses per say.
It’d probably be better for the division overall if Albazi were to win this bout, but Kara-France is also a wildly exciting fighter who is likely itching for another title shot.
Therefore, we can expect fireworks from this one, and it could turn out to be one of the fights of the summer.
#4. UFC middleweight bout: Marvin Vettori vs. Jared Cannonier
June 17th’s Fight Night show will feature a major middleweight bout in the headliner. While neither Marvin Vettori nor Jared Cannonier is likely to earn a title shot with a win here, given that they are ranked No.3 and No.4 in the division, it’s still highly significant.
Both men are coming off big wins, with Cannonier defeating Sean Strickland last December and Vettori outpointing Roman Dolidze earlier this year.
Will this be an exciting fight? In all honesty, it’s hard to say, as neither man is really renowned for brawling, and Vettori in particular doesn’t tend to finish his opponents or succumb to finishes himself.
However, Cannonier hits like a truck, and the punching power of ‘The Killa Gorilla’ could bring out a more aggressive side of ‘The Italian Dream’.
Overall, though, when you consider the high rankings of these two, it’s hard to play down this fight overall. Without Israel Adesanya, either man could be holding the middleweight title right now, making this a must-see clash.
#3. UFC featherweight bout: Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria
The UFC is set to end June with a visit to Jacksonville, Florida, and in the main event, featherweight standouts Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria are set to throw down.
Not only is this a huge test for Topuria, but it should also be an exciting fight, too. Spain’s Topuria is unbeaten in the octagon and in MMA overall, but he’s also proven himself to be one of the best fighters in the division to watch, too.
A powerful wrestler with brutal strikes, only one of his bouts has ever gone the distance – his octagon debut against Youssef Zalal. Since then, he’s finished Damon Jackson, Ryan Hall and Jai Herbert, and most recently smashed through highly-regarded grappler Bryce Mitchell.
Emmett is more proven, of course. He holds wins over the likes of Calvin Kattar, Dan Ige and Shane Burgos, and while he’s coming off his loss to Yair Rodriguez, it was his first defeat since 2018.
If Topuria can get past ‘The Fighting Falmer’, then it’d be hard to deny him the next shot at the featherweight champion. If Emmett can find a way to snap the win streak of ‘El Matador’, though, then he’d be right back in contention in his own right.
Basically, these two are likely to throw down with heavy punches, and it’s highly unlikely that the bout will go the distance. Therefore, this fight is an absolute must-see affair and stands as one of June’s best fights.
#2. UFC bantamweight title: Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana
June features just one UFC title bout on tap, but it’s undoubtedly a big one. Amanda Nunes, the consensus female GOAT of MMA, is set to defend her bantamweight crown against top contender Irene Aldana in the headliner of UFC 289.
Interestingly, this wasn’t the originally planned title fight, as the promotion initially booked Nunes to face Julianna Pena in a trilogy bout.
However, the truth is that, with respect to Pena, this is the better title bout. Not only has Aldana won four of her last five fights, but she’s arguably the most dangerous striker in the division, with some nasty kicks and a ramrod jab as part of her arsenal.
Nunes, of course, arguably hits harder than any other female fighter. ‘The Lioness’ holds famous wins over Cris Cyborg, Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm.
Despite this, she’s getting no younger, and in her first fight with Pena, struggled with the faster, more accurate punches of her opponent.
Could we potentially see a major upset in this one, then? It’s entirely possible. Even if we don’t, it’s another chance to watch one of the all-time greats in action, making this one of June’s must-see clashes.
#1. UFC lightweight bout: Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush
While it isn’t a title fight and only stands as the co-headliner of UFC 289, the best fight upcoming in June is undoubtedly the lightweight clash between former champ Charles Oliveira and highly-ranked contender Beneil Dariush.
This bout was supposed to go down earlier in the year, only to fall apart when ‘Do Bronx’ suffered an injury. Thankfully, the promotion decided to keep the pairing together, moving it to June instead, and everyone should be grateful.
Put simply, this fight could be one of the best 155lbs bouts we’ve seen in a long time.
Both men are absolutely fantastic grapplers, with Oliveira holding the record for the most submission wins in octagon history with 16. Dariush, meanwhile, is a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who has eight submissions to his name, too.
This isn’t to say that they’re merely grapplers, though. Both ‘Do Bronx’ and Dariush have also developed highly-effective striking games, to the point that Oliveira knocked out Michael Chandler, and Dariush used a spinning backfist to take out Scott Holtzman.
Could the winner of this one also go on to challenge for the lightweight title? Absolutely. With all things considered, then, it’s a near-impossible fight to pick, and it has the highest stakes possible. Therefore, it’s easily next month’s best fight.
