How to watch UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya streaming info, fight card, start time, odds

By MMA Junkie Staff |

March 3, 2021 7:00 am

The UFC is back on pay-per-view Saturday with UFC 259 and three title fights atop the bill.

Here’s how to watch the full card headlined by the Israel Adesanya vs. Jan Blachowicz light heavyweight title bout from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

UFC 259 broadcast

UFC 259 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

The early prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Four more prelims air on ESPN at 8 p.m. And the five-fight main card streams on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET.

UFC 259 fight card

The full UFC 259 fight card is available below. You can also join us for live on-site round-by-round coverage on the MMA Junkie homepage Saturday.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

Champ Jan Blachowicz vs. Israel Adesanya – for light heavyweight title
Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson – for women’s featherweight title
Champ Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling – for bantamweight title
Drew Dober vs. Islam Makhachev
Aleksandar Rakic vs. Thiago Santos

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

Dominick Cruz vs. Casey Kenney
Kyler Phillips vs. Song Yadong
Askar Askarov vs. Joseph Benavidez
Amanda Lemos vs. Livinha Souza

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

Tim Elliott vs. Jordan Espinosa
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Carlos Ulberg
Sean Brady vs. Jake Matthews
Rogerio Bontorin vs. Kai Kara-France
Aalon Cruz vs. Uros Medic


Mario Bautista vs. Trevin Jones

Main event: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya

Three years removed from his UFC debut, Adesanya, the reigning middleweight champion, is looking to become the eighth two-division champion in promotion history and just fifth to hold two titles simultaneously. To do so, he’ll have to defeat light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz, who’s on a four-fight winning streak, making his first title defense.

Co-main event: Nunes vs. Anderson

Amanda Nunes aims to continue cementing her legacy as the women’s MMA greatest of all time against Megan Anderson. Nunes, who also holds the UFC bantamweight title, is looking for her second consecutive defense of the featherweight title against Anderson, a former Invicta FC champ riding a two-fight winning streak. Nunes enters with an 11-fight winning streak; she hasn’t lost since Sept. 27, 2014 to Cat Zingano.

Featured bout: Yan vs. Sterling

Aljamain Sterling is getting his first UFC bantamweight title opportunity against Petr Yan, who is making his first title defense after beating Jose Aldo for the vacant crown last July. Sterling enters the fight on a five-fight winning streak, most recently submitting top contender Cory Sandhagen last June. Yan, meanwhile, is on a 10-fighting overall winning streak that includes seven in the UFC. His lone defeat came in 2016

UFC 259 betting odds

The betting odds for the main card at BetMGM feature one defending champion as a moderate underdog, another as a massive favorite, and another as a slight favorite:

Jan Blachowicz (+210) vs. Israel Adesanya (-250)
Amanda Nunes (-1100) vs. Megan Anderson (+700)
Petr Yan (-130) vs. Aljamain Sterling (+110)
Drew Dober (+280) vs. Islam Makhachev (-350)
Aleksandar Rakic (-165) vs. Thiago Santos (+140)