The challengers of the main and co-main events are preparing to make history in a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity.
Both Islam Makhachev and Zhang Weili are competing to become two-division champions, a feat achieved by only 10 fighters in the UFC.
These two fighters have demonstrated nothing but dominance in their previous weight class and are stepping up to take on a new challenge.
But can they claim even more rare milestones to make themselves one of the greatest in MMA history?
Dagestan’s control and triumph at 155lbs
Makhachev has looked nothing but unstoppable, adding more names to his conquered list.
The former lightweight champion vacated his title after earning the most title wins in UFC history in that division with a total of five.
While Jack Della Maddalena is a tough opponent at welterweight, the 34-year-old has taken out big names at 155lbs.
This includes: Alexander Volkanovski twice, Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Dan Hooker, Arman Tsarukyan and Renato Moicano.
While he has suffered only one defeat in his professional career, Makhachev has been on an illustrious run of 15 victories.
The Russian is currently tied second with former 170lbs champion, Kamaru Usman, for the biggest win streak in UFC history.
One more triumph will equal the record of 16, currently held by Anderson Silva.
His coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov, may have been undefeated throughout his career, but didn’t pull off as many wins as Makhachev.
If the Makhachkala-born mixed martial artist becomes a two-division champion, he will not become the first to do so in two specific weight classes.
BJ Penn earned the double champ status in January 2008, winning the lightweight and welterweight titles (not simultaneously).
While Penn never defended the 170lbs belt, if Makhachev defeats Della Maddalena, he could be the first after already defending his lightweight championship four times.
Fans argue that Makhachev could be one of the greatest of all time, if he is successful and wins convincingly in Madison Square Garden.
China’s Superstar looking for the G.O.A.T status
While Weili has only been in the UFC since August 2018, she has acted like a world-class veteran.
Over her two title reigns at strawweight, ‘Magnum’ has earned the same number of title wins as Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Despite only having two losses in the UFC, they have both come against Rose Namajunas, one by first-round knockout and another from a controversial split decision.
No one else has been able to defeat Weili, as she has consistently produced dominance since her second championship reign.
The 36-year-old has won and defended her title against the toughest opponents in the 115lbs division.
These include: Jedrzejczyk twice, Jessica Andrade, Carla Esparza, Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan and Tatiana Suarez.
The Handan-born fighter had only gone the distance once before entering the UFC, stopping 15 of her 16 conquered opponents.
Weili’s only other professional loss came on her MMA debut, where she lost by unanimous decision to Meng Bo in November 2013.
The Chinese mixed martial artist has the opportunity to become the second female fighter to hold two divisional championships.
Only Amanda Nunes has unlocked this achievement after winning the women’s bantamweight and featherweight titles.
Jedrzejczyk and Andrade have had the same opportunity as Weili, but failed to capture the flyweight belt from Valentina Shevchenko.
If Weili can defeat Shevchenko and become the women’s 125lbs champion, it will be the greatest win of her career and could put her a couple of wins away from cementing the G.O.A.T status in women’s MMA.