Action-packed weekend ahead with EFC 83 & UFC 245

MMA fight fans will be in for a thrilling weekend of Mixed Martial Arts action as SuperSport features both EFC 83 from Time Square in Menlyn, Pretoria on Saturday, 14 December 2019 and UFC 245 from the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, United States on Sunday, 15 December 2019.

The headline bout for EFC 83 is a battle for the middleweight title between Dricus du Plessis (13-2-0) and Brendan Lesar (3-0-0), with the former having returned from Europe to battle the man who felled the legendary Garreth McLellan earlier this year.

EFC 83 will also feature a bout for the women’s flyweight title between Amanda Lino (4-1-0) and Manon Fiorot (1-1-0), with the latter emerging victorious in the second season of ‘The Fighter’ to earn her shot at the prized belt held by ‘Mad Dog’.

Attention then switches to UFC 245, which features no less than three championship fights. The main event is for the UFC Welterweight Championship and sees Kamaru Usman (15-1-0) battle Colby Covington (15-1-0) in a grudge match for the ages – it is no exaggeration to say that these fighters absolutely loathe one another, and MMA fans can expect some explosive action in the Octagon.

Covington has spent much of the build-up to the match reflecting on his tense relationship with UFC president Dana White: “He’s always making up lies about me in the media, making these false and fake narratives. I’m not afraid to call a spade a spade,” Covington said. “Whether I’m brutally honest or not, people should recognise how real I am and people should know I always speak the truth when I talk in interviews.”

Fans will also be treated to the co-main event of the night, which sees Max Holloway (21-4-0) take on Alexander Volkanovski (20-1-0) in defence of the FC Featherweight Championship, while the UFC Women Bantamweight Championship will also be on the line when Amanda Nunes (18-4-0) faces challenger Germaine de Randamie (9-3-0).

Holloway is hoping that a victory over Volkanovski will bring around a rematch with Conor McGregor, with the Irishman famously claiming victory when the pair met over six years ago. “If ‘Mystic Mac’ arrives, if he wants to be what he was a couple years ago when he was the best mixed martial artist in the world and he wants to do it again, I’m sure we’re going to run into each other or something like that,” explained Holloway.

Viewers will also be able to see the following fights on the main card: Marlon Moraes (22-6-1) v Jose Aldo (28-5-0) and Petr Yan (13-1-0) v Urijah Faber (35-10-0), both in the bantamweight division.

EFC 83 – MAIN CARD

Main event: Middleweight Title: Dricus Du Plessis (13-2-0) v Brendan Lesar (3-0-0)
Co-main event: Women’s Flyweight Title: Amanda Lino (4-1-0) v Manon Fiorot (1-1-0)
Lightweight: Anicet Kanyeba (11-9-0) v Saxon Delafield (6-3-1)
Bantamweight: Marino Cutendana (6-3-0) v Devon Cronje (4-1-0)
Bantamweight: Asiashu Tshitamba (4-1-0) v Sylvester Chipfumbu (5-3-0)

UFC 245 – MAIN CARD

Main event: UFC Welterweight Championship: Kamaru Usman (15-1-0) v Colby Covington (15-1-0)
Co-main event: UFC Featherweight Championship: Max Holloway (21-4-0) v Alexander Volkanovski (20-1-0)
UFC Women Bantamweight Championship: Amanda Nunes (18-4-0) v Germaine de Randamie (9-3-0)
Bantamweight: Marlon Moraes (22-6-1) v Jose Aldo (28-5-0)
Bantamweight: Petr Yan (13-1-0) v Urijah Faber (35-10-0)