(This story was originally published on June 8, 2018.)
Tonight’s UFC 225 fight card is, without a doubt, the most robust card the promotion has put together in 2018.
Because of a missed mark on the scale for one of the title fighters, just one championship bout sits atop the event. In the headliner, middleweight champion Robert Whittaker returns to action for the first time in nearly a year. His opponent is one of the most dangerous fighters in the division and a man he defeated by unanimous decision in July 2017, Yoel Romero. But Romero missed weight, meaning the fight will be a non-title bout and Whittaker’s belt won’t be on the line.
In the co-main event, former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos looks to become a two-division titleholder when he meets Colby Covington in a bout for the interim welterweight championship.
There are also a few fights that could determine the next title challenger in their respective divisions. Chief among those matchups is the women’s featherweight bout between ex-bantamweight champion Holly Holm and ex-Invicta FC featherweight champion Megan Anderson.
UFC 225 takes place at United Center in Chicago, and the main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Here are 10 reasons to watch the event.
1. An anticipated rematch
Many of the breakdowns of the main event focus on a few things. When it comes to Whittaker (19-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who is the No. 2 ranked fighter in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings, the spotlight is on his striking, speed, footwork, and ability to adjust during his fights. For Romero (13-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), who is ranked No. 3 in the division, that focus is on his power and suspect gas tank.
The first time these two fought, Whittaker battled through a leg injury to earn the unanimous-decision win. He also fought smart, never giving Romero the opportunity to add to his impressive list of highlight reel stoppages. It would be a shock if Whittaker changed any part of his game plan for the rematch.
As for Romero, he has vowed that the result of the rematch will be different.
“I made a mistake, and this time we worked on the mistake I made in the last fight with (Whittaker),” Romero told MMAjunkie. “On Saturday, we’ll make it better. I had a moment in the fight I could’ve finished him, and I didn’t. This time, I’ll finish him.”
2. A chance to make history
Dos Anjos looks to join the small group of UFC fighters who can call themselves two-division champions when he meets Covington (13-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in Chicago. To achieve that goal, the ex-lightweight kingpin has to overcome deficiencies in height and reach. More importantly, dos Anjos (28-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) has to show he is not the same fighter he was four years ago when Khabib Nurmagomedov took him down six times en route to defeating dos Anjos via unanimous decision.
Covington, who is the No. 3 ranked fighter in the welterweight division, has used his high-level wrestling to steadily climb the rankings over the past two years and five fights. Covington is unbeaten in his five most recent bouts and has accumulated 31 takedowns in those contests.
Since he moved up to welterweight in 2017, dos Anjos has stormed through the division, racking up three wins in three fights. Dos Anjos is currently the No. 4 ranked fighter at 170 pounds.
Another thing to keep an eye on is the aftermath of this bout.
Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley recently told MMAjunkie Radio that he wants to fight Georges St-Pierre, Nate Diaz or Conor McGregor in August at UFC 227. If the winner of this fight wants to fit into that timeline, he’ll face a very short turnaround.