Editor’s note: This story originally published on July 3.

MMA Junkie Radio co-host and MMA Junkie contributor Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the co-main event for UFC 239.

UFC 239 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Amanda Nunes (17-4 MMA, 10-1 UFC)

Height: 5’8″ Age: 31 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 70″

Last fight: KO win over Cris Cyborg (Dec. 29, 2018)

Camp: American Top Team (Florida)

Stance/striking style: Orthodox/muay Thai

Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:

+ UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion

+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt

+ Judo brown belt

+ 12 KO victories

+ 3 submission win

+ 12 first-round finishes

+ KO power

+ Underrated footwork

+ Improved jab

+ Dangerous right hand

+ Hard leg kicks

+ Strong inside the clinch

^ Good hip awareness

+ Solid top game

+/- 2-1 against UFC southpaws

Holly Holm (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC)

Staple info:

Height: 5’8″ Age: 37 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 69″

Last fight: Decision win over Megan Anderson (June 9, 2018)

Camp: JacksonWink MMA (New Mexico)

Stance/striking style: Southpaw/kickboxing

Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:

+ Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion

+ Pro-boxing experience (33-2-3 record)

+ Multiple boxing and kickboxing accolades

+ 6 KO victories

+ 5 second-round finishes

+ Disciplined footwork and movement

^ Excellent distance management

+ Active and accurate cross

^ Coming forward or off of the counter

+ Diverse kicking arsenal

^ Sidekicks, oblique kicks, etc.

+ Deceptively strong inside the clinch

^ Works well off of over and underhooks

+ Consistent round-winning sensibilities

– Shown past struggles off of back

Point of interest: A battle for counters

The co-main event for UFC 239 features a bantamweight title fight that could come down to who can more successfully counter.

More of a stick-and-move stylist, Holly Holm demonstrates excellent footwork and distance management, traditionally playing just outside of range. Utilizing lateral movement until finding an opening to her liking, Holm will engage in strafing runs, throwing a variety of pre-programmed combinations like a finely tuned machine.

A consistency of patterns that she carried over from boxing, Holm will usually circle to her left to reset, and move to her right when attempting to achieve attack angles and counters, something that could serve her well on paper. That said, Holm may be facing her most dangerous punching threat to date – one who quietly carries counters of her own.

A fighter who came storming aggressively out of the gates, Amanda Nunes has had to refine her natural aptitude for combat. Training boxing since the age of 16, Nunes has rounded out her game with effective muay Thai since entering MMA.

Initially forcing her way into exchanges (and producing quick results in doing so), Nunes has slowly sharpened her skills, smartly adjusting her pressuring approach. Most notably, Nunes has improved her footwork, circling just outside of range as opposed to rushing right in.

Intelligently circling or taking the appropriate angles, the champion’s shot selection and accuracy also have improved, making the power coming off of her frame more potent in the process. This, coupled with Nunes’ upgraded jab and feints, could help the bantamweight champ dissuade the striking patterns that may be coming her way.

Nunes has proven to use her jab much more efficiently to set up her crosses and hooks, as well as utilizing it as a check to either the head or body to help exit exchanges safely. That said, Nunes will still need to mind her level-changing movements giving the proven kicking threat that will be standing across from her Saturday night.

Next point of interest: Potential grappling threats