Tag: Makwan Amirkhani

MMA Junkie’s ‘Submission of the Month’ for July: The nastiest kneebar ever?

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from July 2020.

With another action-packed month in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from July 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for July.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

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The Nominees

Makwan Amirkhani def. Danny Henry at UFC 251

[autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has scored another submission victory in the UFC featherweight division against Danny Henry (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) — and he earned some points for good sportsmanship, too.

Amirkhani submitted Henry with his signature move, the anaconda choke. Amirkhani wasted little time finishing his opponent. Then he wasted even less time bringing him back to consciousness, as Amirkhani immediately helped officials raise Henry’s legs to bring back the blood flow back toward his head.

Ariane Lipski def. Luana Carolina at UFC on ESPN+ 30

[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) promised to bring back the “Queen of Violence” against Luana Carolina (6-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), and that’s exactly what happened when she finished the women’s flyweight fight in the first round.

Lipski secured one of the nastiest kneebar finishes in UFC history against Carolina, doing so from a rather precarious position. They got tangle up on the mat and Lipski grabbed the leg of her opponent and pulled it in an awkward direction, forcing a screaming tap-out from Carolina.

Jack Hermansson def. Kelvin Gastelum at UFC on ESPN+ 30

[autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) pulled off one of the biggest wins of his career when he submitted Kelvin Gastelum (16-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a high-stakes middleweight bout.

Hermansson need just 78 seconds to lock in a tight heel hook on Gastelum and finish the fight. A clinch exchange early in the fight saw Gastelum end up on top. Hermansson’s didn’t just a small opening to make his move, though, and latched onto the submission that Gastelum couldn’t escape from without giving up.

Deiveson Figueiredo def. Joseph Benavidez at UFC on ESPN+ 30

[autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) left no doubt he’s the top flyweight currently competing in the UFC when he obliterated Joseph Benavidez (28-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) in the first round, this time officially claiming the UFC title.

Figueiredo missed weight for the first meeting and did not get a belt despite getting a knockout. He dropped Benavidez with strikes multiple times in the rematch, but was fishing for the submission. Figueiredo finally locked on a rear-naked choke that could not be escaped, and Benavidez was submitted for the first time in his career.

Fabricio Werdum def. Alexander Gustafsson at UFC on ESPN 14

43-year-old [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (24-9-1 MMA, 12-6 UFC) showed he can still get the job done at a high level on the mat, as he spoiled the heavyweight debut of Alexander Gustafsson (18-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC).

The former UFC champ only needed one opening to take the fight to the mat, and when he did, it was game over. Werdum got into position for an armbar on Gustafsson, who fought mightily for roughly one minute. He could only resist Werdum’s jiu-jitsu prowess for so long, though, and eventfully the tap came.

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The Winner: Ariane Lipski

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Human knees are not meant to bend in the direction Carolina found her left knee going into against Lipski.

Lipski, an impressive competitor out of Brazil, saw an opening in a grappling exchange, straightened the leg out, and leaned all the way back, causing Carolina to tap at the 1:38 mark of the opening round in their UFC on ESPN+ 30 main card bout at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

That marked both the seventh first-round finish in Lipski’s career, and the second-fastest submission victory in UFC women’s flyweight history.

“She was trying to take my neck,” Lipski said in her post-fight interview. “I have trained this sub before then I pushed her leg and I was pretty sure it was working.”

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UFC 251 medical suspensions: Kamaru Usman facing longer sit than Jorge Masvidal

Kamaru Usman won at UFC 251, but he didn’t walk away unscathed.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] won at UFC 251, but he didn’t walk away unscathed.

Retaining his title against challenger [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] in the pay-per-view headliner, Usman (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) received a longer medical suspension than his opponent.

On Friday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list from MixedMartialArts.com, the ABC’s official recordkeeper. Fighters can return sooner than the duration of their suspension if cleared by a doctor.

According to the list, Usman suffered a potentially broken nose during the 25-minute duration of his unanimous decision victory. The injury could mean he’ll need to take 180 days off in between fights.

As for Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC), “Gamebred” received a much shorter suspension: 30 days off due to a facial laceration.

UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag], former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], and UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] all received 30-day suspensions, while former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] received a mandatory TKO-loss suspension of 45 days.

UFC 251 took place Saturday at the Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on pay-per-view after prelims simulcasted on ESPN and ESPN+.

The complete list of UFC 250 medical suspensions:

  • Kamaru Usman: Suspended 180 days or until nasal X-ray is cleared by doctor; also suspended 21 days with no contact.
  • Jorge Masvidal: Suspended 30 days for forehead laceration with no contact for 21 days.
  • Alexander Volkanovski: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “a hard bout.”
  • Max Holloway: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “a hard bout.”
  • Petr Yan: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “a hard bout.”
  • Jose Aldo: Suspended 45 days (mandatory due to TKO) with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days due to knockout with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Danny Henry[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Maxim Grishin[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until nasal X-ray is cleared by doctor; also suspended 21 days with no contact.
  • [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Zhalgas Zhamagulov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Davy Grant[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by oral and maxillofacial doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact.
  • [autotag]Martin Day[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days due to knockout with no contact for 45 days.

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Makwan Amirkhani has title run in mind after second straight anaconda choke win

Take a look inside Makwan Amirkhani’s submission of Danny Henry at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] beat Danny Henry with a first-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi.

Take a look inside the fight with Amirkhani, who got back in the win column after the first knockout loss of his career this past November.

Result: Makwan Amirkhani def. Danny Henry via technical submission (anaconda choke) – Round 1, 3:15
Updated records: Amirkhani (16-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC), Henry (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Key stat: Amirkhani became just the third fighter in UFC history with two anaconda choke wins in the promotion. It was his second straight win with the finish.

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Amirkhani on the fight’s key moment

“It’s never nice when there’s someone on top of you trying to hold you down. It makes you tired and slows you down. That was my plan. But I also knew it was early and we both had dry skin, so I just said, ‘Let’s finish the fight quick.’ When I saw the opportunity to go for the anaconda, I secured the choke.”

Amirkhani on getting back in the win column

“Everything went terribly wrong in my last fight. I got a new opportunity to show I belong here and what I’m about. I feel amazing, like a reborn child. Victories are always nice, but in the first round is always sweeter.”

Amirkhani on what he wants next

“I don’t have a name in mind. Whoever the UFC offers me, I will always say yes. I just want to go back and start my training again. I’m aiming for the belt. That’s where I’m heading, so there’s no time to celebrate.”

To hear more from Amirkhani, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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UFC 251 post-event facts: Even in defeat, Max Holloway makes history

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 251, which saw Kamaru Usman defend his title against Jorge Masvidal in the main event.

The UFC’s biggest event of 2020 so far went own on Saturday with UFC 251, which took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN.

Three championship fights were featured on the card, but the main event occupied most of the attention with Kamaru Usman (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) successfully defending his welterweight title for the second time in a unanimous decision over Jorge Masvidal (35-14 MMA, 12-7 UFC).

Usman put himself further in the record books with the win, but he wasn’t the only one to make history on the night. For more on the numbers, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC 251.

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General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $305,500.

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag], [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag], [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] and [autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC 251 fight-night bonuses.

Debuting fighters went 1-3 on the card.

UFC 251 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.

Betting favorites went 11-1 on the card. One fight had even odds.

Betting favorites improved to 11-6 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 3:07:27, a new single-event record in UFC history.

Main card

Usman extended his winning streak to 16 fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman became the third fighter in UFC history to start 12-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva and Khabib Nurmagomedov also accomplished the feat.

Usman’s 12-fight UFC winning streak is tied with Nurmagomedov for the longest active streak in the company.

Usman is the only welterweight in history to start his UFC career with 12 consecutive victories.

Usman’s 12-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman’s 12-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied with Georges St-Pierre for longest in divisional history.

Usman has earned nine of his 12 UFC victories by decision.

Masvidal fell to 7-5 since he returned to the welterweight division in July 2015.

Masvidal has suffered 11 of his 14 career losses by decision. That includes all six of his UFC defeats.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (22-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC) extended his winning streak to 19 consecutive fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Volkanovski’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied with Arnold Allen for the longest active streak in the division.

Volkanovski has earned six of his nine UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC) has suffered five of his six career losses by decision.

Holloway has landed 100 or more significant strikes in 11 separate UFC fights, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than seven such performances.

Holloway’s 2,182 total strikes landed in UFC competition are most in company history.

Holloway became the second fighter in UFC history to complete 23 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown. B.J. Penn also accomplished the feat.

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]’s (15-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) became the third Russian-born champion in UFC history. Nurmagomedov and Andrei Arlovski also accomplished the feat.

Yan’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]’s (28-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2019.

Aldo fell to 0-2 since he dropped to the bantamweight division in December.

Aldo fell to 3-6 in his past nine fights after going undefeated for more than a decade.

Aldo has suffered five of his seven career losses by stoppage.

Aldo has suffered all four of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.

Namajunas’ (9-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10).

Namajunas’ five fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are second most in divisional history behind Andrade (seven).

Andrade (20-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) fell to 7-3 since she dropped to the UFC strawweight division in June.

Andrade’s seven fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are most in divisional history.

[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has earned seven of her 10 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) fell to 1-2 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in January 2018.

VanZant has suffered all three of her career stoppage losses by submission.

Preliminary card

Prochazka (27-3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) improved to 20-1-1 in his past 22 fights dating back to June 2013.

Prochazka has earned 26 of his 27 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) fell to 2-4 in his past six fights dating back to January 2018.

Oezdemir has suffered four of his five career losses by stoppage.

[autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) became the third fighter in UFC history to earn multiple submission victories by anaconda choke. Phil Davis and Charles Oliveira also accomplished the feat.

[autotag]Danny Henry[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) fell to 1-2 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in March 2018.

Henry has suffered both of his career stoppage losses by submission.

[autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag] (18-3-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC) extended his unbeaten streak to 13 fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2009.

Santos’ eight-fight unbeaten streak in UFC lightweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind Nurmagomedov (11).

[autotag]Roman Bogatov[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his 10-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

[autotag]Maxim Grishin[/autotag] (30-8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered his first decision loss since Dec. 11, 2009 – a span of 3,865 days (nearly 11 years) and 32 fights.

[autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned both of her UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]’s (10-8 MMA, 0-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since January 2019.

Melo has suffered seven of her eight career losses by decision. That includes all three of her UFC defeats.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

UFC 251 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $34 million

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 251 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $305,500.

ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 251 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $305,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 251 took place at Flash Forum in Yas Island. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The full UFC 251 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $30,000
def. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Danny Henry[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Roman Bogatov[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Maxim Grishin[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zhalgas Zhamagulov[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Martin Day[/autotag]: $3,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,026,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $34,030,500

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC 251 with Elton John, Men At Work, Chili Peppers

Check out the complete list of fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 251 event.

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 251 went with as their backing tracks in Abu Dhabi.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13, Page 14

Video: Makwan Amirkhani chokes out opponent, then helps wake him up at UFC 251

“Mr. Finland” reminded fans he’s still a killer on the ground — and a gentleman once the fight is over.

[autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] has scored another submission victory in the UFC — and he earned some points for good sportsmanship, too.

The Finnish featherweight fighter choked opponent Danny Henry unconscious on the preliminary card of Saturday night’s UFC 251. The event went down in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and the first card of the UFC’s “Fight Island” series.

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Amirkhani (15-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) submitted Henry with his signature move, the anaconda choke. The stoppage came at 3:15 of the first round. Amirkhani wasted little time finishing his opponent. Then he wasted even less time bringing him back to consciousness, as Amirkhani immediately helped officials raise Henry’s legs to bring back the blood flow back toward his head.

The submission win marks Amirkhani’s third submission win in the UFC and second via anaconda.

With the result, “Mr Finland” is back in the win column after dropping his previous bout to Shane Burgos in November. Amirkhani is 3-1 in his last four outings.

Below is video of Amirkhani’s performance:

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UFC fans loved a fighter’s extremely classy move seconds after choking out opponent

Pure. Class.

UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi is off and running and so far we’ve seen a lot of ugly moments in the first few fights of the night, including a couple of terrible groin shots in just one of the bouts.

But what bantamweight Makwan Amirkhani did seconds after he choked out Danny Henry in the first round of the prelim fight was the exact opposite, as his classy gesture and tremendous display of sportsmanship was rightly lauded by fans watching the fights.

Amirkhani left Henry unconscious and then quickly got up and helped lift Henry’s legs which helped get the blood flowing through henry’s body again so he could recover quickly and regain consciousness.

Pure. Class.

Here’s the whole finish:

UFC fights and fans loved it:

 

UFC 251: Best parlay bets to cash in on at UFC 251

Highlighting Saturday’s UFC 251 with a three-fight parlay, with odds, analysis and picks.

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UFC 251 takes place Saturday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 10 p.m. ET on Pay-Per-View.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 1:15 p.m. ET.

Jiri Prochazka will be making his UFC debut on this card, fighting Volkan Oezdemir in a light heavyweight bout in the feature match of the prelims. Oezdemir has seen five of his past seven fights finish inside the distance, while 13 of his 21 fights as a professional have been KO/TKO results. He has won 12 of those fights.

For Prochazka, he picked up a KO/TKO win in Round 1 last time out against CB Dolloway at Rizin FF: Rizin Fighting Federation 20 on New Year’s Eve 2019. Prochazka has ventured into the octagon 30 times as a pro, with 24 of those outings ending in a KO/TKO. He has won 22 of those fights, although it’s obvious he’ll see a huge jump in the quality of competition at the UFC level. Still, the books love KO/TKO/DQ (-143) as the leading method of how this fight will finish.

UFC 251 special betting line in CO, IN, NJ and WV: Bet $1 at BetMGM.com, WIN $100 in free bets if Kamaru Usman wins at UFC 251. Place your bets now! Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions.

Looking to the Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Muslim Salikhov welterweight bout – also on the prelims card – here are two fighters who do not see the judges get involved very often.

For dos Santos, he has posted an 8-2 record at the UFC level, winning eight of his past nine. Four of the past five outings have finished inside the distance, although seven of his 10 fights have lasted into at least Round 3. As far as Salikhov is concerned, he is 3-0 over the past three fights, with three of his four bouts at the UFC level finishing inside the distance. In 18 pro fights he has posted 12 wins by KO/TKO with no losses. As such, go with NO (-118): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE?

Lastly, target the Makwan Amirkhani–Danny Henry bout for your third end of this parlay. Amirkhani, a.k.a. “Mr. Finland,” will be looking to rebound after a KO/TKO loss in the third round against Shane Burgos at UFC 244. Each of Amirkhani’s past two bouts have finished inside the distance. His opponent, Henry of Scotland, has seen five of his past six pro fights finish inside the distance. Each of Henry’s past two bouts at the UFC level haven’t even seen the bell to end Round 1. As a result, go with NO (-141): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE?

A $10 bet on this three-way parlay (+436) featuring KO/TKO/DQ (-143) in the Oezdemir-Prochazka fight, NO (-118) on the dos Santos-Salikhov fight going the distance, and NO (-141) on the Amirkhani-Henry bout going the distance will fetch a net profit of $43.66.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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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]