UFC 2024 - THE TKO ERA

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UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Curtis 2

UFC APEX

Under Card

Women's Bantamweight Bout: Melissa Mullins vs. Nora Cornolle
Opening up the evening was a Bantamweight bout for the women as unbeaten Melissa Mullins battled Nora Cornolle. This bout very much would be a showcase for Mullins and her grappling as she used strong clinch work and takedowns to constantly bring Nora down to the canvas. Once on the mat all Nora could do is defend as best she could while Mullins worked her over with relentless ground and pound leading to a decision.
Result: Melissa Mullins by unanimous decision

Middleweight Bout: Dylan Budka vs. Curtis Millender
Returning to the octagon as a Middleweight after a brief stint previously as a Welterweight. Curtis Millender would find himself in a bit of a styles clash as his opponent Dylan Budka made it clear early on he had no intention of standing with his opponent. To his credit Millender would not only stuff the takedowns but begin to land some heavy strikes culminating with a big series of punches which ended the bout early
Result: Curtis Millender by 1st round knockout

Bantamweight Bout: Dan Argueta vs. Jean Matsumoto
Bantamweights were the next port of call for the evening and unfortunately for Dan Argueta he'd be in for quite a long night against his opponent Jean Matsumoto. While a tough fighter in his own right Argueta was clearly at a disadvantage on the feet. This allowed Matsumoto very much to land at will and pick Argueta apart for all three rounds leading to a unanimous decision verdict.
Result: Jean Matsumoto by unanimous decision

Bantamweight Bout: Alateng Heili vs. Victor Hugo
Bantamweight action followed once more as Alateng Heili battled Victor Hugo in a classic striker vs grappler match. Similar to the last bout this wound up being quite a one sided showcase. As Alateng was able to dominate the bout on the feet with Hugo's only offense really being from a couple of leg locks he attempted early in the fight. Again we'd hit the scorecards for our second straight unanimous decision.
Result: Alatengheili by unanimous decision

Woman's Bantamweight Bout: Norma Dumont vs. Germaine De Randamie
making her return to the octagon for the first time in four years would be former UFC Featherweight champion Germaine De Randamie. Unfortunately for her it seemed that ring rust would be a factor as Dumont managed to hurt her early. To her credit not only did GDR survive this early stun but she came back with a vengeance leading to a highly exciting back and forth striking affair which led to a split decision for the former champion.
Result: Germaine De Randamie by split decision

Women's Strawweight Bout: Cynthia Calvillo vs. Piera Rodoriguez
Women's action would then continue as Cynthia Calvillo battled Piera Rodriguez. This was a must win fight for both women with Calvillo in particular in need of a victory. While the fight had some scrappy exchanges on the feet, we'd see Calvillo's grappling edge make the difference in this bout as she'd manage to stifle Piera Rodriguez in various points through the fight to give her a much needed victory.
Result: Cynthia Calvillo by unanimous decision

Heavyweight Bout: Valter Walker vs. Łukasz Brzeski
Making his octagon debut in the next bout of the night would be Valter Walker and it was clear he wasn't looking for this fight to last long as he unloaded on Lukasz Brzeski early with a big straight right hand which he followed with a big takedown. From here several ground punches followed for an early TKO finish.
Result: Valter Walker by first round TKO

Welterweight Bout: Court McGee vs. Alex Morono
veterans did battle in the final bout on the undercard and this would be a decent back and forth battle. In the early going it was Morono who would seem to have the upper hand on the feet but it was the pressure and conditioning of McGee which would eventually make a difference. After three back and forth rounds we'd go to the scorecards where Court McGee would be awarded a split decision victory.
Result: Court McGee beat Alex Morono by split decision

Main Card

Lightweight Bout: Charlie Campbell vs. Trevor Peek
Kicking off the main card would be an exciting Lightweight slug fest as Charlie Campbell battled Trevor Peek. It seemed for this match a no takedown rule may have been made as both men completely avoided grappling and opted to just stand and bang. As this back and forth slug fest entered it's third round it seemed hard to pick a winner until Campbell dropped Peek before the final bell for a decision!
Result: Charlie Campbell by unanimous decision

Lightweight Bout: Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Christos Giagos
Following the exciting bout before it we'd see another fight solely contested on the feet. However unlike the one before it which was a back and forth battle, this fight was a straight up showcase for the striking of Ignacio Bahamondes. After out classing the veteran on the feet from the first bell, Ignacio rocked Giagos a couple of times before finally in the second he'd finish the bout after dropping Giago with a wheel kick
Result: Ignacio Bahamondes by 2nd round TKO

Featherweight Bout: Morgan Charriere vs. Seung Woo Choi
Making his american debut, the last pirate Morgan Charriere very much lived up to the hype with a dominant showing against the tough Seung Woo Choi. After battering Choi in the first round with numerous hard punches and kicks. It seemed that Choi would just keep coming forward, this was until in the second round a series of strikes to the body caused Woo to drop leading to a stoppage win.
Result: Morgan Charriere by 2nd round TKO

Featherweight Bout: Alexander Hernandez vs. Damon Jackson
The co-main event of the evening was a Featherweight bout and it seemed early on this fight was very much over when Hernandez dropped Jackson and began to unload on him with strikes. To his credit Jackson would survive this rally while Hernandez looked to press. This was until Jackson shockingly managed to take Alex down and get his back before securing a rear naked choke finish to close the 1st round.
Result: Damon Jackson by 1st round submission

Middleweight Bout: Brendan Allen vs. Marvin Vettori
Finally it was time for the main event of the evening and this was a middleweight clash as Brendan Allen looked to secure his biggest victory yet against former title contender Marvin Vettori. This was quite a scrappy, action packed fight which was primarily contested on the feet in the early going. As the bout wore on however we'd see Allen begin to secure some takedowns while Vettori started to get the better of the striking. All this would culminate with a debatable decision victory for Allen.
Result: Brendan Allen by split decision

Press Conference Notes
~ Dana White gave fight of the night to Campbell vs Peek. Performance bonuses to those who finished their fights
~ Morgan Charriere and Damon Jackson expressed an interest in fighting one another.
~ Angered at the result of this bout, Marvin Vettori requested a quick turn around.
~ Court McGee revealed his next fight would be his retirement bout.
~ Melissa Mullins called out Germaine De Randamie.
~ Cynthia Calvillo officially announced her retirement

Cuts/Retirements
Lukas Brzeski
Alex Morono - Retired
Cynthia Calvillo - Retired​

 

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UFC ON ABC 6​

The UFC will finally head to Saudi Arabia! Having been rumored to make it's debut in Saudi Arabia in March, we now know that it will be in June that the UFC finally arrives in Riyadh and the Kingdom Arena. For this historic first event in Saudi Arabia the UFC is coming with a stacked fight card loading with key fights across it's divisions. The early prelims will begin with a Middleweight bout as Zachary Reese looks to get back on the winning track against returning UFC veteran Anthony Ivy who is currently riding a 6 fight win streak. India's Puja Tomar will make her octagon debut as she takes on Invicta standout Rayanne Dos Santos. Unbeaten heavyweight wrestler Hamdy Abdelwahab will make his return off suspension to fight striker Junior Tafa. Unbeaten finisher Eduarda Moura will look to continue her impressive streak against Denise Gomes. While the final fight on the fight pass prelims will see two time ultimate fighter winner Brad Katona battle against Jesse Butler.

Meanwhile on the televised portion of the undercard, Bellator veteran Sidney Outlaw will make his octagon debut as he takes on a returning UFC veteran Bobby Moffett. Former Ultimate fighter standout Joe Giannetti returns to the octagon after six years to face the veteran Max Griffin. Prolific Brazilian finisher Brunno Ferreira looks to make it two straight in the octagon against veteran Dustin Stoltzfus. Making his long awaited UFC debut, Vyacheslav Vasilevskiy a veteran of over 40 fights takes on Argentina's Emiliano Sordi who is also making his octagon debut. While headlining the televised portion of the prelims will be a battle between two long time UFC veterans in the Lightweight division as Michael Johnson and Jared Gordon do battle.

The main card of this event will open up with a UFC debut that is perhaps over a decade in the making as Pride, Bellator and Strikeforce veteran Sergei Khartinov finally does the walk to the octagon against the dangerous Brazilian Marcos Rogerio De Lima. A must win fight in the Lightweight division follows as Tony Ferguson looks to snap his current losing streak against a returning veteran Joe Lauzon. Ranked Bantamweight striker Rob Font battles a recent entry into the rankings Mario Bautista. Middleweight veteran Chris Curtis looks to keep his place in the top 15 as he battles the surging Brazilian Gregory Rodrigues. The Co-Main event will see two top ten middleweights collide as Nassourdine Imavov takes on Jack Hermansson with both men of course being victorious once already this year. While in the main event, a WEC dream match will happen as former UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo returns from retirement once again in the Bantamweight Division. Standing across from Jose, will be former UFC Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz with both former champions looking to show that they still have what it takes to compete with the best.

Fight Pass Prelims
Middleweight Bout: Zachary Reese vs. Antony Ivy
Women's Strawweight bout: Puja Tomar vs. Rayanne dos Santos
Heavyweight Bout: Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Junior Tafa
Women's Strawweight bout: Eduarda Moura vs. Denise Gomes
Bantamweight bout: Brad Katona vs. Jesse Butler

Under Card
Lightweight Bout: Sidney Outlaw vs. Bobby Moffett
Welterweight bout: Joe Giannetti vs. Max Griffin
Middleweight bout: Brunno Ferreira vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
Light Heavyweight Bout: Vyacheslav Vasilevsky vs. Emiliano Sordi
Lightweight Bout: Michael Johnson vs. Jared Gordon

Main Card
Heavyweight Bout: Serghei Kharitonov vs. Marcos Rogerio De Lima
Lightweight Bout: Tony Ferguson vs. Joe Lauzon
Bantamweight Bout: Rob Font vs. Mario Bautista
Middleweight Bout: Chris Curtis vs. Gregory Rodrigues
Middleweight Bout: Nassourdine Imavov vs. Jack Hermansson
Bantamweight Bout: Jose Aldo vs. Dominick Cruz

 

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UFC 300

T-Mobile Arena
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Prelims

Bantamweight Bout: Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbandt
Opening up this historic UFC card was a bout between two former UFC champions as Cody Garbrandt battled Deiveson Figueiredo. This would be a interesting fight between two powerful punchers and we'd see see Garbrandt actually stun Deiveson briefly with a looping cross. Unfortunately as the round closed in a wild exchange we'd see Cody get clipped and fall to the canvas allowing Figueiredo to follow up with several more strikes for a TKO Finish.
Result: Deiveson Figueiredo by 1st round TKO

Lightweight Bout: Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller
Four time lucky would be the case as veterans Bobby Green and Jim Miller would do battle. This was a scrappy battle of wills with Bobby Green showing the edge on the feet as he landed multiple jabs on his opponent. Miller in part looked to take down Bobby Green and in the early rounds he very much struggled to do so. As the fight wore on however Miller managed to land some take downs and even stunned Green briefly to pick up a split decision.
Result: Jim Miller by split decision

Women's Strawweight Bout: Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez
Women's MMA was the next port of call for the evening as another former champion would be in action when Jessica Andrade battled Marina Rodriguez. From the off Jessica Andrade was aggressive in this one and pressured Marina. While this allowed Marina some early openings to land some strikes, she'd soon be overwhelmed and taken down by Andrade who picked up a 1st round arm triangle submission as a result.
Result: Jessica Andrade by 1st round submission

Lightweight Bout: Renato Moicano vs. Jalin Turner
The final match on the fight pass prelims saw ranked Lightweights collide as Jalin Turner took on Renato Moicano. This would be a straight up kick boxing bout between the two fighers and we'd see Jalin Turner very much dominate the proceedings thanks to his reach and length advantage. After a strong showing through the first round, Jalin Turner managed to land some heavy strikes early in the second for a knockout victory.
Result: Jalin Turner by 2nd round Knockout

Featherweight Bout: Sodiq Yusuff vs. Diego Lopes
Two top Featherweight prospects did battle in the next bout of the evening and this would be a wild fight from the very beginning. Yusuff as we'd see had a distinct power advantage and managed to stun Lopes on several occasions. Unfortunately for him we'd see Lopes manage to catch him rushing in with a takedown before securing Yusuff's back for a rear naked choke submission finish in the first round.
Result: Diego Lopes by 1st round submission

Women's Bantamweight Bout: Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
Our fourth champion of the evening would be in action as Holly Holm battled the debuting Kayla Harrison. This bout very much was an atypical striker vs grappler affair with Holly Holm looking to move around and pick her opponent off. Unfortunately for her Kayla Harrison was able to press Holly Holm against the cage before taking her down to the mat. From here Kayla wound quickly mount Holly and finish her with ground and pound.
Result: Kayla Harrison by 1st round TKO

Featherweight Bout: Aljamain Sterling vs. Calvin Kattar
Former UFC Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling made his Featherweight debut in the next bout of the evening as he took on striker Calvin Kattar. While Calvin Kattar had a noted edge in the boxing realm, Aljamain Sterling managed to hold his own when the fight was on the streak before he'd manage to use his grappling advantage to take Calvin down and keep him there en route to a unanimous decision.
Result: Aljamain Sterling by unanimous decision

Light Heavyweight Bout: Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
The final fight on the prelims saw former Light Heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka take on Light Heavyweight standout Aleksandar Rakic. This fight would be a striking battle as Rakic could never seem to land a takedown on Jiri. This allowed Jiri to very much walk down Rakic and wear him down with his aggression before landing a series of elbows in the clinch in the third which dropped Rakic for a 3rd round knockout.
Result: Jiri Prochazka by 3rd round Knockout

Main Card

Middleweight Bout: Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage
Opening the main card would be the next bout in the career of top prospect Bo Nickal. The elite wrestler showed no time in this bout before looking for a takedown on his opponent. Despite an early guillotine threat coming his way from Cody Brundage, Nickal was able to escape with relative ease. From here in top position Nickal wasted little time in softening up Brundage with ground and pound before submitting him with an arm triangle.
Result: Bo Nickal by 1st round submission

Lightweight Bout: Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan
Former Lightweight champion Charles Oliveira looked to make his climb back to a title opportunity as he faced top prospect Arman Tsarukyan. The powerful prospect looked to out muscle Charles in the early going and despite some relative early success. Charles Oliveira managed to rock Arman badly with a front kick and followed up with a series of heavy strikes which actually dropped Tsarukyan leading to a 1st round knockout.
Result: Charles Oliveira by 1st round knockout

BMF Title: Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway
The BMF title was our first of three title matches in the evening as we'd see Justin Gaethje battle Max Holloway. This was a wild fight contested purely on the feet with both men having different strategies as Holloway looked to out move and out box Gaethje while Justin looked to break Max down with leg kicks. In the early few rounds it seemed like Max was getting the better of the fight until Justin's damage began to accumulate and Holloway had several bad cuts opened on him. This would eventually lead to a 4th round doctor stoppage.
Result: Justin Gaethje by 4th round doctor stoppage

Women's Strawweight Championship: Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan
The co-main event of this historic night would be a interesting clash between Chinese women's strawweights Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan. While the early rounds of this fight were competed on the feet with Weili being slightly ahead of her more technically refined counter striking opponent. The ground game of Zhang came into play in the later stages as she managed to take down and control Yan leading to a unanimous decision.
Result: Zhang Weili by unanimous decision

Light Heavyweight Championship: Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill
The main event of the evening would see Alex Pereira take on former Light Heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill. Unfortunately for the returning Hill, this match was a dominant showing for the champion who managed to piece up Hill with some vicious Leg Kicks in the first two rounds before fully displaying his striking in the third round landing a vicious left hook for a 3rd round knockout victory.
Result: Alex Pereira by 3rd round knockout

Press Conference Notes
~ It was confirmed that Magomed Ankalaev would be the next challenger for Alex Pereira's championship
~ Justin Gaethje called for a bout with Islam Makhachev. As did Charles Oliveira.
~ Aljamain Sterling requested Max Holloway for his next bout at Featherweight
~ Dana White confirmed that Bo Nickal would fight a ranked opponent in his next fight
~ Kayla Harrison called for a bout with Mayra Bueno Silva
~ Deiveson Figueiredo called out Petr Yan

 

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UFC 303 Confirmed
T-Mobile Arena​

The UFC will once again head to Vegas for UFC 303. With UFC 300 now complete, focus turns to what is next for the UFC future. Having already announced UFC 301 and UFC 302, we know that UFC 303 will be headlined by a much anticipated catchweight bout between Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor. This long awaited clash will see the ever popular McGregor take on the always exciting Chandler following a stint in which both men coached the Ultimate Fighter. Meanwhile in the co-main event of the evening the UFC Women's Bantamweight championship will be on the line as the newly crowned champion Raquel Pennington will defend her championship against former title holder Juliana Pena. With both McGregor and Pena returning for this card, the main card will also see the long awaited UFC return of Heavyweight great Stipe Miocic. While originally set to fight Jon Jones before his severe injury, Miocic will now take on the ever popular heavyweight slugger Derrick Lewis. An exciting pair of Light Heavyweight strikers Khalil Rountree and Philipe Lins will also collide on the main card while opening the main card portion will be an exciting debut. With the likes of Chandler, Kayla Harrison and MVP making impressive debuts lately having built their careers in previous promotions. We now know that the highly regarded Douglas Lima will make his UFC debut in the Middleweight division against Jiu Jitsu ace Rodolfo Viera. Lima of course is a former Bellator Welterweight champion and holds victories over the likes of Paul Daley, Michael Page and Rory Macdonald in his storied career.

Meanwhile on the televised portion of the prelims, former UFC title contender Dominick Reyes will battle Jimmy Crute in a must win fight for both men. Meanwhile heavyweights Marcin Tybura and Karl Williams will look to rebound from recent losses in a clash. Having suffered his first defeat in the octagon, powerhouse Joe Pyfer will return to the cage as he takes on the tough, gritty veteran Brad Tavares. Meanwhile in an interesting Welterweight clash Ultimate fighter winner Court McGee will step in the cage with none other than Paul Felder. A former ranked Lightweight, Felder for years now has sat behind the broadcast table but in the past year rumors circulated about a prospect return. Now we know Felder will be stepping in the cage at a new weight class. The final fight on the televised portion of the prelims will be what promises to be an exciting clash of Featherweight standouts. As veteran Chris Wade will return to the octagon to take on the always exciting and ever popular WEC standout Cub Swanson. As for the prelims on fight pass, former UFC Heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos will look to return to the UFC against Josh Parisian. Meanwhile Lightweight veteran Jesse Ronson will take on grappler Jordan Leavitt. On top of this Bantamweight standout Kris Moutino makes his UFC return as he takes on debuting former Bellator champion Eduardo Dantas. Meanwhile Bantamweight Saidyokub Kakhramonov returns to the octagon to take on Bellator veteran Josh Hill. While rounding out these prelims will be the return of Jennifer Maia to the cage as she takes on Montana De La Rosa

Fight Pass Prelims
Heavyweight Bout: Junior Dos Santos vs. Josh Parisian
Lightweight Bout: Jesse Ronson vs. Jordan Leavitt
Bantamweight Bout: Eduardo Dantas vs. Kris Moutino
Bantamweight Bout: Saidyokub Kakhramonov vs. Josh Hill
UFC Women's Flyweight: Jennifer Maia vs. Montana De La Rosa

Under Card
Light Heavyweight Bout: Dominick Reyes vs. Jimmy Crute
Heavyweight Bout: Marcin Tybura vs. Karl Williams
Middleweight Bout: Joe Pyfer vs. Brad Tavares
Welterweight Bout: Paul Felder vs. Court McGee
Featherweight Bout: Cub Swanson vs. Chris Wade

Main Card
Middleweight Bout: Douglas Lima vs. Rodolfo Viera
Light Heavyweight Bout: Khalil Rountree vs. Phillipe Lins
Heavyweight Bout: Derrick Lewis vs. Stipe Miocic
Women's Bantamweight Championship: Raquel Pennington vs. Juliana Pena
Catchweight Bout: Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor

 

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UFC SWEDEN CONFIRMED​

The UFC will return to Sweden for the first time in 5 years. With rumors long been apparent that the UFC was planning it's return to Stockholm, we now know they will do so with a card stacked full of local talents. This begins on fight pass in the middleweight division as popular standout Andreas Gustafsson Berg takes on knockout artist Robin Roos. Following this former UFC veteran Andreas Stahl will make his return to the octagon as he faces Finland's Olli Santalahti. Welterweight UFC veteran Ange Loosa will look to return to the winning track as he takes on debuting standout Niko Skonback. Undefeated Featherweight Waltteri Hakkinen will make his debut as he takes on veteran Fernando Flores in his toughest fight to date. Another debut will see Italian SBG standout Walter Cogliandro make his first appearance opposite Denmark's Jon Furuheim. Popular finish star Toumas Gronvall will also appear on the fight pass prelims against fellow countryman Mark Vologdin. Rounding out the fight pass prelims will be Eemil Kurhela taking on Nigeria's Wasiu Adeshina.

Meanwhile in an interesting start to the televised portion of the Undercard. Elin Oberg will make her UFC debut against veteran Maryna Moroz. Highly rated Bantamweight Abdul Hussein makes his octagon debut against veteran Janne Elonen-Kulmala. Allstars prospect David Jacobsson follows on the debuts as he takes on submission specialist Henri Lintula. Making his long awaited return to the octagon will be the Austrian Wonderboy Ismail Naurdiev as he takes on TUF Brazil 3 champion Warrley Alves. In flyweight action Amir Malekpour will take on the highly regarded Jonny Touma. While headling the undercard will be the debut of Ali Yazbeck as he takes on exciting UFC standout Da'Mon Blackshear. The main card meanwhile will begin with former UFC Women's Featherweight champion Germaine De Randamie battling Sweden's Pannie Kianzad. Following this popular Swedish Light Heavyweight Karl Albrektsson makes his octagon debut against striking standout Marcin Prachnio. Following this will be an exciting clash in the women's strawweight division as Loma Lookboonmee takes on Josefine Knutsson. Following this rising TUF champion Bryan Battle will look to pick up his biggest win to date against Gunnar Nelson. While in what promises to be an emotional fight Alexander Gustafsson will make one last walk to the octagon against OSP in what is being touted as a dual retirement fight. A surprising return will act as the co-main event of the evening as Gegard Mousasi returns to the UFC to battle tough veteran Eryk Anders. While in the mai event of the card will be headlined by Khamzat Chimaev taking on Paulo Costa in a heated grudge match.

Fight Pass Prelims
Middleweight Bout: Andreas Gustafsson Berg vs. Robin Roos
Welterweight Bout: Andreas Stahl vs. Olli Santalahti
Welterweight Bout: Niko Skonback vs. Ange Loosa
Featherweight Bout: Waltteri Hakkinen vs. Fernando Flores
Featherweight Bout: Walter Cogliandro vs. Jon Vetle Furuheim
Bantamweight Bout: Tuomas Gronvall vs. Mark Vologdin
Featherweight Bout: Eemil Kurhela vs. Wasiu Adeshina

Undercard
Women's Flyweight Bout: Elin Oberg vs. Maryna Moroz
Bantamweight Bout: Abdul Hussein vs. Janne Elonen-Kulmala
Welterweight Bout: David Jacobsson vs. Henri Lintula
Middleweight Bout: Ismail Naurdiev vs. Warlley Alves
Flyweight Bout: Amir Malekpour vs. Jonny Touma
Bantamweight Bout: Ali Yazbeck vs. Da'Mon Blackshear

Main Card
Women's Bantamweight Bout: Germaine De Randamie vs. Pannie Kianzad
Light Heavyweight bout: Karl Albrektsson vs. Marcin Prachnio
Women’s Strawweight: Loma Lookboonmee vs. Josefine Knutsson
Welterweight Bout: Gunnar Nelson vs. Bryan Battle
Light Heavyweight bout: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Ovince St Preux
Middleweight Bout: Gegard Mousasi vs. Eryk Anders
Middleweight Bout: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa

 

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UFC FIGHT NIGHT 243 CONFIRMED
KFC YUM CENTER​

For the second time only in the UFC's rich history, the promotion will head to Louisville. The first time the UFC did so was over 13 years ago with a fight night card headlined by a clash between Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann. This return card will feature a very intriguing fight at it's headline in the Bantamweight Division. Before we get there however, let's begin with the early fights on the prelims. Exclusive to fight pass, the night will kick off with the debut of Emmanuel Sanchez. The Bellator veteran will take on dangerous finisher Mandel Nallo in what looks to be an intriguing first clash of the evening. "The Chechen Wolf" Shamil Nikaev will also make his debut in the octagon, as he takes on submission specialist Claudio Puelles. In middleweight action Makhmud Muradov will look to continue his impressive run of form as of late as he takes on debuting Middleweight standout Sharaf Davlatmurodov. Justine Kish will return to the octagon on this card as she takes on debuting women's flyweight standout Denise Kielholtz. Amateur wrestling standout Lance Gibson Jr will also make his official UFC debut as he battles Georgian Guram Kutaledze. Two Women's Flyweights will also debut against one another as Sumiko Inaba takes on Lucie Bertaud while veteran Steve Garcia takes on Vladimir Tokov.

The televised portion of the undercard will also feature some intriguing octagon debuts. This begins with Team Alpha Male's Chris Gonzalez who makes his octagon debut against veteran Bryce Logan. Following this bout, we know that Pete Rodriguez will look to turn his UFC fortunes around as he battles veteran Marcio Breno who is making his debut. Veteran Cortney Casey will return to the octagon after a lay off as she takes on unbeaten finisher Keri Taylor Melendez in Keri's octagon debut. Bantamweight veteran Cody Gibson will also be on the card as he welcomes former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Darrion Caldwell to the UFC octagon. Caldwell will not be the only former Bellator champion on the card either as Ilima Lei Macfarlane makes the UFC walk for the very first time as she takes on the debuting Diana Avsaragova. While headlining the televised portion of the preliminary card we will see veteran and notorious finisher Gerald Meerschaert look to become the first man to defeat unbeaten UFC prospect Bo Nickal.

Moving to the main card of the show, the main feature will be kicked off by the octagon return of Will Brooks. Brooks previously has fought in promotions such as the UFC and Bellator but is riding an impressive win streak which he will risk as he takes on the dangerous ultimate fighter winner Kurt Holobaugh. Following this in what has been described as a potential title eliminator bout Kayla Harrison will take on the dangerous Mayra Bueno Silva. A Heavyweight clash of styles will follow as striker Alexander Volkov will take on submission specialist Jailton Almeida. The Co-Main event of the evening will see former top ranked Lightweight Beneil Dariush look to reclaim his past success as he takes on the returning Rafael Fiziev. Meanwhile in the main event, former UFC Bantamweight champion Petr Yan will look to continue his climb back to another title shot as he takes on former two time UFC flyweight champion Deveison Figueiredo.

Fight Pass Prelims
Lightweight Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Mandel Nallo
Lightweight Bout: Shamil Nikaev vs. Claudio Puelles
Middleweight Bout: Sharaf Davlatmurodov vs. Makhmud Muradov
Women's Flyweight Bout: Denise Kielholtz vs. Justine Kish
Lightweight Bout: Lance Gibson Jr vs. Guram Kutaledze
Women's Flyweight Bout: Sumiko Inaba vs. Lucie Bertaud
Lightweight Bout: Vladimir Tokov vs. Steve Garcia

Under Card
Lightweight Bout: Chris Gonzalez vs. Bryce Logan
Welterweight Bout: Marcio Breno vs. Pete Rodriguez
Women's Flyweight Bout: Keri Taylor Melendez vs. Cortney Casey
Bantamweight Bout: Darrion Caldwell vs. Cody Gibson
Women's Flyweight Bout: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Diana Avsaragova
Middleweight Bout: Bo Nickal vs. Gerald Meerschaert

Main Card
Lightweight Bout: Will Brooks vs. Kurt Holobaugh
Women's Bantamweight Bout: Kayla Harrison vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
Heavyweight Bout: Jailton Almeida vs. Alexander Volkov
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush vs. Rafael Fiziev
Bantamweight Bout: Petr Yan vs. Deveison Figueiredo

 

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UFC ON ESPN 55
UFC APEX​

Fight Pass Prelims
Women's Flyweight bout: Brogan Walker vs. Shannon Clark
Making her debut in the first bout of the evening, undefeated prospect Shannon Clark very much showed herself to be an exciting prospect to watch. As she picked former TUF finalist Brogan Walker apart in the early goings of this women's flyweight bout before pouring the offense on in the 3rd round. A body shot would drop Brogan Walker and several punches on the ground would follow giving Shannon a TKO finish.
Result: Shannon Clark by 3rd round TKO

Heavyweight bout: Caio Machado vs. Don'Tale Mayes
Heavyweight action was the next port of call for the evening. Unfortunately for fans in attendance this was a fairly listless and at times incredibly sloppy affair with little in the way of action. Following three rounds of clinching, a split decision verdict would be afforded to Mayes.
Result: Don'Tayle Mayes by split decision

Lightweight bout: Maheshate Hayisaer vs. Gabriel Benítez
Lightweight action then followed and in the complete opposite of the fight before it, we'd be treated to a back and forth battle between Maheshate Hayisaer and Gabriel Benitez. While he may have come up short in the first round having been dropped, Benitez would rally back in the second and managed to mount his foe before pumelling him with ground and pound for a stoppage.
Result: Gabriel Benitez by 2nd round TKO

Women's Flyweight bout: Ivana Petrović vs. Liang Na
Two women in desperate need of a win would be in action in the next bout. Sadly for Liang Na this wouldn't be her night as a big overhand punch by Ivana dropped her and a hook followed catching her on her way back up for a impressive first round knockout.
Result: Ivana Petrovic by 1st round KO

Lightweight bout: James Llontop vs. Gabriel Green
Making his octagon debut, striking specialist James Llontop very much lived up to the hype against Gabriel Green. As following a hard body kick which hurt Green, a series of punishing knees from the clinch followed affording James a TKO finish.
Result: James Llontop by 1st round TKO

Under Card
Heavyweight bout: Austen Lane vs. Jhonata Diniz
Making his UFC debut, kickboxing specialist Jhonata Diniz very much delivered what was expected of him in this fight as he pieced up Austen Lane in the early going of this of this fight before a big hook put Lane down for an emphatic knockout victory.
Result: Jhonta Diniz by 1st round KO

Middleweight bout: Tresean Gore vs. Trent Miller
Top rated prospect Trent Miller was the next debut of the evening and he very much lived up to the hype as he dropped Tresean Gore early in the first round with a flying knee before clamping on a power guillotine for an early finish.
Result: Trent Miller by 1st round submission.

Welterweight bout: Jordan Mein vs. Rolando Bedoya
Making his return to the octagon, Welterweight Jordan Mein nearly saw his return go up in smoke when Rolando Bedoya managed to drop him in the early going with a wild hook. Luckily for Mein he was able to soon recover and would use his grappling advantage to ground Bedoya and stifle him for a decision victory.
Result: Jordan Mein by unanimous decision.

Lightweight bout: Austin Hubbard vs. Michal Figlak
It was then time for the final bout on the prelims and unfortunately this was a dull affair with both Austin Hubbard and Michal Figlak being a little gun shy in exchanges. Following 3 low output rounds, the fight went to the scorecards with a decision going to Hubbard.
Result: Austin Hubbard by split decision

Main Card
Lightweight bout: Joel Álvarez vs. Mateusz Rębecki
Opening up the main card of the event would be a lightweight clash as Joel Alvarez took on Mateuz Rebecki. While the opening round of this fight would be quite the back and forth battle. It wouldn't take long for the grappling advantage of Rebecki to take hold and he'd be able to keep Alvarez on the ground for a decision.
Result: Mateusz Rebecki by unanimous decision

Bantamweight bout: Victor Henry vs. Rani Yahya
Two Bantamweight veterans would do battle in the next bout of the night as Victor Henry took on Rani Yahya. While Yahya looked to take the fight to the ground, Henry managed to keep the bout standing and would effectively pick Rani off with his striking. This led to the fight going to the scorecards and a unanimous victory for Victor Henry.
Result: Victor Henry by unanimous decision

Featherweight bout: Gabriel Santos vs. Youssef Zalal
Making his return to the octagon, Youssef Zalal found himself matched up with the dangerous Gabriel Santos. This would be a destructive showing for Zalal who dropped Santos with a hook and several more punches followed on the ground giving Zalal a 1st round knockout.
Result: Youssef Zalal by 1st round knockout

Lightweight bout: Gauge Young vs. Alex Reyes
Highly touted prospect Gauge Young made his UFC debut in the next bout of the evening and he quickly put on a showcase as he landed a quick flurry of punches which put Reyes down on the canvas. From here a series of elbows and punches followed for a first round TKO
Result: Gauge Young by 1st round TKO

Women's Flyweight bout: Ariane Lipski vs. Karine Silva
The co-main event of the evening would see a women's flyweight bout between Ariane Lipski and Karine Silva. This was a classic striker vs grappler bout between the pair and while Lipski had her moments on the feet, it was the grappling of Silva which made the difference. After three rounds of fighting, the judges would award Silva a decision victory.
Result: Karine Silva by unanimous decision

Flyweight bout: Manel Kape vs. Matheus Nicolau
Finally it was time for the main event of the evening between two ranked Flyweight contenders. This would be a destructive performance for Kape who punished Nicolau with punches, elbows, knees and kicks leading to a first round TKO finish.
Result: Manel Kape by 1st round TKO

Press Conference Notes
~ Manel Kape called for a title fight or a bout with Kai Kara-France
~ Austin Hubbard and Gabriel Benitez agreed to fight one another
~ Mateusz Rebecki asked for a ranked opponent

Cuts
Brogan Walker
Liang Na
Gabriel Green
Austen Lane
Tresean Gore
Rolando Bedoya
Gabriel Santos
Michal Figlak
Alex Reyes