UFC 213 fight card goes down this Saturday. It’s International Fight Week which means it’s a big week for the UFC. But does this UFC 213 fight card live up to previous International Fight Week events? I guess time will tell, but there are some fantastic match ups. Let’s take a look at these two title fights:
UFC 213 Fight Card Title Fights
Amanda Nunes vs Valentina Shevchenko II
The women’s bantamweight title is up for grabs in the main event. After the turmoil that occured which Ronda Rousey lost, it seemed the division had no chance of stability. However, Amanda Nunes has since become that stability. She obliterated Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey in the first rounds and looks to be the best woman bantamweight on the planet.
That being said, she has had some rough performances. One of those being a narrow decision win over Valentina Shevchenko one year ago. The two fought at UFC 196 and both had dominant moments – Nunes early, Shevchenko later. Now, Shevchenko puts her momentum on the line as she tries to pick up where she left off.
This will be a five-round fight which immediately favors Shevchenko seing as Nunes has had cardio issues in the past. It’s logical to think that Nunes will win the early moments, gas out, and then lose to Shevchenko laterin the fight. However, I believe Nunes has made drastic improvements that we haven’t seen yet. Her cardio was not tested against Tate or Rousey. It’s very likely that Nunes’s cardio is much improved from the UFC 196 performance.
Either way you slice it, I see Nunes taking it to Shevchenko. She’s more vicious, more lethal, and as long as she manages her energy well I see Nunes dominating this fight.
Shevchenko is smart, tactical, and calculated, but all too reserved. She’s too willing to let the other fighter get off first. As we’ve seen from Nunes lately, that’s a huge mistake. Very few women have the lethality and killer instinct that Nunes does.
Pick: Nunes via 2nd Rd TKO
Yoel Romero vs Robert Whittaker
To many, this is the “real” main event – whatever that means. Nevertheless, it’s an awesome fight that I honestly can’t wait for. Both Romero and Whittaker represent the elite tier of middleweight and will be battling over the Interim Middleweight title. Middleweight champ Michael Bisping was originally linked to a superfight with Georges St-Pierre, but that fell through and Bisping is currently injured. In his absence, we get this awesome fight.
Romero and Whittaker have a combined 15-fight win streak. Romero recently knocked out Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida in the third round while we stole a close decision over Jacare Souza. Whittaker on the other hand smashed through Souza an a series of solid middleweights. The winner of this fight will largely be viewed as the best middleweight on the planet.
Romero is an Olympian in freestyle wrestling, and likely one of the best pure athletes in MMA. He moves like a 200 lb cat, but has a very awkward style. He likes to fight slow and sluggish, but can turn up to 10 in an instant. The term “explosive” gets thrown around a lot, but that is seriously the best word to describe Romero. When he’s on the offensive, Romero often lunges after his opponents with flying knees, punching combos, and/or beautiful takedowns and trips.
When you watch a Romero fight you can’t help but feel he plays with is food before finally deciding to eat it. He takes this gamble against every opponent which usually results in Romero’s opponent having some good moments. Whittaker’s striking is dangerous, varied, and very fast which means he could catch Romero. However, Romero’s wrestling and diverse explosive attacks on the feet will likely carry him to another victory.
Pick: Romero via 3rd Rd TKO
Other great fights on the UFC 213 fight card:
Alistair Overeem vs Fabricio Werdum III – this heavyweight fight will be the thid time Overeem and Werdum have squared off. They both have very long careers spanning back nearly 20 years. They are at the ends of their careers, but perhaps the best they have ever been. I’m expecting an Overeem victory here.
Jim Miller vs Anthony Pettis – this lightweigh fight will feature the former champion Anthony Pettis. Since losing his belt, Pettis went down a rabbit hole of poor performances. I’m not sure if he’ll ever be able to get back to where he was, but Jim Miller is a good first step. Miller is at the end of his career, but has recently looked sharper than ever. This should be a fun, action-packed fight!
