UFC Saturday night: Top fights to look out for on the action-packed UFC 289 PPV

There are several UFC 289 fights that deserve special recognition.

On Saturday, June 10, the UFC travels to Vancouver, Canada, for an eleven-fight event inside the Rogers Arena. Although most of the fight card features solid matchmaking, there are a few matchups that stand out among the rest.

In the main event, Amanda Nunes returns after regaining the UFC women’s bantamweight championship against Julianna Pena in July 2022. ‘The Lioness’ was supposed to fight Pena for a third time before the latter suffered an injury, leading to Irene Aldana stepping in on short notice.

The women’s bantamweight title fight features two fighters with high-level striking skills. If the bout becomes a stand-up battle, fans inside the Rogers Arena could be in for a spectacular show. There is also added intrigue due to Aldana’s potential to pull off the upset and shake up the 135-pound division.

In the co-main event, Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush go toe-to-toe in arguably the most intriguing fight of the night. The top-five lightweights will be ready for war as the winner likely finds himself in a title fight against Islam Makhachev next time out. To make things better, the stylistic matchup between Oliveira and Dariush has analysts struggling to predict a winner.

The UFC 289 main card also features a Fight of the Night contender as Dan Ige and Nate Landwehr always put on a show. The fan-favorite featherweights have proven they are durable and never give up, which could steal the show on Saturday night.

---

What are the top fights on the UFC 289 preliminary card?

Preliminary UFC fights can be hit or miss, but two matchups at UFC 289 have a high chance of being bangers. In the featured prelim slot, Nassourdine Imavov and Chris Curtis look to draw in some last-second pay-per-view buys with a thrilling battle in the middleweight division.

Curtis’ last fight against Kelvin Gastelum was one of the best of the year, while Imavov isn’t afraid to stand and trade with anyone at 185 pounds.

Another UFC 289 preliminary matchup to watch is David Dvorak vs. Steve Erceg. Dvorak is stepping up on short notice after Matt Schnell pulled out. ‘Undertaker’ needs a win after losing his last two fights, and Erceg wants to make a statement in his UFC debut.

It’ll be intriguing to see if any fights listed above steal the show or if a sleeper matchup steps up at the latest UFC Saturday night event.