Las Vegas – UFC^® makes its highly anticipated return to Salt Lake City, Utah with a blockbuster welterweight championship bout that will see Kamaru Usman run it back with No. 2 ranked contender Leon Edwards.

UFC^® 278: USMAN vs. EDWARDS 2 will take place Sat., August 20 at Vivint Arena with the main card at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on ESPN+ PPV. The prelims will be seen on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, with the night’s action starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with Early Prelims on ESPN+ (English and Spanish) and UFC Fight Pass.

UFC^® 278: USMAN vs. EDWARDS 2 tickets will go on sale Friday, June 24 at 10 a.m. MT and 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 22 at 10 a.m. MT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, June 23 starting at 10 a.m. MT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Media members wishing to apply for UFC^® 278: USMAN vs. EDWARDS 2 fight week credentials may sign up here.

No. 1 men’s pound-for-pound fighter Usman (20-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas by way of Auchi, Nigeria) looks to continue his dominant run atop the welterweight division by netting his 20^th consecutive win. The winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 21, he holds spectacular victories over Colby Covington (twice), Jorge Masvidal (twice) and Gilbert Burns. Usman now aims to secure his sixth straight title defense by stopping Edwards in emphatic fashion.

Edwards (19-3 1NC, fighting out of Birmingham, England) has amassed an impressive 10-fight unbeaten streak since his first encounter with Usman in late 2015. A well-rounded competitor with KO power, he has secured memorable victories against Nate Diaz, Rafael Dos Anjos and Vicente Luque to earn his first UFC title opportunity. Edwards now intends to shock the world by dethroning Usman to achieve his dream of capturing UFC gold.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Former UFC featherweight champion and current No. 3 ranked bantamweight contender Jose Aldo (31-7, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) takes on surging No. 6 Merab Dvalishvili (14-4, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y. by way of Tbilisi, Georgia)
• No. 4 ranked middleweight contender Paulo Costa (13-2, fighting out of Contagem, Minas Gerais, Brazil) aims to spoil the return of former champion Luke Rockhold (16-5, fighting out of Santa Cruz, Calif.)
• No. 13 ranked flyweight contender Amir Albazi (14-1, fighting out of London, England by way of Baghdad, Iraq) locks horns with Francisco Figueiredo (13-4-1 1NC, fighting out of Soure, Para, Brazil)
• No. 10 ranked heavyweight contender Marcin Tybura (22-7, fighting out of Uniejow, Poland) faces undefeated No. 13 Alexandr Romanov (18-0, fighting out of Comrat City, Republic of Moldova) in a pivotal matchup
• Leonardo Santos (18-6-1, fighting out of Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) squares off with Jared Gordon (18-5, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) in an intriguing lightweight bout
• Wu Yanan (12-5, fighting out of Xi’an, China) meets Lucie Pudilova (13-7, fighting out of Pribram, Czech Republic) in a bantamweight contest
• Tyson Pedro (8-3, fighting out of Sydney, Australia) squares off with Harry Hunsucker (7-5, fighting out of Richmond, Ken.) at light heavyweight
• Daniel Lacerda (11-3, fighting out of Valença, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) faces Victor Altamirano (10-2, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas by way of Mexico City, Mexico) in a flyweight bout
• Aoriqileng (23-11, fighting out of Shanghai, China) takes on Jay Perrin (10-5, fighting out of Nashua, N.H.) at bantamweight
• AJ Fletcher (9-1, fighting out of Lafayette, La.) battles Ange Loosa (8-3, fighting out of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland by way of Kinshasa, DR Congo) in a welterweight tilt
• Sean Woodson (9-1, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) meets Luis Saldana (16-7, fighting out of Scottsdale, Ariz.) in a clash of promising featherweight prospects

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

UFC^® 278: USMAN vs. EDWARDS 2 is the result of a partnership with Smith Entertainment Group (Vivint Arena) and Utah Sports Commission.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About Vivint Arena

Vivint Arena is the home of the NBA Utah Jazz with a basketball seating capacity of 18,306 and serves as the region’s premier sports and entertainment venue in downtown Salt Lake City. It welcomes more than 100 events annually with nearly two million guests as the community gathering place. Vivint Arena has hosted the 1993 NBA All-Star Game, 2002 Olympic Winter Games, NCAA men’s basketball tournament and two NBA Finals. The arena has featured some of the biggest names in the music world with Garth Brooks, U2, Taylor Swift and The Rolling Stones among the largest concert draws in the arena’s history. In 2017, the arena underwent a $125 million renovation on all six levels to upgrade amenities, including food offerings, rebooted technology, fully-cushioned seats in the lower and upper bowls, new entry plaza, and a 12,000-square-foot atrium at the main doors. More information at www.vivintarena.com.

About Utah Sports Commission

The Utah Sports Commission was created to be a catalyst for Utah in its Olympic legacy efforts and to help enhance Utah’s economy, image, and quality of life through the attraction, promotion, and development of national and international sports. Since the 2002 Olympics and Paralympics, the Utah Sports Commission has attracted nearly 900 major events to the state. The Sports Commission works closely with communities, sports entities, and organizations to provide event services ranging from the bid process, on-site logistics, volunteer coordination, sponsorships and promotional opportunities, and other related services. It is a not-for-profit 501(c)6 business league and Utah Sports Commission Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization, is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees consisting of statewide sports, business, community, and government leaders. For more information, visit www.utahsportscommission.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.3 million subscribers. 

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads). Subscribers to Hulu + Live TV also receive ESPN+ at no additional cost. 

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a thrilling lightweight contenders’ bout featuring No. 11 ranked Arman Tsarukyan taking on No. 12 Mateusz Gamrot. The co-main event will see No. 10 ranked welterweight Neil Magny attempt to halt the momentum of undefeated No. 15 Shakvat Rakhmonov.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: TSARUKYAN vs. GAMROT will take place Saturday, June 25 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card will be available on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

One of the top lightweights in the sport today, Tsarukyan (18-2, fighting out of Krasnodar, Russia, by way of Yerevan, Armenia) looks to extend his five-fight win streak in his first UFC main event opportunity. During his last two trips to the Octagon, he secured impressive knockout wins against Joel Alvarez and Christos Giagos. Tsarukyan now aims to become the first person to finish Gamrot with a statement performance.

Thrilling grappler Gamrot (20-1, fighting out of Poznan, Poland) plans to continue his journey up the 155-pound rankings with a breakout performance. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, he has earned dominant wins over Scott Holtzman, Jeremy Stephens and Diego Ferreira. Gamrot now hopes to dispatch Tsarukyan and break into the Top 10 for the first time in his career.

Magny (26-9, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) returns to action seeking to take sole possession of the record for most UFC welterweight wins. A longtime fixture in the Top 10, he holds notable victories against fellow ranked opponents Geoff Neal and Li Jingliang. Magny now has his sights set on dispatching another rising welterweight contender.

Rakhmonov (15-0, fighting out of Kokshetau, Uzbekistan) hopes to bolster his undefeated résumé by taking out his first ranked opponent. In his first three UFC outings, the rising star has collected wins over Carlton Harris, Michel Prazeres and Alex Oliveira. Rakhmonov is now looking for another victory to maintain his 100 percent finishing rate and continue his meteoric ascent up the rankings.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• A heavyweight bout sees Josh Parisian (14-5, fighting out of Howell, Mich.) battle Alan Baudot (8-4, fighting out of Paris, France)
• Bantamweight prospects lock horns as Nate Maness (14-1, fighting out of Henderson, Kent.) seeks to hand Umar Nurmagomedov (14-0, fighting out of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia) his first loss
• Chris Curtis (28-8, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Cincinnati, Ohio) squares off with Rodolfo Vieira (8-1, fighting out of Orlando, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at middleweight
• Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (37-10, fighting out of Beijing, China) meets TJ Brown (16-8, fighting out of Little Rock, Ark.) in an intriguing featherweight bout
• Light heavyweight finishers collide as Carlos Ulberg (6-1, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand) returns against Tafon Nchukwi (6-2, fighting out of Temple Hill, Md.)
• Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil signee Thiago Moises (15-6, fighting out of Indaiatuba, Brazil) battles Christos Giagos (19-9, fighting out of Hawthorne, Calif.) at lightweight
• Raulian Paiva (21-4, fighting out of Amapa, Brazil) takes on Sergey Morozov (34-14, fighting out of Aktobe, Mangystau, Kazakhstan) in a bantamweight clash
• Bantamweights Brian Kelleher (24-13, fighting out of Selden, N.Y.) and Mario Bautista (9-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) aim to steal the show
• JP Buys (9-4, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif. by way of Johannesburg, South Africa) and Cody Durden (12-4-1, fighting out of Loganville, Ga.) meet in a flyweight bout
• Vanessa Demopoulos (7-4, fighting out of Brook Park, Ohio) and Jinh Yu Frey (11-6, fighting out of Arlington, Texas) square off at strawweight

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers.

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas – UFC^® makes its highly anticipated return to Salt Lake City, Utah with a blockbuster welterweight championship bout that will see Kamaru Usman run it back with No. 2 ranked contender Leon Edwards.

UFC^® 278: USMAN vs. EDWARDS 2 will take place Sat., August 20 at Vivint Arena and will be available live on ESPN+ PPV. Tickets are set to go on sale to the public on Friday, June 24 and will be available through ticketmaster.com.

No. 1 men’s pound-for-pound fighter Usman (20-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas by way of Auchi, Nigeria) looks to continue his dominant run atop the welterweight division by netting his 20^th consecutive win. The winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 21, he holds spectacular victories over Colby Covington (twice), Jorge Masvidal (twice) and Gilbert Burns. Usman now aims to secure his sixth straight title defense by stopping Edwards in emphatic fashion.

Edwards (19-3 1NC, fighting out of Birmingham, England) has amassed an impressive 10-fight unbeaten streak since his first encounter with Usman in late 2015. A well-rounded competitor with KO power, he has secured memorable victories against Nate Diaz, Rafael Dos Anjos and Vicente Luque to earn his first UFC title opportunity. Edwards now intends to shock the world by dethroning Usman to achieve his dream of capturing UFC gold.

UFC^® 278: USMAN vs. EDWARDS 2 marks the first event in Salt Lake City since UFC FIGHT NIGHT: RODRÍGUEZ vs. CACERES on August 6, 2016. The event is the result of a partnership with Smith Entertainment Group (Vivint Arena) and Utah Sports Commission.

Media members wishing to apply for UFC^® 278: USMAN vs. EDWARDS 2 credentials may sign up here.

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About Vivint Arena

Vivint Arena is the home of the NBA Utah Jazz with a basketball seating capacity of 18,306 and serves as the region’s premier sports and entertainment venue in downtown Salt Lake City. It welcomes more than 100 events annually with nearly two million guests as the community gathering place. Vivint Arena has hosted the 1993 NBA All-Star Game, 2002 Olympic Winter Games, NCAA men’s basketball tournament and two NBA Finals. The arena has featured some of the biggest names in the music world with Garth Brooks, U2, Taylor Swift and The Rolling Stones among the largest concert draws in the arena’s history. In 2017, the arena underwent a $125 million renovation on all six levels to upgrade amenities, including food offerings, rebooted technology, fully-cushioned seats in the lower and upper bowls, new entry plaza, and a 12,000-square-foot atrium at the main doors. More information at www.vivintarena.com.

About Utah Sports Commission

The Utah Sports Commission was created to be a catalyst for Utah in its Olympic legacy efforts and to help enhance Utah’s economy, image, and quality of life through the attraction, promotion, and development of national and international sports. Since the 2002 Olympics and Paralympics, the Utah Sports Commission has attracted nearly 900 major events to the state. The Sports Commission works closely with communities, sports entities, and organizations to provide event services ranging from the bid process, on-site logistics, volunteer coordination, sponsorships and promotional opportunities, and other related services. It is a not-for-profit 501(c)6 business league and Utah Sports Commission Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization, is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees consisting of statewide sports, business, community, and government leaders. For more information, visit www.utahsportscommission.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.3 million subscribers. 

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads). Subscribers to Hulu + Live TV also receive ESPN+ at no additional cost. 

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas – UFC^® will return to ABC for a third time with a thrilling battle between top featherweight contenders that has championship implications on the line when No. 2 ranked Brian Ortega takes on No. 3 Yair Rodriguez.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: ORTEGA vs. RODRIGUEZ will take place Saturday, July 16 at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, N.Y. The main card will air live on ABC at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT and will be simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes. The prelims will kick off on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT.

UFC^® FIGHT NIGHT: ORTEGA vs. RODRIGUEZ tickets will go on sale Friday, June 3 at 10 a.m. ET and 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 1 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 2 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Former featherweight title challenger Ortega (15-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) returns to the Octagon for the first time in almost a year. An elite grappler with knockout power, Ortega has impressed fans with highlight-reel finishes of Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson and Renato Moicano. He now intends to regain his momentum in the division by becoming the first person to submit Rodriguez.

Rodriguez (14-3, 1 NC, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) aims to secure his first shot at UFC gold with another showstopping performance. Considered a top prospect since he joined the UFC at 22 years old, Rodriguez has proven himself to be among the best fighters in the world with stoppages over BJ Penn, Chan Sung Jung and Andre Fili. He now plans to make a statement against Ortega and jump to the top of the rankings.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Elite flyweights No. 3 ranked Askar Askarov (14-1-1, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) and No. 6 Alex Perez (24-6, fighting out of Lemoore, Calif.) look to steal the show
• Top 15 bantamweights lock horns as No. 12 ranked Ricky Simon (19-3, fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.) faces undefeated No. 14 Jack Shore (16-0, fighting out of Abertillery, Wales, UK)
• Ranked women’s strawweight action sees No. 10 Michelle Waterson (18-9, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) match up with No. 11 Amanda Lemos (11-2-1, fighting out of Para, Brazil)
• Bill Algeo (15-6, fighting out of King of Prussia, Penn.) and Billy Quarantillo (16-4, fighting out of Tampa, Fla.) meet in an exciting featherweight bout
• Welterweight strikers No. 13 ranked Li Jingliang (18-7, fighting out of Beijing, China) and Muslim Salikhov (18-2, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) collide
• No. 9 ranked flyweight Matt Schnell (15-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) returns to action against No. 12 Sumudaerji (16-4, fighting out of Chengdu, Sichuan, China)
• Dwight Grant (11-5, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.) makes his UFC middleweight debut against Dustin Stoltzfus (13-4, fighting out of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany)
• Herbert Burns (11-3, fighting out of Lantana, Fla. by way of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) competes at bantamweight for the first time against undefeated, highly regarded prospect Khusein Askhabov (23-0, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Grozny, Chechnya)
• A thrilling middleweight bout sees Punahele Soriano (8-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) take on Dalcha Lungiambula (11-4, fighting out of Cape Town, South Africa)
• No. 15 ranked light heavyweight Dustin Jacoby (17-5-1, fighting out of Springfield, Ill.) has his sights set on defending his spot in the rankings against Da-un Jung (15-2-1, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea)

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About UBS Arena

UBS Arena?at Belmont Park?is?made for music and built for hockey. New York’s newest premier entertainment and sports venue and home of the New York Islanders is developed in partnership with Oak View Group, the New York Islanders, and Jeff Wilpon. The?state?of?the?art?arena opened in November 2021 and has welcomed top artists including Harry Styles, Sebastian Maniscalco, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, TWICE, Eagles and John Mayer. The venue will host more than 150 major events annually, while delivering an unmatched live entertainment experience including clear sightlines and premier acoustics. In an effort to build a greener future, UBS Arena intends on being carbon neutral for operations by 2024.

Located on the historic grounds of Belmont Park,?UBS Arena is located seven miles from JFK International Airport and is accessible via car and ride share at exits 26A, 26B, and 26D off the Cross Island Parkway.??For guests using the Long Island Rail Road, UBS Arena will be accessible to East and Westbound travelers at the Queens Village LIRR station, Eastbound travelers at the brand new Elmont-UBS Arena Station (accessible Westbound in Fall 2022), and via the Belmont Spur station, operating from Jamaica on event days. In addition to the Long Island Rail Road, the arena is also accessible via MTA Bus Routes Q2 and Q110 and the Nassau County Inter-Express N6 bus service.?

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.3 million subscribers. 

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads). Subscribers to Hulu + Live TV also receive ESPN+ at no additional cost. 

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to Dallas, Texas for the first time in almost four years, headlined by a thrilling women’s bantamweight championship rematch that will see Julianna Peña go for her first successful title defense against former titleholder and current women’s featherweight champion Amanda Nunes. The co-main event will feature the crowning of an interim flyweight champion when former titleholder Brandon Moreno runs it back with Kai Kara-France.

UFC^® 277: PENA vs. NUNES 2 takes place Saturday, July 30 at American Airlines Center in Dallas with the main card at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on ESPN+ PPV. The prelims will be seen on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with the night’s action starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with Early Prelims on ESPN+ (English and Spanish) and UFC Fight Pass.

UFC^® 277: PENA vs. NUNES 2 tickets will go on sale Friday, June 3 at 10 a.m. CT and 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 1 at 10 a.m. CT via the website ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, June 2 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Peña (12-4, fighting out of Chicago, Ill. by way of Spokane, Wash.) is coming off one of the most spectacular wins in MMA history, when she dethroned Nunes via submission late last year. The first woman to win The Ultimate Fighter, she has also delivered notable victories over Sara McMann, Nicco Montaño and Cat Zingano. Peña now hopes to finish Nunes a second time and continue building her legacy atop the women’s bantamweight division.

The greatest women’s fighter in combat sports history, Nunes (21-5, fighting out of Coral Springs, Fla. by way of Bahia, Brazil) intends to remind fans why she remained unbeaten for over six years. The only women’s UFC double-champion, she holds thrilling wins over Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm. Nunes now plans to avenge her loss to Peña by delivering another show-stealing performance to reclaim the belt.

Moreno (19-6-2, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) is determined to take out Kara-France and secure a fourth encounter with current champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Throughout his UFC run, the former titleholder has also earned impressive wins against Bradon Royval, Jussier Formiga and Louis Smolka. Moreno now looks to secure the interim flyweight championship by once again defeating Kara-France.

Kara-France (24-9 1NC, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand) expects to make the most of his first UFC title opporunity. Currently riding an impressive three-fight win streak, he has earned memorable victories over Askar Askarov, Cody Garbrandt and Rogério Bontorin. Kara-France now plans to even the score with Moreno and bring another UFC championship back to New Zealand.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Texas’ own and No. 5 ranked heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis (26-9 1NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas) locks horns with surging No. 11 Sergei Pavlovich (15-1, fighting out of Moscow, Russia)
• No. 4 ranked light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev (17-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) faces No. 5 Anthony Smith (36-16, fighting out of Omaha, Neb.) in a bout with title implications
• Drew Dober (24-11 1NC, fighting out of Denver, Colo. by way of Omaha, Neb.) battles Rafael Alves (20-10, fighting out of Miami, Fla. by way of Para, Brazil) in an exciting lightweight matchup
• Ramiz Brahimaj (10-4, fighting out of Dallas, Texas by way of the Bronx, N.Y.) clashes with Michael Morales (13-0, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) at welterweight
• Nicolae Negumereanu (12-1, fighting out of Brasov, Romania) takes on debuting Dana White’s Contender Series signee Ihor Potieria (20-2, fighting out of Kiev, Ukraine) at light heavyweight
• Justin Tafa (5-3, fighting out of Brisbane, Australia) meets Don’Tale Mayes (9-4, fighting out of Louisville, Ken.) in a hard-hitting heavyweight bout
• No. 15 ranked lightweight contender Diego Ferreira (17-5, fighting out of Pharr, Texas by way of Careiro da Várzea, Amazonas, Brazil) looks to defend his spot in the rankings against Drakkar Klose (12-2-1, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz. by way of South Haven, Mich.)
• Ji Yeon Kim (9-5-2, fighting out of Incheon, South Korea) faces Mariya Agapova (10-3, fighting out of Pavlodar, Kazakhstan) in a flyweight bout

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About American Airlines Center

Designed by architectural wizard David M. Schwarz and Dallas based HKS, Inc., American Airlines Center is considered one of the nation’s top arenas. Since opening its doors in 2001, the Center has been setting the precedent for sporting and live entertainment events. Bringing in a wide variety of big name shows as well as being home of both the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, American Airlines Center consistently displays its unique versatility. Billboard Magazine named American Airlines Center the 5th busiest arena in the world in 2021.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.3 million subscribers. 

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads). Subscribers to Hulu + Live TV also receive ESPN+ at no additional cost. 

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a hard-hitting heavyweight contenders’ bout between No. 7 ranked Alexander Volkov and No. 8 Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Exciting featherweight contenders collide in the co-main event when No. 10 ranked Dan Ige faces undefeated No. 13 Movsar Evloev.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: VOLKOV vs. ROZENSTRUIK will take place Saturday, June 4 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will stream exclusively on ESPN+, with the prelims beginning at 1 p.m. ET/ 10 a.m. PT and the main card at 4 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. PT.

Decorated veteran Volkov (34-10, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) is looking for another dominant performance. Throughout his 13-year MMA career, he has netted spectacular knockout wins against Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum and Stefan Struve. Volkov now intends to put the heavyweight division on notice by finishing Rozenstruik in impressive fashion.

Seasoned kickboxer Rozenstruik (12-3, fighting out of Paramaribo, Suriname) has utilized his elite striking arsenal to remain a fixture in the heavyweight division’s Top 10. With knockouts in each of his UFC victories, he has delivered exciting wins over Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski. Rozenstruik now has his sights set on dispatching Volkov with a highlight-reel performance.

Gritty competitor Ige (15-5, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Haleiwa, Hawaii) looks to become the first fighter to beat Evloev and defend his spot on the 145-pound ladder. Throughout his UFC stint, he has delivered memorable wins against Edson Barboza, Gavin Tucker and Mirsad Bektic. Ige now hopes to steal the show with another highlight-reel finish.

Talented grappler Evloev (15-0, fighting out of Sunzha, Republic of Ingushetia, Russia) aims to continue his unbeaten run by securing the biggest win of his career. Since joining the UFC roster in 2019, he has earned notable victories over Hakeem Dawodu, Nik Lentz and SeungWoo Choi. Evloev now looks to enter the featherweight division’s Top 10 with another emphatic victory.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• The Ultimate Fighter Season 27 winner Michael Trizano (10-2, fighting out of Ramsey, N.J.) squares off with Lucas Almeida (13-1, fighting out of Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil) at featherweight
• Dana White’s Contender Series signee Karine Silva (14-4, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) debuts against Poliana Botelho (8-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a flyweight bout
• Alonzo Menifield (11-3, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) faces UFC newcomer Askar Mozharov (25-7, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand by way of Odessa, Ukraine) in a light heavyweight matchup
• Felice Herrig (14-9, fighting out of Crystal Lake, Ill.) rematches former women’s strawweight title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz (12-7, fighting out of Lodz, Poland)
• Joe Solecki (11-3, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.) takes on Alex da Silva (21-3, fighting out of Balneario Camboriu, SC, Brazil) in an intriguing lightweight tilt
• Ode’ Osbourne (10-4 1NC, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) locks horns with Zarrukh Adashev (4-3, fighting out of New York, N.Y. by way of Samarkand, Uzbekistan) at flyweight
• Niklas Stolze (12-5, fighting out of Magdeburg, Germany) moves down to lightweight to face Benoit Saint Denis (8-1 1NC, fighting out of Paris, France)
• Johnny Munoz (11-1, fighting out of Norco, Calif.) battles Tony Gravely (22-7, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) at bantamweight
• Jeff Molina (10-2, fighting out of Olathe, Kan.) aims to keep his momentum going when he takes on Zhalgas Zhumagulov (14-6, fighting out of Aktobe, Kazakhstan) in a flyweight bout
• Rinat Fakhretdinov (20-2, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) debuts against Andreas Michailidis (13-5, fighting out of Athens, Greece) at welterweight
• Erin Blanchfield (8-1, fighting out of Elmwood Park, N.J.) and JJ Aldrich (11-4, fighting out of Aurora, Colo.) meet in a clash of rising flyweight prospects

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.3 million subscribers.

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads). Subscribers to Hulu + Live TV also receive ESPN+ at no additional cost.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas – UFC^® continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with a must-watch women’s bantamweight contenders’ bout featuring former champion and No. 2 ranked contender Holly Holm vs. No. 5 Ketlen Vieira. Also on the card, a welterweight matchup will see No. 14 ranked Santiago Ponzinibbio take on Michel Pereira.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: HOLM vs. VIEIRA will take place Saturday, May 21 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will stream exclusively on ESPN+, with the prelims beginning at 4 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. PT and the main card at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT.

Just weeks before she gets inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, former three-division boxing champion Holm (14-5, fighting out of Albuquerque, NM) has been showing off her striking prowess since joining the UFC in 2015. Since then, she’s made a name for herself by securing numerous highlight-reel knockouts, such as her victories over Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia. Now, Holm attempts to extend her two-fight win streak and reinsert herself into the title conversation.

Vieira (11-2, fighting out of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) looks to add another statement victory over a former champion to her resume. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo, she holds impressive wins over Miesha Tate, Sara McMann and Cat Zingano. Vieira now intends to snatch Holm’s spot in the rankings in her second consecutive UFC main event.

The Ultimate Fighter Brazil alumnus Ponzinibbio (29-4, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) aims to work his way up the welterweight rankings with a showstopping performance. A skilled striker with 14 first-round knockouts, he has earned notable wins over Neil Magny, Gunnar Nelson and Court McGee. Ponzinibbio now aims to defend his spot in the Top 15 against the surging Pereira. 

Pereira (26-11, fighting out of Las Vegas, NV.) plans to deliver another impressive performance against the toughest opponent of his career. The owner of 12 first-round finishes, Pereira has entertained fans with his victories over Danny Roberts, Niko Price and Andre Fialho. Now, Pereira hopes to further cement his welterweight run and break into the rankings for the first time.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• A clash of Dana White’s Contender Seriesalums sees Chidi Njokuani (21-7, 1 NC, fighting out of Saginaw, Texas) take on Dusko Todorovic (11-2, fighting out of Belgrade, Serbia)
• Jailton Almeida (15-2, fighting out of Salvador-Bahia, Brazil) makes his UFC heavyweight debut against Parker Porter (13-6, fighting out of West Hartford, Conn.)
• Eryk Anders (14-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Birmingham, Ala.) battles Junyong Park (13-5, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) in a middleweight bout
• Middleweights Joseph Holmes (7-2, fighting out of Garland, Texas) and Alen Amedovski (8-2, fighting out of Rome, Italy) lock horns
• Polyana Viana (12-4, fighting out of State of Para, Brazil) meets Tabatha Ricci (6-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) in an exciting strawweight bout
• Lightweight strikers Omar Morales (11-2, fighting out of Miami, Fla. by way of Caracas, Venezuela) and Uros Medic (7-1, fighting out of Santa Ana, Calif. by way of Novi Sad, Serbia) square off
• Thrilling bantamweights Jonathan Martinez (15-4, fighting out of Plainview, Texas) and Vince Morales (11-6, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) look to steal the show
• An intriguing featherweight bout sees Chase Hooper (10-2-1, fighting out of Enumclaw, Wash.) return to action against Felipe Colares (10-3, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Elise Reed (5-1, fighting out of Hillsborough, N.J.) matches up with Sam Hughes (6-4, fighting out of Everett, Wash.) at strawweight

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.3 million subscribers. 

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads). Subscribers to Hulu + Live TV also receive ESPN+ at no additional cost. 

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas – UFC International Fight WeekÔ returns to Las Vegas and will be capped by a stacked card headlined by a blockbuster championship double header. In the main event, reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya defends his crown against No. 2 ranked contender Jared Cannonier. In the co-main event, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has his sights set on successfully defending his title once again against No. 1 ranked contender Max Holloway.

UFC^® 276: ADESANYA vs. CANNONIER takes place Sat., July 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with the main card at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on ESPN+ PPV.  The prelims will be seen on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with the night’s action starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with Early Prelims on ESPN+ (English and Spanish) and UFC Fight Pass.

UFC^® 276: ADESANYA vs. CANNONIER tickets will go on sale Friday, May 13 at 10 a.m. PT and are available for purchase at axs.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, May 11 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, May 12 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Arguably the most popular champion in the UFC today, Adesanya (22-1, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand) goes for his fifth consecutive title defense against one of his most dangerous opponents to date. Undefeated at middleweight in his MMA career, he has delivered impressive victories over former champions Robert Whittaker (twice) and Anderson Silva, as well as Marvin Vettori and Paulo Costa. Adesanya now plans to further extend his legacy as champion by taking out another top contender in stylish fashion.

Cannonier (15-5, fighting out of Anchorage, Alaska) intends to make the most of his first UFC title shot with another signature KO. A former heavyweight and light heavyweight, Cannonier has proven that he can knock out anyone in any weight class, but it’s at middleweight where he’s been at his most devastating, with his victories over Derek Brunson, Jack Hermansson and David Branch as proof. He now aims to dethrone Adesanya and add his name to the list of middleweight champions.

Surging UFC featherweight king Volkanovski (24-1, fighting out of Windang, New South Wales, Australia) has cemented himself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Undefeated in UFC in 11 fights, he is currently riding the momentum of two sensational championship victories over Brian Ortega and Chan Sung Jung. Volkanovski now expects to leave no doubt in his trilogy with Holloway that he is the true champion of the division.

Fan favorite Holloway (23-6, fighting out of Waianae, Hawaii) is gunning to regain his title and further his legacy as one of the best featherweights in UFC history. The record holder for most featherweight wins, finishes and strikes landed, Holloway has entertained fans with wins over Yair Rodriguez, Calvin Kattar and Jose Aldo (twice). He now looks to make a statement in his third fight with Volkanovski and secure another impressive stoppage.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• An intriguing middleweight battle with title implications sees No. 4 ranked contender Sean Strickland (25-3, fighting out of Corona, Calif.) battle Alex Pereira (5-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• A compelling bantamweight bout sees No. 10 ranked contender Pedro Munhoz (19-7, 1 NC, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) aim to silence No. 13 ranked Sean O’Malley (15-1, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.)
• Ranked middleweights collide as elite striker No. 9 Uriah Hall (18-10, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) locks horns with submission ace Andre Muniz (22-4, fighting out of Minas Gerais, Brazil)
• Jessica Rose-Clark (11-7, 1 NC, fighting out of Innisfail, Australia) returns to action against Julija Stoliarenko (9-7-1, fighting out of Utena County, Lithuania)
• No. 12 ranked middleweight contender Brad Tavares (19-7, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) plans to defend his spot in the Top 15 against Dricus du Plessis (16-2, fighting out of Gauteng, South Africa)
• No. 2 ranked women’s flyweight Lauren Murphy (15-5, fighting out of Houston, Texas) intends to steal the show against former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate (19-8, fighting out of  Las Vegas, Nev.)
• No. 12 ranked women’s flyweight contender Jessica Eye (15-10, 1 NC, fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio) meets Maycee Barber (10-2, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) in a pivotal bout
• Former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (29-16, 1 NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) and Bryan Barberena (17-8, fighting out of Gastonia, N.C.) go head-to-head in an early Fight of the Night contender

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in over 40 different languages. 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. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About T-Mobile Arena

T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between Park MGM and New York-New York, opened April 6, 2016. The arena hosts more than 100 events annually including major headline entertainment, awards shows, UFC, boxing, basketball and other sporting events, family shows and special events. T-Mobile Arena also is the home of the Vegas Golden Knights, a National Hockey League expansion team and the city’s first professional sports team, as well as UFC’s exclusive Las Vegas arena destination. The venue, named the No. 1 venue on Billboard Magazine’s 2018 Arena Power List as well as the “Best New Major Concert Venue” by Pollstar Magazine in 2016, features 50 luxury suites, more than two dozen private loge boxes, complete broadcast facilities, and other specially designed exclusive hospitality offerings and fan amenities destined to create a guest experience second to none. Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, features performance stages, a variety of video screens and other interactive content and display areas. Industry-leading architect Populous designed T-Mobile Arena to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards for LEED® Gold Certification. T-Mobile Arena is a privately funded joint venture between AEG and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information, visit T-MobileArena.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 17.1 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas – UFC^® today announced that former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Modern Wing’ as a member of the Class of 2022. The 2022 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires^®, will take place on Thursday, June 30, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tickets can be purchased via AXS. The event will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS^® starting at 7 p.m. PT.

“Daniel Cormier is one of the most badass competitors of all time,” said UFC President Dana White. “DC faced the greatest athletes in the world on every level of wrestling and MMA. He is also the ultimate professional. As an active fighter, he always took time for the media, which led him to become one of the best TV analysts in all of sports. DC is one of the greatest ambassadors UFC has ever had, and it’s going to be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

Cormier will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as a member of the Modern Wing, joining others in this distinguished category, including Forrest Griffin (2013), BJ Penn (2015), Urijah Faber (2017), Ronda Rousey (2018), Michael Bisping (2019), Rashad Evans (2019), Georges St-Pierre (2020) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (2022). The “Modern Era” category includes athletes who turned pro on or after November 17, 2000 (when the first UFC event under the unified rules of MMA was held), are a minimum age of 35 or who have been retired for one year or more.

A veteran of 26 fights during his 11-year professional MMA career, Cormier compiled a record of 22-3, 1 NC (18-3, 1 NC UFC / Strikeforce), notching victories over former UFC heavyweight champions Stipe Miocic, Frank Mir, and Josh Barnett, as well as former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, UFC^Ò 17: REDEMPTION middleweight tournament and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson, and former Cage Warriors super heavyweight champion Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. He also secured notable wins over Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony Johnson, and Derrick Lewis.

Cormier made his professional MMA debut during STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS: KENNEDY vs. CUMMINGS on September 25, 2009, defeating Gary Frazier via TKO (punches) in the second round. Cormier would then defeat his next 10 opponents, becoming the King of the Cage heavyweight champion and winning the 2012 Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix before joining UFC.

Cormier made his UFC debut against Frank Mir during UFC on FOX: HENDERSON vs. MELENDEZ on April 20, 2013. Cormier defeated Mir via unanimous decision and followed with victories over Roy Nelson, Patrick Cummins, and Dan Henderson, to earn his first shot at the UFC light heavyweight title against UFC Hall of Famer Jon Jones at UFC 182.

UFC^Ò 182: JONES vs. CORMIER took place on January 3, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and served as the first UFC main event of Cormier’s career. Cormier would lose his first title shot to Jones via unanimous decision, but the title would be vacated three days later, as it was revealed that Jones failed his pre-fight drug test.

Cormier was granted his second opportunity to claim his first UFC championship when he faced Anthony Johnson for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title at UFC^Ò 187: JOHNSON vs. CORMIER. In that event, which took place on May 23, 2015, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Cormier dominated the first two rounds before submitting Johnson via rear-naked choke in the third to capture his first UFC title.

Cormier would then win four of his next five fights over three years, defending the light heavyweight title three times in the process. Cormier returned to the heavyweight division to face champion Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC^Ò 226: MIOCIC vs. CORMIER, which took place on July 7, 2018, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

After grappling with Miocic across the Octagon, Cormier connected with a short right hand with 27 seconds remaining in the first round to defeat Miocic via TKO. The win etched his name into the record books as he became only the second athlete in UFC history to hold two divisional titles simultaneously.

Cormier then defended the UFC heavyweight title four months later by defeating Derrick Lewis vis rear-naked choke submission in the main event of UFC^Ò 230: CORMIER vs. LEWIS, on November 3, 2018, at Madison Square Garden.

Following his UFC heavyweight title defense, Cormier vacated the UFC light heavyweight championship and focused solely on defending the heavyweight title. He faced Miocic two more times in the main events of UFC^Ò 241: CORMIER vs. MIOCIC 2 and UFC^Ò 252: MIOCIC vs. CORMIER 3, losing both, before officially retiring from competition.

During his Hall of Fame career, Cormier trained under Javier Mendez at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, Calif. He is one of several former UFC champions to train at AKA under Mendez.

Cormier enters the UFC Hall of Fame with an impressive resume that includes:

• One of only four simultaneous two-division champions in UFC history (Light Heavyweight & Heavyweight)

• Most significant strikes head landed in a UFC heavyweight fight (UFC 241 vs. Miocic) – 162

• Most significant strikes landed in a UFC heavyweight fight (UFC 241 vs. Miocic) – 181

• Second-most significant head strikes landed in a UFC light heavyweight fight (UFC 192 vs. Gustafsson) – (111)

• Third-most title fight wins in UFC light heavyweight history – (4)

• Third-highest significant striking accuracy in UFC heavyweight history – (61.6%)

• Third-most significant strikes landed in a UFC light heavyweight fight (UFC 192 vs. Gustafsson) –140

• Tied for third-most significant clinch strikes landed in a UFC light heavyweight fight (UFC 192 vs. Gustafsson) – (48)

• Tied for 10^th-most title fight victories in UFC history – (6)

A native of Lafayette, Louisiana, Cormier began wrestling at Northside High School, capturing three consecutive (1995-97) Louisiana State Division 1 wrestling titles while also earning All-State honors each year. Cormier finished his high school career with a record of 101-9. Following high school, Cormier began his college wrestling career at Colby Community College (Kansas), securing a perfect 61-0 record en route to becoming a two-time Junior College National Champion (1998-99) in the 197 lbs. division. In 2000, Cormier transferred to Oklahoma State University, posting a 53-10 record and earning All-American honors as a senior in 2001. In 2009, he was inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame and the Louisiana High School Athletic Association in 2021.

Following his collegiate career, Cormier competed in freestyle wrestling, winning six consecutive gold medals (2003-08) during the USA Senior National Wrestling Championships. He also competed internationally, capturing the gold medal in 2002 and 2003 during the Pan American Championships, as well as the gold medal at the Pan American Games in 2003. Cormier was also as a member of the US Olympic Wrestling team for the 2004 and 2008 Summer Games.

Outside the Octagon, Cormier has become an accomplished combat sports analyst with ESPN and serves as a commentator during UFC events. He also serves as the co-host of DC & RC with NFL Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark, and hosts his own digital series, “The DC Check-In” on YouTube. Earlier this year, he also served as a wrestling analyst for ESPN during the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships.

Cormier also serves as the full-time head coach of the Gilroy High School wrestling team, while also coaching multiple youth teams at the Daniel Cormier Wrestling Academy. Cormier resides in Gilroy, California, with his wife, Salina, and three children.

To view Cormier’s UFC FIGHT PASS collection please visit: https://ufcfightpass.com/playlist/10134.

To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFC.com/HOF. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a thrilling light heavyweight contenders’ battle that will see former champion and current No. 1 ranked Jan Blachowicz take on surging No. 3 Aleksandar Rakic. In the co-main event, No. 13 ranked light heavyweight Ryan Spann battles dangerous striker Ion Cutelaba.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: BLACHOWICZ vs. RAKIC will take place Saturday, May 14 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card will be available on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.

Blachowicz (28-9, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) aims to kick off his 2022 campaign with another spectacular KO victory. During his UFC run, he has delivered memorable wins against Israel Adesanya, Dominick Reyes and Luke Rockhold. Blachowicz now looks to stop Rakic’s momentum with a show-stealing performance and set himself up for another crack at the championship.

Rakic (14-2, fighting out of Vienna, Austria) hopes to keep his momentum going following victories over former title challengers Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith. A well-rounded competitor with KO power, he has also secured notable stoppage victories over Jimi Manuwa and Devin Clark. Rakic now hopes to take out a former champion and stake his claim for his first UFC title shot.

Spann (19-7, fighting out of Beaumont, Texas) plans to turn heads with another highlight reel victory. A Dana White’s Contender Series veteran, he has earned exciting finishes against Misha Cirkunov, Devin Clark and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Spann now intends to defend his spot in the Top 15 by stopping Cutelaba in emphatic fashion.

Heavy-handed Cutelaba (16-6-1 1NC, fighting out of Chisinau, Republic of Moldova) is gunning for the biggest victory of his career. An aggressive striker, he has delivered thrilling knockouts over Khalil Rountree Jr., Gadzhimurad Antigulov and Henrique da Silva. Cutelaba now has his sights set on finishing Spann to crack the light heavyweight Top 15.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Davey Grant (13-6, fighting out of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England) battles Louis Smolka (17-8, fighting out of Kapolei, Hawaii) in an exciting bantamweight matchup
• No. 2 ranked women’s flyweight contender Katlyn Chookagian (17-4, fighting out of Amity Harbor, N.Y. by way of Quakertown, Penn.) looks to spoil the 125-pound return of No. 8 strawweight Amanda Ribas (11-2, fighting out of Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil)
• Frank Camacho (22-9, fighting out of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands) faces debuting Dana White’s Contender Series signee Manuel Torres (12-2, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico)
• Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Jake Hadley (8-0, fighting out of Oldbury, Sandwell, England) debuts against Allan Nascimento (17-6, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) in a flyweight bout
• No. 8 ranked women’s flyweight contender Viviane Araujo (10-3, fighting out of Brasília, Federal District, Brazil) takes on Andrea Lee (13-5, fighting out of Shreveport, La.)
• Fan favorite Michael Johnson (20-17, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) returns to action against Alan Patrick (15-3 1NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at lightweight
• No. 11 ranked strawweight contender Virna Jandiroba (17-3, fighting out of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil) collides with No. 12 Angela Hill (13-11, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.)
• Undefeated flyweight Tatsuro Taira (10-0, fighting out of Naha, Okinawa, Japan) debuts against Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Carlos Candelario (8-1, fighting out of Hartford, Conn.)
• Undefeated Nick Maximov (8-0, fighting out of Stockton, Calif.) squares off with The Ultimate Fighter season 28 veteran Andre Petroski (7-2, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.)

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers.

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to Austin, Texas for the first time since 2018 to hold its first event in the brand-new Moody Center. Headlining the event will be a featherweight matchup sure to deliver fireworks as No. 4 ranked contender Calvin Kattar takes on No.7 ranked Josh Emmett. Also on the card, respected veteran Tim Means battles fan favoriteKevin Holland. 

UFC^® FIGHT NIGHT: KATTAR vs EMMETT will take place Saturday, June 18 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The prelims will start at 4 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. PT on ESPN2 and ESPN+, followed by the main card at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT on ESPN and ESPN+.

UFC^® FIGHT NIGHT: KATTAR vs EMMETT tickets will go on sale Friday, May 6 at 10 a.m. CT and 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, May 4 at 10 a.m. CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday May 5 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Kattar (23-5, fighting out of Boston, Mass.) aims to continue his resurgence up the featherweight ranks by taking out another formidable test. A tough striker with the majority of his UFC wins coming via KO, Kattar proved himself among the elite in the division with notable victories over Jeremy Stephens, Ricardo Lamas and Shane Burgos. He now has his sights set on delivering another statement performance in his fourth consecutive UFC main event.

Knockout artist Emmett (17-2, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) looks to notch the biggest victory of his UFC career and break into the Top 5 for the first time. Currently on the longest win streak of his UFC tenure, Emmett has delighted fans with incredible finishes over Mirsad Bektic, Michael Johnson and Ricardo Lamas. He now seeks to become the first person to knock out Kattar and insert himself into the title conversation.

Highly regarded veteran Means (32-12-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) has been exciting UFC fans since his debut in 2012. A well-rounded athlete who is dangerous wherever the fight goes, Means is riding the second-longest win streak of his UFC career, which includes victories over Laureano Staropoli, Mike Perry and Nicolas Dalby. He now intends to steal the show by stopping Holland in the Lone Star State.

Texas’ own Holland (22-7, 1 NC, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) has cemented himself as one of the most entertaining athletes on the roster, both for his fighting style and his captivating personality. A veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series, Holland has competed at both middleweight and welterweight, securing notable wins over “Jacare” Souza, Joaquin Buckley and Alex Oliveira. He now plans to put on a show for his fans in his first UFC fight in his home state.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Welterweight action sees veteran Court McGee (22-10, fighting out of Orem, Utah) face off with Jeremiah Wells (10-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Philadelphia, Pa.)
• KO artist Joaquin Buckley (14-4, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) returns to action against Albert Duraev (15-3, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Grozny, Russia) at middleweight
• Dana White’s Contender Series signee Jasmine Jasudavicious (7-1, fighting out of Ontario, Canada) goes for her second UFC win when she takes on the debuting Natalia Silva (12-5-1, fighting out of Novo Eldorado, Minas Gerais, Brazil)
• Damir Ismagulov (23-1, fighting out of Orenurgskaia, Russia) meets Guram Kutateladze (12-2, fighting out of Stockholm, Sweden by way of Tbilisi, Georgia) in a lightweight bout
• Maria Oliveira (12-5, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) aims to secure her first UFC victory when she battles Gloria de Paula (6-4, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• Bantamweight veteran Eddie Wineland (24-15-1, fighting out of Chesterton, Ind.) aims to make a statement against Cody Stamann (19-5-1, fighting out of Sparta, Mich.)
• An exciting middleweight bout sees Roman Dolidze (9-1, fighting out of Batumi, Georgia) lock horns with Kyle Daukaus (11-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Philadelphia, Pa.)
• Phil Hawes (11-3, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) plans to return to his winning ways against Deron Winn (7-2, fighting out of Gilroy, Calif.)
• Fan favorite Julian Marquez (9-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) seeks to earn another notable win when he meets Gregory Rodrigues (11-4, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About Moody Center

Moody Center will provide the nation’s 11th largest city with a premier venue to host the biggest artists and acts on the planet. Designed specifically for concerts, the new arena replaces the 45-year-old Frank C. Erwin Jr. Center at The University of Texas and is home to The University of Texas Women’s and Men’s basketball games, family shows, and other sporting and community events. Moody Center is the first of its kind in the industry with an unrivaled partnership between Oak View Group, Live Nation/C3 Presents, The University of Texas at Austin and Minister of Culture, Matthew McConaughey.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers.

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas – UFC^® continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with a thrilling bantamweight contenders’ bout that will see No. 5 ranked Rob Font take on No. 8 Marlon Vera. The co-main event will see former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski  go for his fourth consecutive win when he meets Jake Collier.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: FONT vs. VERA will take place Saturday, April 30 UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card will be available on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT.

Exciting striker Font (19-5, fighting out of Woburn, Mass.) entered the bantamweight Top 5 with a three-year undefeated run beginning in 2018. During this time, he secured exciting wins against former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt, Marlon Moraes and Sergio Pettis. Font now aims to defend his spot in the rankings by becoming the first fighter to finish Vera.

Diverse finisher Vera (18-7-1, fighting out of Chone, Manabí, Ecuador) looks to continue his ascent up the 135-pound ladder with another show-stealing performance. Throughout his UFC run, he has earned memorable victories over former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, Davey Grant and Sean O’Malley. Vera now intends to stop Font to crack the division’s Top 5 for the first time in his career.

Arlovski (33-20 2NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) looks to extend his record for most wins in UFC heavyweight history to 23. A seasoned MMA veteran, he holds notable victories against former titleholders Fabricio Werdum, Frank Mir and Tim Sylvia. Arlovski now has his sights set on dispatching another rising heavyweight to earn a shot at a Top 15 ranked contender.

Collier (13-6, fighting out of Cuba, Mo.) hopes to further cement his heavyweight run by taking out his first former champion. A former UFC middleweight, he has delivered impressive wins over Chase Sherman, Gian Villante and Marcel Fortuna. Collier is now gunning for another finish at heavyweight by delivering a highlight-reel performance.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Andre Fili (21-8 1NC, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) squares off with Joanderson Brito (12-3-1, fighting out of Bauru, Sao Paulo, Brazil) at featherweight
• Jared Gordon (18-4, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) meets Grant Dawson (17-1-1, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.) in an intriguing lightweight bout
• Perennial fan favorite Darren Elkins (27-10, fighting out of Portage, Ind.) battles Tristan Connelly (14-7, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada) at featherweight
• Krzysztof Jotko (23-5, fighting out of Orneta, Poland) takes on Gerald Meerschaert (34-14, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) in a clash of middleweight veterans
• Daniel Lacerda (11-2, fighting out of Valença, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) faces Francisco Figueiredo (12-4-1 1NC, fighting out of Soure, Para, Brazil) at flyweight
• Gabe Green (10-3, fighting out of San Pedro, Calif.) meets unbeaten Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Yohan Lainesse (8-0, fighting out of Saint-Bruno, Quebec, Canada) in a welterweight bout
• Natan Levy (6-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Herzliya, Israel) and Mike Breeden (10-4, fighting Lee’s Summit, Mo.) each vie for their first UFC victory in a lightweight bout
• Gina Mazany (7-5, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) takes on Shanna Young (8-5, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) at flyweight
• Undefeated flyweight Tatsuro Taira (10-0, fighting out of Naha, Okinawa, Japan) debuts against Dana White’s Contender Series signee Carlos Candelario (8-1, fighting out of Hartford, Conn.)

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers.

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas – UFC^® continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with an intriguing matchup in the strawweight division, as No. 10 ranked contender Amanda Lemos attempts to spoil the return of former champion Jessica Andrade. In the heavyweight co-main event, Tanner Boser plots to stop the undefeated up and comer Alexandr Romanov.  

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: LEMOS vs ANDRADE will take place Saturday, April 23 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will stream on ESPN+, with the prelims beginning at 3 p.m. PT/ 6 p.m. ET and the main card at 6 p.m. PT/ 9 p.m. ET.

Lemos (11-1-1, fighting out of Para, Brazil) looks to extend her five-fight win streak in her first UFC main event. During her climb up the rankings, Lemos proved she is among the best in the division with wins over Angela Hill, Montserrat Conejo, and Livinha Souza. She now targets to secure the biggest victory of her career by defeating former strawweight champion Andrade and breaking into the Top 5.

No. 1 ranked women’s flyweight Andrade (22-9, fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) steps back into the strawweight division for the first time since 2020. The Muay Thai specialist, who has nine knockouts and seven submissions to her name, plans to recapture the momentum at 115 pounds that saw her secure memorable victories over Rose Namajunas, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Tecia Torres, as well as a world title. She now aims to finish Lemos and begin her rise back to the top of the division.   

Boser (20-8-1, fighting out of Bonnyville, Alberta) seeks to continue his ascent after an impressive knockout over veteran Ovince St. Preux in his last bout. The Karate expert, who has 10 wins by knockout and two by submission, now has his sights set on sending a message to the rest of the heavyweights and erasing Romanov’s undefeated record.

Romanov (15-0, fighting out of Comrat, Gagauzia, Moldova) intends to make the most of his first UFC co-main event opportunity after finishing Jared Vanderaa in spectacular fashion. The wrestler, who has a remarkable 10 first-round finishes and a 93 percent finishing rate, now strives to keep his perfect record in an exciting matchup that will almost certainly end in a finish.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Veteran Clay Guida (37-21, fighting out of Johnsburg, Ill.) hopes to end Claudio Puelles’ (11-2, fighting out Lima, Peru) four-fight win streak in a lightweight matchup
• Featherweights Lando Vannata (12-5-2, fighting out Albuquerque, N.M.)and Charles Jourdain (12-4-1, fighting out of Beloeil, Quebec, Canada) face off in an all-action bout
• No. 14 ranked women’s flyweight Maycee Barber (9-2, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wis.) meets submission technician Montana De La Rosa (12-6-1, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas)
• No. 12 ranked flyweight contender Sumudaerji (15-4, fighting out of Sichuan, China) looks to continue his winning streak against No. 14 ranked Manel Kape (17-6, fighting out Phuket, Thailand by way of Porto, Portugal)
• Welterweight action sees Louis Cosce (7-1, fighting out of Arcata, Calif.) face off with submission ace Preston Parsons (9-3, fighting out of Jacksonville Beach, Fla.)
• Jordan Wright (12-2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) battles Marc-Andre Barriualt (13-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla. by way of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada) in a 190-pound catchweight bout
• Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Dwight Grant (11-4, fighting out of Brooklyn, N.Y.) takes on Karate specialist Sergey Khandozhko (27-6-1, fighting out of Krasnodar, Krasnodar Krai, Russia) at welterweight
• Light heavyweights Tyson Pedro (7-3, fighting out of Sydney, Australia) and Ike Villanueva (18-13, fighting out of Lansing, Mich.) lock horns
• Flyweights Aoriqileng (20-11, fighting out of Inner Mongolia, China) and Cameron Else (10-5, fighting out of England, United Kingdom) face off as they both look to capture their first UFC win
• Marcin Prachnio (15-5, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) and Philipe Lins (14-5, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil) battle at light heavyweight
• Dean Barry (4-1, fighting out of Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland.) and Michael Jackson (0-1, 1 NC fighting out of Houston, Texas) square off as they look to make a name for themselves at welterweight

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Las Vegas ­– UFC^® today announced that the classic 2016 fight between featherweights Cub Swanson and Dooho Choi will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Fight Wing’ as a part of the class of 2022. The 2022 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires^®, will take place during the 10^th Annual UFC International Fight Week^Ô this summer in Las Vegas and will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS^®.

“The fight between Cub Swanson and Dooho Choi is one of the greatest fights of all time,” said UFC President Dana White. “This fight was an absolute war for all three rounds and both guys left everything they had inside the Octagon, it was crazy! This fight was an incredible display of heart, endurance and determination and it was so good, it was named the 2016 Fight of the Year. Congratulations to Cub Swanson and Dooho Choi on a fight that will always be remembered as one of the best ever!”

As one of the featured main card bouts of UFC^® 206: HOLLOWAY vs. PETTIS, which took place on December 10, 2016, at Air Canada Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Swanson and Choi entered the event on winning streaks of two and 12, respectively.

Swanson entered the Octagon^® ranked #4 in the division with a 23-7 record that included victories over current UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier and former Shooto welterweight champion Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Choi, who was ranked #11 in the division, entered the fight having won all three of his previous UFC fights and possessed an impressive overall record of 14-1 that included wins over former Pancrase lightweight champion Shoji Maruyama and former Shooto welterweight champion Mitsuhiro Ishida.

At the beginning of the fight, Swanson and Choi quickly advanced to the center of the Octagon, with Choi striking first with a straight right before clinching and administering multiple knees. On the break, Choi tripped Swanson using his left leg, causing Swanson to slide into in a standing guillotine. With the standing guillotine in place, Choi administered three more knees that created heavy swelling over Swanson’s right eye.

Swanson recovered quickly and began to take control of the fight by dictating the pace and striking first during each exchange, as both athletes would trade flurries of punches, knees and leg kicks throughout the remainder of the first round.

Swanson raced to the center of the Octagon at the beginning of round two, resuming his role as the aggressor and applying consistent pressure with the focus of forcing Choi to fight off of his back foot from a defensive position. This was an in-fight adjustment made by his corner in between rounds, as his team felt that Choi could not maintain an offensive attack from this position.

With 3:55 left in the second, Swanson connected on a barrage of punches and body kicks, driving Choi to the fence and briefly to the ground in an attempt to withstand the continuous shots coming from Swanson.

At the end of the exchange, Choi caught Swanson with a right hook, stunning him and sending him down to one knee. Swanson quickly stood up, but had not fully recovered, so he retreated to the fence and covered up as Choi unleashed his own set of punches, attempting to finish Swanson on his feet. Dazed, but still active on his feet, Swanson survived by using jabs and straight kicks to push Choi outside of striking distance in an attempt to allow himself to recover and survive the attack.

From a clinched position, Swanson took advantage and took Choi down with a judo throw, then immediately moved into a mounted position for the first takedown of the fight. With 2:55 remaining in the second, Swanson took Choi’s back and attempted to secure both hooks, but Choi was able to scramble and evade Swanson’s submission attempt, with Swanson still maintaining full guard position.

Known for his strong ground attack as a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Swanson controlled the action in both half and full guard until letting Choi stand up and resume trading punches. Both athletes swung for the fences with each punch, with Swanson connecting on a rarely used cartwheel kick, which stunned Choi and brought the sold-out crowd of more than 18,000 fans to their feet and into a frenzy of excitement.

Swanson, in control of the round, began to swing wildly, fighting with a more relaxed style with hands down as opposed to the more technical Choi, whose counterpunches rocked Swanson during each exchange. Swanson closed the final 45 seconds of the round by connecting on numerous punches and a spinning backfist that sent Choi to the fence and almost knocked him out on his feet. Both athletes connected with punches to end the round, neither giving an inch.

The non-stop pace continued in round three, with both Swanson and Choi exchanging punches and body kicks in the center of the Octagon. Choi successfully executed a takedown of Swanson with 3:50 left in the round, but Swanson quickly countered to gain top position. After trading punches and elbows on the canvas, Swanson would stand and allow Choi to do the same with 2:55 remaining. Swanson immediately took control of the pace with a barrage of punches that stunned Choi on the fence, before taking Choi back to the canvas via hip toss with 2:32 remaining. Swanson applied pressure via headlock but stood back up with Choi with 2:00 minutes left in the fight.

The slugfest continued for the final minutes of the third round, with Swanson connecting on a Superman punch with 15 seconds left that nearly sent Choi to the ground. Swanson completed one more takedown of Choi before the end of the round, concluding the fight in top position. At the end of the fight, both athletes received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Swanson won the bout via unanimous decision, earning a headlining spot in his next bout against Artem Lobov at UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: SWANSON vs. LOBOV, which took place four months later on April 22, 2017, in Nashville, Tennessee.

During the event, Swanson and Choi landed a combined 188 significant strikes, the most for a featherweight fight in 2016. Swanson landed 111 of the 188 significant strikes, which also set a high mark as the most by a featherweight in a single bout in 2016. The fight won the Fight of the Night performance award and would be acknowledged by ESPN and the Fighters Only Magazine World MMA Awards as “2016 Fight of the Year.”

Swanson has continued to flourish inside the Octagon, having won three of his last four fights, and he most recently defeated veteran Darren Elkins. He currently holds the record for most post-fight bonuses in UFC featherweight history with nine. Choi would lose his next two fights against Jeremy Stephens and Charles Jourdain, before retiring at the end of 2019 with a 14-4 record. Each of Choi’s final five bouts earned a post-fight bonus.

To view the fight on UFC FIGHT PASS for free, please visit: https://ufcfightpass.com/video/47681

To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFC.com/HOF. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with an exciting welterweight contenders’ bout that will see No. 4 ranked Vicente Luque run it back with No. 5 Belal Muhammad. The co-main event will see Dana White’s Contender Series contract winners collide when Caio Borralho  faces Gadzhi Omargadzhiev at middleweight.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: LUQUE vs. MUHAMMAD 2 will take place Saturday, April 16 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card will be available on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT. The preliminary card will kick off on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT.

Diverse finisher Luque (21-7-1, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil) is currently riding the hottest streak of his MMA career. Victorious in 11 of his last 12 bouts, he holds impressive finishes against Michael Chiesa, Tyron Woodley and Niko Price (twice). Luque now has his sights set on once again stopping Muhammad to stake his claim for a welterweight title shot.

Muhammad (20-3 1NC, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) is riding a wave of momentum that has seen him go unbeaten for the past three years. A well-rounded competitor, he has secured notable victories over Stephen Thompson, Demian Maia and Dhiego Lima. Muhammad now looks to even the score with Luque and earn his first UFC championship opportunity.

Borralho (10-1 1NC, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) hopes to turn heads in his first UFC co-main event opportunity. Currently on a 10-fight unbeaten run, he impressed with consecutive wins against Aaron Jeffrey and Jesse Murray on Dana White’s Contender Series. Borralho now intends to hand Omargadzhiev the first loss of his career in emphatic fashion.

Omargadzhiev (13-0, fighting out of Paris, France by way of Makhachkala, Russia) is gunning for another highlight-reel finish in his UFC debut. A former combat sambo world champion, he earned his spot on the UFC roster with a spectacular submission victory over Jansey Silva. Omargadzhiev now aims to become the first fighter to finish Borralho and establish himself among the sport’s top prospects.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Miguel Baeza (10-2, fighting out of Davie, Fla.) looks to steal the show when he faces Andre Fialho (14-4 1NC, fighting out of Cascais, Portugal) in a welterweight bout
• Mayra Bueno Silva (7-2-1, fighting out of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil) faces Wu Yanan (11-4, fighting out of Xi’an, China) at bantamweight
• Pat Sabatini (16-3, fighting out of Bristol, Penn.) intends to continue his momentum when he meets Dana White’s Contender Series signee TJ Laramie (12-4, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Windsor, Ontario, Canada) at featherweight
• Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (23-7, fighting out of Francisco Beltrão, Parana, Brazil) locks horns with Mounir Lazzez (10-2, fighting out of Dubai, UAE by way of Sfax, The Republic of Tunisia) in an exciting welterweight bout
• Devin Clark (12-6, fighting out of Sioux Falls, S.D.) battles William Knight (11-3, fighting out of East Hartford, Conn.) in a heavyweight bout
• No. 11 ranked women’s bantamweight contender Lina Lansberg (10-5, fighting out of Malmö, Sweden) returns to action against No. 12 Pannie Kianzad (16-6, fighting out of Helsingborg, Sweden, by way of Ahvaz, Iran)
• Drakkar Klose (11-2-1, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz. by way of South Haven, Mich.) squares off with Brandon Jenkins (15-8, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) in a lightweight contest
• Rafa Garcia (13-2, fighting out of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico) hopes to build off the momentum of his first UFC win when he takes on veteran Jesse Ronson (21-10 1NC, fighting out of London, Ontario, Canada) at lightweight
• Chris Barnett (22-7, fighting out of Athens, Ga.) aims to deliver another highlight-reel finish when he takes on Martin Buday (9-1, fighting out of Trnava, Slovakia) at heavyweight
• Jordan Leavitt (9-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) faces UFC newcomer Trey Ogden (15-4, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) in a lightweight matchup
• Istela Nunes (7-2 1NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) squares off with Sam Hughes (5-4, fighting out of Everett, Wash.) at strawweight
• Alatengheili (14-8-1 1NC, fighting out of Beijing, China) meets Kevin Croom (21-14 1NC, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) in a bantamweight bout

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 188 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers.

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

SINGAPORE – UFC^®, the world’s premier Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization, today announced a pair of historic firsts which will take place in The Lion City, Singapore.

UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA will take place on Sunday, June 12, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, making it the first-ever numbered UFC Pay-Per-View to be held in in Southeast Asia. The event will also feature the region’s first UFC championship bouts, as UFC world light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira takes on No. 2 Jiri Prochazka, and UFC world women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko faces No. 5 Taila Santos.

UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA will be UFC’s fourth event hosted in Singapore with support from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). In planning the return of live events in Asia, UFC selected Singapore because of its proven health and safety track record and its outstanding infrastructure across all components – both of which are key to ensuring the successful production of a premium international event.

UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA will place Singapore alongside other major international locations to hold multiple UFC events including Tokyo, London and New York City. The presentation of a numbered Pay-Per-View event to Southeast Asia signifies the development of UFC in the region and the mixed martial arts promotion’s remarkable global growth.

“I can’t wait for our first Pay-Per-View event in Singapore,” said UFC President Dana White. “The fights have been incredible this year and we’re going to deliver an absolutely stacked card for the amazing fans in Southeast Asia.”

“Singapore will be the very first city in Southeast Asia to host a PPV event and UFC 275 is going to be huge! Asia’s biggest stars will be featured on a top caliber card, and the jam-packed fight week will be one to remember,” said Kevin Chang, UFC Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific. “We are thankful for STB’s support for this historic event in Singapore that will proudly showcase this vibrant and dynamic city.”

“UFC 275 will be the first UFC numbered event in Asia after a decade, and its presence highlights Singapore’s position as a leading destination for sports in the region,” Ms Ong Ling Lee, Director, Sports and Wellness, Singapore Tourism Board. “It is also a timely boost to our vibrancy and attractiveness as a lifestyle destination, as more international visitors return to Singapore.”

In 2014, UFC held its first event in Singapore, UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs. Lim, followed by UFC Fight Night Singapore: Holm vs. Correia in 2017, UFC Fight Night Singapore: Cerrone vs. Edwards in 2018, and UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren in 2019. UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA will be the fifth event overall to be held in Singapore.

Leading global live entertainment company AEG Presents has been appointed as the official promoter of UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA in Singapore.

“AEG is extremely proud to be associated with UFC to bring this marquee event to Singapore,” said Adam Wilkes, President and CEO, AEG Asia Pacific. “UFC 275 will be an amazing experience for fight fans and for those who love, and have missed, world class events.”

UFC WORLD LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

In the ultra-competitive light heavyweight division, UFC world champion Glover Teixeira (33-7, fighting out of Bethel, CT, USA by way of Governador Valadares, Brazil) will make his first title defense since winning the belt with a second-round submission of Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267. Standing across the Octagon will be first-time title contender Jiri Prochazka (28-3-1, fighting out of Hosteradice, Czechia) who earned his shot with back-to-back KOs of No. 7 Volkan Oezdamir in his UFC debut then No. 3 Dominick Reyes.

UFC WORLD WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Women’s pound-for-pound best, UFC world women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (22-3, fighting out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) will make her seventh defense of the title and look to extend her eight-fight win streak. Dana White’s Contender Series veteran and No. 5 contender Taila Santos (19-1, Jaragua Do Sul, Brazil) earns her first title contention after a blazing four-fight win streak.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (23-6, fighting out of Sydney, Australia) will face former title challenger Marvin Vettori (17-5-1, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif. by way of Mezzocorona, Italy).
• A pair of surging middleweights return to the Octagon when Brendan Allen (18-5, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) meets Jacob Malkoun (6-1, fighting out of Sydney, Australia).
• South Korea’s notable UFC veteran Kyung Ho Kang (17-9, 1 NC, fighting out of Busan, South Korea) aims to rebound in his 11th Octagon appearance and make a push towards the division’s top 15 when he faces Dana White’s Contender Series signee Saimon Oliveira (18-4, fighting out of Balneario Camboriu, SC, Brazil).

Additional bouts will be announced over the coming weeks.

UFC^® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA will begin at 6 a.m. SGT with the prelims, followed by the main card at 10 a.m.

Fans can stay up to date on ticket presale promotions by visiting and registering at https://ufc.com/presale.

Media members can apply for credentials to all UFC events by creating an account and registering at https://access.ufc.com/media_users/sign_in

Follow us on Facebook (UFC Asia), Twitter and Instagram (@ufc), and use the official hashtags: #UFC275 #UFCSINGAPORE.

About UFC®

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 188 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About AEG Presents

Combining the power of the live event with a focus on true artist development, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industries. Operating across four continents, the company has an unparalleled commitment to artistry, creativity, and community. Its tentpole festivals and multi-day music events — which include the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, British Summer Time at Hyde Park, Stagecoach, Hangout Festival, Electric Forest, and Firefly — continue to set the bar for the live music experience alongside such renowned clubs and theaters as Webster Hall, Eventim Apollo, Mission Ballroom, The Roxy and Forest Hills Stadium, to name a few. AEG Presents promotes global tours for such artists as Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Celine Dion, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Katy Perry, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift, in addition to creating and developing an unmatched infrastructure for artist development and audience reach through its network of clubs, theatres, arenas, stadiums, renowned wholly owned brands Concerts West and Goldenvoice, and partner brands Messina Touring Group, The Bowery Presents, PromoWest Productions, Marshall Arts, Frontier Touring, and Zero Mile Presents. More information can be found at www.aegpresents.com.

LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has announced additional information on its return to the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Arena will play home to a pair of events on back-to-back nights Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23. BELLATOR 278 is headlined by a Women’s Flyweight World Championship main event pitting undefeated Juliana Velasquez (12-0) against former U.S. Marine and No. 2-ranked flyweight Liz Carmouche (16-7).

Friday night’s BELLATOR 278 card is being held in honor of America’s Military, Veterans, First-Responders, and Medical Personnel all of whom are eligible to attend the event with a guest for free entry the day of with valid proof of ID. Free admission is based on a limited capacity and available on first come-first serve basis.

In addition, a pair of “Wild Card” matchups will be held, with the winner of each 135-pound contest officially punching their ticket into the one-million-dollar BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix. The first “Wild Card” fight features No. 8-ranked Josh Hill (21-4) facing Enrique Barzola (17-5-2) with the winner moving on to meet Magomed Magomedov in the quarterfinals. The second “Wild Card” contest will see #9-Jornel Lugo (8-0) take on Danny Sabatello (11-1) with the victor going on to face Leandro Higo. Dates for both pending quarterfinal matchups will be announced shortly.

The main card of Friday’s BELLATOR 278 event also features two additional marquee main card bouts, a light heavyweight pairing pitting Christian Edwards (5-1) versus Grant Neal (6-1), as well as a 160-pound contract weight scrap between Manny Muro (12-7) and Nate Andrews (16-4).

In the United States SHOWTIME will televise Friday night’s BELLATOR 278: Velasquez vs. Carmouche main card at 4 p.m. HST local time, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while the preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 2 p.m. HST local time, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The complete bout listing for the event can be found below.

Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279 will feature a women’s featherweight world championship rematch pitting Cris Cyborg (25-2, 1 NC) against Australia’s No. 1-ranked Arlene Blencowe (15-8), who will look to claim gold in her third attempt at a world title and the launch of the highly anticipated one-million-dollar BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix. Former champion, No. 1-ranked Juan Archuleta (25-3) will challenge No. 3-ranked Raufeon Stots (17-1) for the interim bantamweight title, following the news that incumbent champion Sergio Pettis is on the shelf with an injury.

Also, at BELLATOR 279 on Saturday, No. 2-ranked Patchy Mix (15-1) takes on No. 5-ranked Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4) in a five-round BELLATOR World Grand Prix contest and Oahu’s own No. 1-ranked Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) returns home to fight Justine Kish (7-5) at flyweight.

In the United States SHOWTIME will televise Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2/Archuleta vs. Stots main card at 4:30 p.m. HST local time, 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, while the preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 2 p.m. HST local time, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The most up-to-date bout listing for the event can be found below.

BELLATOR MMA 278: Velasquez vs. Carmouche Main Card:

Friday, April 22 – live on SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT/4 p.m. HST (local) 

Flyweight?World Title Bout: C-Juliana Velasquez?(22-5) vs. #2-Liz Carmouche (16-7)

Bantamweight World Grand Prix Wild Card Bout: #8-Josh Hill (21-4)vs. Enrique Barzola (17-5-2) 

Bantamweight World Grand Prix Wild Card Bout: #9-Jornel Lugo (8-0) vs. Danny Sabatello (11-1)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Christian Edwards (5-1)vs. Grant Neal (6-1)

160-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Manny Muro (12-7) vs. Nate Andrews (16-4)

BELLATOR MMA 278: Velasquez vs. Carmouche Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT/2 p.m. HST (local) 

Featherweight Bout: Weber Almeida (5-1) vs. Fabricio Franco (8-4, 1 NC)

Bantamweight Bout: Jared Scoggins (10-2) vs. Cee Jay Hamilton (15-9)

Welterweight Bout: Makoa Cooper (1-0)vs. Blake Perry (pro debut)

BELLATOR MMA 279: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 / Archuleta vs. Stots Main Card:

Saturday, April 23 – live on SHOWTIME

10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. HST (local)

Featherweight World Title Bout: C-Cris “Cyborg” (25-2, 1 NC) vs. #1-Arlene Blencowe (15-8)

Interim Bantamweight World Title Bout: #1-Juan Archuleta (25-3) vs. #3-Raufeon Stots (17-1)

Flyweight Bout: #1-Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) vs. Justine Kish (7-5)

Bantamweight World Grand Prix Opening Round Bout: #2-Patchy Mix (15-1) vs. #5-Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4)

BELLATOR MMA 279: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 / Archuleta vs. Stots Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT/2 p.m. HST (local) 

Lightweight Bout: Lance Gibson Jr. (5-0) vs. Nainoa Dung (4-2)

Featherweight Bout: #9-Justin Gonzalez (12-1) vs. Kai Kamaka III (9-4-1)

Welterweight Bout: Goiti Yamauchi (26-5) vs. Levan Chokheli (11-1)

Lightweight Bout: #6-Emmanuel Sanchez (20-7) vs. Yancy Medeiros (15-8, 1 NC)

Lightweight Bout: Keoni Diggs (9-1) vs. Bobby King (11-4)

120-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Randi Field (2-1) vs. Maraya Miller (1-1)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. April 22 // BELLATOR MMA 278: Velasquez vs. Carmouche // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Sat. April 23 // BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR MMA 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR MMA 281: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

Fri. Sep 23 // BELLATOR DUBLIN // The 3Arena // Dublin

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to Phoenix for the first time since 2019 with a blockbuster championship doubleheader. Headlining the event will be UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira seeking to defend his title against No. 1 ranked contender Justin Gaethje. In the co-main event, UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas looks to avenge her loss against No. 2 ranked Carla Esparza. Also on the card, top lightweights aim to make a statement as No. 5 contender Michael Chandler takes on No. 7 Tony Ferguson.

UFC^® 274: OLIVEIRA vs. GAETHJE will take place Saturday, May 7 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz. All bouts will be simulcast on ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with the ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass prelims. The prelims will continue exclusively on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT followed by the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card that will kick off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

UFC^® 274: OLIVEIRA vs. GAETHJE tickets will go on sale Friday, March 25 at 10 a.m. PT and 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, March 23 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 24 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Reigning UFC lightweight king Oliveira (32-8, 1 NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas by way of Sao Paulo, Brazil) intends to further his legacy as champion by taking out one of his toughest opponents to date. The record holder for most UFC finishes, submissions and post-fight bonuses, Oliveira has established himself as one of the most exciting athletes on the entire roster. He is also currently on a 10-fight win streak, which includes notable victories over Dustin Poirier, Kevin Lee and Jim Miller. Oliveira now looks to defeat another top contender and continue his rise up the pound-for-pound ranks.

Former interim champion Gaethje (24-3, originally from Safford, Ariz., and fighting out of Arvada, Colo.) is one of the only lightweights that can match Oliveira’s impressive finishing ability. An NCAA All-America wrestler, he has earned nearly all his victories by knockout, including wins over Michael Johnson, James Vick and Edson Barboza. He now plans to put Oliveira’s resolve to the test and finally capture his first undisputed UFC title.

UFC strawweight titleholder Namajunas (12-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) returns to action seeking to successfully defend her belt for the second time by avenging her 2014 loss against Esparza. Among the most popular athletes on the UFC roster, she holds the record for most stoppage wins in strawweight history, including victories over former champions Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili. Namajunas now aims to leave no doubt that she is the best 115-pounder on the planet with a statement performance.

Esparza (19-6, fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) has her sights set on regaining her strawweight championship by replicating her submission victory over Namajunas. Currently on the longest win streak of her UFC career, she secured her shot at the crown with memorable performances over Yan Xiaonan, Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson. Esparza is now determined to prove that her first win over the champion was no fluke and begin her second reign atop the division.

Chandler (22-7, fighting out of Nashville, Tenn.) has wasted little time in cementing himself as a must-see fighter since joining the UFC roster. Already a highly regarded competitor before entering the stacked UFC lightweight division in 2021, he quickly ascended to the top of the ladder following a highlight reel KO over Dan Hooker. Chandler now expects to repeat the success from his debut by finishing Ferguson with a statement performance.

Fan favorite Ferguson (26-7, fighting out of Orange County, Calif.) has been entertaining audiences with his unique fighting style since winning season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2010. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Ferguson won his own interim UFC title by putting together the longest win streak in lightweight history with 12 consecutive victories, including wins over former title holders Anthony Pettis and Rafael Dos Anjos. He now is gunning to get back on track and reinsert his name into the championship conversation by taking out Chandler.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Flyweight action sees Tracy Cortez (9-1, fighting out of Scottsdale, Ariz.) face off with Melissa Gatto (8-0-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• The legendary Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (27-12-1, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) rematches with Ovince Saint Preux (25-16, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) at light heavyweight
• Lightweight veterans finally battle when Donald Cerrone (36-16, 2 NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) meets Joe Lauzon (28-16, fighting out of Bridgewater, Mass.)
• No. 4 ranked flyweight contender Brandon Royval (13-6, fighting out of Lakewood, Colo.) and No. 9 ranked Matt Schnell (15-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) match up in an early Fight of the Night contender
• No. 14 ranked heavyweight contender Blagoy Ivanov (18-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Sofia, Bulgaria) seeks to defend his spot in the Top 15 against Marcos Rogerio De Lima (19-8-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• Macy Chiasson (8-2, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) returns to action against Norma Dumont (7-1, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil) in a featherweight bout
• An exciting welterweight matchup sees Randy Brown (14-4, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) lock horns with Khaos Williams (13-2, fighting out of Jackson, Mich.)
• Welterweights Francisco Trinaldo (27-8, fighting out of Federal District, Brazil) and Danny Roberts (18-5, fighting out of Liverpool, England) aim to steal the show
• Dana White’s Contender Series signees collide as Kleydson Rodrigues (7-1, fighting out of Laranjal do Jari, Amapa, Brazil) and CJ Vergara (9-3-1, fighting out of San Antonio, Texas) compete at flyweight
• Ariane Carnelossi (14-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) looks to extend her win streak against Loopy Godinez (7-2, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico) at strawweight
• Journey Newson (9-3, 1 NC, fighting out of Portland, Ore.) has his sights set on spoiling the UFC debut of Dana White’s Contender Series alum Fernie Garcia (10-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas)

Visit UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for credentials for the event.

##

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 178 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global sports and entertainment company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About Footprint Center

Located in the heart of Downtown Phoenix, for more than 30 years Footprint Center has been the home of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Rattlers and a multitude of live concerts and events each year. Following a $250 million transformation, Footprint Center is the preeminent destination for sports and entertainment in the southwest. The reimagined arena features state-of-the-art improvements that offer a world-class experience to all who step inside the doors. For more information, visit FootprintCenter.com. 

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 17.1 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

ST. LOUIS – BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell will be televised tomorrow, Saturday, March 11 on SHOWTIME, BBC iPlayer at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts will stream on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

BELLATOR MMA 276: BORICS VS. BURNELL MAIN CARD:

Saturday, March 12 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Featherweight Main Event: #2-Adam Borics (145.8) vs. #2-Mads Burnell (145.6)

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #2-Phil Davis (206) vs. #4-Julius Anglickas (206)

Middleweight Bout: #1-John Salter (185.8) vs. #3-Johnny Eblen (185.8)

Lightweight Bout: Jay-Jay Wilson (156) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (155.8)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Light Heavyweight Bout: #8-Alex Polizzi (204.4) vs. Jose Augusto (206)

Middleweight Bout: #8-Romero Cotton (185.2) vs. Freddy Sandoval (185.2)

Flyweight Bout: #9-Diana Avsaragova (125.8) vs. Kyra Batara (124.6)

Featherweight Bout: Cody Law (145.6) vs. James Adcock (145.4)

Welterweight Bout: Roman Faraldo (171) vs. Kelvin Rayford (171)

Bantamweight Bout: Jordan Howard (135.8) vs. Trevor Ward (136)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Apply for BELLATOR media credentials

RSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilities

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. April 22 // BELLATOR MMA 278 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Sat. April 23 // BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR MMA 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR MMA 281: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

ST. LOUIS (Thursday, March 10) – Fighters from BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell spoke to the media today in advance of BELLATOR’s electrifying fight night on Saturday, March 12 at The Family Arena in St. Louis. In the main event, No. 2-ranked Adam Borics (17-1) meets a man also ranked No. 2 in the Official BELLATOR Rankings, Mads Burnell (16-3) for a future shot at the BELLATOR Featherweight World Championship.  

In an equally exciting co-main event, former BELLATOR Light Heavyweight Champion and No. 2-ranked Phil Davis (23-6) will return to action and open his 2022 campaign against No. 4-ranked Julius Anglickas (10-2), who most recently challenged for the 205-pound title. 

BELLATOR 276 sports a four-fight main card, including a featherweight feature between Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-1) and Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0), as well as middleweight fight between Johnny Eblen (10-0) versus John Salter (18-5).  

SHOWTIME will televise the BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell main card live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT Additionally, the thrilling preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. 

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell are on sale at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. 

Here is what the fighters had to say today during their pre-fight virtual media availability: 

ADAM BORICS: NO.2-RANKED BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT (VIDEO) 

“I haven’t fought in almost a year and I’m excited. I just want to fight now. I train a lot and I just want to show my skillset.” 

“Always my upcoming fight is the most important fight of my life. Nothing changes for me.” 

“I think this is great timing for me. It’s a great process for me. I don’t think I’ll fight five rounds, but I’ve prepared for five rounds. For me, this is the title fight. This is the mentality I have.” 

“I’ve improved a lot. I still haven’t shown all of my skillset in my fights. I know that I’m one of the best in the world at 145 pounds and I’m ready.” 

“I really don’t care who I get after this. Pitbull is a legend. AJ McKee is a star now. I would fight both of them.” 

“I don’t feel any extra pressure. I love fighting and I just want to go out there and fight.” 

“I always wanted to put Hungary on the map of MMA and I think I’ve done that. I’m very proud to be the biggest fighter in Hungary. My main reason for fighting is to make my country proud.” 

MADS BURNELL: NO. 2-RANKED BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT (VIDEO) 

“I’ve been feeling the same as any other fight. They always say the next fight is your most important fight. But this fight week I’ve been feeling fresher than ever. It just seems everything is coming together.” 

“A fight is a fight. I always prepare for a tough match and come in there trying to be my best every time.” 

“I’m just trying to be me every time I go in there. Every time I go in there, I think of it as 0-0.” 

“If he exposes his neck, I’m going to take it. If he exposes his chin, I’m going to take it.” 

“It’s nice getting a push and feeling like the organization have belief in my skills.” 

“I have some goals in my life. One of them is to become Bellator world champion, another one is to headline Bellator Copenhagen. I really think it would make sense for Bellator to go to Denmark and it’s my dream to main event that card.” 

“For me, pressure is a privilege. I like it. So many people dream about being in the position I’m in right now. Yes, there’s some pressure with that, but it’s all good. It’s part of the game.” 

PHIL DAVIS: NO. 2-RANKED BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (VIDEO) 

“Julius is a tough fighter. He swings for the fences. He’s one of those guys who is ready to make a nice title run.” 

“He’s overall good at everything, he doesn’t have any holes in his game. When I get hold of a guy like that, it’s a game time feel. I just have to figure out where I can exploit any weaknesses.” 

“I think I shine when I’m under that pressure of being in hostile territory. There could be some home advantage for him, but I feel like I do some of my best work in hostile territory.” 

“My job is very simple. Show up Saturday, beat somebody up and get my hand raised.” 

JULIUS ANGLICKAS: NO. 4-RANKED BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“Phil is a great fighter. He’s good, I’m good and anything can happen. I’m happy to have this opportunity and to redeem myself a little bit. I’m happy to be able to fix the mistakes from my last fight.” 

“I think he fights harder than Nemkov and his fighting style is a little bit different. He’s good everywhere and I’ll have to get ready for that. I’m excited.” 

“I feel like I’m alert and on my ‘A’ game and that’s going to make me fight better.” 

“This is definitely big. I didn’t expect Bellator to offer me Phil Davis. It was definitely a surprise, I thought they would give me someone lower ranking. But that’s okay, I think it’s a good sign and that it means they like me. They keep giving me great shots, great opportunities, and I’m glad to have them.” 

JOHN SALTER: NO.1-RANKED BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I’m taking this fight as just another fight. I know it’s one of the top guys in the world, but I’ve had so much stress trying to work my way up to a title fight. This is the least stressed I’ve felt during a camp for a long time.” 

“He’s one of those guys that brings problems everywhere. Good wrestler, obviously. I guy that’s that good a wrestler is going to be good on top. But he hasn’t been in there with the toughest opponents. I don’t think he’s really had that moment of, ‘What’s happening?’ and that’s a game changer. The fact I’ve had that so many times I know I can push through those moments.” 

“I don’t have any animosity towards him. I think he’s a good fighter and we’re going to put on a good fight. That’s what it’s all about.” 

“I think with us both being good college wrestlers we’ll end up in some wrestling exchanges. At some point he’ll be trying to take me down and it’s just something I’ll have to be prepared for.” 

“Everybody’s a different challenge. He is very different. Essentially, he’s a Costello van Steenis except he’s got wrestling ability which Costello didn’t. It’s just going to be a different challenge.” 

JOHNNY EBLEN: NO.3-RANKED BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I’m pretty excited for any time I can showcase my skills in the cage. I’m just happy to have a job, to be able to fight and to put on an entertaining show for the fans.” 

“He’s definitely the toughest competitor to date. But I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole career and I’m ready to show up.” 

“I’m up for any potential, I don’t really care. I work my ass off in the room and I get tested in the room day in and day out. I’m prepared for that moment if it comes.” 

“There’s no animosity, I don’t hate the guy. I saw him when we were doing COVID testing and shook his hand.” 

“I’m pretty damn excited about this fight. It’s in St. Louis, my home state, and my family are going to be able to make it. It’s going to be a lot of fun – I can’t wait to show up.” 

JAY-JAY WILSON: BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“He’s a good grappler. I expect him to come out and try to use his wrestling. He’s got a good background having trained with Khabib. If we end up in a grapple, that’s where I’m most comfortable anyway.” 

“I’m going to be a little bit faster than these guys. They’re definitely a little bit stronger, these guys are walking around a lot bigger than me. But most of my training partners are light heavyweights or middleweights, so the strength doesn’t scare me. I’m excited to be competing at this weight.” 

“I take every fight at a time. I don’t really care about my record. I just go out there and fight. Win/loss doesn’t matter to me. I just go out there and fight my fight.” 

“When I step in the cage, I’m looking at him to see if this guy is game or if he’s not. If I look across the cage and see that dog in his eyes, then I know it’s going to be a war. Most fights, when I look across and see these guys, I don’t see that dog in them.” 

“I feel like fighting is more of a mental game and I feel like I have a mental edge against all these opponents.” 

“To be honest I don’t really mind where this fight goes. I’ve seen his striking and I’m not that impressed. I’m happy to strike with him. I’m not really looking for a specific position, I’m just going to go out there and do my thing.” 

“This guy is still new in the Bellator 155lb rankings, so a win over him will definitely put me in the top 10. I’m not sure that will put me in line for a title fight, because he isn’t a contender himself. But a win will put me in line for a contender fight.” 

ALEX POLIZZI: BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I’m happy to be back and excited to put on a show for everyone. It’s a case of get here, eyes on the fight, get it done and go home.” 

“I’m sure that he’s on the same trajectory as I am, nobody likes losing. I’m not doing a lot of looking at him, or other opponents. I’m focusing on my own game. Hopefully he’s ready for me.” 

“It doesn’t matter who, I’m ready to fight them and put little fisticuffs on them.” 

“I don’t watch a lot of opponent’s game plans. If he comes to the fight with something a little different, then that won’t affect me.” 

“I’ve said it from the beginning, but I’m just here to have fun. I still find it crazy that Bellator are paying me money to punch guys in the face.” 

ROMAN FARALDO: BELLATOR WELTERWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I put pressure on myself. I expect the best from myself, and I will deliver.” 

“When it comes to stepping in the cage, I let it all go. I leave it all out there.” 

“I’m going to go out there, show them I’m more than capable of stepping up and that tomorrow’s just another day.” 

“There’s always pressure but it’s pressure from myself. I’m here to put on shows; put on shows that when people watch they want to watch more. I live for the challenge and enjoy what I do.” 

**** 

BELLATOR MMA 276: BORICS VS. BURNELL MAIN CARD:

Saturday, March 12 – live on SHOWTIME 

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT  

Featherweight Main Event: #2-Adam Borics (17-1) vs. #2-Mads Burnell (16-3) 

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #2-Phil Davis (23-6, 1 NC) vs. #4-Julius Anglickas (10-2) 

Middleweight Bout: #1-John Salter (18-5) vs.#3-Johnny Eblen (10-0) 

Lightweight Bout: Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0) vs.Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-2) 

PRELIMINARY CARD:  

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV 

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT 

Light Heavyweight Bout: #8-Alex Polizzi (9-1) vs. Jose Augusto (7-3, 1 NC) 

Middleweight Bout: #8-Romero Cotton (5-0) vs.Freddy Sandoval (5-6-1) 

Flyweight Bout: #9-Diana Avsaragova (4-0) vs. Kyra Batara (8-4) 

Featherweight Bout: Cody Law (5-0) vs.James Adcock (7-4) 

Welterweight Bout: Roman Faraldo (6-0) vs.Kelvin Rayford (5-3) 

Bantamweight Bout: Jordan Howard (10-5) vs.Trevor Ward (5-5) 

Welterweight Bout: Josh Augustine (5-2) vs. Josh Westin (8-11)  

*Card subject to change. 

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information. 

Apply for BELLATOR media credentials 

RSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilities 

**** 

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events 

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis 

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif. 

Fri. April 22 // BELLATOR MMA 278 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu 

Sat. April 23 // BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu 

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR MMA 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris 

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR MMA 281: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London 

LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has announced its return to the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Arena will play home to an extremely stacked duo of events on back-to-back nights Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23.

Friday night’s BELLATOR 278 will be a special event free for current military, veterans, and first responders. Matchups and additional details for the event will be announced shortly.

Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279 will feature the launch of the highly anticipated one-million-dollar BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix. The headliner will see current bantamweight world champion Sergio Pettis (22-5) take on No. 3-ranked Raufeon Stots (17-1), while the co-main event features a rematch between the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time, Cris Cyborg (25-2, 1 NC) and Australia’s No. 1-ranked Arlene Blencowe (15-8), who will look to claim gold in her third attempt at a world title.

Saturday’s BELLATOR 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 will air live on SHOWTIME at 4:30 p.m. HST local time, 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. The preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 2 p.m. HST local time, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 go on sale this Friday, March 11 and can be purchased through Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com or the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena Box Office. A special presale will take place on Thursday, March 10.

Also scheduled for a return to action, Honolulu’s own former Women’s Flyweight World Champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) will return home to compete against Justine Kish (7-5) as the No. 1 ranked women’s flyweight looks to start her journey back to a world title in the same arena two of the most memorable BELLATOR main events in recent memory took place. Opening the four-fight main card is another BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal matchup between No. 2-ranked bantamweight Patchy Mix (15-1) and former BELLATOR and Rizin Bantamweight World Champion Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4).

Current BELLATOR Bantamweight World Champion Sergio “The Phenom” Pettis sits at No. 7 on the promotion’s pound-for-pound list. He successfully defended his belt for the first time against former BELLATOR 135-pound titleholder Kyoji Horiguchi with a “knockout of the year” style finish at BELLATOR 272 in December. The hard-hitting Midwesterner out of Milwaukee originally captured the crown by outpointing former champion Juan Archuleta. The younger brother of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will be in for one of the toughest fights of his career when he takes on Raufeon Stots. Stots, who used to train alongside Pettis for several years, has been flawless since making his promotion debut in December 2019. He most recently scored a dominant unanimous decision victory over Magomed Magomedov at BELLATOR 264.

Featherweight world champion and top-ranked women’s pound-for-pound fighter Cris “Cyborg” has made three straight title defenses including a second-round submission of Arlene Blencowe in 2020, which surprisingly is the lone submission victory of her storied career. The Brazilian native who currently fights out of Las Vegas, Nev. is a “Grand Slam Champion” having won belts in four different organizations. She sports 20 wins by finish with victories over elite competition including Holly Holm, Leslie Smith (twice), Gina Carano and aims to further her legacy as the greatest women’s mixed martial artist of all time in the rematch versus Blencowe. Australia’s Blencowe is BELLATOR’s No. 6 pound-for-pound female fighter and the No. 1 ranked featherweight. She has won five of her last six fights and earned her shot at the world title rematch with a unanimous decision over Pam Sorenson at BELLATOR 271 in November.

Currently BELLATOR’s No. 2 ranked bantamweight, Patchy Mix recently defeated James Gallagher via submission in his last outing at BELLATOR 270 in Dublin. Mix has made a name for himself in the BELLATOR cage by displaying impressive submissions and his lone professional loss came to former champion Juan Archuleta. He now faces Horiguchi, another former world champion who hails from Takasaki, Japan. The American Top Team prodigy Horiguchi became a simultaneous, two-promotion champion in 2019 after he upset then-BELLATOR champion Darrion Caldwell while also holding the RIZIN Championship. After he was forced to relinquish his BELLATOR title due to an injury, Horiguchi nearly got his hands back on BELLATOR’s title but was stopped by current champion Sergio Pettis in December. The No. 5 ranked bantamweight now aims to get back in the winning column and recapture his belt, along with the million-dollar prize that awaits the winner of the BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix.           

BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 Main Card:

Saturday, April 23 – live on SHOWTIME

10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. HST (local)

Bantamweight?World Title Bout: C-Sergio Pettis?(22-5) vs. #3-Raufeon Stots (17-1)

Featherweight?World Title Bout: C-Cris “Cyborg”?(25-2, 1 NC) vs. #1-Arlene Blencowe (15-8)

Flyweight Bout: #1-Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) vs. Justine Kish (7-5)

Bantamweight?World Grand Prix Bout: #2-Patchy Mix (15-1) vs. #5-Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. April 22 // BELLATOR MMA 278 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Sat. April 23 // BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR MMA 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR MMA 281: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Las Vegas – UFC^® today announced that former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Modern Wing’ as a member of the class of 2022. The 2022 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires^®, will take place during the 10^th Annual UFC International Fight Week^Ô this summer in Las Vegas and will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS^®.

“Khabib is one of the greatest athletes to ever compete in professional sports,” UFC President Dana White said. “No one dominated their opponents that way Khabib did, and to retire undefeated, as lightweight champion and the #1 pound-for-pound athlete in the world is an incredible accomplishment. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

Nurmagomedov will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as a member of the Modern Wing, joining Forrest Griffin (2013), BJ Penn (2015), Urijah Faber (2017), Ronda Rousey (2018), Michael Bisping (2019), Rashad Evans (2019) and Georges St-Pierre (2020) in this distinguished category. The “Modern Era” category includes athletes who turned pro on or after November 17, 2000 (when the first UFC event under the unified rules of MMA was held), are a minimum age of 35 or who have been retired for one year or more.

A veteran of 29 fights during his 12-year career, Nurmagomedov compiled a perfect record of 29-0 (13-0, UFC), securing notable victories over former UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos, former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor, former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier and former interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.

Nurmagomedov made his UFC debut at UFC^® on FX: GUILLARD vs. MILLER on January 20, 2012, in Nashville, Tennessee, submitting Kamal Shalorus via rear-naked choke. Khabib would defeat his next eight opponents, winning all 24 rounds in his first nine bouts before earning his shot at the vacant UFC lightweight title against Al Iaquinta at UFC 223.

UFC^® 223: KHABIB vs. IAQUINTA took place on April 7, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Nurmagomedov was originally scheduled to face former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson, but Ferguson was pulled due to a knee injury on April 1. Ferguson was replaced by former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, but Holloway was pulled on April 6 due to medical reasons. Iaquinta was installed as Holloway’s replacement less than 24 hours from the event, with Khabib winning all five rounds to become UFC lightweight champion.

Khabib would return to the Octagon^® five months later to face former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC^® 229: KHABIB vs. MCGREGOR. A sellout crowd of 20,034 watched Nurmagomedov defeat McGregor via fourth round submission. The highly anticipated matchup between Khabib and Conor would set the Nevada state records highest attendance and live gate ($17.2 million) of an MMA event in history.

After a year off following UFC 229, Nurmagomedov returned to the Octagon on September 7, 2019, to face interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier in the main event unification bout of UFC^® 242: KHABIB vs. POIRIER. Taking place at The Arena, Yas Island, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this event marked UFC’s third trip to Abu Dhabi and first since 2014. Khabib would secure his second successful title defense by defeating Poirier via third round submission.

Nurmagomedov would return to Abu Dhabi on October 24, 2020, to face interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje in the main event unification fight of UFC^® 254: KHABIB vs. GAETHJE. This event would mark Khabib’s first training camp since the death of his father and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, earlier that year. He would control the first round and defeat Justin via submission in the second round, re-unifying the lightweight title. He retired inside the Octagon during his post-fight interview.

During his Hall of Fame career, Khabib split his training between his home gym in Dagestan and the Javier Mendez-led American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, Calif. He is one of several former UFC champions to train at AKA under Mendez.

Nurmagomedov enters the UFC Hall of Fame with an impressive resume that includes:

• 4 title fight wins – Tied for most in UFC lightweight division history

• 12 lightweight division wins – Tied for longest winning streak in UFC lightweight division history

• 13 consecutive wins – Tied for 3^rd longest winning streak in UFC history (2012-20)

• 21 takedowns – Most takedowns in a single UFC bout (vs. Abel Trujillo – UFC 160)

• 59 takedowns – Second-most in UFC lightweight division history

• 54.6% – Third highest control time percentage in lightweight UFC history

• 1:29:08 – Third-most control time in lightweight UFC history

• 1:04:28 – Third-most top position time in lightweight UFC history

• 88 significant ground strikes – Fourth-most landed in a single UFC bout (vs. Michael Johnson – UFC 205)

Outside the Octagon, Khabib was honored with numerous awards during his career, such as being acknowledged by ESPN with the ESPY Award for Best MMA Fighter (2021), UFC Honors Submission of the Year (2020), BBC Sports World Sport Star of the Year (2020), and World MMA Awards International Fighter of the Year (2016). He was also named Best Sportsman in Russia by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center in 2020.

In 2019, he and father, Abdulmanap, were recognized with the “For Merit to the Republic of Dagestan”. Presented by Vladimir Vasilyev, then-Head of the Republic of Dagestan, this award serves as the highest meritorious order awarded by the Dagestani government for exemplary service and significant contributions to sports in Dagestan.

In 2019, Nurmagomedov added author to his list of accomplishments when his autobiography entitled, “KhabibTime” was published LitRes. Written with Zaur Kurbanov, “KhabibTime” documents Khabib’s childhood in Dagestan and his rise to become a UFC champion.

Since retiring from MMA competition, Khabib has served as a coach for several UFC athletes, including Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov, Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov. Nurmagomedov has also become an MMA promoter since retiring, serving as owner of Eagle Fighting Championship.

A native of Sildi, Dagestan, Russia, Nurmagomedov began wrestling as a child under the guidance of his father, Abdulmanap. Khabib trained in wrestling, judo and sambo, becoming a two-time (2009-10) Combat Sambo World Champion and European Pankration Champion before competing in mixed martial arts.

To view Khabib’s UFC FIGHT PASS collection please visit: https://ufcfightpass.com/playlist/9609.

Additional inductees into the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2022 will be announced in the coming weeks. To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFC.com/HOF. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a hard-hitting light heavyweight contenders’ bout that will see No. 5 ranked Thiago Santos battle No. 6 Magomed Ankalaev. In the co-main event, No 10 ranked bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes aims to stop the momentum of No. 14 Song Yadong.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: SANTOS vs. ANKALAEV will take place Saturday, March 12 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will be available exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish), with the main card beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.

Former light heavyweight title challenger Santos (22-9, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is hoping to build off the momentum from his recent win over Johnny Walker in October. A powerful KO artist, he has earned thrilling stoppages against Jan Blachowicz, Jimi Manuwa and Anthony Smith. Santos now looks to turn back one of the division’s toughest rising contenders with another vintage performance.

Ankalaev (16-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) quickly entered the division’s Top 10 on the heels of an impressive seven-fight win streak. During this run, he secured notable victories over Volkan Oezdemir, Nikita Krylov and Ion Cutelaba (twice). Ankalaev now hopes to stake his claim for a title shot by stopping Santos in emphatic fashion.

Moraes (23-9-1, fighting out of Parkland, Fla. by way of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) aims to turn heads with another highlight-reel KO. Throughout his UFC stint, he has delivered memorable finishes over Raphael Assuncao, Jimmie Rivera and current champion Aljamain Sterling. Moraes now has his sights set on stopping Song to hold his spot in the bantamweight top 10.

Song (18-5-1 1NC, fighting out of Heilongjiang, China) continues his quest to become the first Chinese-born male fighter to challenge for a UFC title. Since joining the UFC roster in 2017, he has netted exciting wins against Julio Arce, Casey Kenney and Marlon Vera. Song now seeks to add his first former UFC title challenger to his resume with a show-stealing performance.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 12 featherweight contender Sodiq Yusuff (11-2, fighting out of Bladensburg, Md. by way of Lagos, Nigeria) intends to defend his spot in the rankings against rising No. 15 Alex Caceres (19-12 1NC, fighting out of Miami, Fla.)
• Khalil Rountree Jr. (10-5 1NC, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) locks horns with Karl Roberson (9-4, fighting out of Neptune, N.J.) at light heavyweight
• Exciting middleweight strikers clash when Alex Pereira (4-1, fighting out of Danbury, Conn.) takes on Bruno Silva (22-6, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil)
• Matthew Semelsberger (9-3, fighting out of Frederick, Md.) hopes to spoil the debut of Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner AJ Fletcher (9-0, fighting out of Lafayette, La.) in a welterweight bout
• JJ Aldrich (10-4, fighting out of Aurora, Colo.) goes for her third consecutive win when she faces exciting finisher Gillian Robertson (10-6, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Niagara Falls, Canada) at flyweight
• Trevin Jones (13-7 1NC, fighting out of Maite, Guam) takes on Dana White’s Contender Series signee Javid Basharat (11-0, fighting out of London, England) in a bantamweight bout
• Damon Jackson (19-4-1 1NC, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) faces Kamuela Kirk (12-4, fighting out of Peoria, Ariz.) in a battle of rising featherweights
• Sabina Mazo (9-3, fighting out of Redondo Beach, Calif. by way of Medellin, Colombia) squares off with Miranda Maverick (11-4, fighting out of Norfolk, Va.) at flyweight        
• Dalcha Lungiambula (11-3, fighting out of Cape Town, South Africa) takes on Cody Brundage (6-2, fighting out of Englewood, Colo.) in a middleweight matchup
• Kris Moutinho (9-5, fighting out of Milford, Mass.) returns against Guido Cannetti (8-7, fighting out of San Antonio de Padua, Buenos Aires, Argentina) at bantamweight
• Tafon Nchukwi (6-1, fighting out of Temple Hills, Md. by way of Bamenda, Cameroon) meets Azamat Murzakanov (10-0, fighting out of Fairfield, N.J. by way of Nalchik, Russia) in a clash of light heavyweight prospects

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 188 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers.

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

C- Gegard Mousasi (49-7-2) defeated #1- Austin Vanderford (11-1) via TKO (punches) at 1:25 of round one

Gegard Mousasi defends his middleweight title: “Well, I was taking my time, I wanted to hurt him. I never said I was the best middleweight, but now I’m going to say it, I’m the best middleweight.

“From now on I am going to destroy some people. I’m good, I’m confident, I’m at my best ever. I’ve never been so confident in my life.”

#5- Sinead Kavanagh (8-5) defeated #4- Leah McCourt (6-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Sinead Kavanagh following her unanimous decision win: “The knee went at the first second, it just buckled and I could hardly even stand. I had to turn this into a dog fight, but I told you guys I have a good game on the ground. I just ground my teeth and dug deep. I have full Irish heart and fighting heart, that is what that was.”

Ciaran Clark (5-0) defeated Abou Tounkara (7-3) via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at 5:00 of round one

Ciaran Clarke speaking following the win in front of his home fans: “Look I’m delighted to get this victory in front of the Irish fans. I feel terrible that it happened via injury, but I’m so happy to get the victory in Bellator. Thanks to Scott Coker and everyone for having me fight on the main card.

“This is a dream come true. Look at me now; years ago I was the swing bout, now I’m on the main card.”

Khasan Magomedsharipov (7-0) defeated Jose Sanchez (11-2) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) 

#9- Jornel Lugo (8-0) defeated Brian Moore (14-9) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

 PRELIMINARY CARD: 

Brett Johns (18-3) defeated Khurshed Kakhorov (8-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:00 of round three

Davy Gallon (20-7-2) defeated Charlie Leary (17-12-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:01 of round two

Stephanie Page (6-3) defeated Danni McCormack (5-1) via TKO (punches) at 1:46 of round one

Darragh Kelly (1-0) defeated Junior Morgan (3-1) via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:47 of round one

Vladimir Tokov (8-1) defeated Daniele Scatizzi (11-6) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Gokhan Saricam (7-1) defeated Kirill Sidelnikov (13-7) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Nathan Kelly (4-2) defeated Scott Pederson (1-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Lee Hammond (2-0) defeated Jamie Hay (2-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:32 of round one

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Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Fri. Mar. 12 // BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis, Mo.

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

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About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.