UFC 213: Championship stakes, outlined

This July the UFC showcases two title fights of significance. A year into the sale of the UFC to WME-IMG, the new ownership looks to promote their first International Fight Week with a show designed to elevate new stars in the company. UFC 213 stands as a major step towards establishing those new stars and reestablishing old ones.

On July 8, 2017 the UFC returns to PPV with UFC 213: Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2. At the center of this event is Amanda Nunes, the 29 year old Women’s Bantamweight Champion. With three major PPV main events and three consecutive title fights, Nunes is well on her way to being a significant part of the UFC’s current superstar based strategy. After falling into the spotlight main event of UFC 200 and dominating Ronda Rousey at UFC 207, Nunes has shown that she can handle the pressures of a main event fight.

The challenger for the Women’s Bantamweight title, Valentina Shevchenko, has met Amanda Nunes in the octagon before. Her decision loss to Nunes at UFC 196 was a setback that ended a 5 fight winning streak, but after being in the main event of two UFC on Fox shows and picking up two wins, a unanimous decision against Holly Holm and a submission victory over Julianna Peña, Shevchenko finds herself back in the title picture against her former foe.

As Michael Bisping manages an injury before his next fight, two high profile Middleweights, Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker, are set to face off for the Interim Middleweight Championship. Romero’s rise to the top of the division has featured controversial wins, strange post fight interviews and most importantly, dominant knockouts, and the 40 year old Cuban Olympian sits on an 8 fight win streak with no losses in the UFC. After a long and impressive career, Romero looks to add a UFC championship, to his resume.

Robert Whittaker, consistent performances in the Middleweight division have made the 26 year old a top contender in the division, and he cemented his position with a dominant win over top contender Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza in April 2017. Whittaker faces a large task in his matchup with the dangerous Romero, but if his 7 fight win streak and his performance of the night bonus winning performance against the equally dangerous Souza is any indication, Whittaker vs. Romero should make for a competitive contest.

The UFC has placed their bets on 4 rising stars to headline one of their biggest annual shows. After an ad campaign many, including the champ, criticized as being one sided towards Ronda Rousey while all but ignoring the defending Amanda Nunes, the UFC hopes to rectify their mistake and build up Nunes as a star in her own right. Meanwhile, perhaps one of the few justified Interim title matches is set to take place between Romero and Whittaker, two rising stars the UFC could certainly make use of in a very star driven market.