Germaine “The Iron Lady” de Randamie faces off against Aspen Ladd in this highly anticipated main event, women’s bantamweight bout. De Randamie enters the fold on a 4-fight win streak, having only lost once in her last 7 outings. She will hope a win here will earn her a shot at the UFC® bantamweight title and a chance to avenge the defeat against reigning champion, Amanda Nunes, in 2013. “The Iron Lady” is sturdy on her feet and has outstanding resilience, making her a challenging opponent for Ladd. However, Ladd currently holds an undefeated record 8-0 record and is viewed as a promising athlete with her impressive fight style and power technical skills. Whilst Ladd’s unbeaten record will perhaps see her listed as the slight favourite, there should be little to separate the pair come Saturday night.
The Return
The co-main event sees Urijah Faber make his return to the Octagon® in the same venue he originally announced his retirement from the sport. Faber’s bantamweight bout against Ricky Simon will be his first since he obtained a win over Brad Pickett by a unanimous decision in 2016. Simon, however, is currently ranked as the No.15 UFC® bantamweight and is undefeated (15-1) Whilst “The California Kid” will be hoping for a momentous return in his home state, Simon will undoubtedly expect to continue his steady rise through the bantamweight division. There will be great suspense when these athletes make their walk towards the Octagon with determination to conquer and an unyielding skill set.
European Excitement
This Saturday will also feature European-born athletes on the event’s main card. Bosnia and Herzegovina native Mirsad Bektic ranked no.12 featherweight (13-1) will face no. 10 ranked Josh Emmett (14-2) in a pivotal matchup between two athletes that will thrill the crowd with their array of skills. Likewise, Marvin “The Italian Dream” Vettori (12-4-1), from Trento, Italy will face Brazilian Cezar Ferreira (14-7) in a middleweight bout that is sure to be entertaining.
Tune in to watch all the action live as it unfolds this weekend.