Meanwhile, Page is on the hunt to pick up that first crack at UFC gold. The Brit has gone 2-1 inside the Octagon, defeating Kevin Holland and Shara Magomedov, but falling to Ian Machado Garry last June. Page is still searching for that first finish inside the Octagon, but we got to see more his speed and movement last time out when he handed Magomedov the first loss of his career. A win over Cannonier will likely put Page into the mix of the top 15, and one step closer to a chance at gold.
Three fights later in Chicago, the middleweight strap will be on the line for a fight everyone has been talking about at 185 pounds. “Stillknocks” enters his second fight of the year after defeating Sean Strickland for a second time earlier this year in Sydney. His fight against Chimaev marks his third title defense, and it’s one that many fans are anxiously awaiting to see how it plays out.
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Since entering the UFC, Du Plessis has been a force to be reckoned with, taking out veterans such as Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya. With only two losses on his resume, the South African comes into this title fight on an 11-fight win streak. But will he be the man to take Chimaev’s undefeated record? “Borz” has also been a man that has impressed since the moment he stepped onto the scene back in 2020. After an extremely active debut year in 2020, things have been a bit rough for Chimaev, who has dealt with health issues that forced him to withdraw from fights. After a year away, Chimaev returned to competition last October, and did so in a big way, submitting Whittaker with a nasty face crank in round one. All eyes will be on this matchup in what is sure to be a thrilling end to UFC’s return to Chicago.
