Another 48 hours remain before Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira meet again for a high-octane exchange at the T-Mobile Arena. The reigning light heavyweight champion returns six months after he grabbed the belt from the Brazilian phenom. Fans are eagerly waiting—will Pereira finally turn the tables on Ankalaev and give him his first defeat since his debut loss in 2018? Clearly, all eyes are locked on UFC 320‘s headliner. But that’s just half the story. Spanning the early prelims, prelims, and main cards, the highly anticipated event features an array of exciting fights.

What makes the event special, where bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili defends his title against challenger Cory Sandhagen on the co-main, is the mix of countries each fighter represents. It may not match the diversity of the Olympics, but UFC 320 still brings fighters from Russia, Georgia, Brazil, and many other countries, making it every inch an international event. With names like Sandhagen and Khalil Rountree Jr., American representation remains high. Yet fighters of other nationalities refuse to fall behind. UFC is an individual sport. Still, it is as much about the person as the flag he or she proudly represents.

Main card fighters and their flags

To gauge the event’s national heterogeneity, let’s begin with the main card of UFC 320. From Dagestan, Magomed Ankalaev has proudly represented Russia since his formative years as an amateur wrestler. Across the cage stands his adversary from Brazil—the land famous for samba dance, carnivals, and stunning beaches. Brazil is also the birthplace of jiu-jitsu which evolved into the widely known BJJ.

In the co-main event, American Cory Sandhagen from Colorado will attempt to take the bantamweight championship from Georgian Merab Dvalishvili. From Sandhagen’s home, Aurora, the Gateway to the Rockies, the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ travels to the City of Angels, from where top light heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. comes. The fighter, who incidentally suffered his last loss to Alex Pereira, is set to face Czech Jiri Prochazka.

The remaining two bouts on the main card—a featherweight and a middleweight contest—pit two Americans, eighth-ranked featherweight Josh Emmett and Joe Pyfer, against Morocco’s Youssef Zalal (9th rank) and Germany’s Abus Magomedov, who stands 16th in the middleweight roster according to Tapology.

UFC 320 preliminary card fighters and their flags

A similar distribution continues on the preliminary card. Two middleweight bouts showcase American talent. One has Tre’ston Vines facing Ateba Gautier from Cameroon, the homeland of former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. The other features Californian Edmen Shahbazyan against Andre Muniz, who will proudly carry Brazil’s famous green and yellow flag.

UFC 320 boasts a fighter born in Afghanistan. In a bantamweight contest, the unbeaten Afghan-English Farid Basharat will face Chris Gutierrez from the Lone Star State, Texas.

It follows a featherweight bout where South Korea’s Joosang Yoo takes on Daniel Santos, UFC 320‘s third Brazilian entrant.

The early card showcases a strong American contingent. Bantamweight contender Macy Chiasson, along with Patchy Mix, Punahele Soriano, Ramiz Brahimaj, and Austin Vanderford, all feature on it. Vanderford faces Brahimaj in an all-American welterweight bout.

Besides Ankalaev, the only other Russian fighter is tenth-ranked Yana Santos. From Poland, Jakub Wiklacz makes his UFC debut on Saturday night. From Kazakhstan, Nikolay Veretennikov will try to extend his winning streak to 2-1 for the year.

One of the evening’s most intriguing matchups will feature Venezuelan Veronica Hardy, who returns after 12 months, against Brogan Walker. Walker enters after a two-year layoff. Though born in California, Walker now represents Guam in the Pacific Ocean following her marriage to a Guamanian.

Thus, UFC 320 offers representation across continents. While fighters enter as individuals, they will carry the pride, culture, and values of their native homes into the octagon at the T-Mobile Arena two days from now.

Which fight at UFC 320 are you most looking forward to? Share your thoughts with us.