Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.
MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.
But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.
Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from April 17-23.
A massive bantamweight fight between Cory Sandhagen and Aljamain Sterling has been added to UFC 250.
A massive bantamweight fight between [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] and [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] has been added to UFC 250.
It won’t be for Henry Cejudo’s title after his alleged retirement, but Sandhagen (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Sterling (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) will fight for prime contender position in one of the sport’s deepest weight classes.
MMA Junkie confirmed with people close to the situation that contracts have been signed by both fighters. The people request anonymity because UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
Sandhagen has been pushing for a big fight at 135 pounds since he beat Raphael Assuncao at UFC 241 in August to extend his winning streak to seven fights. He was angling for a matchup with Dominick Cruz next, but then Cruz got the short-notice call to fight Cejudo at UFC 249 earlier this month.
Sterling, meanwhile, is on a solid four-fight run of his own. He most recently outpointed Pedro Munhoz to a decision at UFC 238 in June 2019.
The latest UFC 250 lineup now includes:
[vertical-gallery id=413480]
[vertical-gallery id=433207]
Arguably the greatest fighter of all time, UFC champ Jon Jones returns at UFC 247 and brings a special resume into the octagon.
UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] returns Saturday after seven months off to put his title on the line against Dominick Reyes in the UFC 247 main event.
Jones (25-1 MMA, 19-1 UFC) has been through a lot in his career, but it seems as though this latest title reign is where his full potential could be met. UFC 247, which takes place at Toyota Center in Houston and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+, could represent the 14th UFC title-fight win for Jones, giving him the all-time record.
That footnote in history is something Jones has been pursuing for quite some time, but he’ll have to get through Reyes (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) to make it happen. Is he capable? Jones’ record below shows the depth of his accomplishments so far.
* * * *
Jones is ranked No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA light heavyweight rankings and No. 2 pound-for-pound.
He competes in his 22nd UFC light heavyweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
His current 17-fight UFC unbeaten streak in light heavyweight competition is the longest active streak in the division and longest in the history of the weight class. It’s also the longest UFC unbeaten streak among active fighters.
His 17-fight unbeaten streak in UFC competition is the longest in company history.
His 19 UFC light heavyweight victories are the most in divisional history.
His 10 stoppage victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied with Glover Teixeira for the most in modern divisional history.
His five submission victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied with Teixeira for most in divisional history.
He’s defeated six fighters who once held an undisputed UFC belt, the most of any active fighter in the organization.
His eight fight-night bonuses for UFC light heavyweight bouts are tied with Mauricio Rua for the most in divisional history.
His reach of 84.5 inches is longest in the light heavyweight division and longest among active UFC fighters.
[vertical-gallery id=391887]
