Height? Reach? Who cares? Let’s break down UFC 240 based purely on the best backstories from the main card.
Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar
Holloway: Holloway says he was raised by his grandmother, who had a rule that he could get only one pair of shoes per year until he outgrew them. Today the featherweight champ is one of UFC’s biggest sneakerheads-just check out his Twitter feed to see his collection of customs, which includes PG 2s, Jordan 11s and Air Vapormaxes.
Edgar: The gritty ex-plumber and former lightweight champ was born and raised in New Jersey, where he still trains and lives. In fact, Edgar met his wife, Renee, back when they were kindergartners. So what did Edgar and his wife use as an image on their wedding invitations? What else-their kindergarten class picture!
Cris Cyborg vs. Felicia Spencer
Cyborg: Cyborg already has her next opponent lined up: She recently partnered with a charity that provides drinking water to impoverished communities in Uganda and the Congo. “We’re going to be in another fight together,” she told her fans.
Spencer: Spencer has been a teacher her entire life. The undefeated Canadian grew up creating worksheets to help her French-speaking grandfather learn English, and now she works as an algebra teacher when she’s not fighting.
Krzysztof Jotko vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
Jotko: If you’re not already rooting for Jotko to come back from some very bad recent injury luck (two broken hands, a serious knee infection), then perhaps you’ll be swayed by the fact that he celebrates after fights by hosting break-dance competitions!
Barriault: How did Barriault end up with the nickname Power Bar? “They used to call me Bar when I was in high school,” he says, “and after my first fight, they saw my style was with a lot of power, so one of my friends just called me Power Bar.” Cool!
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Arman Tsarukyan
Aubin-Mercier: Before UFC Saskatoon, Aubin-Mercier gave his opponent cookies, and before UFC 186 he offered cupcakes to his opponent and Dana White. So yes, the Canadian Gangster is currently the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound baked-gooder.
Tsarukyan: Tsarukyan once won a Russian sambo tournament as Vladimir Putin watched, and the two posed for a photo afterward. Later, Tsarukyan was stopped at a security checkpoint, showed the officer his photo with Putin … and was waved through.
* Check out UFC 240: Holloway vs. Edgar on July 27-prelims start at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the main card on PPV at 10.
Credit: Source link