Tag: breaking

Bellator’s Hawaii cards continue to build with additions from recent open tryouts

The two cards on Bellator’s Hawaii return next month continue to build with additions from the promotion’s recent open tryouts in Honolulu.

The two cards on Bellator’s return to Hawaii next month continue to build with additions from the promotion’s recent open tryouts in Honolulu.

The organization picked 10 total fighters from those open tryouts, and they’ll be part of the “Bellator: Salute the Troops” and Bellator 236 cards in December, the promotion today announced.

The fighters who earned shots with Bellator are featherweight [autotag]Braydon Akeo[/autotag], bantamweight [autotag]Pierre Daguzan[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), lightweight [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), welterweight [autotag]Hunter Ewald[/autotag] (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), bantamweight [autotag]Kaylan Gorospe[/autotag] (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), lightweight [autotag]Scotty Hao[/autotag] (4-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), bantamweight [autotag]Cheyden Leialoha[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), bantamweight [autotag]Swayne Lunasco[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), flyweight [autotag]Jamie Thorton[/autotag] (6-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and welterweight [autotag]Ben Wilhelm[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

Akeo (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) gets a tough assignment right out of the gate against [autotag]Tywan Claxton[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA). Claxton will be looking to rebound from the first loss of his career, a submission setback against Emmanuel Sanchez in the opening round of Bellator’s featherweight tournament in September. Akeo turned pro a year ago and is 3-0 out of the gate.

The latest “Bellator: Salute the Troops” lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Paramount, DAZN 10 p.m. ET)

  • Josh Barnett vs. Ronny Markes
  • Toby Misech vs. Erik Perez
  • Veta Arteaga vs. Alejandra Lara
  • Braydon Akeo vs. Tywan Claxton

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 8:45 p.m. ET)

  • [autotag]Cass Bell[/autotag] vs. Pierre Daguzan
  • Hunter Ewald vs. [autotag]Jonathan Pico[/autotag]
  • Jamie Thorton vs. [autotag]Tiani Valle[/autotag]

And the latest Bellator 236 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (DAZN, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Kate Jackson – for women’s flyweight title
  • Derek Campos vs. A.J. McKee – featherweight tournament quarterfinal
  • Neiman Gracie vs. Kiichi Kunimoto
  • Bruna Ellen vs. Juliana Velasquez
  • Cheyden Leialoha vs. [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag]

Preliminary MMA Junkie, 8:30 p.m. ET Edit Delete

  • Kaylan Gorospe vs. Swayne Lunasco
  • Keoni Diggs vs. Scotty Hao
  • Chas Dunhour vs. Nate Yoshimura
  • Spencer Higa vs. Kai Kamaka III
  • [autotag]Kona Oliveira[/autotag] vs. Ben Wilhelm
  • Dustin Barca vs. Brandon Pieper
  • Nainoa Dung vs. Zach Zane

UFC champ Zhang Weili believes Rose Namajunas is toughest test at strawweight

Joanna Jedrzejczyk is a worthy challenger to the UFC champion, but she’s not the toughest one.

UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] likely will make her first title defense vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

And while Weili believes Jedrzejczyk is a formidable opponent, she doesn’t believe she’s the best in the division. Weili bestows that title to former champion [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag].

“I always want to fight the best, but it is not my job to determine who the best is,” Weili told MMA Junkie in a direct message. “If you are asking me if I think Joanna is the best then the answer is no. Joanna is a worthy opponent and is among the best, but in my opinion Rose is the best martial artist. And when the time is right, it will be an honor to test my skills against hers.”

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Namajunas (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) was en route to a masterclass in her last outing, when she attempted to defend her title vs. Jessica Andrade at UFC 237. But a crucial mistake cost her as she latched onto a Kimura while being lifted and was unable to protect herself when she was slammed, getting knocked out in Round 2.

Despite the loss, Weili (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) still sees Namajunas as the toughest test and hopes to get the opportunity to share the octagon with her in the near future. Good news for Weili is that Namajunas, who contemplated retirement after losing her belt, recently announced her intention to continue fighting.

“I think Rose is a true master and know our paths will cross,” Weili said. “I like Rose very much, and to share the octagon with her will be the true test. I look forward to seeing her return, and I wish her good health and prosperity.”

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Claudio Silva tired of flying under radar, wants ranked opponent next at UFC London

Tired of flying under the radar, the streaking Claudio Silva wants a ranked opponent at UFC London next.

[autotag]Claudio Silva[/autotag] quietly has put together a solid winning streak in the UFC’s stacked welterweight division, and thinks it’s about time people started mentioning his name.

Silva (14-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has won all five of his UFC fights, and since coming back from his nearly four-year layoff in 2018 has submitted three straight opponents.

Silva thinks he’s earned the right to face a ranked fighter next, but is not willing to trash talk to get attention. He says it’s the UFC’s job to promote fighters like him who are flying under the radar.

“I think 5-0 in the UFC is something big because it’s difficult for me to do my own media,” Silva told MMA Junkie. “I think the UFC should pay more attention to fighters. We are fighters – we are busy training. We’ve got to train, think about camps, work hard – that’s a difficult thing. Some people, they talk (expletive) and they get all the attention. I think the UFC should promote the fighters more, especially the up-and-comers that have many victories. So definitely, I think I’m under the radar.”

With the UFC announcing its return to London for March 21, Silva, who has spent more than 10 years in the U.K., would like nothing more than to compete on the card – preferably, of course, against a top-ranked fighter.

“Definitely, I would like to fight in March. I can be on the main card in London,” Silva said. “I’ve been living here for 12 years. I beat a lot of big names, good names: Leon Edwards, Nordine Taleb, I beat all those guys – Danny Roberts. I’m definitely a big name in the U.K., so they should give me the main card in London.”

Silva, who’s currently applying for a British passport, has competed in all but three of his pro fights in the U.K., and said the issue is none of the ranked fighters want to fight him in fear of losing their spots.

“I definitely want to fight a top 15 guy, but they don’t want to fight me,” Silva said. “I’m too risky for them. I don’t understand the rankings thing, how I’m going to get a ranked fighter, because they don’t want to fight me. They refuse me right now, so how am I going to get there if they refuse me?

“It’s not an easy situation. I don’t know how to get in the rankings. I know I’m the best fighter, but they just don’t want to lose their position and that’s why they keep avoiding me.”

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Bellator Europe 6 predictions: Who’s going against Michael Page, Fabian Edwards and Soren Bak?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator Europe 6 main card in London, featuring Michael Page vs. Giovanni Melillo.

Page
vs.
Milillo		 Edwards
vs.
Shipman		 Bak
vs.
Brazier
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2019: 200-123 (62%)		 page2019
Page
(84%)		 edwards2019
Edwards
(73%)		 bak2019
Bak
(77%)
Simon Head
@simonhead
2019: 116-65 (64%)		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 bak2019
Bak
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2019: 206-117 (64%)		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 bak2019
Bak
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2019: 112-64 (64%)		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 bak2019
Bak
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2019: 204-119 (63%)
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 bak2019
Bak
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2019: 204-119 (63%)
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 brazier2019
Brazier
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2019: 201-122 (62%)		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 bak2019
Bak
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2019: 200-123 (62%)
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 bak2019
Bak
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2019: 200-123 (62%)		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 bak2019
Bak
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2019: 197-126 (61%)		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 bak2019
Bak
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2019: 101-69 (59%)		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 bak2019
Bak
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2019: 184-130 (59%)		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 bak2019
Bak
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2019: 128-103 (55%)		 page2019
Page		 edwards2019
Edwards		 bak2019
Bak
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2019: 172-151 (53%)		 melillo2019
Melillo		 shipman2019
Shipman		 brazier2019
Brazier

Bellator is back in London this week with one of its superstars atop the bill.

Bellator Europe 6 takes place Saturday at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London. The card streams on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 11-1 BMMA) takes on short-notice replacement [autotag]Giovanni Melillo[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a welterweight bout. Page is a massive favorite of as much as 22-1 at one sports book, and to no surprise, 12 of our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are picking him to win in front of his home fans.

In the middleweight co-main event, [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) is more than a 3-1 favorite against [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) in a fight that saw bad blood boil to the surface at the weigh-ins. Only one of our pickers is taking Shipman in an upset.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Soren Bak[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Terry Brazier[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) in a lightweight fight that is a close one with the oddsmakers. Bak is just a slight favorite, but our pickers are taking him at a heavy 11-2 clip.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Page (94%), Edwards (73 percent) and Bak (77 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Soren Bak explains why he chose Bellator over UFC

Soren Bak: “Bellator had the best deal on the table, the best opportunity.”

LONDON – [autotag]Soren Bak[/autotag]’s Bellator debut comes Saturday, where he’ll face 13-fight veteran Terry Brazier.

Highly regarded as one of Europe’s best featherweight prospects, Cage Warriors champion Bak (13-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) signed with Bellator in September.

At the time, there was some speculation the Danish fighter had two offers on the table and chose Bellator over the UFC. At a media day Thursday, Bak admitted there is some truth to the rumors.

“Yeah, there is some truth to that,” Bak told MMA Junkie. “But the real truth is we were looking for the best deal we could find anywhere. Not just financially or looking at long at the term, but all the way around. Bellator had the best deal on the table – the best opportunity.”

As for his matchup with Brazier (11-2 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), “The True Viking” Bak said he expects a physically strong opponent. A 33-year-old Englishman, Brazier has split his two promotional appearances and comes off an Americana submission victory over Alessandro Botti in June.

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“I see Terry has some size on people and he uses it to bully people,” Bak said. “So if you don’t have the technique on point, you’re going to be spending a lot of energy. That’s kind of what I’ve been seeing from him. He’s a good overall mixed martial artist, but he has big holes everywhere. I’m going to be able to exploit some of those.”

Bellator Europe 6 takes place Saturday at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London. The card streams on MMA Junkie.

Check out MMA Junkie’s full Bellator Europe 6 pre-fight interview with Soren Bak in the video above.

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Maycee Barber: Paige VanZant turned me down, but Roxanne Modafferi way better anyway

“My career will be successful no matter what, if I beat her up or not.”

[autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] wanted to fight [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag].

According to Barber, however, the same can’t be said the other way around. After multiple callouts of VanZant, Barber is set to take on [autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] at UFC 246 on Jan. 18.

In an interview with Submission Radio, Barber (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) revealed the fight was offered to VanZant (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC), who turned it down. Barber claims VanZant wants to fight at 115 pounds and needs more time to prepare.

“They offered it to Paige at 125, (and) she said no,” Barber said. “From what I heard, she said she wanted a fight at 115, but she would need more time. So, as far as I know, it’s offered to her at 125 when she wants to take the fight at 125. And other than that, it’s kind of like, I’m just gonna keep doing what I do with my career, and when she decides to fight, we’ll fight.”

Is Barber disappointed she won’t be facing VanZant? Not really. Barber said VanZant would just be an added “bonus” to her resume of work.

“My career will be successful no matter what, if I beat her up or not,” Barber said. “That was kind of like a bonus – like, beat her up and prove a point. But that’s it.”

Additionally, Barber compared VanZant and Modafferi (23-16 MMA, 2-4 UFC). She said she views Modafferi as a more challenging matchup and criticized VanZant’s evolution (or lack thereof) as a fighter.

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“Roxanne is way better of a fighter than Paige VanZant,” Barber said. “And there’s a lot of women out there who are a tougher fight. Paige VanZant just did the marketing well, and that was because the UFC got behind her on that.

“But like I’ve said multiple times, she didn’t hold up her end of the deal and she didn’t continue to progress as a fighter, she just continued to progress on the more marketing and media side of that. So, yeah, there’s a lot more girls that had been working there their butts off a lot more than Paige has.”

Barber’s tune when speaking on VanZant compared to Modafferi was night and day. Barber voiced her respect for one of the most experienced fighters in the history of women’s MMA. She sees the fight as a passing of the guard, of sorts.

“(Roxanne’s) been there so long within the sport,” Barber said. “She has so many fights. She has like 39 fights. And I don’t know if that includes her amateur career or not. She’s been around for a lot of fights and through a lot of the women in MMA. So, it’s really a very historic fight for us. Because we’re taking someone who has pretty much gone and done and seen it all, and then you have someone who’s been working their whole life just to be where they are right now.

“And I’m super young and super new in my career. So you kind of have the new and the old, and I think people are gonna be shocked. They expect, like, oh, you’re fighting her and she’s got so much experience over you. But what they don’t realize is that I’ve been working my whole life, and I’m 21, but that’s like 17 years of work that I’ve put into this.”

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Bellator Europe 6’s Alfie Davis wants to prove he’s a main event fighter

Alfie Davis says only opportunity stands between him and being considered the world’s best MMA fighter.

LONDON – [autotag]Alfie Davis[/autotag] says only opportunity stands between him and being considered the world’s best fighter, and he hopes to get more shine with a win at Bellator Europe 6.

Davis (12-3 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), who meets Alessandro Botti (15-10 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in a 161-pound catchweight bout on Saturday’s card, which takes place at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London and streams on MMA Junkie, is looking to make a quick rise up the Bellator ranks.

In fact, Davis sees his championship timeline at less than two years, so long as Bellator recognizes what kind of talent it has on its hands.

“I think I win this fight and then maybe in Dublin (in February) I’m hoping to get a bigger name,” Davis told MMA Junkie at Bellator Europe 6 media day. “I think I’m the best in the world and it’s just a matter of proving it. It’s on Bellator. Once they realize I’m a main event fighter I’ll be pushed more and Saturday night I’m just going to have to prove that.”

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Davis pointed to his creative and dynamic style as another reason fans and the Bellator brass should back him. His past two wins have come by decision, but Davis said he sees a finish this time around.

“If I knock the guy out, then great, it’s going to go viral,” Davis said. “If not, I’m going to finish this guy pretty early anyway.”

To hear more from Davis, watch his complete Bellator Europe 6 media day interview above.

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ONE Championship 104 results: Amir Khan survives Ev Ting rally, Colbey Northcutt gets first win

Amir Khan did damage early against Ev Ting, but had to survive Ting’s third-round rally to escape with a split decision win.

[autotag]Amir Khan[/autotag] did damage early against [autotag]Ev Ting[/autotag], but had to survive Ting’s third-round rally to escape with a split decision win in the ONE Championship 104 MMA main event.

“ONE Championship 104: Edge of Greatness” took place Friday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The event streamed on B/R Live.

Ting (17-7) was able to utilize many of his weapons in the first round, but Khan’s (12-6) striking was on point. In particular, when Ting and Khan clinched, Khan was able to land a hard elbow on the break that damaged Ting’s nose.

Khan’s striking again was rolling in the second after targeted Ting’s nose. He turned Ting’s face into a bloody mess. But with a little more than a minute left in the second round, Ting was able to land a takedown and got on top and tried to turn the tide with ground-and-pound. But Khan got back to his feet after only a few seconds on his back to ride out the round on his feet.

Ting clinched Khan up in the final frame and tried to get a takedown, but Khan stayed on his feet and moved back to the center. When Ting tried to kick high 90 seconds in, Khan slipped it and landed a hard right hand that was emblematic of his striking throughout the fight. But with at the 2:50 mark, Ting landed a pair of heavy punches, and the second seemed to stun Khan and forced him to tie things up.

Ting got the fight to the canvas late and tried to go to work on top. Khan tried to work back to his feet and finally did with 25 seconds left. And despite Ting’s third-round rally, Khan already had done enough in the eyes of two of the three judges.

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[autotag]Troy Worthen[/autotag] (6-0) stayed unbeaten when he took out [autotag]Chen Lei[/autotag] (6-2) with just four seconds left in the second round of their fight. With Lei covered up, Worthen repeatedly rained punches down on him until he got the stoppage. The ref arguably could have let them go to the horn to allow Lei a chance to see a third round, but he wasn’t showing anything while Worthen hammered away on him to get the stoppage.

[autotag]Rahul Raju[/autotag] (7-4) continued his resurgence after a three-fight skid to open his ONE tenure when he submitted late-notice opponent [autotag]Furqan Cheema[/autotag] (8-3) with a second-round rear-naked choke. It was Raju’s second straight finish by the choke to get back on track after going 0-3 in his three ONE fights in 2018.

Earlier on the card, [autotag]Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke[/autotag] (11-5) took out [autotag]Muhammad Imran[/autotag] (5-4) with a big TKO. Amnuaysirichoke landed heavy knees in the clinch to put Imran on the canvas, then quickly dropped to the mat to finish him with punches in the third round.

[autotag]Colbey Northcutt[/autotag] (1-1) picked up the first win of her pro MMA career with a striking clinic in her ONE debut. Northcutt, a karate standout and sister of ONE fighter Sage Northcutt, put her standup on display for a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Putri Padmi[/autotag] (0-2).

To open the MMA portion of the main card, former strawweight champion [autotag]Alex Silva[/autotag] (9-4) won for the second straight time by armbar when he took out [autotag]Xuewen Peng[/autotag] (3-6) in the second round. Brazil’s Silva put on a masterful grappling display late in the middle frame to get the tap in a similar fashion to how he beat Stefer Rahardian earlier this year to snap a three-fight skid.

On the prelims, Japan’s [autotag]Shuya Kamikubo[/autotag] (11-1-1) won for the sixth straight time and took a unanimous decision from Brazil’s [autotag]Bruno Pucci[/autotag] (7-4) in their featherweight fight.

MAIN CARD (B/R Live)

  • Amir Khan def. Ev Ting via split decision
  • Troy Worthen def. Chen Lei via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:56
  • Rahul Raju def. Furqan Cheema via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:00
  • Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke def. Muhammad Imran via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 1:21
  • Colbey Northcutt def. Putri Padmi via unanimous decision
  • Alex Silva def. Xuewen Peng via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 4:45

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, Twitter)

  • Shuya Kamikubo def. Bruno Pucci via unanimous decision

Floyd Mayweather says he’s coming out of retirement, will work with UFC boss Dana White

Floyd Mayweather announces that he will be coming out of retirement in 2020 and will be working with UFC president Dana White.

It appears [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] has gotten the itch to compete again, and may be working alongside an old friend.

That friend could be none other than UFC president Dana White, who was courtside next to Mayweather at the Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Clippers game Wednesday in Los Angeles. After images emerged of the two talking, Mayweather took to Instagram to confirm that they do indeed intend on working together once again, and that he will be coming out of retirement in 2020.

View this post on Instagram

Coming out of retirement in 2020

A post shared by Floyd Mayweather (@floydmayweather) on

White helped put together “The Money Fight” in August 2017, a boxing match between former UFC dual champion Conor McGregor and the undefeated Mayweather. Mayweather took out McGregor in the 10th round with a TKO. That was more than two years ago and was the last time Mayweather competed.

Considering how successful the event was for all parties, it’s no surprise that the two want to work together again. With the launch of White’s Zuffa Boxing imminent, it appears he’ll be playing a part in Mayweather’s next fight.

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Aleksei Oleinik vs. Maurice Greene added to UFC 246 in January

A heavyweight matchup between Aleksei Oleinik and Maurice Greene is the latest addition to UFC 246 on Jan. 18.

A heavyweight matchup is the latest addition to the UFC’s first event of 2020.

[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (57-12-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC) will take on [autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC 246, a person with knowledge of the booking told MMA Junkie. The person requested anonymity since the UFC has yet to make an announcement.

Oleinik has dropped his past two in a row, suffering knockout losses at the hands of Alistair Overeem and, most recently, Walt Harris at UFC on ESPN 4 in July. With more than 70 pro fights on his resume, the Russian veteran will look to avoid a three-fight losing skid when he takes on “Ultimate Fighter” alum Greene.

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Greene, who started off his UFC tenure at 3-0, recently saw his winning streak come to a halt when he lost by first-round TKO to Sergei Pavlovich in October.

UFC 246 doesn’t have an announced location yet, but is expected to take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected for ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

With the addition, the UFC 246 lineup now includes:

  • Maycee Barber vs. Roxanne Modafferi
  • Drew Dober vs. Nasrat Haqparast
  • Grant Dawson vs. Chas Skelly
  • Maurice Greene vs. Aleksei Oleinik

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