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The UFC 299 fight card just got a jolt of nostalgia with the announcement of a long-awaited rematch: Joanne Wood vs. Maryna Moroz. The two veterans will reportedly square off nearly nine years after their first encounter, a clash that significantly altered the trajectories of both careers.
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Following the announcement of their rematch, fans have taken to Reddit to react to the matchup. One fan wrote:
"The fight that killed Jojo's hype. Guess it's a chance at some kind of redemption."
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Others wrote:
"9 years in the making! The rematch we've all been waiting for!"
"I actually thought Wood had retired already"
"299 is officially too stacked"
"Last time Jojo barely nicked a decision against Luana Santos, Moroz is probably gonna give her a sad career ending."
Leading up to their initial bout in 2015, Wood was on fire, boasting a nine-fight win streak and establishing herself as a rising star in the women's strawweight division. However, Moroz, a then-newcomer, shocked the world with a first-round armbar submission, handing Wood her first professional defeat.
The impact of that loss reverberated through Wood's career. While she managed to win subsequent bouts, she never regained the momentum of her pre-Moroz form.
Now, nine years later, at UFC 299, Wood sees the rematch as a chance for redemption and potentially a final hurrah before hanging up the gloves.
For Moroz, the stakes are equally high. After two straight losses, a victory over Wood would provide a much-needed boost and reignite her own title aspirations.
UFC 299: fights added so far
UFC 299 is shaping up to be a blockbuster, with a stacked card announced for the March 9 event at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Here's a glimpse of the exciting matchups confirmed so far.
The main event will feature a bantamweight championship match between Sean O'Malley and Marlon 'Chito' Vera. This fight is a highly anticipated rematch, as their first encounter in 2020 ended in a dramatic first-round TKO for Vera.
UFC boss Dana White added another layer of excitement by confirming Dustin Poirier's return to the octagon. The fan-favorite 'Diamond' will face French phenom Benoit Saint-Denis in a five-round lightweight clash for the co-main event.
The undercard boasts a pair of welterweight barn-burners. Gilbert Burns takes on rising star Jack Della Maddalena, while the ever-entertaining Kevin Holland welcomes the flamboyant Michael 'Venom' Page to the UFC in a guaranteed spectacle.
Meanwhile, the bantamweight division gets treated to a potential No. 1 contender bout as Petr Yan faces the rising Song Yadong. Adding to the lightweight mix is the intriguing clash between Mateusz Gamrot and Rafael dos Anjos.
Check out the rest of the lineup of confirmed fights for UFC 299:
Jailton Almeida vs. Curtis Blaydes (heavyweight bout)
Katlyn Chookagian vs. Maycee Barber (Women's flyweight bout)
Pedro Munhoz vs. Kyler Phillips (bantamweight bout)
Lauren Murphy vs. Karine Silva (Women's flyweight bout)
CJ Vergara vs. Assu Almabayev (flyweight bout)
Robelis Despaigne vs. Josh Parisian (heavyweight bout)
