https://youtu.be/UFi_2Zb7g00
The UFC has not touched down in Toronto since late 2013, when Jon Jones defended the light heavyweight title against Alexander Gustafsson in one of the greatest championship fights ever. This Saturday, the organization will finally return to the Canadian metropolis with UFC 206.
Originally, UFC 206 was supposed to be headlined by another light heavyweight title fight, as champ Daniel Cormier was poised to take on challenger Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. When Cormier withdrew from the bout with an injury, however, the UFC was forced to scramble in the creation of a new main event – and scramble they did.
First, they stripped Conor McGregor of the UFC featherweight title, and promoted interim featherweight champion Jose Aldo to undisputed titleholder. Then, they announced that Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis, who were originally supposed to fight in the co-main event, had been promoted to the main event spot, where they will fight for interim featherweight gold, and the opportunity to fight Aldo to unify the titles.
This, of course, is not the main event the fans in Toronto were expecting – far from it. That said, it is an interesting one, and one that seems like it should produce a high dose of excitement.
As this Saturday night showdown draws ever closer, the UFC has released the latest instalment of their Countdown series for it. This 22-minute video, which can be viewed above, follows Holloway and Pettis as they make their final preparations for battle.
In addition to this Holloway vs. Pettis interim featherweight title fight, UFC 206 will feature a number of other compelling bouts. The co-main event will see fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone attempt to improve to 4-0 as a welterweight against the ever-entertaining Matt Brown. The rest of the main card, meanwhile, is highlighted by a featherweight bout between Cub Swanson and Doo Ho Choi, a middleweight bout between Tim Kennedy and Kelvin Gastelum, and a light heavyweight bout between Misha Cirkunov and Nikita Krylov.
Who do you think comes out on top in the UFC 206 main event? Sound off, PENN Nation!