Tag: UFC on ESPN 50

UFC on ESPN 50 pre-event facts: Jessica Andrade first female to 25 octagon appearances

Check out the stats behind UFC on ESPN 50 in Nashville, where Jessica Andrade becomes the first female to join UFC’s 25-fight club.

The UFC returns to Nashville, Tenn., for the sixth time in company history on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 50, which takes place at Bridgestone Arena with a card that airs entirely on ESPN.

Two bantamweight contenders will meet in a 140-pound catchweight main event when [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) takes on replacement opponent [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (20-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC), who stepped in for the injury Umar Nurmagomedov.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC on ESPN 50.

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UFC on ESPN 50’s Kennedy Nzechukwu taking things slow, won’t get ‘greedy’ by trying to jump rankings

Fortis MMA fighter Kennedy Nzechukwu won’t rush his journey to UFC gold.

DALLAS – [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag] won’t rush his journey toward UFC gold.

Nzechukwu (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) currently rides a three-fight winning streak all by finish. He will look to continue his ascent up the light heavyweight rankings when he takes on Dustin Jacoby (18-7-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 50 main card at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

The Fortis MMA fighter doesn’t plan to jump the ladder. Nzechukwu is ready to take on each challenge as it comes without demands.

“I’m taking it slowly, step at a time,” Nzechukwu told MMA Junkie. “Not trying to get greedy like other fighters and kind of call out fighters above me. If you’re not ready for that level, you got to wait, groom yourself as God is grooming me. I take each opponent as it comes and not try to rush it. Eventually I’m going to get there, and I will be blessed.”

Nzechukwu takes on seasoned striker Jacoby, who’s in a slightly different career trajectory as he aims to snap a two-fight losing skid. Nonetheless, Nzechukwu knows he has a dangerous challenge ahead of him.

“Dustin Jacoby, very good striker,” Nzechukwu said. “He’s fought in K-1 I believe, so has a lot of fights under his belt. He’s a very good striker. We have oriented our game plan around it and know what we can employ, and how we can capitalize on his weaknesses. He’s a tough guy, tough opponent, but victory shall be mine on Saturday.”

It’s not the first time Nzechukwu takes on an accomplished striker. The 31-year-old fighter scored a memorable knockout of Carlos Ulberg at UFC 259, and relishes the opportunity to stand toe-to-toe with another skilled striker like Jacoby.

“That’s a great challenge, another accolade I can have under my belt. I’ve fought wrestlers, I previously fought a striker, but it’s good to be well-balanced. So, it’s great to fight another striker that has a lot of experience and get that under my belt.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.

UFC’s Ode Osbourne: Debuting Asu Almabaev ‘not going to make a name off of me’

Ode Osbourne wants to show UFC newcomer Asu Almabaev that there are levels in this game.

[autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag] wants to show UFC debutant [autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag] that there’s levels in this game.

Osbourne (12-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC) takes on Almabaev (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 50 on Aug. 5 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Almabaev is on a 13-fight winning streak, with wins over former UFC fighters Chris Kelades and Zach Makovsky.

Osbourne has been training in Las Vegas with the likes of UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, Bellator interim champ Patchy Mix, and top UFC flyweight contender Amir Albazi. He will look to put a halt to Kazakhstani fighter Almabaev’s momentum in statement-making fashion.

“My goal this fight is to – this guy is a (newcomer), he’s coming off I don’t even know how many wins, 17-2, but he’s not going to make a name off of me,” Osbourne told MMA Junkie Radio. “So, my goal is not just to win this fight, but to finish him because I’m not just somebody you can just make a name off of.

“So, I’m definitely looking to finish this guy and take it to him, just show what Ode Osbourne can do against a different kind of fighter because this guy is more of a grappler-wrestler type, so I’m interested in showing how dynamic of a fighter I am.”

If Osbourne gets past Almabaev, he will have won four of his past five fights which he thinks should be enough to land him a ranked opponent next.

“This fight, I haven’t really given it much thought other than that I want to face a top 15-ranked opponent in my next fight granted things go my way, which I believe it will,” Osbourne said.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.

Rob Font steps into UFC Nashville main event vs. Cory Sandhagen after Umar Nurmagomedov’s withdrawal

With their original opponents out, UFC bantamweights Rob Font and Cory Sandhagen will throw down in Nashville.

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] and [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] each needed new opponents, and they’ve found one in each other.

In addition to Sandhagen’s original opponent [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] withdrawing from the Aug. 5 main event in Nashville, Font’s original UFC 292 opponent, [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag], is out of their matchup Aug. 19 in Boston for undisclosed reasons.

With UFC on ESPN 50, the Aug. 5 card in Nashville, needing a new headliner, Font has stepped up and will fight Sandhagen weeks earlier than he initially expected to compete. The bout will be contested at a contracted weight of 140 pounds.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN first reported the news Thursday.

Font (20-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) looks to turn a solo win into a two-fight streak. At UFC 287, Font knocked out Adrian Yanez. The win snapped a two-fight skid that included decision losses to Marlon Vera and Jose Aldo.

Sandhagen (16-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) has won back-to-back fights following two consecutive failed title bids. Since championship losses to T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan, Sandhagen has defeated Yadong and Marlon Vera.

With the change, the UFC on ESPN 50 lineup includes:

  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Rob Font
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Tatiana Suarez
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Kyler Phillips
  • Ion Cutelaba vs. Ovince Saint Preux
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ludovit Klein
  • Damon Jackson vs. Billy Quarantillo
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
  • Asu Almabaev vs. Ode Osbourne
  • Cody Durden vs. Jake Hadley
  • Jesse Butler vs. Sean Woodson
  • Diego Lopes vs. Gavin Tucker
  • Tanner Boser vs. Aleksa Camur
  • Carlston Harris vs. Jeremiah Wells

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.

Umar Nurmagomedov out of UFC on ESPN 50 main event vs. Cory Sandhagen

The UFC’s return to Nashville is in need of a new main event after an injury to Umar Nurmagomedov.

The UFC’s return to Nashville is now missing half of its main event.

[autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] is out of his scheduled UFC on ESPN 50 main event vs. Cory Sandhagen. The five-round bantamweight bout was expected to headline the Aug. 5 event at Bridgestone Arena.

Sources with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the withdrawal but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. News was first reported Wednesday by “The Schmozone.”

Nurmagomedov suffered an injury to his shoulder that will require surgery, his manager told ESPN.

A younger cousin of former champion Khabib, Nurmagomedov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was supposed to compete in his first promotional main event after three finishes in four UFC appearances. He most recently competed in January when he knocked out Raoni Barcleos.

Sandhagen (16-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) has won back-to-back fights following two consecutive failed title bids. Since championship losses to T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan, Sandhagen has defeated Song Yadong and Marlon Vera.

With the change, the UFC on ESPN 50 lineup includes

  • Cory Sandhagen vs. TBA
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Tatiana Suarez
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Kyler Phillips
  • Ion Cutelaba vs. Ovince Saint Preux
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ludovit Klein
  • Damon Jackson vs. Billy Quarantillo
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
  • Asu Almabaev vs. Ode Osbourne
  • Cody Durden vs. Jake Hadley
  • Jesse Butler vs. Sean Woodson
  • Diego Lopes vs. Gavin Tucker
  • Tanner Boser vs. Aleksa Camur
  • Carlston Harris vs. Jeremiah Wells

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.