Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (July 17-23)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by a promotion from July 17-23

Bellator 249 video: Jon Jones protege Christian Edwards squeezes way to first submission win

Christian Edwards doesn’t have the resume of Jon Jones but he took one small step closer on Thursday.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag] doesn’t have the resumé of [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] but he took one small step in his mentor’s path Thursday.

Taking on American Top Team Portland’s [autotag]Hamza Salim[/autotag] on the Bellator 249 prelims, Edwards (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) showed poise, aggression, and speed in the opening round.

In Round 2, Edwards took the fight back to the mat, where he had success in the opening round. From there, Edwards was able to work a choke and get the tap.

The win was Edwards’ first career submission victory and his third finish in four fights.

Edwards, 21, trains out of Jackson Wink MMA in Albuquerque, N.M. and has been taken under the wing of the former UFC light heavyweight champion Jones. As recently as last week, Jones invited Edwards to his house to watch video and study for a fight against Salim (5-4 MMA, 0-2 BMMA).

Bellator 249 took place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main aired on CBS Sports Network after prelims on CBSSports.com.

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