Tag: UFC Fight Night 206

UFC Fight Night 206 official weigh-in results (noon ET)

Check out the results from the official UFC Fight Night 206 fighter weigh-ins.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC Fight Night 206 fighter weigh-ins.

The weigh-ins take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The same venue hosts Saturday’s card, which airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.

Among those weighing in are former women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] and her main event opponent [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]. Co-main welterweight competitors [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] and [autotag]Santiago Ponzinibbio[/autotag] are also among the 22 fighters recording their official weight.

The full UFC Fight Night 206 weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Holly Holm () vs. Ketlen Vieira ()
  • Michel Pereira () vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio ()
  • Chidi Njokuani () vs. Dusko Todorovic ()
  • Jailton Almeida () vs. Parker Porter ()
  • Tabatha Ricci () vs. Polyana Viana ()
  • Eryk Anders () vs. Junyong Park ()

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Alen Amedovski () vs. Joseph Holmes ()
  • Uros Medic () vs. Omar Morales ()
  • Jonathan Martinez () vs. Vince Morales ()
  • Felipe Colares () vs. Chase Hooper ()
  • Sam Hughes () vs. Elise Reed

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MMA Junkie Radio #3261: UFC Fight Night 206 preview, Vanessa Demopoulos joins the show, more

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”


Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,261, the guys previewed the two big shows for this coming weekend, UFC Fight Night 206 and Eagle FC 47, plus and went over all the news nuggets. UFC strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos also joins the show! Tune in!

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Jailton Almeida may fight in two divisions, but ‘a lot happier’ not cutting weight for heavyweight

Moving from light heavyweight, Jailton Almeida enters his first heavyweight bout as a big favorite against Parker Porter in Las Vegas.

Dana White’s Contender Series veteran [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] turned a lot of heads in his UFC debut in February, and hopes to keep the train rolling in a different weight class this Saturday.

Entering his second fight under the UFC banner, Almeida (15-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will be moving up from light heavyweight to meet heavyweight Parker Porter on the prelims at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. From a weight-cutting standpoint, Almeida is already enjoying the lead up to this fight against Porter (13-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC).

“Just not having to cut the weight and not even worry about weight is a big thing,” Almeida told reporters through an interpreter at UFC Fight Night 206 media day. “I’m a lot happier, my self-esteem is way up there, and I’m sleeping well. So, there’s a bunch of factors that are very good with not having to cut weight.

“I was talking to my team and it’s something that we could consider, but right now I think the plan is to fight light heavyweight,” Almeida said. “But I want to keep active, so if there’s opportunities that make sense at heavyweight we’re up for it.”

Bouncing between two divisions would be similar to how rising star [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] began in the UFC. Almeida has said in the past he has been inspired by the surging welterweight and hopes to emulate his career. Almeida also draws inspiration from former lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]. However, if he ends up staying at welterweight, he may have to look to another champion to emulate.

“Everybody knows I’ve been very open about being such a fan of Khabib and of Chimaev,” Almeida said. “Maybe, you don’t know how our styles are going to develop. I might end up being like Francis Ngannou, you never know.”

Almeida’s opponent on Saturday said he expects the matchup to be a classic grappler vs. striker fight, but Almeida doesn’t believe it’s that simple. While he won’t know what Porter will present until the fight begins and he feels out what’s happening, Almeida believes he can take care of business on the feet too.

“I know that my grappling is probably way ahead of his, but I’ve been boxing since I was a kid,” Almeida said. “Boxing is where I came from. So I know that if I need to strike, I can strike with him on equal terms. … Don’t be surprised if we’re slugging it out by the end of the night.”

Check out the full pre-fight interview with Almeida in the video above.

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UFC Fight Night 206’s Polyana Viana says she’s going for another bonus ‘in a very funny way’

Competing for the first time in 15 months, Polyana Viana teased a “surprise” for UFC Fight Night 206.

LAS VEGAS – UFC strawweight [autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag] hopes to experience a repeat of her last fight.

Competing for the first time in 15 months, Viana meets fellow Brazilian Tabitha Ricci on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 206 from the UFC Apex. Last time out, Viana earned a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus after a first-round submission of Mallory Martin at UFC 258.

Viana (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is looking to earn another $50,000 on Saturday, but she only teased how she would do it.

“In a very funny way,” Viana said through an interpreter at UFC Fight Night 206 media day. “It’s a surprise.”

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Whatever that means, a victory would continue an upward trajectory for the 29-year-old Viana, who got off to a rocky 1-3 start in the UFC. In snapping a three-fight skid, Viana has won back-to-back fights heading into Saturday.

She’s not sure how the fight with Ricci (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will play out, but she knows what she wants.

“I think it might go to the ground because we’re both from jiu-jitsu, but it might be a standup fight for exactly that reason,” Viana said. “… I’d rather it ends in the first round.”

With her arm raised, of course. And an extra $50,000 would be nice.

UFC Fight Night 206 breakdown: Why Holly Holm should finish Ketlen Vieira in return from layoff

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC Fight Night 206 main event between Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira.

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MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC Fight Night 206.

UFC Fight Night 206 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

UFC Fight Night 206 headliner Holly Holm still chasing gold after 19-month layoff

Holly Holm knows a UFC Fight Night 206 main event win over Ketlen Vieira will lead to something big.

[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] will return from the longest layoff of her prestigious combat sport career when she meets Ketlen Vieira in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 206 main event.

That’s not an easy fact to digest for Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC), who will compete for the first time since turning 40 with the women’s bantamweight headliner vs. Vieira (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

Holm, a former UFC champion, hasn’t stepped foot in the octagon since putting on one of the most complete performances of her career with a dazzling unanimous decision win over Irene Aldana at UFC on ESPN 16 in October 2020. The more than 19 months without action since then haven’t been by choice. It’s quite the opposite, in fact.

The discovery of a long-present kidney issue that required an operation, as well as a knee surgery, has kept Holm on the sidelines. It’s been an agonizing experience for “The Preacher’s Daughter,” but that’s made her appreciate the opportunity to fight again even more.

“It feels good to be in a place that I’m actually competing,” Holm told MMA Junkie and other reporters at UFC Fight Night 206 media day. “I’ve been training. Even through the stuff I had going on, I’ve been training. Not to where I could really go 100 percent and have this goal I’m shooting for. … It feels good to get in there, and it also comes with all the nerves that come with it. Which also makes me know it’s real.

“I feel it. I’m living life. I care if I win. I think that’s another thing. I think those nerves just remind me that I care.”

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Holm has seen and done it all during a more than 20-year run in boxing and MMA. She’s been a world champion in both sports and reached the highest of highs, but she said she’s still motivated to dedicate her life to this craft. With her age and experience come wisdom, too, and Holm knows how important this fight is to her overall goal of getting UFC gold back around her waist.

With Julianna Peña expected to rematch Amanda Nunes this summer for the 135-pound title, a win could put Holm in prime position for a crack at the belt. She’s well aware of that, but she said all of those grander narratives are swallowed up by her hunger to defeat Vieira this weekend.

“I have to win regardless,” Holm said. “I hate to lose. I just hate to lose, period. No matter what’s on the line. Whether I’m in practice training – I want to win the rounds when I’m in training. If I’m in front of two people, if I’m in front of 2 million people, I’m if I’m front of the whole world. I just hate to lose. That’s No. 1. I want to get in there and I want to win on Saturday.

“But as far as a career, if you don’t win your next steps and your next options are never as many as you want and they’re more limited. You take a step back instead of a step forward. So yes, in the long run I need this win so that I can keep progressing forward because I want to get to the belt.”

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Ketlen Vieira: ‘It’s a dream come true’ to fight Holly Holm in UFC Fight Night 206 main event

Ketlen Vieira has already defeated one of her heroes in Misha Tate. Now she wants to do the same to Holly Holm.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] already has defeated one of her heroes in Miesha Tate. Now she wants to do the same to Holly Holm in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 206 main event.

Vieira (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) barely started her MMA career when the likes of Tate and Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) were already fighting for UFC titles. She’s said watching those names – along with Ronda Rousey – was what caused her to believe greatness could be achieved for female fighters.

Now Vieira has worked herself to the point where her idols have become her rivals. Now she meets former champ Holm in a potential women’s bantamweight title eliminator, which goes down at the UFC Apex and streams on ESPN+, and Vieira will have to separate business from her emotions.

“I admire her a lot,” Vieira told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at UFC Fight Night 206 media day. “I used to watch her fights before I knew I wanted to fight in UFC. I watched her fight against Ronda when she shocked the world, and for me it’s a dream come true to fight another former champ that I admire so much. I have a lot of faith for myself.”

Vieira, No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s bantamweight rankings, delivered in her first UFC main event opportunity with a unanimous decision win over Tate last November at UFC Fight Night 198.

To get a chance to follow up that performance with a win over No. 4 Holm has Vieira feeling like her career is firing on all cylinders.

“I always dreamed about being a main event in the UFC, and now I have the opportunity to do it again with another elite athlete,” Vieira said. “It’s a dream come true for me.”

If the 30-year-old Brazilian can get past “The Preacher’s Daughter” this weekend, Vieira will have a resume worthy of requesting a title shot. The championship rematch between Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes is expected to take place this summer, and depending on how it unfolds, Vieira could get the next crack at gold.

Vieira refuses to put her focus on that possibility, though. Right now, her attention is entirely on Holm.

“I have to take it one step at a time,” Vieira said. “If I win against her I’m going to have to think about what’s next.”