LAS VEGAS – UFC® returns to Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. for the first time in three years with a thrilling welterweight contenders’ bout that sees former interim titleholder and No. 2 ranked Colby Covington take on former champion and No. 10 Robbie Lawler. Among the other highly anticipated bouts will be a top-10 light heavyweight clash featuring former title challenger and No. 7 ranked Volkan Oezdemir against hard-hitting No. 9 Ilir Latifi.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN® will air live from the Prudential Center exclusively on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 3, with the prelims kicking off at 12 p.m. ET. on ESPN and in Spanish on the ESPN App. Doors open at 11 a.m. ET. All UFC live events will also be available in English and Spanish.
Currently riding a six-fight win streak, Covington’s (14-1, fighting out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) last outing saw him secure an impressive decision victory over Rafael Dos Anjos one year ago. A NCAA Division I wrestler known for his relentless pressure, Covington has also netted dominant wins against former title challenger Demian Maia, Dong Hyun Kim and Bryan Barberena. He now aims to take out a former champion en route to earning a shot at the 170-pound belt.
Considered one of the most exciting KO artists in MMA history, Lawler (28-13 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) first captured the welterweight championship against Johny Hendricks in late 2014. Lawler then went on to have epic title defenses against Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit. Lawler has also netted wins over Donald Cerrone, Matt Brown and Josh Koscheck during his career. He now hopes to stop Covington’s momentum and re-assert himself as one of the division’s most dangerous contenders.
A skilled kickboxer with heavy hands, Oezdemir (15-4, fighting out of Fribourg, Switzerland) earned his nickname “No Time” with a pair of rapid-fire knockouts that secured him a light heavyweight title shot in 2017. During his UFC tenure, Oezdemir has netted impressive wins over contenders Ovince Saint Preux, Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa. He now aims to re-assert himself in the championship picture with yet another highlight-reel finish.
A powerful and gritty grappler, Latifi (15-6 1NC, fighting out of Malmo, Sweden) has proven equally dangerous striking as he is on the mat. The Allstars Training Center standout has utilized relentless pressure to pick up spectacular victories against Ovince Saint Preux, Tyson Pedro and Gian Villante. Latifi now looks to add a former light heavyweight title challenger to his impressive resume to continue his ascent up the 205-pound ladder.
Announced bouts on the card include:
In a spectacular clash of lightweight veterans, New Jersey native Jim Miller (30-13 1NC, fighting out of Sparta, N.J.) locks horns with Clay Guida (35-15, fighting out of Johnsburg, Ill.)
Talented finisher Joaquim Silva (11-1, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) aims to put on another show-stealing performance against streaking Nasrat Haqparast (10-2, fighting out of Hamburg, Germany)
No. 8 ranked flyweight contender Jordan Espinosa (13-5 1NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) looks to keep his momentum going against No. 12 Matt Schnell (13-4, fighting out of Shreveport, La.)
No. 8 ranked Lauren Murphy (10-4, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) faces No. 12 Mara Romero Borella (13-5 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Ponte dell’Olio, Italy) in a clash of women’s flyweight contenders
Dana White’s Contender Series signee Antonina Shevchenko (7-1, fighting out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) looks to put on a striking clinic against gritty Lucie Pudilova (8-4, fighting out of Pribram, Czech Republic) in a battle of flyweight prospects
Trevin Giles (11-1, fighting out of Houston, Tex.) takes on Gerald Meerschaert (28-11, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) in an exciting middleweight bout
Hard-hitting light heavyweights throw down when Darko Stosic (13-2, fighting out of Belgrade, Serbia) faces Kennedy Nzechukwu (6-1, fighting out of Dallas, Tex.)
Ramazan Emeev (18-3, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) goes for his eighth consecutive win against submission ace Claudio Silva (13-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Scott Holtzman (12-3, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) hopes to return to the win column when he squares off with battle-tested Dong Hyun Ma (16-9, fighting out of Busan, South Korea)
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
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Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN® go on sale Friday, June 28 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, June 26 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, June 27 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
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About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts more than 300 million fans worldwide, including 70 million social media followers across all of its digital platforms, and its programming is broadcast in over 170 countries and territories to one billion TV households worldwide in 40 different languages. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually and consistently sells out some of the world’s most prestigious arenas. Since 2001, UFC has been proudly headquartered in Las Vegas, supported by a network of employees around the world. UFC’s current roster of athletes features more than 570 men and women representing over 55 countries. UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand, and original content to fans around the world. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment, and fashion leader Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR, in what is among the largest transactions in sports history. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.
About Prudential Center
Prudential Center is the world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, and more than 175 concerts, family shows and special events each year. The arena is also home to the GRAMMY Museum Experience Prudential Center, which opened its doors to the public on October 2017. The 8,200-square-foot experience marks the first GRAMMY Museum outpost on the East Coast, and features a dynamic combination of educational programming and interactive permanent and traveling exhibits, including a spotlight on legendary GRAMMY winners from New Jersey. Ranked in the Top 8 nationally by Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and hosts over 2 million guests annually. Upcoming shows at Prudential Center include GOT 7 (6/27), Uforia La X LIVE (6/29), New Kids On The Block (7/2), Top Rank Boxing (7/13), The MTV VMAS (8/26) and many more. For more information about Prudential Center, visit PruCenter.com and follow the arena on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PruCenter. Prudential Center is a Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment property.
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.
