MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle walks you through the key questions UFC on ESPN 14 will answer.
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The UFC’s debut run on “Fight Island” comes to a close on Saturday with a marathon card in Abu Dhabi.
Barring any last-minute dropouts, a whopping 15 fights will go down at UFC on ESPN 14 – the most since UFC 2 in 1994 – and several of those fights are consequential.
None more so than the evening’s main event, in which [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] returns to the cage for the first time since losing the middleweight championship to Israel Adesanya. There, he’ll take on another fighter with something to prove, English star [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag]. Till, a former welterweight title challenger, has successfully transitioned to 185 pounds, and he’s looking to prove he’s here to stay in his new division.
UFC on ESPN 14 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
Without further ado, here are six burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN 14.
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Does Robert Whittaker still have it?
We’ll admit that, at first glance, this looks like a bit of a harsh question to ask of someone coming off only one loss, to Adesanya at that, following a nine-fight winning streak. But then you stop and consider that Whittaker has fought only once in the past two years and twice in the past three.
And that his body doesn’t seem to want to cooperate, from knee injuries to staph infections to a collapsed bowel.
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And you also consider that, even though Whittaker (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) hasn’t yet hit age 30, he’s been through some wars, including 10 absolutely grueling rounds with a killer in Yoel Romero.
Will this all go down as a detour along the way before Whittaker makes adjustments and returns to the top? Or might the lopsided second-round KO loss to Adesanya prove his ultimate turning point? A battle with Till (18-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) should give us a strong indication which way this is going.
The pressure is on Robert Whittaker, “Shogun” Rua, Fabricio Werdum, and Carla Esparza on UFC Fight Island.
The UFC closes out its first run on “Fight Island” on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 14. Of the four-event stretch at Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, the upcoming show features the richest lineup of names of the three non-pay-per-view cards. Four former UFC champions are slated to compete in on the ESPN main card.
Who between [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag], [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag], [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag], and [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] is in greatest need of a victory in their respective matchup, though? MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Farah Hannoun and Simon Head debate in this edition of Triple Take.
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Mike Bohn: Carla Esparza
Seeing that Carla Esparza is the only former champion going into this weekend’s event coming off a win, one would think she doesn’t have all that much pressure going into her strawweight fight with unbeaten Marina Rodriguez.
Although the question is posed as who needs a win the most, I choose to look at it this way: Who can afford a loss the least? To me, that’s easily Esparza.
Robert Whittaker is 28, and losing a main event to another contender is recoverable. “Shogun” Rua is at the tail end of his career, and a loss doesn’t change his legacy one way or another. Fabricio Werdum, meanwhile, is on the final fight of his current contract and seemingly on his way out of the UFC regardless.
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Esparza, for her part, is in quite a precious position and one that’s somewhat familiar, too. “The Cookie Monster” lost her UFC belt in March 2015 and hasn’t been able to return to the mountain top since. She’s had mixed results along the way, but after a TKO loss to Tatiana Suarez nearly two years ago, she’s managed to go on a run, with her current three-fight winning streak putting her in a big-time fight with Rodriguez.
Let’s not forget, however, that many believe two of the wins in Esparza’s streak against Michelle Waterson and Alexa Grasso could’ve gone the other way. She wouldn’t even be in this position had one or both those decisions been scored against her, so that puts pressure to make the most of her current opportunity.
Could Esparza take a loss to Rodriguez and rebuild after? Perhaps. But time is not on her side. She’s 32, and having to work another two to three years to make it back into title contention would be rolling the dice on her physical prime holding up. Because of that, she needs this win badly.
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!
On Episode No. 3,072 of the podcast, the fellas set the table for the last event of this run on “Fight Island,” UFC on ESPN 14, as well as the return of Bellator with Bellator 242, and more.
THE RUNDOWN
Bellator is back this weekend for the first time in five months, with Bellator 242 taking place Friday at Mohegan Sun with a bantamweight showcase in the headliner between [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] and [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] fighting in a title eliminator. [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] also makes his return on the main card. What’s it mean to have Bellator back?
UFC on ESPN 14 features a pivotal and highly anticipated middleweight headliner between former champion [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] and [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag]. We break it down and talk about what’s at stake for both men.
UFC on ESPN 14 also has a trilogy bout 15 years in the making between legends, as [autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag] takes on “Shogun” Rua. How possible is it that both men would lay down their gloves at the end of it?
MMA Junkie reporter Danny Segura joined the show to discuss the implications of Whittaker vs. Till, as well as his upcoming Spanish-language “Hablemos MMA” podcast, which is set to debut July 27.
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.
The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 14, which features a Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till middleweight main event.
The final event of the UFC’s inaugural “Fight Island” stint goes down Saturday with UFC on ESPN 14, which aires on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ from Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
A high-stakes matchup between middleweight contenders takes center stage in the main event. Former champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) returns for the first time since losing the belt to Israel Adesanya in October when he meets [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] (18-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC), who looks to go 2-0 since moving to 185 pounds.
For more on the numbers behind the first 15-fight lineup in modern UFC history (and second overall along with UFC 2 in 1993), check below for 55 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 14.
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Main event
Robert Whittaker
Whittaker is the only New Zealand-born fighter in history to win a UFC championship.
Whittaker is 8-1 since he moved up to the UFC middleweight division in November 2014.
Whittaker and Yoel Romero combined for 239 significant strikes landed at UFC 225, the single-fight record for a five-fight UFC middleweight fight.
Whittaker’s seven fight-night bonuses for UFC middleweight bouts are tied for third most in divisional history behind Anderson Silva (11) and Romero (eight).
Darren Till
Till was successful in his middleweight debut when he beat Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 244 in November.
Till has outlanded his opponent in all but one of his UFC victories.
Till is one of five fighters in UFC history to land zero significant strikes in a championship bout defeat, as he did against Tyron Woodley at UFC 228. His 9:19 of cage time is the most of any fighter in the group. The previous high was 3:54.
Co-main event
Mauricio Rua
[autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (26-11-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) competes in his 21st UFC light heavyweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Jon Jones (22).
Rua’s 22 victories in UFC/PRIDE light-heavyweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.
Rua’s 18 stoppage victories in UFC/PRIDE/WEC/Strikeforce competition are fourth most in combined organizational history behind Mirko Filipovic (21), Wanderlei Silva (20) and Donald Cerrone (20).
Rua’s 17 knockout victories in UFC/PRIDE light-heavyweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.
Rua’s eight knockout victories in modern UFC light-heavyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Chuck Liddell (nine).
Rua is the only light heavyweight in UFC history to earn his first six victories with the organization by knockout.
Rua’s 14 knockdowns landed in UFC light-heavyweight competition are tied with Liddell for most in divisional history.
Rua’s eight fight-night bonuses for UFC light-heavyweight fights are tied with Jones for most in divisional history.
[autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag] (23-9 MMA, 6-6 UFC), 44, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC light-heavyweight division.
Nogueira, 44, is the oldest of the 30 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Remaining main card
Fabricio Werdum
[autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (23-9-1 MMA, 11-6 UFC) is 9-4 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2012.
Werdum and Marcin Tybura combined for 282 significant strikes landed at UFC Fight Night 121, the second most in a UFC heavyweight bout Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier (304) at UFC 241.
[autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) moves up to the UFC heavyweight division for the first time. He made his previous 16 octagon appearances at light heavyweight.
Gustafsson is one of eight fighters UFC history to go at least 0-3 in championship fights. Joseph Benavidez Dan Henderson, Chad Mendes, Kenny Florian, Urijah Faber, Pedro Rizzo and Chael Sonnen have also come up short in three title fights.
[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) was the first UFC strawweight champion. She lost the belt to Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 185 in March 2015.
Esparza is 6-3 since losing the UFC strawweight title to Jedrzejczyk in March 2015.
Esparza competes in her 12th UFC strawweight bout, tied for the fourth most appearances in divisional history behind Angela Hill (15), Randa Markos (14) and Jedrzejczyk (13).
Esparza’s seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Jedrzejczyk (10).
Esparza has earned six of her seven UFC victories by decision.
Esparza has completed at least one takedown against 10 of her 11 UFC opponents.
Esparza’s 34 takedowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Claudia Gadelha for most in divisional history.
[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (13-0-2 MMA, 2-0-2 UFC) four-fight UFC unbeaten streak at strawweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Tatiana Suarez (five), Yan Xiaonan (five) and Zhang Weili (five).
Rodriguez is the only female fighter in UFC history to fight to multiple draws.
[autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] (12-4-1 MMA, 4-4-1 UFC) has earned all 12 of his career victories by stoppage.
Craig’s victory at 4:59 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 127 is the latest submission in a three-round UFC fight.
[autotag]Gadzhimurad Antigulov[/autotag] (20-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has earned 19 of his 20 career victories by stoppage. He’s earned 17 of those wins in Round 1.
[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (20-8-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) is 8-5 (with one no contest) over his multiple stints in UFC welterweight competition.
Oliveira vs. Yancy Medeiros at UFC 218 is the only fight in UFC history to feature two knockdowns for each fighter.
[autotag]Peter Sobotta[/autotag] (17-6-1 MMA, 4-5 UFC) is 4-2 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.
Khamzat Chimaev
[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 10-day stretch. He won at UFC on ESPN 13 on July 15.
Chimaev can set the record for fastest time between UFC wins with a victory at 11 days.
Chimaev has earned all seven of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished four of those wins in Round 1.
[autotag]Rhys McKee[/autotag] (10-2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 24, is the youngest of the 30 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Preliminary card
Francisco Trinaldo
[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) 12 UFC victories in Brazil are the most in company history.
Trinaldo is the only fighter in UFC history to earn two arm-triangle submission victories from half-guard.
Trinaldo’s nine decision victories in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Gleison Tibau (11).
[autotag]Nicolas Dalby[/autotag] (18-3-1 MMA, 2-2-1 UFC) was successful in his return to the UFC for a second stint when he won at UFC on ESPN+ 18 in September.
[autotag]Jesse Ronson[/autotag] (21-10 MMA, 0-3 UFC) returns to the UFC for the first time since July 2014. He went 8-5 between stints with the promotion.
[autotag]Jake Collier[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Nov. 11, 2017. The 987-day layoff is the longest of his nearly 10-year career.
Collier moves up to the UFC heavyweight division after spending his previous octagon appearances at light heavyweight and middleweight.
Collier can become the 11th fighter in UFC history to win in three weight classes.
Collier has alternated wins and losses over his past seven fights. He won his most recent bout at UFC Fight Night 120 in November 2017.
Collier is one of five fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the body. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 88.
Tanner Boser
[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag] (18-6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 28-day stretch. He won at UFC on ESPN 12 on June 27.
[autotag]Bethe Correia[/autotag] (11-4-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC) competes in her 11th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, tied for the third most appearances in divisional history behind Raquel Pennington (13) an Amanda Nunes (12).
Correia and Marion Reneau fought to the first draw in women’s UFC history at UFC Fight Night 106.
[autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned 14 of his 16 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins.
Wood’s three submission victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for fifth most in divisional history behind Urijah Faber (six), Rani Yahya (five), Aljamain Sterling (four) and Marlon Vera (four).
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Mauricio Rua may have already gotten the best of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira twice, but he’s excited for the trilogy.
ABU DHABI – [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] may have already gotten the best of [autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag] twice, but he’s as excited for the trilogy.
Rua (26-11-1 MMA, 6-6 UFC) faces Nogueira (23-9 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) in the light heavyweight co-main event of UFC on ESPN 14, which takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. With another win, “Shogun” can make it a shut out in the head-to-head series.
Their first fight took place in the PRIDE middleweight grand prix quarterfinal in 2005, where Rua beat Nogueira by unanimous decision. The rematch occurred a decade later at UFC 190 in August 2015, and once again, Rua won the fight on all three judges’ scorecards.
It’s been 15 years where Rua name has been affiliated with Nogueira, and although Nogueira is out for redemption in what appears to be his retirement fight, Rua is also looking forward to the matchup.
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“Yes it’s crazy,” Rua told reporters, including MMA Junkie, on Tuesday at UFC on ESPN 14 media day. “I fought Nogueira (at) the start of my career, the middle and the final. I’m happy because Rogerio is a legend of the sport, and I know this fight motivates him, but for me too and I’m very happy for this fight.
“It’s exciting for me because I know Nogueira wants this fight, and I know he told Dana White, ‘I want Shogun again’ because this motivates him for me.”
The first two fights were back-and-forth battles, with their rematch earning the “Fight of the Night” honors.
Rua expects the trilogy bout to deliver once again.
“We’re both fighters that are looking for knockouts every time.” Rua said. “He fights aggressively standing up, I fight aggressively standing up so naturally our styles match in this way and it opens up and tends to be an exciting fight all the time, and I think that’s what we’re going to be looking for again.”
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 14 event in Abu Dhabi.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 14 event in Abu Dhabi.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN 14 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN 14 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
Make your picks for all six main card fights inside:
Check out the official poster for the final “Fight Island” event.
The final UFC card happening on “Fight Island” now has an official poster to go with it.
Friday, the UFC released the poster for the July 25 event going down on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The poster features the headlining act, which has former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] facing off against contender [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag].
The poster also features two more featured bouts – the co-main event, where [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] welcomes [autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] to the heavyweight division, and a trilogy bout pitting Brazilian legends [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] and [autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag].
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Below you can see the official look of the final ‘Fight Island’ event:
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
“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]
Fresh off the biggest win of his career, [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] is eyeing the top 15 of the light heavyweight division.
Clark (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) upset Alonzo Menifield at UFC 250, bouncing him from the ranks of the unbeaten in a hard-fought battle. Clark is currently serving a medical suspension for a damaged left orbital bone, but he’s looking to pick up right where he left off as soon as he’s cleared.
Winner of his last two fights, Clark is targeting a bout with [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (26-11-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC), who’s currently slated to complete his trilogy with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on July 25 in Abu Dhabi.
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“Actually I want to stay in shape and be ready to go as soon as this thing heals, but I’ll fight anybody,” Clark told MMA Junkie. “I’d like to knock into the top 15. I think ‘Shogun’s’ got something lined up. I would love to fight him. We’ll see where his next fight goes, but yeah, just start at the top of that list, at No. 15, I’ll work my way up. I really don’t care.
“This was my tenth UFC fight, and I’ve grown a lot in this sport. I started at a pretty young age, and with only six pro fights, I started fighting in the UFC, so I’ve been learning at the highest level for years now. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve had some ups and downs, and it’s starting to click for me. It’s starting to click, and I’m hungry. I’m as hungry as I’ve ever been. I’m not even in my prime yet. I’m 30 years old, and I’m ready to take over.”
According to UFC president Dana White, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio Rua 3 is back on tap.
[autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] 3 is back on.
Originally scheduled to take place May 9 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the event was canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The fight will now take place July 25, according to UFC president Dana White.
In a recent interview with “Jackass” star Steve-O, White revealed the promotion’s plan to rebook Nogueira (23-9 MMA, 6-6 UFC) vs. Rua (26-11-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) on the same card expected to be headlined by middleweights Darren Till and Robert Whittaker. The event is expected to take place on “Fight Island.”
Rua returns to the cage for the first time since a November draw against Paul Craig. Prior to that, “Shogun” won four of five outings. His only loss in that stretch came to future UFC title challenger Anthony Smith.
Nogueira, a 43-year-old light heavyweight, has lost four of six fights. His most recent outing came at UFC 237 last May, when he was knocked out by Ryan Spann. “Lil Nog” was scheduled to compete against Trevor Smith in November in what was pegged to be his final MMA fight. However, Nogueira withdrew because of an injury.
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July 25 will mark the trilogy fight between the two Brazilian MMA legends. Their first meeting came at “PRIDE: Critical Countdown” in 2005. In the PRIDE middleweight grand prix quarterfinal, Rua swept the judges scorecards to win a unanimous decision. The rematch occurred a decade later at UFC 190 in August 2015. Once again, it was Rua winning by unanimous decision.
