Tag: UFC 263

Chase Hooper to fight Steven Peterson at UFC 263

Chase Hooper aims to string together UFC wins for the first when he meets Stephen Peterson on June 12.

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] is ready to return.

Hooper, one of the promotion’s bright, young prospects, will fight [autotag]Steven Peterson[/autotag] on June 12 at UFC 263, which does not yet have an announced venue or location.

Both fighters confirmed the booking on social media Monday following an initial report from BJPenn.com.

Hooper, 21, is coming off a third-round come-from-behind heel hook submission of Peter Barrett last December at UFC 256. Hooper (10-1-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has finished his past four wins and will look to string consecutive victories for the first time in his UFC tenure.

Fortis MMA’s Peterson (18-9 MMA, 2-3 UFC), 30, hasn’t competed since September 2019 when he snapped a two-fight losing skid with a “Performance of the Night” spinning backfist knockout of Martin Bravo.

With the addition, the UFC 263 lineup now includes:

  • Champion Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori – for middleweight title
  • Champion Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno – for flyweight title
  • Jake Collier vs. Carlos Felipe
  • Luigi Vendramini vs. Fares Ziam
  • Hakeem Dawodu vs. Movsar Evloev
  • Sijara Eubanks vs. Karol Rosa
  • Paul Craig vs. Jamahal Hill
  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Lauren Murphy
  • Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad
  • Frank Camacho vs. Matt Frevola
  • Drew Dober vs. Brad Riddell
  • Chase Hooper vs. Steven Peterson

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Robert Whittaker wanted to fight Israel Adesanya at UFC 263 but says June was ‘impossible’

Between injuries in his last fight and traveling and mandatory quarantining, Robert Whittaker says “there was just no way” the timing worked.

Marvin Vettori’s title shot against UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] took many by surprise.

Former champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag], who cemented himself as the No. 1 contender by defeating Kelvin Gastelum earlier this month at UFC on ESPN 22, revealed that the UFC offered him the title fight rematch with Adesanya just an hour after he won.

Since losing his title to Adesanya in October 2019, Whittaker has beaten top contenders Darren Till, Jared Cannonier and Gastelum consecutively to earn his shot, but he wasn’t ready to make such a quick turnaround.

“More or less, I was offered the fight about an hour after my fight with Gastelum,” Whittaker told ESPN on Sunday. “There was just no way, physically, I could do that. Not only do I have injuries from that last fight to deal with, I have to fly home to Australia, and then two weeks in (mandatory) isolation. I have to see how my body was feeling, and then I’d have to prepare, all by June. It was impossible.”

Instead, Adesanya (20-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will rematch Vettori (17-4-1 MMA, 7-2-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC 263 on June 12. UFC president Dana White confirmed that Whittaker (23-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) will face the winner, and the former champion has no problem waiting his turn.

“I can see what Izzy is trying to do,” Whittaker said. “He’s trying to get me to accept the fight injured, on short notice, with all odds against me, but there was just no way I could get there physically. I do want that fight, and my next fight will be for the title. It has to be. He was just really adamant about fighting on that date, and I can’t do it. I’m happy to fight the winner after.”

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Vettori also has rebounded emphatically from his loss to Adesanya. “The Italian Dream” was edged out by Adesanya in a split decision loss in 2018 and has since won five in a row. Whittaker acknowledges Vettori’s skillset and expects the fight to be close, despite Adesanya’s surge as champ.

“It’s hard to say, isn’t it?” Whittaker said. “Their first fight in 2018 was pretty close. I think Izzy is really good. I could see Izzy taking that fight. But Vettori is tough as nails, and he seems to take high-level opponents to a place where they are uncomfortable because of his resilience and toughness. Plus, he has a good skill set. I think Vettori will know what to expect from Adesanya this time, because he knows the level of striking he brings. In saying that, however, I do think Adesanya has gotten better since the last time they fought. So, I guess I’m on the fence.”

He continued, “I don’t care who wins. Whatever. I hope they beat the hell out of each other to be honest.”

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Israel Adesanya, Marvin Vettori set for UFC 263 title-fight rematch

The two fighters, who first met at UFC on FOX 29 in April 2018, will run it back with UFC gold at stake.

UFC middle weight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] will meet again this summer.

Adesanya (20-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will defend his title June 12 against Vettori (17-4-1 MMA, 7-2-1 UFC), joining the UFC 263 lineup as the second title rematch, the other being flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno.

UFC president Dana White announced the news to broadcast partner ESPN on Saturday after an initial report from Combate.

Adesanya and Vettori first met at UFC on FOX 29 in April 2018. In his second promotional appearance, Adesanya defeated Vettori by split decision.

Over the past three years, the two fighters have taken different journeys to UFC 263. Adesanya went on to win the interim UFC middleweight championship against Kelvin Gastelum, then defeated Robert Whittaker to unify the title. He defended his 185-pound title against Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa before losing a unanimous decision to Jan Blachowicz in a light heavyweight title challenge last month.

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Meanwhile, Vettori has gone unbeaten since the loss to Adesanya with consecutive victories over Cezar Ferreira, Andrew Sanchez, Karl Roberson, Jack Hermansson and, most recently, Kevin Holland.

UFC president Dana White recently revealed the promotion was leaning in the direction of Vettori over Whittaker, as the former champion would not be ready in time.

“It’s looking like Rob Whittaker, who just fought on Saturday night, isn’t going to be ready to fight Israel Adesanya at the time Israel Adesanya wants to fight, so it’ll probably be Marvin Vettori first,” White said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.”

According to the ESPN report, Whittaker will fight the winner of Adesanya vs. Vettori.

The latest UFC 263 lineup now includes:

  • Champion Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori – for middleweight title
  • Champion Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno – for flyweight title
  • Jake Collier vs. Carlos Felipe
  • Luigi Vendramini vs. Fares Ziam
  • Hakeem Dawodu vs. Movsar Evloev
  • Sijara Eubanks vs. Karol Rosa
  • Paul Craig vs. Jamahal Hill
  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Lauren Murphy
  • Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad
  • Frank Camacho vs. Matt Frevola
  • Drew Dober vs. Brad Riddell

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Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad added to UFC 263

A welterweight matchup between Demian Maia and Belal Muhammad has been booked for June.

A welterweight matchup between [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] and [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] is the latest addition to UFC 263 in June.

Maia (28-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) and Muhammad (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) have agreed to the pairing, according to an initial report from ESPN and subsequent confirmation from Muhammad’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA (via Twitter):

UFC 263 takes place June 12 with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected on ESPN and ESPN+. A location and venue have not been announced.

Maia, 43, returns to action for the first time since March 2020, when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC Fight Night 170 in Brazil.

Muhammad, 32, meanwhile, will step back in the octagon following a no contest in his first UFC main event with Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night 187 in March. The fight ended in the the second round when Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye.

The latest UFC 263 lineup now includes:

  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno – for flyweight title
  • Jake Collier vs. Carlos Felipe
  • Luigi Vendramini vs. Fares Ziam
  • Hakeem Dawodu vs. Movsar Evloev
  • Sijara Eubanks vs. Karol Rosa
  • Paul Craig vs. Jamahal Hill
  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Lauren Murphy
  • Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad

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Flyweight contenders Joanne Calderwood, Lauren Murphy to square off at UFC 263

Top UFC women’s flyweights will collide on the promotion’s June pay-per-view card.

Top women’s flyweights will collide at an upcoming UFC pay-per-view.

At UFC 263 on June 12, [autotag]Joanne Calderwood[/autotag] and [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] are set to square off in what could be a title eliminator. The event does not currently have a publicly known location or venue.

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

Murphy (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) currently rides the longest winning streak of her UFC career. She’s racked up consecutive victories over Mara Romero Borella, Andrea Lee, Roxanne Modafferi, and most recently Liliya Shakirova at UFC 254 last October.

Meanwhile, Calderwood (15-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) alternated losses and wins over her most recent four outings, though she’s won four of six. In 2020, Calderwood was booked to challenge women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko in June. When Shevchenko withdrew due to injury, Calderwood elected to fight Jennifer Maia rather than wait for the champion to heal. Calderwood lost to Maia by first-round submission.

At UFC 257 in January, Calderwood returned and defeated former title challenger Jessica Eye via unanimous decision.

With the addition, the UFC 263 lineup includes:

  • Champion Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno – for flyweight title
  • Jake Collier vs. Carlos Felipe
  • Luigi Vendramini vs. Fares Ziam
  • Hakeem Dawodu vs. Movsar Evloev
  • Sijara Eubanks vs. Karol Rosa
  • Paul Craig vs. Jamahal Hill
  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Lauren Murphy

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Movsar Evloev vs. Hakeem Dawodu booked for UFC 263

A tilt between a pair of streaking featherweights is headed to UFC 263 this summer.

A tilt between a pair of streaking featherweights is headed to UFC 263 this summer.

Undefeated [autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is set to take on [autotag]Hakeem Dawodu[/autotag] (12-1-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at UFC 263. People with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Tuesday. The people asked to remain anonymous since the UFC has yet to make a formal announcement of the fight, which first was reported by MMA DNA.

UFC 263 takes place June 12. A venue and location has not yet been announced, but for the bulk of the pandemic era the UFC has held events either at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas or on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi. The main card will air on pay-per-view following prelims expected for ESPN and ESPN+.

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Evloev stayed unbeaten in January when he took a split decision from Nik Lentz at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi. After a 10-0 start to his career under the M-1 banner, where he won the bantamweight title, Evloev came to the UFC in 2019 and moved to featherweight. His first four bouts in the UFC have been decision wins.

After three years with WSOF, Dawodu came to the UFC in 2018 and was choked out by Danny Henry in 39 seconds in his promotional debut. But it’s been all upward since then with five straight wins. After a pair of decisions over Austin Arnett and Kyle Bochniak, Dawodu picked up a performance bonus with a head kick knockout of Yoshinori Horie at UFC 240. Since then, he has two more wins – both by split decision – against Julio Arce and Zubaira Tukhugov, the latter of which came this past September on “Fight Island.”

With the addition, the UFC 263 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno – for flyweight title
  • Jake Collier vs. Carlos Felipe
  • Luigi Vendramini vs. Fares Ziam
  • Hakeem Dawodu vs. Movsar Evloev

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Luigi Vendramini vs. Fares Ziam added to UFC 263 on June 12

A battle between lightweight prospects Luigi Vendramini and Fares Ziam is the latest addition to UFC 263.

A battle between lightweight prospects is the latest addition to UFC 263.

[autotag]Luigi Vendramini[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will take on [autotag]Fares Ziam[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) on June 12 in an event that does not yet have an announced venue or location.

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

Vendramini had an impressive showing in his UFC debut in September 2018, but was ultimately stopped by Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. An ACL surgery forced him to the sidelines for more than two years until he finally made his return at UFC on ESPN 16 this past October. He made quick work of Jessin Ayari to earn a “Performance of the Night” bonus for his first-round knockout.

French-Algerian Ziam also has split his first two UFC appearances. After getting outgrappled by Don Madge in his promotional debut at UFC 242, the 23-year-old rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Jamie Mullarkey at UFC Fight Night 180 this past October.

With the addition, the UFC 263 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno – for flyweight title
  • Jake Collier vs. Carlos Felipe
  • Luigi Vendramini vs. Fares Ziam