Tag: UFC 275

UFC launches eight-man ‘Road to UFC’ tournament in Singapore

Ahead of their return to Singapore in June, the UFC will host an eight-man tournament.

Ahead of their return to Singapore in June, the UFC will host a number of eight-man tournament.

Promotion officials announced Thursday that a tournament featuring top MMA prospects from Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India, and the UFC Academy in China across four divisions will take place, with the winners in each division receiving a UFC contract.

The tournament will consist of eight mixed martial artists fighting in four men’s weight classes: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight. The opening round of “ROAD to UFC” will take place on June 9 and 10 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, ahead of UFC 275 on June 11. The semifinals and finals are tentatively scheduled for later this year.

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Each card will feature one non-tournament bout making a total of five fights on each event. The tournament will take place in front of a live audience, with the location and venue details expected to be announced prior to each event.

The current UFC 275 lineup includes:

  • Champ Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka – for light heavyweight title
  • Champ Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos – for women’s flyweight title
  • Marvin Vettori vs. opponent TBA
  • Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Na Liang
  • Brendan Allen vs. Jacob Malkoun
  • Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Zhang Weili
  • Kyung Ho Kang vs. Saimon Oliveira
  • Orion Cosce vs. Blood Diamond

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Robert Whittaker out of UFC 275, Marvin Vettori turns attention to Darren Till and Khamzat Chimaev

Marvin Vettori needs a new opponent for UFC 275 after Robert Whittaker has withdrawn.

[autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] needs a new opponent for UFC 275.

Tuesday night, Vettori (18-5-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) announced that [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (23-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC) is out of their June 11 matchup at Singapore Indoor Stadium. MMA Junkie confirmed the news with a person with knowledge of the matchup.

Looking for a replacement, Vettori proceeded to call out teammates [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC) and [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) to step in.

“We’re back at this. I think I’m the only 185er that can say that has never pulled out of a fight but anyway smash boys I’ll get you back to back lets do it I’m willing to die just show up @KChimaev @darrentill2 @Mickmaynard2 @AliAbdelaziz00 @danawhite.”

Vettori and Till were scheduled to fight in the UFC on ABC 2 headliner last April, but Till withdrew due to a broken collarbone. Vettori faced Kevin Holland instead, defeating him to earn his first-career UFC title shot. Vettori ended up falling short to middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for a second time at UFC 263, but rebounded with a big win over ex-title challenger Paulo Costa in the UFC Fight Night 196 headliner this past October.

Costa offered to step in to rematch Vettori, who fought him in a light heavyweight bout after Costa had issues making the middleweight mark.

“Vettori needs a pair to fight? Oh really? Lol how funny is it ? send me the location dumbest.”

Till is coming off back-to-back losses to Whittaker, and most recently Derek Brunson in the UFC Fight Night 191 headliner. Meanwhile, his newly minted teammate Chimaev emerged as a welterweight contender when he outlasted Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 in a “Fight of the Night” war. Chimaev has already competed at middleweight twice in the UFC, but momentarily appears to be on the road to gold at 170 pounds.

The current UFC 275 lineup includes:

  • Champ Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka – for light heavyweight title
  • Champ Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos – for women’s flyweight title
  • Marvin Vettori vs. TBA
  • Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Na Liang
  • Brendan Allen vs. Jacob Malkoun
  • Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Zhang Weili

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Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Zhang Weil agree to rematch at UFC 275 in Singapore

Arguably the greatest fight in women’s mixed martial arts history, and one of the greatest fights ever, is getting a sequel.

Arguably the greatest fight in women’s mixed martial arts history, and one of the greatest fights ever, is getting a sequel as former UFC strawweight champions [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] and [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] have agreed to a rematch.

ESPN, citing UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, reported on Saturday that Jedrzejczyk and Weili have agreed to run it back June 11 at UFC 275 in Singapore.

Jedrzejczyk (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Weili (21-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) partook in the consensus 2020 Fight of the Year at UFC 248, a grueling five-round battle won by then-champion Weili to retain her title. Weili is no longer champion, and Jedrzejczyk hasn’t fought in the two-plus years since losing to her.

Weili, 32, is coming off back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas, who took the title from her with a first-round knockout last April at UFC 261. Seven months later, Weili fell short in her attempt to reclaim the belt by losing a split decision to Namajunas at UFC 268.

Since back-to-back losses herself to Namajunas, Jedrzejczyk, 34, has alternated wins and losses in her past four fights. She’s defeated Tecia Torres and Michelle Waterson but lost a flyweight title fight against Valentina Shevchenko before most recently dropping the split decision to Weili.

Uncertainty because of the COVID-19 pandemic and handling outside ventures have kept Jedrzejczyk out of action since March 2020. She recently told MMA Junkie that a rematch with Weili was her “No. 1 interest,” and now she’ll get it.

Weili and Jedrzejczyk will enter the fight ranked Nos. 2 and 5, respectively, in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie strawweight rankings.

A title-fight rematch between champ Namajunas and former champ Carla Esparza is on deck for next month at UFC 274.

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UFC 275, featuring title doubleheader, announced for June 11 in Singapore

Singapore will play host to a UFC pay-per-view event for the first time.

Singapore will play host to a UFC pay-per-view event for the first time.

The promotion announced Tuesday that UFC 275, headlined by a light heavyweight title bout between champion [autotag]Glover Texeira[/autotag] (33-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) and [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] (28-3-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), will take place June 11 at Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Also added to the UFC 275 card is flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC), who will attempt to notch her seventh title defense against Brazil’s [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Plus, a pivotal middleweight clash between former champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (23-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC) and former title challenger [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] (18-5-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) is on the bill.

The UFC will return to Singapore for the first time in almost three years. The most recent event there took place Oct. 26, 2019. It was a “Fight Night” card headlined by jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia and wrestling standout Ben Askren. Maia submitted Askren in the third round in what was Askren’s final MMA fight.

The current UFC 275 lineup includes:

  • Champ Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka – for light heavyweight title
  • Champ Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos – for women’s flyweight title
  • Marvin Vettori vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Na Liang
  • Brendan Allen vs. Jacob Malkoun

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UFC 275 targets Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori for top middleweight contender showdown

Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori have gotten the better of pretty much everyone they’ve faced not named Israel Adesanya.

Two top-ranked middleweights are lined up to fight at UFC 275.

Although not finalized yet, the promotion targets a bout between former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] and former title challenger [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] for the promotion’s June 11 pay-per-view, which is expected to take place in Singapore.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently confirmed the targeted booking to MMA Junkie after an initial report by MMA reporter Ariel Helwani. However, the people asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Whittaker (23-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC) looks to rebound from his second career loss to titleholder Israel Adesanya, which took place at UFC 271 in February. Whittaker was on the losing end of a closely-contested unanimous decision in favor of Adesanya. The defeat snapped a three-fight winning streak, which included victories over Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Kelvin Gastelum.

Like his UFC 275 opponent, Vettori (18-5-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) has only suffered two losses, both against Adesanya, in recent years. Five straight wins over the likes of Jack Hermansson and Kevin Holland among others were bookended by the losses to Adesanya. Following his title challenge loss at UFC 263 in June 2021, Vettori defeated Paulo Costa via unanimous decision in a five-round light heavyweight bout.

With the addition, the UFC 275 lineup includes:

  • Champion Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka – for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos – for women’s flyweight title
  • Marvin Vettori vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Na Liang

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Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos in the works for UFC 275 on June 11

Valentina Shevchenko is targeted to make a return in title defense against Taila Santos at UFC 275.

[autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] returns this summer.

The UFC women’s flyweight champion is being targeted to defend her belt against Taila Santos at UFC 275 on June 11. The promotion has yet to announce a location for the event, but it is expected to take place in Singapore.

MMA Junkie confirmed the news following a report by MMA Fighting.

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The bout against Santos marks Shevchenko’s seventh title defense. The 33-year-old won the vacant belt back in 2018 and has held it since, dispatching her opponents in dominant fashion. Shevchenko (22-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) last fought in September at UFC 266 where she stopped Lauren Murphy via fourth-round TKO. Shevchenko’s only two UFC losses have come at 135 pounds to UFC featherweight champion Amanda Nunes.

Meanwhile, Santos (18-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is riding an impressive four-fight winning streak. The Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil alumnus submitted Joanne Wood in her last outing putting her away in the first round of their contest at UFC Fight Night 198. Santos has only one professional loss on her record, which came in a split decision against Mara Romero Borella back in 2019.

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Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka title fight shifts from UFC 274 to UFC 275 in June

Glover Teixeira’s first UFC title defense against Jiri Prochazka has been delayed.

[autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]’s first UFC title defense against [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] has been delayed by more than a month.

Originally announced for UFC 274 on May 7, light heavyweight champion Teixeira will now meet Prochazka at UFC 275, which is expected for June 11. A reason for the change was not revealed.

Both Teixeira (33-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) and Prochazka (28-3-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) have publicly acknowledged the adjustment in plans.

UFC 275 does not have announced location or venue at this time. The main card is expected to air on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Teixeira, 42, hopes to continue a remarkable run in the twilight of his career. No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, Teixeira claimed the title with a submission of Jan Blachowicz last October at UFC 267, which pushed his winning streak to six in a row. Five of those six wins have been finishes.

Prochazka, 29, will enter with a 12-fight overall winning streak, which includes his first two UFC bouts. Prochazka, the former RIZIN FF light heavyweight champ, won in spectacular fashion in his most recent bout, knocking out Dominick Reyes with a spinning back elbow last May. Prochazka is No. 6 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

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