Amanda Nunes vs Megan Anderson at UFC 259: Kick-off Time, Match Preview, Where to Stream, Odds

Anderson is set for her first UFC title shot as she faces the greatest female fighter of all-time in Amanda Nunes on this Saturday.

Kick-off time

Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson at UFC 259 on March 6th

Match Preview

The only active double champion, Amanda Nunes (20-4) heads to the APEX for her seventh UFC title defence and third defence of the featherweight crown. She arguably holds the most impressive streak ever in MMA taking the scalps of all the best female fighters that have ever lived. She is on an eleven-fight streak and is not slowing down. After moving up a division and knocking out the most feared female fighter at the time, Cris Cyborg to win the featherweight title, she went on to obliterate Holly Holm and earn a unanimous decision over Germaine de Randamie at bantamweight and then hopped back up to earn another unanimous decision over Felicia Spencer back in June.

Megan Anderson (11-4) is next in line and is the last contender of any merit standing in the hollow featherweight division. She is the former Invicta champion and has a record of 3-2 in the UFC with losses to Holly Holm and Felicia Spencer, but she is coming off two dominant wins showing the form that impressed before the UFC. She made quick work of Zarah Fairn Dos Santos wrapping her up in a triangle and is coming of a beautiful knockout over Norma Dumont a year ago.

Anderson confident to knock out Nunes

Megan Anderson confident she will knockout Amanda Nunes at UFC 259

Anderson is set for her first UFC title shot as she faces the greatest female fighter of all-time in Amanda Nunes. The Brazilian champ-champ is a massive favorite and many expect her to steamroll through Anderson. However, the Aussie is confident she has the power to KO Nunes and shock the world.

“My job is to turn up, show up, knockout, win. That is all I can focus on,” Anderson said at the UFC 259 pre-fight press conference. “If I focus on anything else, I take away from my sole priority and that is winning.”

Megan Anderson does have the power to get the KO win and she also has a reach advantage which should allow her to have moments on the feet. However, if she is going to win, she will need to stuff the takedowns of Nunes as in her career, grappling has been a problem for her.

Yet, for Anderson, she is confident she will get her hand raised as she believes Nunes hasn’t fought anyone like her before.

“I feel like I’m the first true featherweight she has fought that brings a lot of power,” Anderson added. “I know Felicia is a featherweight but styles make fights, I have a lot of power that I bring to the table that I don’t think she has seen in a very long time.”

Megan Anderson enters this fight riding a two-fight winning streak with both wins coming in the first round. She hasn’t fought since February 29, 2020, when she scored a first-round KO win over Norma Dumont after submitting Zarah Fairn dos Santos in the first round at UFC 243. Her other win in the UFC was a first-round TKO win over Cat Zingano but it did come with some controversy. However, she can silence all those doubters if she can beat Amanda Nunes on Saturday.

Achievements

“Lioness” Nunes has won 11-straight matches including her most recent victory at UFC 250 in June, defeating Felicia Spencer by unanimous decision. The Brazilian mixed martial artist lands 4.43 strikes per minute with a striking accuracy of 51 percent, DKNation reported.

Amanda Nunes. Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC

Nunes absorbs 2.65 strikes per minute and defends against them at 57 percent. She is also a tremendous grappler with a 2.61 takedown average per 15 minutes and accuracy of 55 percent. The veteran fighter’s takedown defense is at an outstanding 84 percent, while her submission average per 15 minutes is 0.73.

Anderson enters the APEX with a professional fighting record of 11-4 and wins in three out of her last four bouts. The Aussie last fought at UFC Fight Night 169 in February 2019, where she beat Norma Dumont by knockout in the first round. Out of her 11 pro wins, six have come via KO/TKO.

She has racked up 1.81 strikes landed per minute, with a 43-percent striking accuracy. But unlike Nunes, she absorbs more strikes at 3.12 per minute but defends them at 35 percent.

Odds

The only way Nunes can lose this is if she is not fully prepared. She has been in eight UFC title fights and beaten the best female fighters of all time and now has another title defence against somebody who hardly anyone expects to win but is pumped up for the biggest moment of her career and will put absolutely everything she has into this opportunity, the statszone reported.

Anderson is also a natural 145er and finishes her fights. It could take one mistake for Nunes to get clipped and end up with Anderson hooked in on her back. If she is as motivated as her previous title fights, she will not make a mistake, but this is a strange time at the moment and anything can happen. She is a new mother now with Nina Ansaroff which could motivate her more or cause a distraction in training camp. Who knows but she is so good that this is her fight to lose.

Money line odds

Amanda Nunes: -1250

Megan Anderson: +750

Pick

Amanda Nunes via decision (+450) -- For William Hill bettors, there's currently a boost to the Nunes via decision line that pushes it to +525 and makes it much more appealing to squeeze extra value. Nunes is absolutely a finisher, having 13 knockouts and three submissions in her career, according to CBSSports.

She is, however, on a stretch of two decisions in a row and facing a big featherweight in Anderson, who stands 6-feet tall. Spencer likely won't be able to consistently use that reach to score an upset, or even keep Nunes from closing distance continually, but it does allow Anderson to present issues that few other fighters can. A Nunes finish is not out of the question, and is even likely, as reflected in the odds. But Nunes via decision seems like a result that is more likely than the 18% implied odds of +450 -- or the 16% implied by the boosted line at William Hill. Finding those edges is where you make money over the long haul.

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