Tag: UFC Saskatoon

Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov verbally agree to headline UFC Saskatoon

A heavyweight headliner is in the works to headline the UFC’s return to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

A heavyweight headliner is in the works to headline the UFC’s return to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Heavyweight contenders [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] have verbally agreed to face off June 20 in a five-round main event fight. Thursday, MMA Junkie confirmed the agreement following an initial report from Russian outlet Sports.ru.

Blaydes (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) is riding a three-fight winning streak entering his first professional bout on Canadian soil. After losing to Francis Ngannou in November 2018, Blaydes stormed back to defeat Justin Willis, Shamil Aburakhimov and former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos.

Following his TKO win over Dos Santos in January, Blaydes voiced his hope for a title fight. However, Blaydes said he wouldn’t be willing to sit around and wait for other championship fights to happen before him. Blaydes said he wanted to stay active.

As for Volkov (31-7 MMA, 5-1), the Russian big man punched his ticket back into the win column in November. In his own backyard, Volkov picked apart former NFL star Greg Hardy en route to a unanimous decision victory.

The UFC’s return to SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon after a nearly five-year absence takes place June 20. It is expected to be either an ESPN or ESPN+ event.

With the addition, the latest UFC Saskatoon lineup includes:

  • Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Gillian Robertson vs. Taila Santos
  • Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Oskar Piechota

[vertical-gallery id=364600]

[vertical-gallery id=353454]

Gillian Robertson vs. Taila Santos, Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Oskar Piechota join UFC Saskatoon lineup

Two undercard matchups are the first additions to UFC Saskatoon.

Two undercard matchups are the first additions to UFC Saskatoon.

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag] will take on [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] in a flyweight bout, and [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag] will fight [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] at middleweight in the UFC’s first trip to Saskatoon since 2015.

MMA Junkie confirmed the matchups Wednesday after an initial report from Saskatoon StarPhoenix. The event will take place June 20 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and is expected to be either an ESPN or ESPN+ event.

Robertson (7-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) saw her two-fight winning streak snapped in a first-round TKO loss to Maycee Barber in October. The 24-year-old Niagra Falls native has finished all four of her UFC wins.

[lawrence-related id=496054]

Santos (15-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) earned a UFC contract on “Dana White’s Contender Series” in 2018, but fell short to Mara Romero Borella in her promotional debut last February for her first loss.

Quebec City’s Barriault (11-4 MMA, 0-3 UFC) has dropped his first three appearances with the UFC, losing to Andrew Sanchez, Krzysztof Jotko and Jun Yong Park all by decision.

Piechota (11-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) also will be looking to rebound, having been stopped in three straight bouts. His most recent loss came at the hands of Punahele Soriano at UFC 245.

The current UFC Saskatoon lineup includes:

  • Gillian Robertson vs. Taila Santos
  • Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Oskar Piechota

[vertical-gallery id=425980]

UFC targets Saskatoon, Saskatchewan as location for June event

The UFC is eying a June return to Saskatoon, Canada – its first visit since 2015.

If all goes according to plan, the UFC will return to The Great White North this summer.

The promotion is closing in on an event June 20 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. While the exact name of the event has not been designated, it’s expected to be either an ESPN or ESPN+ event.

Thursday, MMA Junkie confirmed the targeted location and date with a person with knowledge of the situation following an initial report by MMA Fighting.

At this time, no fights have been revealed for the card.

The event will mark the first time in almost five years the UFC has visited the city. In August 2015, the promotion held their first event in Saskatoon, UFC Fight Night 74. The event aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured a headling bout between Max Holloway and Charles Oliviera.

[lawrence-related id=494439,494430,494351]

To the dismay of the enthusiastic Saskatchewan crowd, the main event ended in less-than-ideal fashion. Just 99 seconds into the opening round, Oliviera suffered an unusual throat injury. The injury caused the bout to be waived off in favor of Holloway and the event to come to an unfortunate ending.

The UFC currently has a handful of Western Canada-based fighters who could appear on the card, including Cole Smith, Tristan Connelly, Sarah Moras, and Sheldon Westcott.

[vertical-gallery id=391998]