Michael Chandler knows what he has to do to beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 309, but the “devil on the other shoulder” simply won’t allow it.
[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] won’t be able to control himself against [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] at UFC 309.
Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) rematches Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 309 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Hulu/FX, ESPN+) co-main event at Madison Square Garden in New York. Chandler will look to avenge his 2021 loss to Oliveira, in which he was able to badly hurt the Brazilian in Round 1 but was knocked out just 19 seconds into Round 2. Speaking on the “Believe You Me” podcast with Michael Bisping, Smith said Chandler’s tendency to brawl and entertain is who he is as a fighter.
“Not a chance,” Smith said of Chandler fighting smarter. “I think he’ll think he’s going to do that. When he fought Dustin Poirier, I was right behind Joe Rogan, and I was like, ‘This is going to be an amazing fight. He’s going to fight smart.’ He tried. I was close enough where I could see him, I could hear his coaches, I could hear the corner work through the broadcast.
“Listening to the things with Din (Thomas), and you can see he was having this internal battle where he knows that he was just really successful with the wrestling, but this devil on the other shoulder is like, ‘Just go for broke,’ and he can’t help it. I used to think he was trying to be exciting, and he’s not. It’s just who he is in here (his heart), and he can’t help it.”
Since coming over from Bellator, Chandler’s approach has resulted in four bonuses in five UFC appearances. His all-out war with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 earned him Fight of the Year for 2021.
Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC 309 on pay-per-view, ESPNews, Hulu, FX and ESPN+.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
The UFC’s 13th and penultimate pay-per-view event of 2024 goes down Saturday in the “Big Apple.”
Here’s how to watch UFC 309 with the heavyweight title on the line at the top of the card at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Broadcast and streaming info
Jon Anik
UFC 309 has a main card that begins at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on pay-per-view (via ESPN+). The four-fight preliminary card airs on ESPNews, FX and Hulu at 8 p.m. ET. Three early prelims air on Hulu and stream on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET.
[autotag]Dan Hellie[/autotag] will host the official UFC 309 weigh-in show on Friday.
He’ll be joined by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag], coach [autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] and [autotag]Laura Sanko[/autotag].
Former UFC title challengers [autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag], as well as retired lightweight contender [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] will serve as a desk analysts on the UFC 309 post-fight show and throughout the card, when necessary. [autotag]Brendan Fitzgerald[/autotag] will serve as the host.
Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 309 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.
[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 309.
He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators and UFC Hall of Famer Cormier and [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag].
(Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie)
Main event: Jon Jones
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 04: Jon Jones looks on during the UFC heavyweight championship fight against Ciryl Gane of France during the UFC 285 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 04, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775947443 ORIG FILE ID: 1471352966
Record: 27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC Opponent: Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) Division: Heavyweight Key wins: Ciryl Gane Misc.: Won vacant heavyweight title with first-round submission of Ciryl Gane in March 2023. That was his debut at heavyweight after years as the light heavyweight champion. He’s been on the shelf with an injury till now.
Main event: Stipe Miocic
Stipe Miocic
Record: 20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC Opponent: Jon Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) Division: Heavyweight Key wins: Daniel Cormier (twice), Francis Ngannou, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum Misc.: Lost the heavyweight title in March 2021 to Ngannou. Was set to fight Jones a year ago until Jones’ injury took him out. Miocic chose to wait for Jones’ return rather than fight, putting his current layoff at around 44 months. Prior to this, the longest Miocic ever had gone without a fight was 13 months.
Co-main event: Michael Chandler
Nov 12, 2022; New York, NY, USA; Dustin Poirier (red gloves) and Michael Chandler (blue gloves) during UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC Opponent: Charles Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) Division: Lightweight Key wins: Tony Ferguson, Dan Hooker Misc.: Former Bellator champion has had mixed success in the UFC, including a knockout loss to Oliveira in a title fight that he’ll be trying to avenge as an underdog Saturday.
Co-main event: Charles Oliveira
May 15, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Charles Oliveira applies a hold against Michael Chandler uring UFC 262 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC Opponent: Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) Division: Lightweight Key wins: Beneil Dariush, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Chandler, Tony Ferguson Misc.: Oliveira already has one win over Chandler – a knockout to win the vacant lightweight title in 2021. He defended it against Poirier and beat Gaethje – but in a fight for which he missed weight and was stripped of the belt. After a loss to new champ Islam Makhachev, he rebounded against Dariush, but lost a likely title eliminator to Arman Tsarukyan in April.
UFC 309 main card betting odds
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 03: (R-L) Viviane Araujo of Brazil punches Natalia Silva of Brazil in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 03, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Jon Jones (-625) vs. Stipe Miocic (+455) – for heavyweight title
Michael Chandler (+205) vs. Charles Oliveira (-250)
Anthony Smith is at the stage of his career where he wants each fight to have meaning. His UFC 310 fight vs. Dominick Reyes fits the bill.
[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] is at the stage of his career where he wants each fight to have meaning.
After making his MMA debut in October 2007 and competing nearly 60 times since, Smith (38-20 MMA, 13-10 UFC) has experienced almost everything a fighter can, including challenging for the UFC light heavyweight title against then-champ Jon Jones in March 2019.
At 36 and with four losses in his past six fights, though, signs point to things winding down for “Lionheart.” He’s not ready to declare a retirement plan, be it a number of fights or length of time. That’s because he still has fight left in him, and Smith can feel the fire burning strong when he gets specific fights.
That’s the case for his UFC 310 matchup with Dominick Reyes (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC), which takes place Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+, ESPN2). It’s a fight Smith has been thinking about for some time and what he feels he wants and needs at this point in his career.
“I’ve always liked the Dominick Reyes fight,” Smith told MMA Junkie. “For no other reason than he’s one of the best guys in the world and one of those guys that I think a lot of people thought beat Jon Jones. He’s a name. It’s interesting to me, which is kind of where I’m at in my career right now. I just want to have some fun. I want to train really hard, I want to enjoy whatever I have left in my career, and I want fights with guys that I think matter. And Dominick Reyes matters to me.
“That’s a win. You look back at – as fun as the (Vitor) Petrino fight was, I won’t look back at that one. If I’m sitting around a camp fire with a cold beer in my hand, I’m not going to sit around and tell my friend and reminisce about the time I beat Petrino. That’s not the one that’s going to stand out. Alexander Gustafsson matters. ‘Shogun’ (Rua) mattered. Rashad Evans mattered. And Dominick Reyes matters. So that one is going to mean a lot to me.”
Smith and Reyes have both had their ups and downs in recent years. Smith is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Roman Dolidze in a short-notice fight at UFC 303 in June, while Reyes brings the momentum of a first-round TKO over Dustin Jacoby in June, which snapped his four-fight losing skid.
“The more I dig into it the more dangerous I find Dominick Reyes is, which is really fun for me,” Smith said. “I’m really excited. I don’t really give a sh*t about wins and losses and all that stuff right now. I just want to be the best version of myself that I can be and have as much fun preparing for this as I possibly can.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.
Anthony Smith thinks it will take “No Time” for UFC find a different name for Alex Pereira if Magomed Ankalaev doesn’t deliver at UFC 308.
[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] doesn’t think the UFC light heavyweight division is as thin on title contender options as some might think.
With champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] further solidifying himself as a dominant force with a fourth-round TKO of Khalil Rountree on Saturday at UFC 307, many are wondering who will be next to take on “Poatan,” who reiterated his desire to stick at 205 pounds following his win.
[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] is being anointed as a prominent candidate, but the Russian must first get through Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi. Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) is currently riding a divisional-best 12-fight unbeaten streak, but lackluster performances in key moments have hurt his standing, including when he fought Jan Blachowicz to a split draw in a vacant title bout at UFC 282 in December 2022.
Smith, a former light heavyweight title challenger, ESPN analyst, and podcast co-host, thinks Ankalaev needs to be spectacular against Rakic (14-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) at UFC 308. Anything short of that in a winning manner, however, could open the door for someone else.
“I wouldn’t count on it because there’s a good chance Volkan Oezdemir and Carlos Ulberg could have a conversation, or at least some sort of a case to make for that fight,” Smith said on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn. “Especially if Ankalaev does what he kind of tends to do sometimes, and that’s kind of lay an egg and still win. He’s already been punished for that. He’s already done it once before in the Jan Blachowicz fight and Dana (White) was absolutely furious.”
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Oezdemir (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) and Ulberg (9-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meet at UFC Fight Night 248 on Nov. 23 in Macau. Oezdemir has won three of his past four and is coming off a first-round knockout of Johnny Walker at UFC on ABC 6 in June, while Ulberg is riding a six-fight winning streak with his most notable result being a 12-second knockout of Alonzo Menifield at UFC on ESPN 56 in May.
Smith has his own history with Ankalaev in the form of a second-round TKO loss at UFC 277 in July 2022. His analysis is not skewed by hard feelings, though, and Smith thinks it’s simply the reality that the UFC brass are not keen to put him back into a championship contest.
Ankalaev can control his own fortune by doing something dazzling later this month, but if he doesn’t, Smith sees more than one option in play.
“They’re not rushing Ankalaev into a title fight for a reason,” Smith said. “I think if that fight lays an egg and Volkan Oezdemir goes in there and finishes Carlos Ulberg, I think Volkan Oezdemir has a great case to make for a title shot. I wouldn’t just count on that fight (with Ankalaev).
“If Rakic wins, I think Rakic goes right into a title shot because Alex Pereira’s already shown a little bit of interest in Rakic. I think that style and his body type and kind of the way he fights interests him. I don’t think the UFC is really going to hold the Jiri Prochazka loss against (him) too badly.”
Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC 307 on pay-per-view, ESPNews and ESPN+.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
The UFC’s 11th pay-per-view event of 2024 goes down Saturday in Utah.
Here’s how to watch UFC 307 with the light heavyweight and women’s bantamweight titles on the line at the top of the card at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
Broadcast and streaming info
Jon Anik, Laura Sanko, Daniel Cormier | UFC 293 commentary team
UFC 307 has a main card that begins at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (via ESPN+). The four-fight preliminary card airs on ESPNews and streams on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET. A trio of early prelims stream on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET.
[autotag]Dan Hellie[/autotag] will host the official UFC 307 weigh-in show on Friday at 10:50 a.m. ET.
[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] will serve as a desk analysts on the UFC 307 post-fight show and throughout the card, when necessary. The host and other analysts are to be determined.
Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 307 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.
[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside.
He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators, former two-division champion Cormier, as well as [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag].
[autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] also will occasionally join the booth throughout the broadcast as the coach-analyst for the event.
He’ll be joined by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag], former middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and [autotag]Laura Sanko[/autotag] as analysts.
(Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie)
Main event: Alex Pereira
Jun 29, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) fights Jiri Prochazka (blue gloves) during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC Opponent: Khalil Rountree (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) Division: Light heavyweight Key wins: Jiri Prochazka (twice), Jamahal Hill, Jan Blachowicz, Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland Misc.: Pereira has become arguably the biggest name in the game. After he came over from a kickboxing career that included two wins over Israel Adesanya, he beat Adesanya to win the middleweight belt. Although he dropped it in a rematch, he quickly went on to win the light heavyweight belt and has defended it with two vicious bonus-winning victories.
Main event: Khalil Rountree
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 12: (R-L) Khalil Rountree Jr. punches Chris Daukaus in a light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on August 12, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Record: 14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC Opponent: Alex Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) Division: Light heavyweight Key wins: Anthony Smith, Chris Daukaus, Dustin Jacoby, Karl Roberson, Paul Craig Misc.: Rountree has been shelved for a bit due to a failed drug test – which left plenty of critics disenfranchised that he was given a title shot over other potential challengers. But he has five straight wins, four of which have come by knockout, and three bonuses in that stretch. Still, he’ll be by far the biggest underdog to go up against Pereira yet.
Main event: Raquel Pennington
Jan 20, 2024; Toronto, Canada, USA; Raquel Pennington (red glove) fights Mayra Bueno Silva (blue gloves) during UFC 297 at ScotiaBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 16-9 MMA, 13-5 UFC Opponent: Julianna Peña (12-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) Division: Women’s bantamweight Key wins: Mayra Bueno Silva, Ketlen Vieira, Aspen Ladd, Macy Chiasson, Pannie Kianzad, Marion Reneau, Irene Aldana, Miesha Tate, Jessica Andrade Misc.: After 15 years in the sport, Pennington finally reached the pinnacle in January when she outworked Mayra Bueno Silva for the title vacated by former dual champion Amanda Nunes. The fight with ex-champ Peña will be her first attempted title defense.
Main event: Julianna Peña
Jul 30, 2022; Dallas, TX, USA; Julianna Pena (red gloves) fights Amanda Nunes (blue gloves) in a women’s bantamweight title bout during UFC 277 at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 12-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC Opponent: Raquel Pennington (16-9 MMA, 13-5 UFC) Division: Women’s bantamweight Key wins: Amanda Nunes, Sara McMann, Cat Zingano, Jessica Eye Misc.: Peña submitted Amanda Nunes to win the title in late 2021 in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. But she was dominated in the rematch eight months later and dropped the belt. She’s been on the shelf for more than two years.
UFC 307 main card betting odds
Kayla Harrison
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Alex Pereira (-525) vs. Khalil Rountree (+360) – for light heavyweight title
Champ Raquel Pennington (-180) vs. Julianna Peña (+150) – for women’s bantamweight title
Jose Aldo (+145) vs. Mario Bautista (-175)
Kayla Harrison (-850) vs. Ketlen Vieira (+500)
Roman Dolidze (+145) vs. Kevin Holland (-175)
UFC 307 prelim betting odds
Marina Rodriguez
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Joaquin Buckley (-200) vs. Stephen Thompson (+170)
Iasmin Lucindo (-175) vs. Marina Rodriguez (+145)
Cesar Almeida (-400) vs. Ihor Potieria (+300)
Alexander Hernandez (-215) vs. Austin Hubbard (+170)
Glover Teixeira seemed especially happy to see Alex Pereira and Anthony Smith bury the hatchet before UFC 307.
It’s been a minute, but you might recall that UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] were beefing with each other last year. Heading into UFC 307 fight week, consider it squashed.
To kick off UFC 307 fight week, Smith, who’s in Salt Lake City to work Saturday’s pay-per-view event as a desk analyst, sat down to interview Pereira, which could’ve been awkward. After all, Smith said some things about Pereira’s light heavyweight debut against Jan Blachowicz that rubbed “Poatan” the wrong way, eventually leading to a $50,000 challenge for a jiu-jitsu match.
But when Pereira and Smith came together for an ESPN interview that posted Monday, it was all love and respect between the two of them.
You see how happy this interaction made Glover Teixeira? That’s what I’m really here for.
Pereira will go for his third consecutive defense of the 205-pound championship when he meets Khalil Rountree in the main event of UFC 307 on Saturday at Delta Center.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
If Jon Jones doesn’t make UFC 309, Anthony Smith thinks Stipe Miocic would fight Tom Aspinall on short notice.
If [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] doesn’t make UFC 309, [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] would fight [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] on short notice.
Interim champion Aspinall has been dubbed as the official backup for the heavyweight title fight between champion Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) and Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC), which headlines the Nov. 16 event at Madison Square Garden.
“I think (Miocic) will,” Smith said on his “Believe You Me” podcast with Michael Bisping. “Anytime I’ve ever had conversations about this kind of stuff with Stipe – I know that I think in this whole media world and not just you (Bisping) and I, but the media in the general and the UFC and everyone that talks about it, they make it seem like Stipe really gives a sh*t. He doesn’t really give a sh*t. He’s barely a fighter. Like, he doesn’t have the mentality of a fighter unless he’s in there actively fighting. He doesn’t talk about fights, he doesn’t really watch them that much. He trains every single day, but he’s just not immersed in this world at all.
“He wants to beat Jon because everyone else says that Jon is the best. He couldn’t care less about Jon Jones. He just doesn’t. Whether it’s Jon or it’s Tom Aspinall, he’s going to train about the same. It’s not going to really change much. He has that mentality where it’s not about what that guy is going to do and how I’m going to react to it. His whole mindset is flipped. Here’s what I’m going to do and he has to deal with it. That’s how Stipe’s mindset has always been. So, whether it’s Jon or whether it’s Tom, it doesn’t change anything for Stipe.”
Both Jones and Miocic will be returning from long layoffs, with Miocic having not fought since March 2021, and Jones March 2023. Meanwhile, Aspinall has already defended his interim title with a quick TKO of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.
Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC Fight Night 243 on ESPN+.
After a week off, the UFC is back for its latest visit to the “City of Lights” with ranked lightweights at the top of the lineup.
Here’s how to watch UFC Fight Night 243 with 155-pounders in the headlining spot, plus middleweights in the co-feature in Paris.
Broadcast and streaming info
John Gooden, Dominick Cruz, Michael Bisping
UFC Fight Night 243 has a main card that starts at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The preliminary card streams on ESPN+ at noon ET.
Veteran broadcaster [autotag]Karyn Bryant[/autotag] serves as desk anchor and host at UFC Fight Night 243.
Former light heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] and retired lightweight veteran [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] join her as analysts at the desk for pre-fight coverage.
UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] joins Bryant and Smith at the desk for post-fight coverage.
Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Heidi Androl[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC Fight Night 243 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.
[autotag]John Gooden[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC Fight Night 243.
He’ll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by retired former middleweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer Bisping, as well as Felder.
(Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie)
Main event: Renato Moicano
Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Renato Moicano (blue gloves) fights Jalin Turner (red gloves) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 19-5-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC Opponent: Benoit Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) Division: Lightweight Key wins: Jalin Turner, Drew Dober, Brad Riddell, Alexander Hernandez, Cub Swanson, Calvin Kattar Misc.: Moicano, a Brazilian who trains at American Top Team in Florida, has not fought outside the U.S. since just before the pandemic – a 44-second submission of Damir Hadzovic in Brazil.
Main event: Benoit Saint Denis
Nov 11, 2023; New York, NY, USA; Matt Frevola (red gloves) fights Benoit Saint Denis (blue gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC Opponent: Renato Moicano (19-5-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC) Division: Lightweight Key wins: Matt Frevola, Thiago Moises, Ismael Bonfim, Gabriel Miranda Misc.: This is Saint Denis’ favorite time of year: UFC Paris week. The promotion’s first two visits to his capital city resulted in $50,000 stoppage bonuses for him.
Co-main event: Brendan Allen
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 06: (L-R) Brendan Allen punches Chris Curtis in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 06, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Record: 24-5 MMA, 12-2 UFC Opponent: Nassourdine Imavov (14-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) Division: Middleweight Key wins: Chris Curtis, Paul Craig, Bruno Silva, Misc.: Allen has been an RNC machine during his current streak. Five of his seven straight wins have been by rear-naked chokes, including three for $50,000 bonuses.
Co-main event: Nassourdine Imavov
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 03: (L-R) Nassourdine Imavov of Russia punches Roman Dolidze of Georgia in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 03, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Record: 14-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC Opponent: Brendan Allen (24-5 MMA, 12-2 UFC) Division: Middleweight Key wins: Jared Cannonier, Roman Dolidze, Joaquin Buckley, Edmen Shahbazyan Misc.: It’s a home game for Russia’s Imavov, who lives and trains in France. Remarkably, Imavov has been favored against eight straight opponents (including a bout with Kelvin Gastelum that was canceled twice) – and three have been future champions or former or future title challengers.
Record: 14-3 Opponent: Ion Cutelaba (17-10-1 MMA, 6-9-1 UFC) Division: Light heavyweight Misc.: 32-year-old Croatian has 11 of his 14 wins by stoppage.
UFC Fight Night 243 main card betting odds
Sep 2, 2023; Paris, France; William Gomis (red gloves) fights Yanis Ghemmouri (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET)
Renato Moicano (+220) vs. Benoit Saint Denis (-270)
Brendan Allen (+175) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (-210)
Joanderson Brito (-260) vs. William Gomis (+210)
Bryan Battle (-150) vs. Kevin Jousset (+125)
Morgan Charriere (-550) vs. Gabriel Miranda (+400)
Matt Frevola (-125) vs. Fares Ziam (+105)
UFC Fight Night 243 prelim betting odds
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – JUNE 01: Ailin Perez of Argentina celebrates defeating Joselyne Edwards of Panama in their bantamweight bout during UFC 302 at Prudential Center on June 01, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, noon ET)
Ion Cutelaba (-125) vs. Ivan Erslan (+105)
Da Woon Jung (+350) vs. Oumar Sy (-450)
Ludovit Klein (-700) vs. Roosevelt Roberts (+500)
Taylor Lapilus (-355) vs. Vince Morales (+280)
Ailin Perez (-260) vs. Darya Zheleznyakova (+210)
Victor Altamirano (+115) vs. Daniel Barez (-145)
Jacqueline Cavalcanti (-195) vs. Nora Cornolle (+155)
A pair of former UFC light heavyweight title challengers, Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes, will clash at December’s pay-per-view.
The UFC is beginning to schedule fights for its December pay-per-view event, including matching up [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag].
At UFC 310 on Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, former light heavyweight title challengers Smith (37-20 MMA, 13-10 UFC) and Reyes (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) are set to face off.
UFC officials announced the bout Saturday following an initial report from MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin in August.
Smith, currently No. 12 in the promotion’s divisional rankings, will look to rebound from a loss to Roman Dolidze at UFC 303 in June, which continued a recent trend of trading wins and losses. Smith’s last win came in the fight prior at UFC 301, where he scored MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Month for May against Vitor Petrino in just two minutes.
Reyes, currently ranked No. 14, will aim to keep his momentum going following a two-minute victory of his own. In his first fight since November 2022, Reyes returned to action and quickly finished Dustin Jacoby in the first round at UFC on ESPN 57. Not only was the result a successful return after a lengthy layoff, the win snapped a four-fight skid that stretched back to his controversial title challenge loss vs. Jon Jones at UFC 247 in 2020.
After watching his fight, Dillashaw mocked Smith’s nickname “Lionheart” on the “JAXXON PODCAST.”
“No, never,” Dillashaw said of Smith becoming champion. “Dude, he’s not good enough. OK, so he gives up. Did he give himself that name or what? He gives up in there.”
When watching Smith vs. Dolidze play out, Dillashaw, the former two-time UFC bantamweight champion, said he didn’t see the fight in Smith.
“The second round (vs. Dolidze), he doesn’t even try to f*cking stand up,” Dillashaw said. “Roman’s on his back; he doesn’t even try to stand up. I don’t give a sh*t. I’m fighting until I die, dog. I’m fighting with one arm, I’m doing whatever I can.”
Smith reached a light heavyweight title shot in 2019 when he faced none other than Jon Jones at UFC 235. Smith opted not to look for an easy win when he was struck with an illegal knee by Jones and decided to continue fighting. He lost the bout by unanimous decision.
After losing to Jones, Smith alternated wins and losses, with his opposition ranging from former champions to top contenders to rising prospects.
