Las Vegas – UFC® returns to UFC APEX with a marquee matchup in the middleweight division, as No. 3 ranked contender Marvin Vettori collides with No. 4 Jared Cannonier. Also on the card, No. 8 ranked lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan battles Brazilian finisher Joaquim Silva.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: VETTORI vs. CANNONIER will take place Saturday, June 17 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (English and Spanish) starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The prelims will be available on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
Vettori (19-6-1, fighting out of Mezzocorona, Italy) looks to build another win streak and earn his way back into the title conversation. Among the toughest matchups at middleweight, he holds victories over Paulo Costa, Roman Dolidze and Jack Hermansson. Vettori now aims to defend his spot in the rankings by becoming the first middleweight to stop Cannonier.
Former heavyweight and light heavyweight Cannonier (16-6, fighting out of Anchorage, Alaska) plans to start his 2023 campaign with another statement performance. Known for his knockout power, Cannonier climbed to the Top 5 with notable finishes of Anderson Silva, Derek Brunson and Jack Hermansson. He now seeks to cement his place in line for the belt by taking out Vettori in dominant fashion.
Tsarukyan (19-3, fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia) returns to action determined to prove why he is considered a top contender in the lightweight division. After bursting onto the UFC scene with an impressive performance against Islam Makhachev, Tsarukyan earned wins over Damir Ismagulov, Joel Alvarez and Christos Giagos. He now intends to earn a quick victory over Silva and turn his attention to the top of the division.
Silva (12-4, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) has his sights set on making the most of the biggest opportunity of his MMA career. A well-rounded finisher, he has delivered highlight reel stoppages against Jared Gordon, Jesse Ronson and Andrew Holbrook. Silva now looks to shock the world and break into the rankings for the first time.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- An exciting middleweight bout sees Armen Petrosyan (8-2, fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia) match up against Christian Leroy Duncan (8-0, fighting out of Gloucester, England)
- Raoni Barcelos (17-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meets Miles Johns (13-2, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) in an intriguing bantamweight bout
- Manuel Torres (13-2, fighting out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico) battles Nikolas Motta (13-4, fighting out of Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil ) at lightweight
- Pat Sabatini (17-4, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) looks to secure another signature submission against Lucas Almeida (14-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazl) at featherweight
- The Ultimate Fighter season 30 finalist Zac Pauga (7-1, fighting out of Lakewood, Colo.) and Modestas Bukauskas (14-5, fighting out of London, England by way of Klaipeda, Lithuania) compete in a light heavyweight tilt
- Zhalgas Zhumagulov (14-8, fighting out of Aktobe, Kazakhstan) aims to spoil the UFC debut of Felipe Bunes (13-6, fighting out of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil)
- Flyweights Jimmy Flick (16-6, fighting out of Tulsa, Ok.) and Alessandro Costa (12-3, fighting out of Puebla, Mexico) plan to steal the show
- Welterweight strikers collide as Nicolas Dalby (21-4-1 2NC, fighting out of Copenhagen, Denmark) faces Muslim Salikhov (19-3, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia)
- Carlos Hernandez (8-2, fighting out of Cicero, Ill.) locks horns with Denys Bondar (16-4, fighting out of Kharkiv, Ukraine) at flyweight
- A tough bantamweight contest sees Dan Argueta (9-1, fighting out of Orland Park, Ill.) take on Ronnie Lawrence (8-2, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
- Kyung Ho Kang (18-9 1NC, fighting out of Busan, South Korea) and Cristian Quinonez (18-3, fighting out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico) meet at bantamweight
- Tereza Bleda (6-1, fighting out of Prague, Czech Republic) and Gabriella Fernandes (8-2, fighting out of Natal, Brazil) vie for their first UFC wins at flyweight
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