UFC 224 Nunes vs. Pennington preview: Prepare for a stacked card full of local and international talent

UFC 224 is upon us, as the Octagon heads to Rio de Janeiro for the next pay-per-view event. It’s a heavily stacked card full of local and international talent, topped with the defending female bantamweight champion, Amanda Nunes. Nunes has proven herself to be the most ferocious and technical fighter in the division. With wins over Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, any time “The Lioness” makes her walk to the Octagon, you know it's going to be exciting.

Her challenger this time around is “Rocky” Raquel Pennington, a fighter that has experienced ups and downs in her professional career. Too much for most at the lower levels to deal with, but sometimes falling short against the division’s elite. In recent years she seems to have turned a corner and her last loss was over three years ago, at UFC 184. That split decision defeat to former bantamweight champion, Holly Holm, moved her to five wins and five losses, but may have been the confidence boost that she needed to start down a path of consistency.

Up until that point Pennington had not managed to put more than two consecutive wins together. After spending 15 minutes contending with an athlete of Holm's standard, Raquel must have realized that she is more capable than she thought. Since then the four-fight winning streak she has accumulated positions her for the biggest opportunity of her career: a shot at the UFC women's bantamweight title and a chance to establish herself as the best in the world.

Nunes however, is a worthy guardian of the 135lb throne. She is aggressive and powerful. Her background in Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu serves as a foundation for her ever-developing striking game. This is the range I expect Pennington to be most challenging. Her nickname hints at her boxing ability, but she feels confident that a dominant performance is within her capability, no matter where the fight goes. Raquel's victories over the powerhouse that is Jessica Andrade, at UFC 191, and a comprehensive shutdown of former champ, Miesha Tate, at UFC 205, prove that she is prepared at any range.

What I find fascinating about this match-up is the fact that they are friends and have trained together in the past. Raquel will be cornered by her fiancée and UFC strawweight contender, Tecia Torres. In the other corner, Nunes will have the support of her partner, Nina Ansaroff, another rising contender on the UFC roster. The lack of ego and animosity between the camps makes this a match-up for the martial artists. With no emotion involved, both fighters will be able to give their best effort.

I expect a very evenly matched fight. The point of difference may be the grappling of Nunes, but we know the toughness and staying power of Pennington could be a problem for the defending champ, should the fight go into the championship rounds. Two other fighters with hopes of getting their hands on UFC gold face off in the co-main event. Coming off a huge knockout victory over Michael Bisping six months ago, Kelvin Gastelum finds himself rapidly rising in the middleweight division and now matched up with perennial contender, Jacare Souza.

Kelvin thrusts himself into title talks with a win here, whereas Jacare desperately needs a win to get back on track. It could be a typical striker versus grappler match, but Jacare does like to trade at kickboxing range. It may be wise here to use his size, experience and exceptional grappling skills to control Gastelum and not risk taking one of those heavy punches. Smaller and faster, Kelvin will be on his toes from the get-go, circling Jacare and trying to walk him onto the knockout punch.

Will this be the emergence of a new young contender or does the veteran squeeze the air out of another opponent and keep himself at the top of the middleweight division? It's a card tailored to the Brazilian fans that will be in attendance. Vitor Belfort facing Lyoto Machida in the former’s retirement match opens the main card and will be one for the long-time fans of the sport. We also have plenty of young talent ready to make a name for themselves.

Watch UFC 224: Nunes vs. Pennington live on BT Sport 2 from 1am BST early on Sunday, May 13 or catch the Early Prelims exclusively on UFC Fight Pass from 11:15pm BST on Saturday