Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out video of the final staredowns and photo gallery from ceremonial weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night 209 ahead of Saturday’s event.
PARIS – UFC Fight Night 209 ceremonial fighter weigh-ins took place Friday, and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event.
The weigh-ins took place at Accor Arena. The same venue hosts the event, which streams on ESPN+.
Check out the video above to see the athletes from all 12 scheduled matchups come face-to-face and view the photo gallery below.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.
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Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori got face-to-face for the first – and last – time at UFC Fight Night 209 ceremonial weigh-ins.
PARIS – Ahead of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 209 co-main event, [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] and [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] got face-to-face for the first – and last – time at ceremonial weigh-ins.
After making weight without issue on Friday morning, former UFC champ Whittaker (23-6, 14-4 UFC) and former title challenger Vettori (18-5-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) engaged in a staredown to set the stage for their anticipated middleweight contender showdown.
UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard regulated the moment, where Vettori denied Whittaker’s attempt to shake hands and gave him a finger wag.
Check out the video above to see the Whittaker vs. Vettori faceoff.
UFC Fight Night 209 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena. The entire event streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.
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The stage is set for the UFC’s debut in France after headliners Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa engaged in a final staredown.
PARIS – The stage is set for the UFC’s debut in France after headliners Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa engaged in a final staredown ahead of UFC Fight Night 209.
Gane (10-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Tuivasa (15-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) are set for a key heavyweight showdown in Saturday’s main event, but first they had to lock eyes at ceremonial weigh-ins, which took place Friday afternoon after they made weight earlier in the day.
As with their previous faceoffs, Gane and Tuivasa were respectful when they got in close proximity to each other. In fact, they even shared a hug afterward.
Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa shared a hug at the end of their final faceoff for the #UFCParis main event. 🤝
Full story: https://t.co/u32TUyBsCe pic.twitter.com/TCWeF4MzqF
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 2, 2022
Check out the video of the staredown above.
UFC Fight Night 209 takes place at Accor Arena. The entire event streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.
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Miss any of the fighters on the scale for UFC Fight Night 209 in Paris? Don’t worry, because you can check out the video highlights.
PARIS – One of the most important parts of fight week is in the books for UFC Fight Night 209, with official weigh-ins coming to. conclusion on Friday morning.
It was a flawless session ahead of Saturday’s event – which marks the promotion’s debut in France – with all 24 athletes scheduled to compete making weight within 59 minutes of the two-hour window.
Miss any of the fighters on the scale? Don’t worry, because MMA Junkie has you covered with a tidy highlight in the video above.
UFC Fight Night 209 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena. The entire event streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.
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The main event for the UFC’s debut in France is official after Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa weighed in for a marquee heavyweight showdown.
PARIS – The main event for the UFC’s debut in France is official after [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] and [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] weighed in for a marquee heavyweight showdown at UFC Fight Night 209.
Former interim UFC champ Gane (10-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and surging contender Tuivasa (15-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) both stepped on the scale Friday morning at official weigh-ins, setting the stage for their fight.
Tuivasa was first to the scale and was the heavyweight limit of 266 pounds. Gane came in nearly 50 minutes later into the session, and was 19 pounds lighter at 247 pounds.
The #UFCParis main event is OFFICIAL, and Tai Tuivasa will have a 19-pound edge on Ciryl Gane for their heavyweight showdown.
Full weigh-in story: https://t.co/sbEV9wM0I6 pic.twitter.com/1hiVaOpsXd
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 2, 2022
Watch the weigh-in video above.
UFC Fight Night 209 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena. The entire event streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.
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Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori have made weight for their massive middleweight showdown at UFC Fight Night 209.
PARIS – [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] and [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] have made weight for their massive middleweight showdown at UFC Fight Night 209.
Former UFC champ Whittaker (23-6, 14-4 UFC) and former title challenger Vettori (18-5-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) are set for a key showdown in Saturday’s co-main event, but ahead of stepping in the octagon, they had to do their part on the scale.
Whittaker weighed in first at 186 pounds, while Vettori came in minutes later and also registered at 186 pounds during Friday’s official weigh-in window.
Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori were both sharp on the scale in hitting 1️⃣8️⃣6️⃣ pounds for the #UFCParis co-main event.
Full story: https://t.co/8GZjV5u4TD pic.twitter.com/C2PYYFTvvJ
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 2, 2022
Check out the video above to see both men making weight.
UFC Fight Night 209 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena. The entire event streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.
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The UFC added 32 fighters to its roster last month. Find out who joined and learn more about them here.
The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.
Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, Dana White’s Contender Series signees, or the increasingly rare straight-up additions. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.
“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.
Scroll below to check out the 32 fighters the promotion inked in August 2022.
Check out highlights from the UFC Fight Night 209 open workouts in Paris.
PARIS – An old fight week tradition has returned for UFC Fight Night 209.
Before the global pandemic caused all sorts of changes in the UFC’s typical fight week plans, fans in the event’s host city could go out and watch fighters show off their skills at open workouts.
This week, the promotion added the activity back to the schedule, treating fans at La Salle Wagram to an up-close view of former interim heavyweight champion [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag], surging contender [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag], and other main card competitors as they showed off their striking techniques with their coaches.
You can watch highlights of the open workouts in the video above.
UFC Fight Night 209 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena. The card streams on ESPN+.
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Follow along with the live results of Dana White’s Contender Series live at UFC Apex.
MMA Junkie is on scene reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 52 event.
Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.
The sixth week of the sixth season sees 10 fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. Welterweights take center stage in the feature bout as Japan’s Yusaku Kinoshita (5-1) takes on Brazil’s undefeated prospect Jose Henrique (5-0).
The UFC Apex hosts Tuesday’s card, which streams live on ESPN+. The full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 50 include:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
Continue reading below for more details about each fight.
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Try as he might, Jake Paul can’t seem to get away from boxing former MMA champions and is set to meet Anderson Silva this fall.
Try as he might, [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] can’t seem to get away from boxing former MMA champions.
After fights with Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr. fell apart earlier this month, Paul is set to fight former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] in a Showtime pay-per-view headliner on October 29, according to an initial report from NoSmokeBoxing on Monday.
TMZ later confirmed Tuesday, with sources, that the fight has been made but didn’t specify a date. Neither TMZ nor NoSmokeBoxing reported a location or venue for the event.
Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, teased his next fight over the weekend on Twitter, saying he “almost certainly will be the underdog.” Silva likely would fit the bill.
Paul, 25, is 5-0 as a professional boxer with a knockout of Ben Askren and two wins – one decision and one knockout – over Tyron Woodley on his resume. The YouTube star hasn’t fought since his sixth-round knockout of Woodley in December 2021.
Paul has faced questions about his legitimacy as a boxer since he hasn’t fought any traditional boxers, which will continue with Silva. The difference, however, is that 47-year-old Silva has transitioned well in the squared circle since leaving the UFC in late 2020.
Silva officially won two boxing matches in 2021, first taking a split decision from Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. after eight rounds before knocking out fellow former UFC champion Tito Ortiz in just 1:22. Silva also looked formidable in an exhibition bout against Bruno Machado this past May.
Silva’s performance against Machado even got a reaction out of Paul.
Now they’ll settle things in the ring.
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