Din Thomas – Syndication Server

UFC 314: How to watch Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, start time, Miami fight card, odds, more

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC 314 on pay-per-view, ESPN and ESPN+.

The UFC is back in South Florida this week with UFC 314 in Miami.

Here’s how to watch UFC 314 with the newly vacant featherweight title on the line at the top of the card.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC 314 has a main card that starts at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view via ESPN+. The preliminary card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, and early prelims stream on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET.

Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 314 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Dan Hellie[/autotag] will host the official UFC 314 weigh-in show on Friday at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.

He’ll be joined by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag], former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and [autotag]Laura Sanko[/autotag].

Former interim UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], two-time UFC title challenger [autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] and light heavyweight [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] will serve as desk analysts on the UFC 314 post-fight show and throughout the card, when necessary.

[autotag]Brett Okamoto[/autotag] will serve as desk host with [autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] joining the desk post-fight.

Anik will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 314.

He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators, former two-division UFC champion Cormier and [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag].

[autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] will also contribute to the broadcast as a coach-analyst.

(Mike Bohn—MMA Junkie)

Main event: Alexander Volkanovski

Record: 26-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC
Opponent: Diego Lopes (27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Yair Rodriguez, Max Holloway (three times), Chan Sung Jung, Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo
Misc.: It’s been a rough past couple years for the former champ, but he still finds himself right back in a title fight. He lost two lightweight title shots to Islam Makhachev – the second of which came on short notice. Then he lost his featherweight title to Ilia Topuria. But Topuria is headed to lightweight and vacated the belt, so who better than to have a crack at it than the ex-champ, the UFC brass figured.

Main event: Diego Lopes

Record: 27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC
Opponent: Alexander Volkanovski (26-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Brian Ortega, Dan Ige, Sodiq Yusuff, Pat Sabatini
Misc.: Lopes’ win over ex-title challenger Ortega this past fall put him in perfect position to get the call when Topuria moved up and the featherweight belt became open.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, UFC 314 news conference

Co-main event: Michael Chandler

Record: 23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC
Opponent: Paddy Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Tony Ferguson, Dan Hooker, Benson Henderson (twice in Bellator), Patricky Freire (twice in Bellator), Eddie Alvarez (2011 in Bellator)
Misc.: Has lost four of five, but remains a fan favorite for his willingness to sacrifice blood and perhaps future coherence in the name of entertainment. For that reason, title contention remains ever-present with a win. But a loss to Pimblett would push him toward that on-the-way-out territory experienced by Tony Ferguson, Donald Cerrone and others – fun at the dance, sure, but no longer a candidate for prom king.

Co-main event: Paddy Pimblett

Record: 22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC
Opponent: Michael Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: King Green, Tony Ferguson
Misc.: Former Cage Warriors champion has been perfect since his arrival to the UFC, and all four of his stoppage wins in the promotion have come with post-fight bonuses attached.

UFC debut: Patricio Freire

Record: 36-7
Opponent: Yair Rodriguez (19-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Adam Borics, A.J. McKee, Emmanuel Sanchez, Michael Chandler
Misc.: Former two-division Bellator champion “Pitbull” Freire finally arrives in the UFC. He’s regarded as the best fighter in Bellator history – and even challenged for the bantamweight title there less than two years ago, meaning he has the potential to play around in three divisions.

UFC 314 main card betting odds

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

Alexander Volkanovski -150 vs. Diego Lopes +125 – for vacant featherweight title
Michael Chandler +135 vs. Paddy Pimblett -160
Bryce Mitchell +260 vs. Jean Silva -325
Patricio Freire +165 vs. Yair Rodriguez -200
Nikita Krylov -200 vs. Dominick Reyes +165

UFC 314 prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

Dan Ige +130 vs. Sean Woodson -155
Virna Jandiroba -150 vs. Yan Xiaonan +125
Chase Hooper -700 vs. Jim Miller +500
Darren Elkins +285 vs. Julian Erosa -360

UFC 314 early prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

Sedriques Dumas +160 vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk -190
Su Mudaerji -220 vs. Mitch Raposo +180
Tresean Gore +260 vs. Marco Tulio -325
Nora Cornolle -175 vs. Hailey Cowan +145

UFC 314 preview videos

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Din Thomas after UFC Fight Night 255: ‘I don’t think Leon Edwards in his heart is a true fighter’

Din Thomas questions Leon Edwards’ grit after UFC Fight Night 255.

[autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] questions [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]’ grit after UFC Fight Night 255.

Former welterweight champion Edwards (22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) was stopped for the first time in his career when he was dominated and submitted by Sean Brady in Saturday’s main event at The O2 in London.

Thomas, who was in Brady’s (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) corner for the fight, thinks Edwards’ recent performances have proven that he lacks heart.

“I don’t want to be disrespectful toward Leon,” Thomas said on the “On Paper With Anthony Smith” podcast. “I still believe that skill for skill, like his body type and all that, that he was a great champion. He’s a great fighter. He’s still top-five material. But I just don’t think that Leon in his heart is a real true fighter.

“And I say in terms of, like, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, like these guys will fight you in a parking lot. I think he’s an athlete. I think he’s a performer. I think he’s creative. I think in the gym, he probably eats up everybody. He’s super magical. I just think when the lights come on and it’s time for him to really fight, despite not being a true fighter, he was still that good.”

Thomas pointed to the moment he knew Brady had Edwards. In Round 3, Edwards attempted a takedown of his own, but was immediately reversed.

“When he did that, I got quiet and I looked at John Marquez, the head coach, and said, ‘Did he just try to take Sean down?'” Thomas said. “And then when he got reversed, John was like, ‘Man, we could just play checkers and we could literally play chess right now because we don’t need to do anything.’ We just knew at that point, the fight was over. When Leon shot that takedown, he showed his hand that he did not want to be there anymore and that was a wrap.”

[lawrence-related id=2813493,2813498,2813309,2813082]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 255.

UFC Fight Night 255: How to watch Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady, start time, London fight card, odds, more (Updated)

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC Fight Night 255 on ESPN+.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC is back in one of the world’s most iconic cities Saturday with UFC Fight Night 255 in London.

Here’s how to watch UFC Fight Night 255 with a British former champion in the headlining spot, and a Polish ex-champ in the co-feature.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC Fight Night 255 has a main card that starts at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+</a. 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 255.

Coach [autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] will join her at the desk as an analyst on the post-fight show and throughout the broadcast, if necessary.

[autotag]John Gooden[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC Fight Night 255.

He’ll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] and retired lightweight contender [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag].

(Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie)

John Gooden, Paul Felder, Michael Bisping

Main event: Leon Edwards

Record: 22-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC
Opponent: Sean Brady (17-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Key wins: Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman (twice), Nate Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos, Gunnar Nelson, Vicente Luque
Misc.: Edwards is back for the first time since he lost the welterweight title to Belal Muhammad in the UFC 304 main event this past July. He was set to take on Jack Della Maddalena this week, but Maddalena was shifted to – perhaps adding insult to injury for Edwards – a title fight at UFC 315 against Muhammad.

Dec 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Leon Edwards (red gloves) fights Colby Covington (blue gloves) during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Main event: Sean Brady

Record: 17-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC
Opponent: Leon Edwards (22-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Key wins: Gilbert Burns, Kelvin Gastelum, Michael Chiesa, Jake Matthews
Misc.: Brady suffered the lone loss of his career to current champ Muhammad about 30 months ago. His road back to contention has featured just one fight in 2023 – a bonus-winning submission of Gastelum – and one in 2024, a decision over Burns. A win over a former champ ion Edwards would be a big line on his resume.

Co-main event: Jan Blachowicz

Record: 29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC
Opponent: Carlos Ulberg (12-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Key wins: Aleksandar Rakic, Israel Adesanya, Dominick Reyes, Corey Anderson, Ronaldo Souza, Luke Rockhold, Jared Cannonier
Misc.: It’s been a lengthy layoff for ex-champ Blachowicz, who won the title in 2020 and defended it once before he lost it to Glover Teixeira. He’s been climbing back since then, including a draw in a vacant title fight. But after a close loss to Alex Pereira, he’s been on the sidelines for nearly two years following shoulder surgery.

Jul 29, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Jan Blachowicz (red gloves) fights Alex Pereira (blue gloves) during UFC 291 at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Co-main event: Carlos Ulberg

Record: 12-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC
Opponent: Jan Blachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Key wins: Volkan Oezdemir, Alonzo Menifield
Misc.: Since a 2021 loss to Kennedy Nzechukwu, it’s been all upward trajectory for Ulberg with seven straight wins, including five finishes and a pair of bonuses. He’s got his most accomplished and arguably toughest test yet in ex-champ Blachowicz, and a win certainly would have him into the title picture.

Carlos Ulberg def. Alonzo Menifield, UFC on ESPN 56 (via UFC)

UFC debut: Alexia Thainara

Record: 11-1
Opponent: Molly McCann (14-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Misc.: The 27-year-old from Brazil is stepping in on short notice for Istela Nunes to take on “Meatball” Molly. She beat Rose Conceicao by decision on DWCS on the way to her official debut.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 24: (R-L) Alexia Thainara of Brazil punches Rose Conceicao of Brazil in a strawweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season eight, week seven at UFC APEX on September 24, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

UFC debut: Andrey Pulyaev

Record: 9-2
Opponent: Christian Leroy Duncan (10-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Misc.: 27-year-old Russian brings 6-foot-4 height and big reach to middleweight. His debut comes on the heels of a DWCS decision win this past August.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 27: (L-R) Andrey Pulyaev of Russia kicks Liam Anderson in a middleweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season eight, week three on August 27, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

UFC Fight Night 255 main card betting odds

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET)

Leon Edwards +130 vs. Sean Brady -155
Jan Blachowicz +195 vs. Carlos Ulberg -240
Kevin Holland +120 vs. Gunnar Nelson -140
Molly McCann +150 vs. Alexia Thainara -185
Chris Duncan +280 vs. Jordan Vucenic -380
Morgan Charriere -185 vs. Nathaniel Wood +155

UFC Fight Night 255 prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, noon ET)

Jai Herbert -115 vs. Chris Padilla -105
Felipe dos Santos vs +320. Lone’er Kavanagh -410
Mick Parkin +120 vs. Marcin Tybura -140
Christian Leroy Duncan -650 vs. Andrey Pulyaev +425
Shauna Bannon -180 vs. Puja Tomar +150
Nathan Fletcher -155 vs. Caolan Loughran +130
Kaue Fernandes +330 vs. Guram Kutateladze -425

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JULY 27: Shauna Bannon of Ireland reacts after her victory against Alice Ardelean of Romania in a strawweight bout during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 27, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)

UFC Fight Night 255 preview videos

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 255.

UFC Fight Night 254: How to watch Marvin Vettori vs. Roman Dolidze, start time, Las Vegas fight card, odds, more (Updated)

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC Fight Night 254 on ESPN+.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC stays in its Las Vegas home base for the third straight week, and in this final one, a former middleweight title challenger is at the top of the lineup.

Here’s how to watch UFC Fight Night 254 with 185-pounders in the headlining spot, plus a fun welterweight scrap in the co-feature.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC Fight Night 254 has a main card that starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+</a. The preliminary card streams on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET.

Veteran broadcaster [autotag]Karyn Bryant[/autotag] serves as desk anchor and host at UFC Fight Night 254.

Former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag], “The Ultimate Fighter 15” winner [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] and coach [autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] join her as analysts at the desk.

UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre- and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC Fight Night 254 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Brendan Fitzgerald[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC Fight Night 254.

He’ll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by retired former former UFC and WEC bantamweight champion [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] and UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag].

Brendan Fitzgerald, Dominick Cruz, Michael Bisping

Main event: Marvin Vettori

Record: 19-7-1 MMA, 9-5-1 UFC
Opponent: Roman Dolidze (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Roman Dolidze, Paulo Costa, Kevin Holland, Jack Hermansson
Misc.: A five-fight winning streak got him a 2021 title shot against then-champ Israel Adesanya. But after that unanimous decision loss, he’s alternated wins and losses – and the setbacks have been against former champs and title challengers. The fight against Dolidze is a rematch from two years ago that Vettori won.

Main event: Roman Dolidze

Record: 14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC
Opponent: Marvin Vettori (19-7-1 MMA, 9-5-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Kevin Holland, Anthony Smith, Jack Hermansson
Misc.: Dolidze had four straight wins and three straight bonuses when he was outworked by Vettori in their first meeting in 2023. He lost a decision to Nassourdine Imavov after that, but now has back-to-back wins over Holland Smith from 2024.

Jun 29, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Roman Dolidze (blue gloves) fights Anthony Smith (red gloves) during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Co-main event: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos

Record: 25-8-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC
Opponent: Chidi Njokuani (24-10 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Key wins: Benoit Saint-Denis, Sean Strickland
Misc.: Zaleski dos Santos got back on track with a 75-second knockout of then-unbeaten Zach Scroggin this past November.

Co-main event: Chidi Njokuani

Record: 24-10 MMA, 4-3 UFC
Opponent: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (25-8-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Key wins: Jared Gooden, Dusko Todorovic, Marc-Andre Barriault
Misc.: After a three-fight skid, Njokuani is back on track with 2024 decision wins over Gooden and Rhys McKee.

UFC debut: Kevin Vallejos

Record: 14-1
Opponent: Seungwoo Choi (11-7 MMA, 4-6 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Misc.: THe 23-yeard-old took out Cam Teague with a first-round knockout on DWCS to get his UFC shot. His first shot on DWCS resulted in his only loss to date – to current UFC rising star Jean Silva.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 24: (R-L) Kevin Vallejos of Argentina punches Cam Teague in a featherweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season eight, week seven at UFC APEX on September 24, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

UFC debut: Diyar Nurgozhay

Record: 10-0
Opponent: Brendson Ribeiro (16-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Misc.: The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan has eight of his 10 wins by stoppage, including six knockouts. One of those came less than a year ago against 2019 $1 million PFL winner Emiliano Sordi.

UFC debut: Josias Musasa

Record: 8-0
Opponent: Carlos Vera (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Misc.: For the first time in his brief career, Musasa, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, had to go to the judges for a win. But it was on DWCS, and his split call over fellow unbeaten prospect Otari Tanzilovi was enough to get him to the show.

Josias Musasa def Otar Tanzilovi – DWCS 71

UFC debut: Yuneisy Duben

Record: 6-0
Opponent: Carli Judice (3-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Misc.: Born in Venezuela and fighting out of Pittsburgh, the 28-year-old has all her wins by stoppage, including a 73-second KO of Shannon Clark on DWCS to get into the UFC.

UFC Fight Night 254 main card betting odds

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

Marvin Vettori -150 vs. Roman Dolidze +125
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos -205 vs. Chidi Njokuani +170
Alexander Hernandez -205 vs. Kurt Holobaugh +170
Da’Mon Blackshear -485 vs. Cody Gibson +370
Diyar Nurgozhay -375 vs. Brendson Ribeiro +295
Seungwoo Choi +440 vs. Kevin Vallejos -600

UFC Fight Night 254 prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

Waldo Cortes-Acosta -175 vs. Ryan Spann +145
A.J. Cunningham +455 vs. Su Young You -625
Josias Musasa -800 vs. Carlos Vera +550
Sam Hughes +190 vs. Stephanie Luciano -230
Daniel Barez +310 vs. Andre Lima -395
Priscila Cachoeira +155 vs. Josiane Nunes -185
Yuneisy Duben +285 vs. Carli Judice -360

Full fight videos

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 254.

UFC 313: How to watch Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev title fight, Las Vegas lineup, odds, more (Updated)

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC 313 on pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+ and ESPN+.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC’s third pay-per-view event of 2024 goes down Saturday in “Sin City.”

Here’s how to watch UFC 313 with the light heavyweight title on the line at the top of the card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC 313 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 and streams on Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET. One early prelim – two fights were canceled on fight day, just hours before the event, due to illnesses – stream on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 313 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Dan Hellie[/autotag] will host the official UFC 313 weigh-in show on Friday.

He’ll be joined by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag], former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and [autotag]Laura Sanko[/autotag].

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 313.

He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators, former two-division UFC champion Cormier and [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag], who calls his second event of 2025 after appearing at UFC 311 in January.

[autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] will also contribute to the broadcast as a coach-analyst.

Main event: Alex Pereira

Record: 12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC
Opponent: Magomed Ankalaev (20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Key wins: Khalil Rountree, Jir Prochazka (twice), Jamahal Hill, Jan Blachowicz, Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland
Misc.: Pereira is stepping in for his fifth title fight in around 16 months – an extraordinarily busy pace compared to UFC champions throughout history.

Oct 5, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) reacts after defeating Khalil Rountree Jr. (not pictured) in a light heavyweight title bout during UFC 307 at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Main event: Magomed Ankalaev

Record: 20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC
Opponent: Alex Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Key wins: Aleksandar Rakic, Johnny Walker, Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, Volkan Oezdemir
Misc.: Ankalaev worked his way back to a title shot after a draw with Jan Blachowicz for the vacant title in December 2022. His 2024 wins over Rakic and Walker got him back in the mix.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 13: Magomed Ankalaev of Russia battles Johnny Walker of Brazil in a light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on January 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Co-main event: Rafael Fiziev

Record: 12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC
Opponent: Justin Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Rafael dos Anjos, Brad Riddell, King Green, Renato Moicano
Misc.: After a six-fight winning streak that included five post-fight bonuses, Fiziev had his momentum stopped by Gaethje just short of two years ago by majority decision in a Fight of the Night winner. An injury led him to a second straight loss in 2023. Now he’s stepping up on short notice for an injured Dan Hooker and a shot to avenge a loss.

Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev, UFC 286

Co-main event: Justin Gaethje

Record: 25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC
Opponent: Rafael Fiziev (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Dustin Poirier, Rafael Fiziev, Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, Donald Cerrone, Edson Barboza
Misc.: Gaethje has 13 UFC fights and 13 UFC post-fight bonuses. He didn’t get bonuses in title fight losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020 or Charles Oliveira in 2022, but caught back up with double bonuses at two events.

UFC debut: Djorden Santos

Record: 10-1
Opponent: Ozzy Diaz (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Misc.: The 27-year-old from Brazil started his career with six straight stoppages in his wins, but has his past three by decision – including one on DWCS this past September that led to his UFC contract.

UFC 313 main card betting odds

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

Champ Alex Pereira -115 vs. Magomed Ankalaev -105 – for light heavyweight title
Rafael Fiziev -160 vs. Justin Gaethje +135
Ignacio Bahamondes -130 vs. Jalin Turner +110
Amanda Lemos +120 vs. Iasmin Lucindo -140
King Green +360 vs. Mauricio Ruffy -525

UFC 313 prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/Disney+, 8 p.m. ET)

Rei Tsuruya +140 vs. Joshua Van -170
Brunno Ferreira +120 vs. Armen Petrosyan -140
Carlos Leal -800 vs. Alex Morono +475
Francis Marshall +220 vs. Mairon Santos -270

Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Curtis Blaydes reacts after defeating Jailton Almeida during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

UFC 313 early prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Ozzy Diaz -195 vs. Djorden Santos +165

UFC 313 preview videos

UFC 313 full fight videos

UFC Fight Night 253: How to watch Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev, start time, Las Vegas fight card, odds, more (Updated)

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC Fight Night 253 on ESPN+.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC is back in its Las Vegas home base for the next three weeks, and in this first week, flyweight contenders are at the top of the bill.

Here’s how to watch UFC Fight Night 253 with 125-pounders in the headlining spot, plus a potential middleweight slugfest in the co-feature.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC Fight Night 253 has a main card that starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The preliminary card streams on ESPN+ at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Veteran broadcaster [autotag]Dan Hellie[/autotag] serves as desk anchor and host at UFC Fight Night 253.

Former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and coach [autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] join her as analysts at the desk.

UFC correspondent [autotag]Heidi Androl[/autotag] will conduct pre- and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC Fight Night 253 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 Fight Night 253.

He’ll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by retired former former UFC and WEC bantamweight champion [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag], who gets his first assignment since hanging up the gloves in a rare two-man booth.

It is the first time UFC has utilized a two-man booth since August 2022 with Brendan Fitzgerald and Michael Bisping at UFC on ESPN 40.

(Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie)

Main event: Manel Kape

Record: 20-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC
Opponent: Asu Almabayev (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Key wins: Bruno Silva, Felipe dos Santos
Misc.: Kape has had plenty of ups and downs in the UFC, including more canceled fights than the average fighter. He’s coming off a third-round knockout of Bruno Silva and was set to get former title challenger Brandon Royval this week until an injury caused a switch to Almabayev.

Dec 14, 2024; Tampa, Florida, UNITED STATES; Manel Kape (red gloves) reacts after defeating Bruno Silva (blue gloves) at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Main event: Asu Almabayev

Record: 21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC
Opponent: Manel Kape (20-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Key wins: Matheus Nicolau, CJ Vergara, Ode Osbourne
Misc.: Kape is Almabayev’s third opponent after Steve Erceg and Allan Nascimento both fell by the wayside to set up this main event with Kape. After a bonus-winning submission in his UFC debut, Almabayev has three straight decision wins.

Asu Almabayev def. CJ Vergara, UFC 299 (via UFC)

Co-main event: Cody Brundage

Record: 10-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC
Opponent: Julian Marquez (9-5 MMA, 3-4 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Zach Reese, Jacob Malkoun
Misc.: After a submission loss to Bo Nickal, Brundage’s fight with Abdul Razak Alhassan was a no contest after Brundage landed illegal strikes to the back of the head. He was set to fight Ryan Loder, but gets Marquez as a replacement.

Co-main event: Julian Marquez

Record: 9-5 MMA, 3-4 UFC
Opponent: Cody Brundage (10-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Sam Alvey, Maki Pitolo, Darren Stewart
Misc.: Marquez had a cup of coffee in 2021 as a hot commodity at middleweight with back-to-back bonus-winning submissions and a viral crush on Miley Cyrus. Since then, it’s been nothing but canceled fights and three knockout losses, leaving him badly in need of a win.

UFC debut: Mario Pinto

Record: 9-0
Opponent: Austen Lane (13-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Misc.: The 26-year-old from Portugal punched his ticket to the big show with a first-round knockout win on DWCS this past fall.

Mario Pinto def. Lucas Camacho – DWCS 75

UFC Fight Night 253 main card betting odds

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

Manel Kape -245 vs. Asu Almabayev +200
Cody Brundage +140 vs. Julian Marquez -170
Nasrat Haqparast +210 vs. Esteban Ribovics -260
Hyder Amil +175 vs. William Gomis -210
Danny Barlow -300 vs. Sam Patterson +400

UFC Fight Night 253 prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

Austen Lane +280 vs. Mario Pinto -380
Chepe Mariscal -450 vs. Ricardo Ramos +325
Lucas Almeida +160 vs. Danny Silva -190
JJ Aldrich -185 vs. Andrea Lee +155
Charles Johnson +105 vs. Ramazan Temirov -125

UFC Fight Night 253 preview videos

Din Thomas condemns Sean Strickland after UFC 312 loss: ‘He’s not who he says he is’

ESPN analyst Din Thomas spoke some harsh truths about Sean Strickland after his UFC 312 title-fight loss.

[autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] has seen enough out of [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] after UFC 312 to vocalize frustrations about his fighting style.

Prior to his unanimous decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in Saturday’s middleweight title rematch, Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) assured critics of his jab and teep-heavy approach to fights that things would be different, and he would lay it all on the line.

That didn’t prove to be the case. Strickland had yet another performance that didn’t align with his pre-fight promises and left many observers underwhelmed. Even before his nose was shattered by Du Plessis in the third round, there was much to be desired from Strickland.

Thomas, who is an ESPN analyst and MMA coach, couldn’t bite his tongue in the aftermath of the event when breaking down Strickland.

“We just have to admit it now – we have to admit it: Sean Strickland is not who he says he is,” Thomas said of Strickland on the UFC 312 post-fight show. “He’s not who he says he is. We want him to be something. He wants to be something. But he’s not that guy.

“He’s not the guy who’s going to go to the death. (He says), ‘To the death.’ He didn’t go to the death. He didn’t even go deep. I’m not saying he’s not a great fighter. I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to be where he’s at. But he’s not who he says he is. We’ve got to admit that.”

The irritation with Strickland’s strategy against Du Plessis was largely universal. His head coach, Eric Nicksick of Xtreme Couture, repeatedly urged Strickland to alter his approach, but it never happened.

Strickland is now 0-2 in head-to-head competition with Du Plessis, with little public desire to see him fight for gold again unless the circumstances dramatically change.

“As a coach, I feel for Eric Nicksick because I know what it’s like and I don’t even want to go and be in that situation again,” Thomas said. “I know I’m hard on Sean Strickland. I know it but it’s because I’m cheated. I feel cheated by (Strickland).

“I hear about these gym stories, these wars that you get into, I hear about how great you are and then you go in these fights, these high-level fights and you give us that. You cheat us.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.

UFC 312: How to watch Du Plessis-Strickland 2 and Weili-Suarez title fights, Sydney lineup, odds, more

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC 312 on pay-per-view.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC’s return to Australia is set for Saturday in Sydney. Here’s how to watch UFC 312 with two title fights at the top of the bill at Qudos Bank Arena.

Broadcast and streaming info

Jon Anik, Michael Bisping, Daniel Cormier

UFC 312 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 ESPN2 and streams on Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET. Four early prelims stream on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET. Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Heidi Androl[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 312 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] will host the official UFC 312 weigh-in show on Friday. He’ll be joined by UFC Hall of Famers [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag], as well as former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag].

Former UFC title challenger [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag], former Strikeforce champion [autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag] and [autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] will serve as a desk analysts on the UFC 312 post-fight show and throughout the card, when necessary. [autotag]Brendan Fitzgerald[/autotag] will serve as the desk host.

Anik will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 312. He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators, former UFC champions Cormier and Bisping. Thomas will also contribute to the broadcast as a coach-analyst. (Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie)

Main event: Dricus Du Plessis

Record: 22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC
Opponent: Sean Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland, Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, Darren Till
Misc.: Du Plessis took the 185-pound title from Strickland a little more than a year ago at UFC 297. After a first defense over ex-champ Israel Adesanya, he now chases a second defense in a rematch. When he was KSW champion, he lost his only rematch so far to Roberto Soldic.

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Main event: Sean Strickland

Record: 29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC

Opponent: Dricus Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Paulo Costa, Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, Jack Hermansson
Misc.: Strickland bounced back from his title loss to Du Plessis with a split decision win over Paulo Costa this past June. That was enough to get him another shot.

Co-main event: Zhang Weili

Record: 25-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC
Opponent: Tatiana Suarez (11-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Key wins: Xiaonan Yan, Amanda Lemos, Carla Esparza, Joanna Jedrzejczyk (twice)
Misc.: Weili lost the strawweight title to Rose Namajunas in 2021 and lost a rematch to her later that year. But since then, she has four straight wins – including when she recaptured the belt 27 months ago and two successful defenses since then.

Zhang Weili, UFC 312 fight week (via UFC)

Co-main event: Tatiana Suarez

Record: 11-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC
Opponent: Zhang Weili (25-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Key wins: Jessica Andrade, Montana De La Rosa, Carla Esparza, Alexa Grasso
Misc.: It’s been an interesting road to the title for Suarez. She was out of action for nearly four years before she returned two years ago for a bonus-winning submission of Montana De La Rosa. Later that year, she choked out ex-champ Jessica Andrade. She pulled out of a fight against Amanda Lemos a year ago with an injury and was set to return in December against Virna Jandiroba – but took advantage of perfect timing to fight for the belt, instead.

Aug 5, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tatiana Suarez (blue gloves) celebrates the win by submission over Jessica Andrade (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

UFC debut: Tallison Teixeira

Record: 7-0
Opponent: Justin Tafa (7-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Misc.: All seven wins by stoppage, including first-round DWCS win in December and a pair of first-round wins under the LFA banner.

UFC debut: Colby Thicknesse

Record: 7-0
Opponent: Aleksandre Topuria (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Misc.: Aussie has three straight first-round finishes heading into his promotional debut on home soil.

UFC debut: Aleksandre Topuria

Record: 5-1
Opponent: Colby Thicknesse (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Misc.: 29-year-old brother of UFC featherweight champion Alexander Topuria has all five of his wins by stoppage.

UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and brother Aleksandre

UFC debut: Jonathan Micallef

Record: 7-1
Opponent: Kevin Jousset (10-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Misc.: 25-year-old Australian gets home UFC debut after a first-round submission win on DWCS to punch his ticket this past October.

UFC debut: Kody Steele

Record: 7-0
Opponent: Rong Zhu (25-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Misc.: 29-year-old native of the stunning Olympic National Park area who trains in Las Vegas gets his UFC shot on the heels of a second-round DWCS win this past October.

UFC debut: Quillan Salkilld

Record: 7-1
Opponent: Anshul Jubli (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Misc.: 25-year-old former Eternal MMA champion in Australia gets a home UFC debut after a DWCS win this past September.

UFC 312 main card betting odds

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

Champ Dricus Du Plessis -195 vs. Sean Strickland +165 – for middleweight title
Champ Zhang Weili -130 vs. Tatiana Suarez +110 – for women’s strawweight title
Justin Tafa +130 vs. Tallison Teixeira -155
Rodolfo Bellato -140 vs. Jimmy Crute +120
Jake Matthews -220 vs. Francisco Prado +180

UFC 312 prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2/Disney+, 8 p.m. ET)

Jack Jenkins +175 vs. Gabriel Santos -210
Viacheslav Borshchev -150 vs. Tom Nolan +125
Bruna Brasil +315 vs. Wang Cong -425
Colby Thicknesse +300 vs. Aleksandre Topuria -450

UFC 312 early prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET)

Kody Steele -245 vs. Rong Zhu +200
Kevin Jousset -240 vs. Jonathan Micallef +195
Anshul Jubli +325 vs. Quillan Salkilld -450

UFC 312 preview videos

Din Thomas says Israel Adesanya’s fall happens to most UFC greats

So many UFC legends wind up on losing skids to close out their careers, and Israel Adesanya is no different.

[autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] isn’t surprised to see [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] on a losing skid at this point in his career.

Adesanya (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) suffered his third-straight loss when he was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 250 headliner at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After defending his UFC middleweight title five times, Adesanya has now lost four of his past five fights.

Thomas says many UFC legends wound up on losing skids to close out their careers, and “The Last Stylebender” is no different.

“Well, that’s just the thing. You know when you make it to the top, and he (Adesanya) is done right? In my opinion at the top-top,” Thomas told MMA on Sirius XM. “But it happens to everybody. No one escapes that except for Jon Jones. It’s a handful, and they’re all on Mount Rushmore.

“Even Anderson Silva fell off. It happens to everybody. This might be a bad message to send to fighters, but if you make it to the top, it comes crashing down hard. Harder than if you don’t make it to the top, and you kind of teeter around the UFC for a while.”

Thomas explained how the likes of himself and co-host Alan Jouban never had to deal with the pressure that UFC champions had to when suffering a loss.

“When you make it to the top top, your losses are always magnified,” Thomas added. “Everybody’s watching them and it looks like a hard fall. It happened to Chuck Liddell, it happened to B.J. Penn, it happened to all the greats, and that’s just what’s happening to Izzy right now.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.

UFC notables appear in ‘Grace Point’ movie, set to release this week

One former UFC champion plays a priest. Another, a henchman. Another, a man with a bat at a gas station.

Give the soon-to-be-released “Grace Point” movie a view and you’ll likely spot some familiar fighting faces.

Former UFC champions [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag], as well as former UFC fighter and current analyst [autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] all have speaking roles in the drama-thriller that releases on digital platforms Tuesday with a limited theatrical run.

The movie, directed and written by filmmaker Rory Karpf, stars John Owen Lowe (son of Rob Lowe), Andrew McCarthy (of Brat Pack infamy), and Harlan Drum (“MacGyver”, “Friendship Never Dies”).

In addition to the work that earned him five Emmys and a Peabody Award, Karpf is known in the MMA space for his work with the UFC. He’s worked on various projects for the promotion including the long-running series “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight.” “Grace Point” is Karpf’s first scripted film.

The plot centers around Brandon, a young man struggling with a drug problem and played Lowe, as he takes a trip with his father (McCarthy) to a rehabilitation center in a small town. When their car breaks down, the excursion takes an unexpected and terrifying left turn.

The 84-minute film is fast-paced and action-packed with twists and turns as Lowe’s character Brandon tries to escape danger and find answers.

Check out the trailer for “Grace Point” above.