Tag: TA block

Jared Gordon vs. Bobby Green added to UFC Fight Night on April 22

Jared Gordon will attempt to rebound from his controversial loss to Paddy Pimblett when he meets Bobby Green in April.

A lightweight bout between [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag] and [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] is the latest addition to a UFC Fight Night event in April.

Gordon (19-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) and Green (29-14-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) have agreed to meet at UFC Fight Night on April 22. The event does not have an announced location or venue at this time.

Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking Friday. The people requested anonymity because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Gordon will attempt to bounce back from his controversial unanimous decision loss to Paddy Pimblett last month at UFC 282. The result was named MMA Junkie’s Robbery of the Year for 2022, and instead of giving Gordon back-to-back wins on his record, he’s now lost two of his past three.

Green, for his part, is also coming off a loss. He was knocked out by Drew Dober at UFC Fight Night 216 in December.

The latest lineup for UFC Fight Night on April 22 now includes:

  • Jared Gordon vs. Bobby Green
  • Norma Dumont vs. Karol Rosa
  • William Gomis vs. Francis Marshall
  • Iasmin Lucindo vs. Melissa Martinez

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UFC 283 video: Deiveson Figueiredo, Brandon Moreno make weight for historic fourth fight

An historic title fight is official after Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno made weight Friday in Rio de Janeiro.

RIO DE JANEIRO – An historic title fight is official after [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] made weight Friday.

Ahead of Saturday’s UFC 283, which takes place at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro with a main card on pay-per-view, Figueiredo and Moreno stepped on the scale at the official weigh-ins.

Flyweight champion Figueiredo (21-2-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC) and former champ and current interim titleholder Moreno (20-6-2 MMA, 8-3-2 UFC) will fight for a fourth time with the undisputed title at stake. Their series is tied at 1-1-1.

Both men left nothing to chance at weigh-ins, with Figueiredo and Moreno both tipping the scale at exactly 125 pounds.

Check out the video from their trips to the scale above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.

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UFC 283 video: Glover Teixeira, Jamahal Hill make weight for vacant title bout

The first main event title fight of 2023 is official after Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill made weight Friday in Rio de Janeiro.

RIO DE JANEIRO – The first main event title fight of 2023 is official after [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] and [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] made weight Friday.

Ahead of Saturday’s UFC 283, which takes place at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro with a main card on pay-per-view, Teixeira and Hill stepped on the scale at the official weigh-ins.

Former light heavyweight champion Teixeira (33-8 MMA, 16-6 UFC) meets Hill (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for the belt that was vacated by Jiri Prochazka, who beat Teixeira to win the title in 2022.

There were no issues for either man, with Teixeira tipping the scale at 205 pounds and Hill registering slightly less at 204.5 pounds.

Check out the video from their trips to the scale above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.

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Greg Hardy to make BKFC debut on Feb. 17 at KnuckleMania 3

Greg Hardy has a date for his BKFC debut.

(Editor’s note: Story updated at 8:45 p.m. ET to reflect new information from BKFC.)

[autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag] has a date for his bare-knuckle boxing debut.

Hardy, a former UFC heavyweight fighter and NFL standout, is scheduled to fight Feb. 17 at at BKFC’s tentpole event “KnuckleMania 3” in Albuquerque, N.M. Standing across the ring will be Josh Watson, a two-fight BKFC veteran.

Hardy’s signing was announced Thursday by BKFC president Dave Feldman during a pre-fight news conference ahead of “KnuckleMania 3.” Watson was later announced as his opponent by the promotion on social media.

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“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood,” Hardy said at the presser. “This is what I do. Big-time shows, big-time events. I hope ya’ll don’t miss it. Buy the tickets, because it’s going to be entertaining as hell. I never let you down. I never quit on you. Either I leave on a stretcher, or they leave on a stretcher, and it’s about to happen again. It’s about to be amazing. How can you not be excited about this?”

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The bout will be Hardy’s third combat sports competition since his UFC departure in early 2022. The last time he fought in the UFC, he lost to Sergey Spivak by first-round TKO. He left the promotion on a three-fight losing streak.

Since then, Hardy, 34, has competed twice in professional boxing. He made his debut with a knockout of Mike Cook last October and then defeated Hasim Rahman Jr. by four-round unanimous decision in November.

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Record setting Raul Rosas Jr. targeted for second assignment at UFC 287

MMA Junkie’s 2022 Newcomer of the Year, Raul Rosas Jr., has his second promotional appearance in the works for UFC 287.

After a successful UFC debut, the undefeated, record-setting [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] is targeted for his second bout with the promotion.

At UFC 287 on April 8, MMA Junkie’s 2022 Newcomer of the Year Rosas Jr. (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is on tap to face Christian Rodriguez in a bantamweight clash. The pay-per-view event does not yet have a confirmed location or venue.

MMA Junkie confirmed with multiple sources that the fight is in the works, following a first report from Eurosport Netherlands.

In his first appearance, Rosas Jr., 18, set a record as the youngest fighter to win a UFC bout by submitting Jay Perrin in the first round at UFC 282. Rosas Jr.’s debut came less than three months after his unanimous decision victory over Mando Gutierrez on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Rodriguez (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was victorious in his second UFC outing, bouncing back impressively after a unanimous decision loss in his debut to Jonathan Pearce. In October, Rodriguez, who is also a DWCS veteran, finished Joshua Weems in the first round by submission.

With the addition, the UFC 287 lineup includes:

  • Rob Font vs. Adrian Yanez
  • Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs. Luana Pinheiro
  • Christian Rodriguez vs. Raul Rosas Jr.
  • Cynthia Calvillo vs. Lupita Godinez
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Nikolas Motta

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UFC adds exciting featherweight clash Edson Barboza vs. Billy Quarantillo to April 15 event

An exciting featherweight clash between Edson Barboza and Billy Quarantillo has been booked for an upcoming UFC Fight Night Event in April.

The upcoming UFC Fight Night event on April 15 now has its co-main event.

A pair of exciting featherweights will take the cage in the co-feature as [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] is set to take on [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]. The event does not yet have a confirmed venue or location, although it is not expected to take place at the UFC Apex.

MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup with multiple sources following an announcement by Quarantillo on OnlyFans Wednesday.

Barboza (22-11 MMA, 16-11 UFC) will look to get back on the winning track after dropping two consecutive bouts. Prior to his recent skid, the 36-year-old striker finished Shane Burgos at UFC 262 after taking a unanimous decision over Makwan Amirkhani at UFC Fight Night 179.

Quarantillo (17-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC), a Dana White’s Contender Series veteran, will aim to make it back-to-back wins against tough featherweight competition. In December at UFC 282, Quarantillo, 34, finished Alexander Hernandez in the second round to get back in the win column.

With the addition, the current April 15 lineup includes:

  • Edson Barboza vs. Billy Quarantillo
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Azamat Murzakanov
  • Bruna Brasil vs. Deinse Gomes
  • Martin Buday vs. Jake Collier

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UFC 283 faceoffs video: Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill, Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno

Ahead of UFC 283, the four men involved in the title fights went face-to-face with their respective opponents Wednesday following media availability.

RIO DE JANEIRO – The four combatants involved in the two UFC 283 title fights squared off with their opponents Wednesday following a set of pre-fight news conferences.

Event headliners [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] (33-8 MMA, 16-6 UFC) and [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) squared off for the second time this week, right after UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Deiveison Figueiredo[/autotag] (21-2-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC) and interim champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (20-6-2 MMA, 8-3-2 UFC) took a good look at each other ahead of their fourth lifetime head-to-head matchup.

UFC 283 takes place Saturday at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC and early prelims on ESPN+.

The full UFC 283 lineup includes:

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

  • Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill – for vacant light heavyweight title
  • Champ Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno – for flyweight title
  • Gilbert Burns vs. Neil Magny
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Lauren Murphy
  • Paul Craig vs. Johnny Walker

PRELIMINARY CARD (ABC, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Ihor Potieria vs. Mauricio Rua
  • Brunno Ferreira vs. Gregory Rodrigues
  • Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Jailton Almeida
  • Gabriel Bonfim vs. Mounir Lazzez

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

  • Melquizael Costa vs. Thiago Moises
  • Ismael Bonfim vs. Terrance McKinney
  • Warlley Alves vs. Nicolas Dalby
  • Zarah Fairn vs. Josiane Nunes
  • Luan Lacerda vs. Cody Stamann
  • Daniel Marcos vs. Saimon Oliveira

Check out the faceoffs in the video above. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.

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Valentina Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso title fight added to UFC 285

Along with the return of a former champion seeking another title, UFC 285 will have a second championship bout in March.

Along with the return of a former champion seeking another title, UFC 285 will have a second championship bout in March.

Women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (23-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) will put her title on the line against challenger [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at the March 4 event T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup with a person with knowledge of the booking after an initial report from UFC broadcast partner ESPN.

Unless another title fight is added, Shevchenko-Grasso will be the co-feature to a main event vacant heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane. UFC 285 will have a main card on pay-per-view following prelims expected for ESPN and ESPN+.

Shevchenko, 34, has been lamenting a lack of challengers at 125 pounds, but now she has one. She’ll be gunning for her 10th straight win overall and eighth straight flyweight title defense. She fought just once in 2022 and took a split decision from Taila Santos this past June in a fight many thought she lost. If nothing else, most agreed it was the least dominant she has looked as champion.

Shevchenko won the vacant belt in 2018 against former strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk. She defended it with wins over Jessica Eye, Liz Carmouche, Katlyn Chookagian, Jennifer Maia, Jessica Andrade and Lauren Murphy before her win over Santos. Andrade and Murphy fight each other this week.

Mexico’s Grasso, 29, gets her first crack at a title on the strength of four straight wins, all since she moved to flyweight from strawweight. After a loss to former strawweight champ Carla Esparza, Grasso moved up a division and has beaten Ji Yeon Kim, Maycee Barber, Joanne Wood and, most recently, Viviane Araujo this past October in her first UFC main event.

With the addition, the UFC 285 lineup now includes:

  • Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane – for vacant heavyweight title
  • Champ Valentina Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso – for women’s flyweight title
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
  • Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
  • Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis
  • Julio Arce vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Julian Marquez
  • Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics
  • Farid Basharat vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
  • Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Ricci
  • Mario Bautista vs. Guido Cannetti

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.

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Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan in the works as UFC Fight Night 221 headliner

A big time bantamweight bout is nearing finalization for the promotion’s March 11 event in Las Vegas – in front of a crowd.

A major bantamweight bout is targeted to serve as an upcoming main event.

Pending bout finalization, surging Georgian fighter [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] will take on former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] in a five-round bout atop the UFC Fight Night 221 billing. The event takes place March 11 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the targeted booking including Dvalishvili’s manager Oren Hodak, of KO Reps, recently confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie. Las Vegas Review Journal first reported the bout Tuesday. Verbal agreements are in place, though bout contracts have not yet been signed.

Dvalishvili (15-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) rides an eight-fight winning streak into the bout. He most recently competed in August when he defeated Jose Aldo by unanimous decision at UFC 278. A surging contender in the upper echelon of the UFC rankings, Dvalishvili has publicly stated he will not fight teammate and champion Aljamain Sterling.

Yan (16-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) will look to get back on track after a two-fight skid with close decision losses to Sterling and, more recently, Sean O’Malley. Yan holds career wins over Aldo, Cory Sandhagen, Urijah Faber, and Magomed Magomedov, among others.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 221 lineup includes:

  • Merab Dvalishivli vs. Petr Yan
  • Abu Azaitar vs. Sedriques Dumas
  • Lukasz Brzeski vs. Karl Williams
  • JJ Aldrich vs. Ariane Lipski
  • Raphael Assuncao vs. Kyler Phillips

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 221.

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