Tag: UFC 257

Nasrat Haqparast vs. Arman Tsarukyan added to UFC 257

A battle between lightweight prospects Nasrat Haqparast and Arman Tsarukyan is the latest addition to UFC 257.

A battle between lightweight prospects is is the latest addition to UFC 257.

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag] will face [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] on Jan. 23. The event does not yet have a location, but will be headlined by a Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier rematch.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie on Thursday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

After seeing his three-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Drew Dober in January, Haqparast (12-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Alexander Munoz at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in August.

Tsarukyan (15-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has been matched up with high-level grapplers in his first three UFC bouts, dropping a unanimous decision to Islam Makhachev in his promotional debut, followed by up back-to-back wins over Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Davi Ramos.

With the addition, the current Jan. 23 lineup includes:

  • Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor
  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Eye
  • Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares
  • Amanda Ribas vs. Michelle Waterson
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Dana White insists Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier won’t be for title: ‘Khabib’s going to fight’

UFC president Dana White is still banking on Khabib Nurmagomedov fighting again.

LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White is still banking on [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] fighting again.

Lightweight champion Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC), who hung up his gloves after submitting Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October, left the division’s top contenders hoping to vy for the title.

But White is confident Nurmagomedov will return to seek the big 30-0 record, which is why a belt won’t be on the line in the pivotal main event clash between [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] at UFC 257 on Jan. 23.

“No, Khabib’s going to fight,” White said at a post-fight news conference. “I believe he’s going to. (McGregor-Poirier is) not for the title.”

Nurmagomedov hasn’t withdrawn from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s UFC drug testing program yet and was even recently tested, which makes White think that he’s not ready to walk away just yet.

“I told you guys that I think he’s going to go to 30 (wins),” White said. “If he’s still testing – why the hell would you want to test still if you’re not going to fight?

“He hasn’t committed, but I feel like he’s going to, and I’m not really pushing him. We talked about it and he just fought. Let him take some time, spend some time with his family, spend the holidays. There’s no rush.”

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Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares added to UFC 257 on Jan. 23

Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares has been rebooked for the UFC’s Jan. 23 event.

Skidding middleweights will look to get back to winning ways.

[autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) will face [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 12-6 UFC) on Jan. 23. The event does not yet have a name designation or location, but is expected to be UFC 257 headlined by a potential Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier rematch.

Junior was initially scheduled to face Tavares at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in March, but Tavares pulled out due to a knee injury and was replaced by Makhmud Muradov. But after Junior also suffered a torn ACL, the bout was scrapped from the card.

In an April interview with MMA Junkie, Junior said he’d like the matchup with Tavares to be rebooked and he will get his wish when the two square off in the UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2021.

After winning four straight, Tavares has dropped two in a row to current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and most recently a stoppage loss to Edmen Shahbazyan last November at UFC 244.

With the addition, the current Jan. 23 lineup includes:

  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Eye
  • Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares

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Amanda Ribas vs. Michelle Waterson in the works for UFC 257

UFC 257 is on the verge of gaining a major 115-pound fight to its lineup.

UFC 257 is on the verge of gaining a major 115-pound fight to its lineup.

Strawweight contenders [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] and [autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag] have agreed to fight one another at UFC 257 on Jan. 23. The event does not currently have a location or venue.

Multiple people with knowledge of the targeted booking confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie on Monday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN was the first to report the news.

Ribas (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) looks to keep her five-fight winning streak alive. Since signing with the UFC in 2019, Ribas has defeated Emily Whitmire, Mackenzie Dern, Randa Markos and Paige VanZant in succession.

Meanwhile, Waterson (18-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) rebounded from back-to-back losses when she defeated Angela Hill in a “Fight of the Night” bonus-earning split-decision victory in September. Waterson has won four of her most recent six outings.

A lightweight rematch between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier has been linked to this event, but there has yet to be an official announcement.

With the addition, the UFC 257 lineup includes:

  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Eye
  • Amanda Ribas vs. Michelle Waterson

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Fight Game on the ‘Gram: Best of UFC on ESPN+ 35’s Michelle Waterson on Instagram

Check out some of Michelle Waterson’s most popular Instagram posts after the recent announcement of her UFC 257 fight booking.

Social media is part of life in the fight game for most fighters. Many of them turn to Instagram to keep their fans and followers informed and entertained since (for now) its reputation is less vitriolic than some of its contemporaries.

Following the announcement of her UFC 257 fight booking against Amanda Ribas (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), check out some of the most popular Instagram posts from [autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag] (18-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) over the past year.

UFC 257 takes place Jan. 23, but doesn’t have a location or venue announced yet.