Tag: Dusko Todorovic

Dusko Todorovic vs. Dequan Townsend targeted for UFC event on Oct. 3

A middleweight bout is in the works for the UFC’s first October event.

A middleweight bout is in the works for the UFC’s first October event.

The promotion is targeting a fight between [autotag]Dequan Townsend[/autotag] and [autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag] for Oct. 3 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

People with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the targeted booking but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Townsend (18-10 MMA, 0-3 UFC) has been largely unsuccessful in his career to date. Bouncing between middleweight and light heavyweight, Townsend is still in search of his first UFC victory.

As for Todorovic (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), the Dana White’s Contender Series Season 3 winner has had his debut fight scheduled and canceled three times. All but one of Todorovic’s professional fights have ended with him winning inside the distance.

The UFC’s Oct. 3 event takes place at Flash Forum as the second card on the promotion’s second stint on “Fight Island.” The main card will stream on ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN.

With the addition, the Oct. 3 lineup includes:

  • Irene Aldana vs. Holly Holm
  • Germaine de Randamie vs. Julianna Pena
  • Carlos Condit vs. Court McGee
  • Loma Lookboonmee vs. Jinh Yu Frey
  • Yorgan De Castro vs. Carlos Felipe
  • Heili Alateng vs. Casey Kenney
  • Tom Breese vs. Roman Kopylov
  • Kyler Phillips vs. TBA
  • Jessin Ayari vs. Luigi Vendramini
  • Nassourdine Imavov vs. Jordan Williams
  • Dusko Todorovic vs. Dequan Townsend

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Dusko Todorovic out at UFC on ESPN 13; John Phillips needs new opponent

Welsh middleweight John Phillips is in need of a new opponent at next week’s UFC on ESPN 13.

ABU DHABI – Welsh middleweight [autotag]John Phillips[/autotag] is in need of a new opponent at next week’s UFC on ESPN 13.

[autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag] has been forced to withdraw from the card due to a potential medical issue, MMA Junkie has learned from a person with knowledge of the decision.

UFC officials are currently seeking a replacement opponent to compete at the July 15 event, which takes place at Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi and airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

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Phillips (22-9 MMA, 1-3 UFC), a longtime veteran of the European regional scene, started his UFC run with a disappointing three-fight losing streak. However, he earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus while picking up his first UFC win, knocking out Alen Amedovski in just 14 seconds this past September.

Todorovic (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was looking to make his UFC debut after earning a UFC deal at last August’s Dana White’s Contender Series 26. A timetable for his return wasn’t immediately established.

With the change, the latest UFC on ESPN 13 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Calvin Kattar vs. Dan Ige
  • Frankie Edgar vs. opponent TBA
  • Jimmie Rivera vs. Cody Stamann
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Mounir Lazzez
  • Chris Fishgold vs. Jared Gordon

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

  • Modestas Bukauskas vs. Vinicius Moreira
  • Molly McCann vs. Taila Santos
  • Lerone Murphy vs. Ricardo Ramos
  • John Phillips vs. opponent TBA
  • Ryan Benoit vs. Tim Elliott
  • Diana Belbita vs. Liana Jojua
  • Aaron Phillips vs. Jack Shore

UFC announces full ‘Fight Island’ lineup, includes 47 bouts in 15 days

“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)

  • Champ [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] – for welterweight title
  • Champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] – for featherweight title
  • [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] – for vacant bantamweight title
  • [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]

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

  • [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Danny Henry[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Roman Bogatov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET)

  • [autotag]Alexander Romanov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Martin Day[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag]
Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige

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)

  • Calvin Kattar vs. Dan Ige
  • [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Chris Fishgold[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY (7 p.m. ET)

  • [autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vinicius Moreira[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Molly McCann[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]
  • [autotag]John Phillips[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Ryan Benoit[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Diana Belbita[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag]
Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo

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)

  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Benavidez – for vacant flyweight title
  • [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY CARD (6 p.m. ET)

  • [autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khadis Ibragimov[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Nad Narimani[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Joe Duffy[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Aleksander Doskalchuk[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Davi Ramos[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]
Darren Till and Robert Whittaker

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

  • Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till
  • [autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Peter Sobotta[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Nicolas Dalby[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jake Collier[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Raphael Pessoa[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Bethe Correia[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Ramazan Emeev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]

MMA vs. coronavirus: Staying up to date on developments during the COVID-19 pandemic

We keep you updated on the latest MMA schedule plans amid unprecedented circumstances.

The COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe has caused the sporting world to grind to a virtual standstill, with even MMA forced to step down its efforts to plow on in the face of rising health concerns.

The outbreak has changed daily living for people in all walks of life, with terms like “self-isolation,” and “social distancing,” not to mention more hand washing than ever before becoming part of our daily routines.

With their main sources of income now severely curtailed, everyone in the MMA world finds themselves facing a different battle in an effort to stay safe as they, like the rest of us, adapt to a new normal during the global health crisis.

Via this page, we’ll keep you right up to date with the latest developments and stories throughout the coronavirus crisis.

(Editor’s note: This will continue to be updated as events unfold with the latest info in chronological from top to bottom.)

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Wednesday, March 18

Cage Warriors 113 card reshuffled – again!

Travel restrictions in Europe have forced three key fights off Friday night’s Cage Warriors 113 card.

The new main event features the UFC middleweight bout between [autotag]Bartosz Fabinski[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC), with support provided in the co-main slot by the Cage Warriors lightweight title fight between [autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag] (8-0) and [autotag]Joe McColgan[/autotag] (6-2-1).

It’s just the latest set of changes in a turbulent week for the Cage Warriors team, who moved the entire event from London to Manchester on Tuesday after arena operator AEG closed down indigo at The O2 in the English capital.

Michael Bisping’s advice to panic buyers: Get a (expletive) grip!

UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] has never been one to mince his words, and his latest Instagram post is no different, as he shares an image showing the difference between World War II ration queues and panic-buying shoppers fighting over rolls of toilet paper during the 2020 coronavirus crisis.

Offering some perspective, Bisping took to social media to issue something of a public service announcement to his followers (via Instagram).

Get some self respect please. Respect this virus, of course. Employ social distancing, wash hands and remain 6 feet away from one another. The ladies at the top would of had they’re loved ones at war, cities being destroyed, millions of lives lost and still handled themselves with class. The embarrassments at the bottom are literally fighting over unnecessary toilet rolls and hand sanitizers. Get A (expletive) Grip!

Tuesday, March 17

Cage Warriors swaps London for Manchester

It looks like U.K.-based promotion Cage Warriors could have the only live MMA show in the world this weekend, and they remain determined to ensure Friday’s Cage Warriors 113 event goes ahead.

We’ve already seen fight card changes, with fighter replacements and even the addition of UFC fighters to the card. But news that arena operator AEG had closed the venue for Friday’s event, indigo at The O2, prompted more fears that the event would also be canceled.

But, less than hour after that announcement, Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan had secured the use of Manchester’s BEC Arena as the promotion gets set to move 220 miles north to keep the show alive.

Check out the full story here.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: I’ll fight Tony Ferguson anywhere, so long as we’re healthy

In an Instagram live chat along with manager Ali Abdelaziz, UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] made it clear that he values everyone’s health and safety.

But he made just as clear that if he and Tony Ferguson are both healthy, then he will fight Ferguson wherever the UFC could get cleared to put on UFC 249 on April 18, and put it behind closed doors.

“People who have quarantine and sit home, they have fun, they watch fights,” Nurmagomedov said. “Fighters go to the arena, they have fun, they do their job. I think we just need maximum 100 people to make this fight. One arena and 100 healthy people around and put a couple cameras and show this around the world – the two best lightweights of all time. This is a very important fight.”

Randa Markos wonders if she has coronavirus

UFC strawweight Randa Markos returned home to Canada on Wednesday feeling ill. Markos lost a unanimous decision to Amanda Ribas Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 28, in Brasilia, Brazil. Now she is concerned about whether she has contracted the virus after testers declined to test her upon her return from South America (via Twitter).

The event was closed to fans after the local government put a moratorium on all mass gatherings due to the pandemic. Fighters on the card were not tested for COVID-19.

The Canadian federal government is requiring all who return to the country from international travel to quarantine for 14 days.

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UFC London’s John Phillips vs. Dusko Todorovic added to Cage Warriors 113

The UFC London bout between John Phillips and Dusko Todorovic will now take place as part of the Cage Warriors 113 card.

There will be at least one “UFC London” fight on the card at Cage Warriors 113 this Friday.

The middleweight bout between Wales’ [autotag]John Phillips[/autotag] and Serbia’s [autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag], originally set to take place on the preliminary card of UFC on ESPN+ 29, will now take place on the Cage Warriors 113 card instead.

The event, which takes place at the Indigo at The O2 in London, will go ahead, but as a behind-closed-doors event, with the U.K. government expected to announce a ban on mass gatherings from Monday.

Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan revealed to MMA Junkie Sunday night that he was in discussions with relevant parties to try to save some of the fights scheduled for London that had effectively been scrapped following the enforced postponement of their Mar. 21 event.

But Monday morning Boylan took to Twitter to share the news that the event would still go ahead, albeit in a behind-closed-doors format, with Phillips vs. Todorovic added to the card.

Update: 1.
@cagewarriors #cw113 WILL be behind closed doors. The ticketing team & office people will be working out how refunds can be claimed that info will follow.

Update: 2.
UFC bout 1: John Philips v Dusko Todorovic has been confirmed to take place @CageWarriors #cw113 Friday Night. The event will be broadcasted LIVE on @UFCFightPass as well as TV Networks around the World.

Dublin-based Welshman Phillips (22-9 MMA, 1-3 UFC) picked up his first UFC win in his most recent appearance, as he knocked out Alen Amedovski in just 14 seconds at UFC on ESPN+ 18 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

He’ll face the debuting Todorovic (9-0, 0-0 UFC), who arrives in the UFC with an undefeated record having earned himself a UFC contract with his decision win over Teddy Ash at Contender Series 26 last August. Prior to that win, Todorovic had scored finishes in all of his previous fights.

Cage Warriors 113 will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass Friday night, with the preliminary card starting at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 5 p.m. ET.

Updated Cage Warriors 113 card includes:

MAIN CARD

  • Darko Banovic vs. Morgan Charriere – for vacant interim featherweight title
  • Mason Jones vs. Joe McColgan – for vacant lightweight title
  • Champ Samir Faiddine vs Luke Shanks – for flyweight title
  • Decky Dalton vs. Paddy Pimblett
  • John Phillips vs. Dusko Todorovic

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • Steve Aimable vs. Perry Goodwin
  • David Bear vs. Nathan Jones
  • Emrah Sonmez vs. Aidan Stephen
  • Cory Tait vs TBA
  • Kingsley Crawford vs. Lewis Monarch
  • Kris Edwards vs. James Hendin
  • Matthew Bonner vs. Jamie Richardson
  • Coner Hignett vs. Darren O’Gorman
  • Adam Amarasinghe vs. Jake Bond
  • Jack Collins vs. Joshua Onwordi