Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 30 event at “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN+ 30 went with as their backing tracks in Abu Dhabi.
The best stats and figures about UFC on ESPN+ 30, which features a Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Benavidez title rematch in the main event.
The third event of the UFC’s four-card August stretch on “Fight Island” takes place Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 30 at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
A title-fight rematch takes place in the main event when the UFC takes a second attempt at crowning a new flyweight champion. [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) will attempt to repeat his February knockout of [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) when they run it back, but this time Figueiredo hopefully will be eligible for the belt by making weight.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN+ 30.
* * * *
Figueiredo becomes the second Brazilian to fight for the UFC flyweight title. Wilson Reis also accomplished the feat.
Figueiredo has earned 15 of his 18 career victories by stoppage. That includes five of his UFC wins.
Figueiredo’s five stoppage victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for third most ind divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (seven) and Benavidez (six).
Figueiredo’s four knockout victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Benavidez (five).
Figueiredo’s six knockdowns landed in UFC flyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind John Lineker (seven).
Figueiredo lands 52.5 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Figueiredo attempts 2.36 submissions per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC flyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Benavidez, 35, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Benavidez, 35, can become the oldest fighter to claim a UFC title at welterweight or below.
Benavidez is one of seven fighters in UFC history to go 0-3 in title fights. Another loss would make him the lone fighter to go 0-4.
Benavidez competes in his 18th UFC flyweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Benavidez’s total fight time of 3:10:24 in UFC flyweight competition is second most in divisional history behind Johnson (4:39:12).
Benavidez’s 13 victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied with Johnson for most in divisional history.
Benavidez’s six stoppage victories in UFC flyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Johnson (seven).
Benavidez’s six knockdowns landed in UFC flyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Lineker (seven).
Benavidez’s five knockout victories in UFC flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Benavidez’s four fight-night bonuses for UFC flyweight bouts are second most in divisional history behind Johnson (nine).
[autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) has earned 16 of his 20 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his seven UFC wins.
Hermansson lands 5.13 significant strikes per minute in UFC middleweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Paulo Costa (8.43) and Martin Kampmann (5.35).
Hermansson has the highest significant strike differential rate in UFC middleweight history (+2.87).
Hermansson landed 148 significant strikes against Ronaldo Souza at UFC on ESPN+ 8, the most in a five-round UFC middleweight fight.
[autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) is 4-3 (with one no contest) since he moved up to the UFC middleweight division in December 2016. He’s 5-3 (with one no contest) overall at 185 pounds.
[autotag]Joe Duffy[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2017.
Duffy has earned 14 of his 16 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 13 opponents in the first round and eight in less than two minutes each.
[autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all 16 of his career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has earned one of two calf-slicer submissions in UFC history. Charles Oliveira also accomplished the feat.
Johns’ 30-second submission of Joe Soto at the TUF 26 Finale was second fastest in UFC/WEC combined bantamweight history behind Patrick Williams’ 23-second finish at UFC 188.
[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) submission victory at 1:40 of Round 1 at UFC 232 is the second fastest D’Arce choke finish in UFC history. Only Chas Skelly’s 19-second win at UFC Fight Night 94 was faster.
[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), 23, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
[autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since May 20, 2017. The 1,155-day layoff is the longest of his nearly six-year career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
“Fight Island” is real, and now the four cards that will take place there are real, as well.
“Fight Island” is real, and now the four cards that will take place there are real, as well.
UFC president Dana White today announced the complete lineup for the four cards that will take place next month in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The unique setup has been necessitated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it difficult to get international fighters into the U.S. to compete.
“I think this is going to be a really unique experience, not just for the fighters, but for us,” UFC president Dana White said during the announcement. “It’s going to be cool. It’s going to be something different. It’s never been done before, and however long this thing goes on, and however long it’s hard to get people in from other countries, we will have these fights at ‘Fight Island’ – Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.”
First up, it’s UFC 251 on July 11, which features a trio of title fights.
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET)
The promotion then returns on July 15 with an event headlined by featherweight contenders [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC).
The complete lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (10 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY (7 p.m. ET)
Three days later, on July 18, the promotion hosts its third card in eight days, when top flyweight contenders [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) meet for a second time with the vacant UFC flyweight title on the line.
The full card includes:
MAIN CARD (9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (6 p.m. ET)
Finally, the UFC’s run in Abu Dhabi ends on July 25 with a much-anticipated middleweight contest between former champion [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and former welterweight title challenger [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] (18-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC).
That night’s full lineup includes:
MAIN CARD
PRELIMINARY CARD
After back-to-back cancelations, heavyweight Carlos Felipe will finally make his UFC debut – against Serghei Spivac.
Undefeated heavyweight [autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag] will finally make his UFC debut.
After back-to-back cancelations, Felipe (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has been scheduled to fight [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] on July 18. The UFC event will take place on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi – also known as “Fight Island.”
Both fighters recently confirmed the booking on social media after an initial report by Brazilian outlet Combate.
The two fighters were originally scheduled to fight May 9 at UFC 250 in Sao Paulo prior to the outbreak of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The bout fell through when the event was canceled.
Felipe originally was scheduled to make his UFC debut in 2017 against Christian Colombo but was handed a two-year suspension by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for failing a drug test. He was subsequently released from the UFC but ended up re-signing with the promotion in July. Felipe was booked to face Jeff Hughes at UFC on ESPN 8 in Columbus but withdrew for undisclosed reasons.
Spivac (10-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) lost his promotional debut to Walt Harris but rebounded with a big submission win over Tai Tuivasa at UFC 243. He drew Marcin Tybura next at UFC on ESPN+ 27 but was out-grappled in a unanimous decision loss.
With the addition, the current July 18 lineup includes:
[vertical-gallery id=495356]
[vertical-gallery id=449510]
The UFC 250 fight card has all but fallen apart because of circumstances surrounding the global coronavirus pandemic.
The UFC 250 fight card has all but fallen apart.
With U.S. consulates closed throughout Brazil, seven Brazilian fighters – including headliner [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] – won’t be permitted to compete at the May 9 event because they can’t apply for a U.S. work visa. A person familiar with the matter confirmed the news Wednesday to MMA Junkie after an initial report from MMA Fighting.
UFC 250 originally was scheduled to take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but is among two months worth of events that UFC president Dana White plans on holding at a secret U.S. location during the coronavirus pandemic. The location, which will start hosting events April 18 with UFC 249, is on tribal land at Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, Calif., according to reports, and is therefore exempt from a statewide stay-at-home order.
[lawrence-related id=505224,505575,504812]
Former featherweight champion Aldo was scheduled to challenge Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title, but that fight is no more. Combate reported Wednesday night that former 135-pound champ Dominick Cruz, who hasn’t competed since December 2016, will step in to face Cejudo. Cruz seemingly confirmed that on social media, although no official announcement has been made.
In addition to Aldo, the other Brazilian fighters now ruled out of UFC 250 are [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag], [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag], [autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag], [autotag]Bethe Correia[/autotag], [autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag], and [autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag]. Rua and Nogueira were set to square off.
Two Brazilian fighters unaffected are women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes and Fabricio Werdum, who both live and train in the U.S.
It’s unknown if the opponents opposite the removed Brazilian fighters will remain on the card.
The latest UFC 250 lineup now includes:
Undefeated heavyweight prospect Carlos Felipe will finally make his UFC debut.
Undefeated heavyweight [autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag] will finally make his UFC debut.
Felipe (8-0 MMA) will face [autotag]Sergey Spivak[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) at UFC 250 in his home country of Brazil, Felipe announced on social media Thursday night.
UFC 250 takes place May 9 at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Felipe originally was scheduled to make his UFC debut in 2017 against Christian Colombo but was handed a two-year suspension by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for failing a drug test. He was subsequently released from the UFC but ended up re-signing with the promotion in July. Felipe was booked to face Jeff Hughes at UFC on ESPN 8 in Columbus but withdrew for undisclosed reasons.
He will now make his long-awaited UFC debut once again scheduled in Sao Paulo, when he takes on Spivak.
Spivak lost his promotional debut to Walt Harris but rebounded with a big submission win over Tai Tuivasa at UFC 243. He drew Marcin Tybura next at UFC on ESPN+ 27 but was out-grappled in a unanimous decision loss.
With the addition, the UFC 250 lineup now includes:
