MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle takes you through the key UFC 248 storylines, including two title fights atop the bill.
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A pair of newly crowned champions will make their first title defenses Saturday night at UFC 248 against challengers who are no strangers to main-event spotlights.
There will be an international flavor in Las Vegas as New Zealand’s [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] puts his UFC middleweight title up for grabs against Cuban native [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] in the main event, and China’s [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] makes her first defense of the strawweight title against former titleholder [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] of Poland.
Beyond that, there’s the usual potpourri of interesting items that you’ll find up and down a card of this magnitude.
UFC 248 takes place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Without further ado, then, here are six burning questions heading into UFC 248.
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Can Israel Adesanya finish Yoel Romero?
Israel Adesanya finishes Robert Whittaker at UFC 243. (USA TODAY Sports)
Yes, it’s true, granting Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) a title fight was questionable. He’s coming off two straight losses and three in his past four fights, and that’s supposed to merit if there are merit-based title shots.
Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), however, was the one who requested this fight after it became apparent the next in line, Paulo Costa, would be on the shelf with a bicep injury.
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And that leads us to why this is still very much an intriguing fight despite the rankings optics: All three of those Romero losses were decisions. In all three, you could make a case for a Romero victory. And never once in his 17-fight career has Romero been stopped.
Adesanya doesn’t just want to defeat Romero. He wants to be the first to finish him. That’s a bold and brash goal – and exactly the sort of thing which would help elevate Adesanya, who gets closer and closer to becoming the next MMA megastar with each fight.
The best facts and figures about UFC 248, which features a Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero middleweight title main event.
The UFC returns to Las Vegas on Saturday with another major event in UFC 248, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC-Fight Pass.
A championship doubleheader sits atop the card. In the main event, undefeated titleholder [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) seeks the first defense of his belt when he takes on [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC). The co-headliner, meanwhile, will see [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) attempt to defend her belt for the first time, as well, when she takes on former champ [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC).
For more on the numbers bheind the two title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 55 pre-event facts about UFC 248.
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Main event
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Adesanya is one of 13 fighters in UFC history to win an undisputed title with an undefeated record.
Adesanya is one of 11 undisputed middleweight champions in UFC history.
Adesanya’s 18-fight winning streak is third longest among active UFC fighters behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (28) and Zhang (20).
Adesanya’s 18-fight winning streak is the longest among active UFC middleweights.
Adesanya’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Adesanya’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Anderson Silva (13) and Nate Marquardt (12).
Adesanya’s four knockdowns landed against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 are the single-fight record for a UFC title bout.
Adesanya defends 66.7 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Chael Sonnen (67.7 percent) and Marvin Vettori (67 percent).
Adesanya defends 85.7 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Krzysztof Jotko (86 percent).
Adesanya’s six fight-night bonuses for UFC middleweight bouts are tied for third most in company history behind Anderson Silva (11) and Robert Whittaker (seven).
Yoel Romero
Romero is the second fighter in history to fight for a title following consecutive non-title UFC losses. Tank Abbott also accomplished the feat.
Romero enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He’s 1-3 in his past four fights dating back to July 2017.
Romero’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Silva (13) and Marquardt (12).
Romero’s seven knockout victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Silva (eight) and Thiago Santos (eight).
Romero’s six third-round stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied with Max Holloway and Randy Couture for most in company history. Romero leads the category in knockouts.
Romero is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn back-to-back victories by third-round knockout. He’s accomplished the feat twice in his career.
Romero is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn two knockout victories stemming from a flying knee. Diego Sanchez also accomplished the feat.
Romero is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout victory stemming from elbow strikes to the body. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 35.
Romero and Robert Whittaker combined for 239 significant strikes landed, the single-fight record for a five-fight UFC middleweight fight.
Co-main event
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Weili is the only UFC champion born in China.
Weili enters the event on a 20-fight winning streak. She hasn’t suffered a defeat since her MMA debut in November 2013.
Weili’s 20-fight winning streak is the longest among female fighters on the UFC roster.
Weili’s 20-fight winning streak is the second longest among all fighters on the UFC roster behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (28).
Weili’s four-fight UFC winning streak in strawweight competition is the third longest active streak in the division behind Tatiana Suarez (five) and Yan Xiaonan (five).
Weili’s 42-second victory at UFC on ESPN+ 15 is the second fastest finish in UFC strawweight history behind Poliana Botelho’s 33-second win at UFC 236.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Jedrzejczyk became the first Polish-born champion in UFC history when she defeated Carla Esparza at UFC 185.
Jedrzejczyk is one of 13 fighters in UFC history to win a belt with an undefeated record.
Jedrzejczyk’s six victories in UFC title fights are tied with Ronda Rousey for second most of any female in company history behind Amanda Nunes (seven).
Jedrzejczyk’s 10 victories in UFC competition are third most of any female in company history behind Nunes (12) and Jessica Andrade (11).
Jedrzejczyk competes in her 14th UFC bout, the second most appearances by any female in company history behind Jessica Andrade (15).
Jedrzejczyk’s 10 victories in UFC strawweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Jedrzejczyk has earned 11 of her 16 career victories by decision. That includes seven of her 10 UFC wins.
Jedrzejczyk has out-landed her opponents 1,441-628 in significant strikes over her past 11 UFC appearances.
Jedrzejczyk is one of two fighters UFC history to land 100 or more significant strikes in seven separate fights. Holloway also accomplished the feat.
Jedrzejczyk’s 225 significant strikes landed against Andrade at UFC 211 are second most for a UFC title-fight record. Holloway holds the record with 290 landed at UFC 231.
Jedrzejczyk’s 76 leg kicks landed against Michelle Waterson at UFC on ESPN+ 19 are the single-fight UFC record.
Remaining main card
Drakkar Klose
[autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (11-1-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has earned all five of his UFC victories by decision.
Klose’s average fight time of 15:00 in UFC lightweight competition is the longest among active fighters in the weight class.
[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Nov. 17, 2018. The 476-day layoff is the longest of his nearly 10-year career.
Magny becomes the seventh fighter to make 21 or more UFC welterweight appearances.
Magny’s 14 victories since 2013 in UFC competition are second most among active fighters in the company behind Donald Cerrone (17).
Magny is the only fighter in modern UFC history to make five or more octagon appearances in consecutive years. He went 4-1 in 2015 after going 5-0 in 2014.
Magny’s five UFC victories in 2014 tied Roger Huerta’s record for most octagon wins in a calendar year. Huerta accomplished the feat in 2007.
Magny’s 100 significant ground strikes landed against Hector Lombard at UFC Fight Night 85 stand as the single-fight UFC record.
Magny’s 142 total strikes landed in the second round of his victory against Lombard stand as the third most in a single UFC round.
Li Jingliang
[autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) is 7-1 in his past eight UFC appearances dating back to July 2016.
Jingliang has earned all six of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.
Jingliang’s six knockout victories since 2014 in UFC welterweight competition are tied with Vicente Luque for most in the division.
[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag]’s (19-8-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2018.
Oliveira is 7-5 (with one no contest) in UFC welterweight competition.
Oliveira vs. Yancy Medeiros at UFC 218 is the only fight in UFC history to feature two knockdowns for each fighter.
Preliminary card
Sean O’Malley
[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since March 3, 2018. The 735-day layoff is the longest of his more than five-year career.
O’Malley has earned both of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Saparbek Safarov[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) drops to the UFC middleweight division after spending his previous promotional appearances at light heavyweight.
[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has earned 27 of his 29 career victories by stoppage. That includes all five of his UFC wins.
Meerschaert is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 102.
[autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) landed 169 significant strikes at UFC on ESPN+ 12, the single-fight record for a UFC middleweight bout.
[autotag]Emily Whitmire[/autotag]’s (4-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) 61-second victory at UFC on ESPN 1 is the fastest submission in UFC strawweight history.
[autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag]’s (10-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 248 event in Las Vegas, featuring Adesanya-Romero and Weili-Jedrzejczyk title fights.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 248 event in Las Vegas.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC 248 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC 248 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Make your picks for all five main card fights inside:
The lineup has been set for what promises to be an explosive night of action in Las Vegas.
UFC 248 will feature a championship doubleheader showcasing four elite competitors from all over the world.
Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya of New Zealand will put his title on the line against Yoel Romero, from South Florida by way of Cuba, in the main event.
The melting pot that is UFC 248 takes place March 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Both Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Zhang (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will look to remain undefeated in the UFC.
The finalized UFC 248 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero – for middleweight title
Champ Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk – for strawweight title
[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag]
[autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]
[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag]
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
[autotag]Shane O’Malley[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jose Quinonez[/autotag]
[autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag]
[autotag]Saparbek Safarov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag]
[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag]
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET)
[autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Emily Whitmire[/autotag]
[autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag]
[autotag]Danaa Batgerel[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Guido Cannetti[/autotag]
A rescheduled lightweight matchup between Beneil Dariush and Drakkar Klose is the latest addition to UFC 248.
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A rescheduled lightweight matchup is the latest addition to UFC 248, with [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) set to take on [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (11-1-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at the event.
MMA Junkie today verified the booking with a person with knowledge of the agreement following an initial report from Combate. The person requested anonymity because an official announcement has not yet been made.
UFC 248 takes place March 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected for ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Dariush and Klose were scheduled to face off at UFC on ESPN+ 13 in July, but an injury forced Dariush out just a week before the fight, and the contest was scrapped from the card entirely.
Dariush would make his return to the octagon in October, picking up a first-round submission win over Frank Camacho, earning his second straight “Performance of the Night” bonus, and his third straight win overall.
Klose has also won his last three in a row, defeating the likes of Lando Vannata, Bobby Green and, most recently, Christos Giagos at UFC 241, as he looks to edge closer to the 155-pound rankings with a win over Dariush.
With the addition, the UFC 248 lineup includes:
Champ Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk – for women’s strawweight title
