UFC 285 is upon us, and from top-to-bottom, is one of the best cards in a while.
The card will be headlined by two title fights, as former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will look to become a two-weight king when he faces top contender and former title challenger Ciryl Gane. Just before that, Valentina Shevchenko will look to defend her flyweight belt against Mexican challenger Alexa Grasso.
The main card is rounded out with 16-0 welterweight phenom Shavkat Rakhmonov fighting Geoff Neal, Mateusz Gamrot trying to halt the surging Jalin Turner, and wrestling standout Bo Nickal making his UFC debut opposite Jamie Pickett.
While the UFC 285 main card is stacked, the prelims offer plenty of action and crucial fights. While the whole card is worth watching, here are five of the best prelims on the card:
Cody Garbrandt vs. Trevin Jones
Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt will look to get back into the win column against Trevin Jones, who also desperately needs a win. Garbrandt will look to rekindle the form that won him a title when he outstruck Dominick Cruz in late 2016, as he has gone 1-5 since. It marks “No Love’s” first fight since December 2021, when he lost to Kai Kara-France.
Jones has lost three straight in the UFC, and he may need a win over a former champion to save his job with the promotion – no small feat. The fight should be fun, feature a lot of striking, and definitely has a lot at stake. It’s the perfect way to finish the prelims.
Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis
South African standout Dricus Du Plessis will face a stiff wrestling test when he meets Derek Brunson. Brunson will likely look to take Du Plessis, a dangerous striker, to the mat. Whether Du Plessis can avoid being taken down to the ground or get up without taking too much damage is a big question on everyone’s mind after his war with Darren Till.
For Brunson, a win over Du Plessis would reaffirm him as a big name at middleweight and could get him a win or two away from a title shot. Brunson was riding a five-fight winning streak over the likes of Till and Kevin Holland before a TKO loss to Jared Cannonier.
Ian Machado Garry vs. Kenan Song
Ian Machado Garry is one of the most talked about prospects in the UFC currently. The Irish welterweight has gone 3-0 in the promotion with wins over Jordan Williams, Darian Weeks, and Gabe Green. Machado Garry draws his most experienced UFC foe yet in Kenan Song.
Song is 4-2 in the UFC and is coming off a loss to Max Griffin. Machado Garry enters the fight as a heavy -560 favorite, but it will be interesting to see how he handles Song’s experience.
Viviane Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas
No. 8-ranked flyweight Viviane Araujo will look to defend her spot in the top-10 against fan-favorite Amanda Ribas, who is looking to re-enter the rankings herself.
Araujo lost a hard-fought match against title challenger Alexa Grasso in a five-round main event her last time out, and she’ll look to get back into the win column at Ribas’s expense. Araujo has wins over Andrea Lee, Roxanne Modafferi and Montana De La Rosa.
Ribas hasn’t fought since a closely-contested split decision loss to Katlyn Chookagian in May. Ribas has strawweight wins over Mackenzie Dern, Virna Jandiroba, and Randa Markos, as well as a flyweight win over Paige VanZant. Ribas will look to secure arguably the biggest win of her career, and if she does, she may find herself as a top-10 flyweight.
Cameron Saaiman vs. Mana Martinez
The undefeated Cameron Saaiman and power puncher Mana Martinez will each look to secure a big win at bantamweight. This may be one of the most overlooked fights on the whole card in what should be a thriller between two prospects.
Saaiman made good on his UFC debut when he TKO’d Steven Koslow in December. The Contender Series alumnus will look to go 2-0 when he fights “Manaboi.”
Martinez is 2-1 in the UFC with wins over Guido Cannetti and Brandon Davis, both split decisions. He lost a hard-fought unanimous decision to Ronnie Lawrence in an absolute barnburner.
This fight looks to be a lot of fun, so buckle up and enjoy.
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