Las Vegas – UFC® returns to UFC APEX with a must-watch lightweight contenders’ bout that will see No. 7 ranked Rafael Dos Anjos battle No. 10 Rafael Fiziev. The co-main event will feature a clash of Dana White’s Contender Series signees when Caio Borralho faces Armen Petrosyan at middleweight.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: DOS ANJOS vs. FIZIEV will take place Saturday, July 9 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will be available on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+. The main card will begin at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. The prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.
Former champion Dos Anjos (30-13, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) returned to 155 pounds from the welterweight division with a Fight of the Night win over Paul Felder in late 2020. Throughout his UFC run, he has also delivered memorable victories over Nate Diaz and Robbie Lawler, as well as Anthony Pettis, to win the belt in 2015. Dos Anjos now aims to stop Fiziev’s momentum and continue his climb back to a lightweight title shot.
Rising contender Fiziev (11-1, fighting out of Baku, Azerbaijan by way of Phuket, Thailand) has wasted no time dazzling fans with his diverse striking arsenal. Currently riding a five-fight win streak, he holds spectacular wins over Brad Riddell, Bobby Green and Renato Moicano. Fiziev now has his sights set on finishing his first former UFC champion to crack the lightweight top 10.
Borralho (11-1 1NC, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) earned his spot on the UFC roster with victories over Aaron Jeffery and Jesse Murray on Dana White’s Contender Series last year. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt then made a successful UFC debut by earning a hard-fought win against Gadzhi Omargadzhiev in April. Borralho now aims to push his unbeaten streak to 12 bouts by stopping Petrosyan.
Petrosyan (7-1, fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia) impressed on Dana White’s Contender Series with a first-round KO victory over Kaloyan Kolev last October. The talented kickboxer then announced his arrival with an entertaining win against Gregory Rodrigues in February. Petrosyan now intends to become the first fighter to finish Borralho by securing another highlight-reel KO.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Douglas Silva (28-4 1NC, fighting out of Castanhal, Para, Brazil) takes on Said Nurmagomedov (15-2, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) in an intriguing bantamweight matchup
- Jamie Pickett (13-7, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.) faces Denis Tiuliulin (10-6, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) at middleweight
- A heavyweight bout sees Jared Vanderaa (12-8, fighting out of Hemet, Calif.) take on the always exciting Chase Sherman (15-10, fighting out of D’Iberville, Miss.)
- Michael Johnson (21-17, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) battles Jamie Mullarkey (14-5, fighting out of Central Coast, Australia) in an exciting lightweight bout
- No. 10 ranked flyweight contender Cynthia Calvillo (9-4-1, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) looks to spoil the UFC 125-pound debut of No. 7 ranked strawweight contender Nina Nunes (10-7, fighting out of Weston, Fla.)
- Aiemann Zahabi (8-2, fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada) returns against The Ultimate Fighter season 29 winner Ricky Turcios (12-2, fighting out of Houston, Texas) in a bantamweight bout
- Antonina Shevchenko (9-4, fighting out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) squares off with Cortney Casey (10-9, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) at flyweight
- Cody Brundage (7-2, fighting out of Littleton, Colo.) takes on Tresean Gore (4-1, fighting out of Lawrenceville, Ga.) in a battle of promising middleweight prospects
- Kennedy Nzechukwu (9-3, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) faces Karl Roberson (9-5, fighting out of Neptune, N.J.) at light heavyweight
- Rising bantamweight prospects collide when Ronnie Lawrence (8-1, fighting out of Sunrise, Fla.) meets Saidyokub Kakhramonov (9-2, fighting out of Spokane, Wash. by way of Samarkand, Uzbekistan)
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