DUBLIN – It was announced today that former two-division champion Patricio “Pitbull” has made the decision to relinquish his BELLATOR Lightweight World Championship. As a result, BELLATOR MMA President Scott Coker confirmed that the hotly anticipated rematch between Waterford, Ireland’s Peter “The Showstopper” Queally (13-5-1) and Patricky “Pitbull” (23-10) will be elevated to the main event of BELLATOR 270 with the newly vacated 155-pound world title on the line.

BELLATOR MMA 270: Queally vs. Pitbull 2 takes place at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, on Friday November 5^th.  

In the United States, the main card action will air live on SHOWTIME at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. BELLATOR fans in Ireland can watch the eagerly anticipated event on both Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Sport, whilst UK fight fans can watch the event live on BBC iPlayer. 

The preliminary card will stream live beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV. 

BELLATOR’s return to the Irish capital will be co-headlined by an explosive bantamweight fight between two grappling wizards in No. 6 ranked James “The Strabanimal” Gallagher (11-1) and the No. 2 ranked Patchy Mix (14-1). 

Tickets for BELLATOR 270: Queally vs. Pitbull 2 are on sale now and can be purchased online from Ticketmaster.ie and Bellator.com.

Also announced today – heavyweight hostilities featuring Gokhan Saricam (5-1) and Rob Beech (5-2) has been added to the preliminary card. Please find an updated bout listing below:

BELLATOR MMA 270: Queally vs. Pitbull 2 MainCard:

SHOWTIME (US) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

Friday, October 1 – 9 p.m. GMT/5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

Lightweight World Title Main Event: #4-Peter Queally (13-5-1) vs. #1-Patricky “Pitbull” (23-10) 

Bantamweight Co-Main Event: #6-James Gallagher (11-1) vs. #2-Patrick Mix (14-1)

Middleweight Bout: #6-Charlie Ward (9-4) vs. #9-Nobert Novenyi Jr. (5-0)

Featherweight Bout: #6-Daniel Weichel (41-6) vs. #7-Pedro Carvalho (11-5)

Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US)

BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

6 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT

Featherweight Bout: Ciaran Clarke (3-0) vs. Jordan Barton (6-1-1)

Featherweight Bout:Ilias Bulaid (2-0) vs. Georges Sasu (5-2)

Welterweight Bout: Ashley Reece (8-2) vs. Luca Poclit (6-1) 

Lightweight Bout: Daniele Scatizzi (10-5) vs. Brian Hooi (16-8, 1 NC)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Lee Chadwick (26-15-1) vs. Arunas Andriuskevicus (15-4)

Heavyweight Bout: Gokhan Saricam(5-1) vs. Rob Beech (5-2)

Welterweight Bout:Nicolò Solli (3-1) vs. Bobby Pallett (5-0)

Strawweight Bout: Danni Neilan (4-0) vs. Audrey Kerouche (7-5, 2 NC)

Featherweight Bout: Junior Morgan (3-0) vs. Darragh Kelly (Pro Debut)

Welterweight Bout:Stephen Costello (Pro Debut) vs. Joe Nazokatov (Pro Debut)

**** 

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ

Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia

Fri. Nov. 5 // BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Fri. Nov. 12 // BELLATOR 271: Cyborg vs. Kavanagh // Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino // Hollywood, FL

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms. 

No. 2-Michael Page (20-1) defeated No. 1-Douglas Lima (32-10) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Michael Page following his split decision win: “I wanted to finish him. He’s a tough man. I understand why he’s been a champion three times. Even when I hit him with those big shots, he just kept coming and then he started to adjust and make it more difficult. I was confident. I knew he was going to go for a takedown. Every single striker that stands in front of me, I turn them into wrestlers. Every single one of them. Now I want that bling! I’ve come over and got my redemption. Now I want that bling.”

No. 5-Leah McCourt (6-1) defeated Jessica Borga (3-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Leah McCourt after her victory: “I was happy I was able to bring out my striking and my standup in the cage on the night. I’ve always known I could do it. It was nice to just believe in myself a bit more. Hopefully they put me in Dublin in four weeks. I’m not hurt. Just a bit of a sore lip. I could definitely fight in four weeks in Dublin.”

Robert Whiteford (16-4, 1 NC)vs. Andrew Fisher (18-8-1, 1 NC) ends in a no-contest due to an unintentional eye poke at 2:50 of round two

Luke Trainer (5-0) defeated Yannick Bahati (9-6, 1 NC) via TKO (strikes) at 2:50 of round two

Luke Trainer calls out Ben ‘Big Tuna’ Parrish: “This was a war. I have so much to learn. I got rocked. First time I ever got rocked. I come back like a savage. I told everyone I’d be a savage. I told everyone I wanted violence. I got violence. I said he’d bleed, he bled. Ben Parrish – I’m coming for you! Nothing but respect. You’re a savage but I’m coming for you, sir. Get me to the States!”

Tim Wilde (14-4) defeated Yves Landu (16-9) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Tim Wilde following his unanimous decision win: “I was a bit slow getting started, it’s been two years, but it just feels so good to be back and get this victory. I know I hit hard but with a guy like Yves it’s hard to land flush. I hope to get back in here as soon as possible and I would like to fight Charlie Leary or fight the number one fighter in Europe.”

PRELIMINARY CARD: 

Lewis Long (19-6) defeated Michael Dubois (11-8) via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at :41 of round one

Davy Gallon (19-7-2) defeated Kane Mousah (13-4) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Elina Kallionidou (8-4) defeated Petra Castkova (4-4) via submission (heel hook) at 2:07 of round one

Jack Grant (18-7) defeated Nathan Jones (13-11) via TKO (punches) at 2:16 of round one

Fabacary Diatta (8-0)defeated Nathan Rose (7-4) via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Chiara Penco (6-3) defeated Katharina Dalisda (5-3) via submission (armbar) at 2:45 of round one

Khurshed Kakhorov (8-0) defeated Jair Junior (7-3) via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a critical strawweight contenders’ bout as No. 4 ranked Mackenzie Dern and No. 6 Marina Rodriguez face off with potential title implications on the line. In the co-main event, exciting welterweights Randy Brown and Jared Gooden lock horns.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: DERN vs RODRIGUEZ will take place Saturday, October 9 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will stream on ESPN+, with the prelims beginning at a special start time of 10 a.m. PT/ 1 p.m. ET and the main card at 1 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. ET.

Submission specialist Dern (11-1, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) aims to show off her ever evolving skillset and deliver a statement-making performance to secure the first UFC title shot of her career. The owner of the most submissions in UFC strawweight history, Dern has impressed with finishes over Nina Nunes, Randa Markos and Hannah Cifers. She now intends to become the first person to stop Rodriguez and leave no doubt that she is ready for the top of the division.

Rodriguez (14-1-2, fighting out of Santa Catarina, Brazil) looks to add another big name to her resume and jump to the front of the line of contenders for the belt. A signee from Dana White’s Contender Series: Brazil¸ Rodriguez separated herself from the pack with marquee wins over Tecia Torres, Amanda Ribas and Michelle Waterson. She now seeks to keep her momentum going by finishing Dern and breaking into the top five. 

Welterweight finisher Brown (13-4, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) intends to make the most of his second co-main event spot by earning another signature finish. A well-rounded competitor with 11 of his 13 wins coming by stoppage, Brown has entertained fans with victories over Alex Oliveira, Warlley Alves and Bryan Barberena. He now hopes to notch his fourth win in his last five fights and make a case to break into the rankings.

Gooden (18-6, fighting out of Duluth, Ga.) plans to keep the momentum from his last win going by snagging the biggest victory of his MMA career. A powerful athlete with eight of his last nine wins coming by finish, Gooden made waves in July by landing a highlight reel KO on Niklas Stolze in just over one minute. He now aims to make it two in a row by defeating Brown.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Exciting flyweights No. 9 ranked Tim Elliott (18-11-1, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.) and No. 11 ranked Matheus Nicolau (14-3-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) clash in a bout sure to deliver action
• Top women’s flyweight prospects battle as Sabina Mazo (9-2, fighting out of Redondo Beach, Calif. by way of Medellin, Colombia) meets Mariya Agapova (9-2, fighting out of Pavlodar, Kazakhstan)
• Phil Hawes (11-2, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) looks to remain undefeated in 2021 when he takes on Deron Winn (7-2, fighting out of Gilroy, Calif.) at middleweight
• BantamweightsChris Gutierrez (16-3-2, fighting out of Littleton, Colo.) and Felipe Colares (10-2, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) look to steal the show in the prelim feature bout
• Jamie Pickett (11-6, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.) aims to earn his first UFC win when he takes on Laureano Staropoli (9-4, fighting out of La Plata, Argentina) in a middleweight bout
• Alexandr Romanov (14-0, fighting out of Gagauzia, Moldova) plans to land another signature submission against Jared Vanderaa (12-5, fighting out of Hemet, Calif.) at heavyweight
• Featherweights Charles Rosa (14-5, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) and Damon Jackson (18-4-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) meet in a bout with post-fight bonus potential
• Loopy Godinez (5-1, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico) and Sam Hughes (5-3, fighting out of Everett, Wash.) both seek to secure their first UFC win at strawweight
• Lightweights Steve Garcia (11-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) and Charles Ontiveros (11-7, fighting out of Dayton, Texas) intend to kick off the show with a bang

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 166 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

LONDON – BELLATOR MMA 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 will be telecast LIVE tomorrow, Friday, October 1 on SHOWTIME in the U.S. and on the BBC iPlayer in the U.K. at 9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET, while preliminary bouts will stream on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, and on Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. BST/1 p.m. ET.

BELLATOR  MMA 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 MainCard:

SHOWTIME (US) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

Friday, October 1 – 9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Welterweight Main Event: #1-Douglas Lima (169.4) vs. #2-Michael Page (170.0)

Featherweight Bout: #5-Leah McCourt (145.8) vs. Jessica Borga (145.8)

Featherweight Bout: Robert Whiteford (144.8)vs. Andrew Fisher (145.8)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Luke Trainer (205.2) vs. Yannick Bahati (206.0)

Lightweight Bout: Yves Landu (154.4) vs. Tim Wilde (155.6)

Preliminary Card: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US)

BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

6 p.m. BST/1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

Welterweight Bout: Lewis Long (169.8) vs. Michael Dubois (170.2)

Lightweight Bout: Davy Gallon (155.1) vs. Kane Mousah (155.2)

Flyweight Bout: Elina Kallionidou (124.4) vs. Petra Castkova (125.6)

Welterweight Bout: Jack Grant (169.4) vs. Nathan Jones (170.6)

Featherweight Bout: Fabacary Diatta (145.2)vs. Nathan Rose (145.0)

Strawweight Bout: Chiara Penco (114.8) vs. Katharina Dalisda (115.4)

Bantamweight Bout: Khurshed Kakhorov (134.8) vs. Jair Junior (136.0)

*Lightweight bout between Charlie Leary and Benjamin Brander has been cancelled due to COVID protocols

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

“Don’t disrespect me,” was Claressa Shields response when asked if she would ever fight on a Jake Paul undercard. Citing her accomplishments in the world of boxing, her two Olympic Gold Medals, undisputed championships in several weight classes, why should she? Claressa Shields knows her worth, and has her eyes set on the $1,000,000 purse in a future PFL World Title Fight.

Shields, who won her pro debut for the organization on June 10th, believes that with three years practice she can become the PFL Champion as well.

 Her second fight can be seen on ESPN2 on Wednesday, October 27th. The card will also feature the current women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison who will defending her belt against Taylor Guardado, as well as five other title matchups, each carrying a $1,000,000 purse for the winner.

The event will be held at Seminole Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Hollywood, FL.

LONDON – SEPT. 29, 2021 – Kicking off a mammoth month of outstanding BELLATOR MMA action, former three-time BELLATOR Welterweight Champion and current No. 1-ranked contender Douglas “The Phenom” Lima (32-9)will square off in a much-anticipated rematch against No. 2-ranked Michael “Venom” Page (19-1)in the main event of BELLATOR MMA 267: Lima vs MVP 2, Friday, Oct. 1, at 4 p.m. ET live on SHOWTIME from The SSE Arena, Wembley in London.

During their initial encounter as the co-feature of BELLATOR MMA 221 nearly two-and-half years ago on May 11, 2019, in Rosemont, Ill., Lima advanced to the final of the BELLATOR Welterweight World Grand Prix by scoring a devasting knockout over MVP at 35 seconds of the second round.

SHOWTIME will televise the phenomenal five-bout BELLATOR MMA 267: Lima vs MVP 2 main card live at 4 p.m. ET. Additionally, all eight preliminary fights will stream live three hours earlier at 1 p.m. ET on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.

In the fantastic featherweight co-feature, Irish phenom and No. 5 contender Leah McCourt (5-1) hopes to run her unbeaten streak to six and continue her ascension to the top of the BELLATOR rankings when she takes on hard-hitting Jessica “The Black Widow” Borga (3-3) of Lakeland, Fla.

Here is what the fighters had to say on Wednesday, Sept. 29:

DOUGLAS LIMA: No. 1-ranked BELLATOR Welterweight Contender

Click HERE for Douglas’s full media day session

“I am expecting the same [as the first fight]. He (MVP) is very crafty, and he moves a lot. I expect him to stay on the outside more and not allow me to close the distance. But, at the end of the day, I see the same fighter as last time and I expect the same result.”

“I do not agree he (MVP) was winning the [first] fight. The only thing he did was that one punch.  I landed on him and was on top of him for the first round. I guess it is good for his mental [health] to convince himself he was winning, but I know how it was going, and I was winning. The same will happen Friday night.”

“This will not be the first time I fight someone on their home turf. To me, the cage is the same, and I am just focused on my opponent. Whether I get boos or cheers, the crowd never gets to me, but I am excited to fight in front of them. I have the cardio to go five rounds. This is a three rounder for the first time in a long time, which means I can push the pace more in this fight. I will be ready to go Friday night.”

MICHAEL “VENOM” PAGE: No. 2-ranked BELLATOR Welterweight Contender

Click HERE for Michael’s full media day session

“I have evolved, he (Lima) is stuck in his ways. Since we last fought, he has not done anything in his fights that shows me he is different or got better. On the other hand, I have evolved and changed my diet and training to become a completely new, faster, and better fighter.”

“I love striking and prefer that, but if I am not capable anywhere else, it takes away from my striking. If I get taken down and can’t get back up, then what does my striking do? I need to be well-rounded in order to be complete. I actually enjoy Jiu-Jitsu, though. It allows my creative personality to flourish.”

“My personality has always been quite petty. If someone gets me with a takedown, I must get you back. If it’s a submission, I have to get you back. And, in this case a loss, then I have to get you back. I am looking forward to getting this loss back and showing how much I have improved since our last fight.”

LEAH MCCOURT: No. 5-ranked BELLATOR Women’s Featherweight Contender

Click HERE for Leah’s full media day session

“Jessica (Borga) is a tough opponent. In female MMA, the record does not always dictate how good an opponent really is. She has a lot of excellent finishes and a very similar style to me. She is going to bring the best out of me. Even though it may be a tough fight, I know I will come out on top.”

“I am always just focused on the next fight. It is inevitable that I will get the title shot, so I am making sure I am the best I can possibly be when I get that opportunity. So, until then, I am focused on being the best me every time I fight.”

“Being in London makes my fight week so much better and so much more relaxed. I was supposed to fight in London in May, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic, so this is a dream. The crowd will be crazy due to the awesome main event, and I can’t wait to put on a show for them.”

JESSICA BORGA: BELLATOR Women’s Featherweight Contender

Click HERE for Jessica’s full media day session

“I have nothing to lose. Every time I fight, I try my hardest and put everything on the line. She (Leah McCourt) has posted some stuff on social media that was disrespectful, and I look forward to making her pay for that. I always respect my opponent, but I plan on defeating her Friday night.”

“Being the underdog doesn’t faze me at all. I have been the underdog my whole career and have overcome it every time. I am used to fighting people expecting to beat me. I have actually started feeding off that. I am going to come out ready and push the pace. I plan to be fast, accurate and smart.”

Click here for Luke Trainer’s full media day session

Click here for Robert Whiteford’s full media day session

Click here for Charlie Leary’s full media day session

BELLATOR MMA 267: LIMA VS. MVP 2 MAIN CARD:

SHOWTIME (U.S.) / BBC iPlayer (U.K.) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

Friday, Oct. 1, 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Welterweight Main Event: No. 1 Douglas Lima (32-9) vs. No. 2 Michael Page (19-1)

Featherweight Bout: No. 5-ranked Contender Leah McCourt (5-1) vs. Jessica Borga (3-3)

Featherweight Bout: Robert Whiteford (16-4)vs. Andrew Fisher (18-8-1)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Luke Trainer (4-0) vs. Yannick Bahati (9-5, 1 NC)

Lightweight Bout: Yves Landu (16-8) vs. Tim Wilde (13-4)

BELLATOR MMA 267: LIMA VS. MVP 2 PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US)

BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

Friday, Oct. 1, 1:00 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

Welterweight Bout: Lewis Long (18-6) vs. Michael Dubois (11-7)

Lightweight Bout: Kane Mousah (13-3) vs. Davy Gallon (18-7-2) 

Flyweight Bout: Elina Kallionidou (7-4) vs. Petra Castkova (4-3)

Lightweight Bout: Charlie Leary (17-11-1) vs. Benjamin Brander (13-8)

Welterweight Bout: Jack Grant (17-7) vs. Nathan Jones (13-10)

Featherweight Bout: Fabacary Diatta (7-0)vs. Nathan Rose (7-3)

Strawweight Bout: Chiara Penco (5-3) vs. Katharina Dalisda (5-2)

Bantamweight Bout: Khurshed Kakhorov (7-0) vs. Jair Junior (7-2)

** Card subject to change **

For more information on upcoming BELLATOR MMA events, visit BELLATOR.com. 

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND^®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME^®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME^®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple^®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku^®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation^®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a thrilling light heavyweight contenders’ bout that will see No. 5 ranked Thiago Santos battle No. 10 Johnny Walker. Also, No. 3 ranked women’s bantamweight contender Aspen Ladd squares off with No. 11 Macy Chiasson.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: SANTOS vs. WALKER will take place Saturday, October 2 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will stream on ESPN+, with the prelims beginning at 1 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. ET and the main card at 4 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. ET.

Former light heavyweight title challenger Santos (21-9, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has his sights set on turning heads with another vintage finish. Among the 205-pound division’s most devastating strikers, he holds KO wins over Anthony Smith, Jimi Manuwa and current light heavyweight champion Jan B?achowicz. Santos now hopes to fortify his position among the best in the world by adding to his highlight reel.

Dynamic striker Walker (18-5, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland by way of Rio das Ostras, Brazil) continues to prove he’s among the most exciting fighters at light heavyweight. A contract winner on Dana White’s Contender Series: Brazil, he has since delivered spectacular KO victories against Ryan Spann, Misha Cirkunov and Khalil Rountree Jr., and now he goes for the biggest win of his career and aims to add a former title challenger to his resume.

Aggressive finisher Ladd (9-1, El Dorado Hills, Calif.) hopes to pick up where she left off following a 2019 TKO victory over fellow contender Yana Kunitskaya. During her UFC run she has also netted impressive stoppage wins against Tonya Evinger and Lina Länsberg. Ladd now aims to remind the 135-pound division that she’s more dangerous than ever.

The Ultimate Fighter season 28 winner Chiasson (8-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas by way of New Orleans, La.) looks to make the most of her first UFC co-main event opportunity. Since joining the UFC roster in 2018, she has earned notable victories against Marion Reneau, Shanna Young and Sarah Moras. Chiasson is now gunning for the biggest win of her career to crack the bantamweight top five.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 14 ranked middleweight contender Kevin Holland (21-7, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) goes for another highlight-reel finish when he takes on Kyle Daukaus (10-2, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.)
• Alex Oliveira (22-10-1 2NC, fighting out of Tres Rios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meets Niko Price (14-6 2NC, fighting out of Cape Coral, Fla.) in a welterweight bout guaranteed to deliver action
• No. 13 ranked light heavyweight contender Misha Cirkunov (15-6, fighting out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada) makes his middleweight debut against Krzysztof Jotko (22-5, fighting out of Orneta, Poland)
• Joe Solecki (11-2, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.) takes on Jared Gordon (17-4, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) at lightweight
• Antonina Shevchenko (9-3, fighting out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) aims to hand Casey O’Neill (7-0, fighting out of Gold Coast, Australia) her first loss in a women’s flyweight bout
• Former women’s bantamweight title challenger Bethe Correia (11-5-1, fighting out of Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil) clashes with Karol Rosa (14-3, fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Devonte Smith (11-2, fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio by way of Englewood, Colo.) squares off with Jamie Mullarkey (13-4, fighting out of Central Coast, Australia) at lightweight
• Douglas Silva de Andrade (26-4 1NC, fighting out of Castanhal, Para, Brazil) returns to bantamweight against Gaetano Pirrello (15-6-1, fighting out of La Louvière, Belgium)
• Stephanie Egger (5-2, fighting out of St. Gallen, Switzerland) faces Shanna Young (8-4, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) in a women’s bantamweight bout
• Alejandro Perez (22-8-1, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) locks horns with Johnny Eduardo (28-12, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in an exciting bantamweight bout

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 166 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

#3-Phil Davis (23-6) defeated Yoel Romero (13-6) via unanimous decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-26)

Phil Davis had this to say following his win over Yoel Romero: “Six years ago, I was making my Bellator debut right here in San Jose, and I absolutely forgot –  it’s one of my biggest mistakes ever – I forgot to encourage one of my best friends, training partners, roommates at Penn State. He was in the hospital with cancer and I forgot to encourage him. He ended up losing his battle with cancer. Now, I want to rectify that moment by just saying that my mom and dad, who are tremendous and are everything that I wish a mom and dad could be, are just wonderful. Last September,  two weeks before my fight with Lyoto Machida, my mom calls me and tells me she has malignant breast cancer, so she had to go and get that taken care of. Exactly three days later my father told me he had aggressive prostate cancer. Then two weeks later I had to go and fight The Dragon. I really had to dig deep in a number of ways and I just want to say to my Mom and Dad – by God’s grace they’re still here, my mother’s in the crowd, my father’s at home staring at the tv crying – I love you guys and I cannot do this without you. You guys are amazing.”

#4-Neiman Gracie (11-2) defeated Mark Lemminger (12-4) via TKO (punches) at 1:27 of round one

Neiman Gracie made it clear who he wants next: “I don’t need to take people down to win fights anymore. I can do it all, but if I take you down, oh boy. I saw he was putting his head down so I come up with the uppercut. If you keep the fight standing, it’s the hospital. If you go to the ground, it’s the cemetery. There’s a couple guys I want to fight. I want to fight MVP. I’ve been calling this guy out forever and the fight never happens. They always have another excuse. I want my rematch with Jason Jackson… and I want Mr. Yaroslav Amosov,, I have the worst game for him and I believe I’ll be the one to give him his first loss.”

DeAnna Bennett (11-7-1) defeated #5-Alejandra Lara (9-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

DeAnna Bennett after her unanimous decision win: “I can’t describe to you how I’m feeling right now. This place means everything to me. I’m born and raised in the bay area… I’m so glad to be her fighting in this cage for Bellator with all of these fans here. My dad, he’s with me here…He always knew I was gonna fight here and get my hand raised in this building. I wanted that first round finish so bad, but Alejandra, she’s so tough, so tough. You can’t have a good fight with just one person. Both fighters have to be great fighters to put on a good show so half this victory belongs to her for coming into the cage and being a good opponent and being willing to put everything out there just like I did. I felt better in the standup than I did on the ground… honestly a lot of that has been working with my coach here Brian Wright (sp?) Here at Killer Bee. I owe this resurgence in my career to him because he’s really helped me become the fighter, become well-rounded. I’ve had a lot of coaches in the past who’ve been like, “if you don’t get a takedown, you’re not gonna win a fight” well, boom, looks like I just won a fight.“

Saul Rogers (15-4) defeated Georgi Karakhanyan (31-12-1, 1 NC) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

Following the win, Saul Rogers had this to say: “It felt amazing. I’ve been killing myself too long trying to cut down to 145 and now that I’ve moved up, I feel stronger, I feel more dominant. I’m always good at guillotines but tonight, none of those guillotines were even close – I wasn’t in danger. But the knee, he hit me with one clean and then the second got through not as clean and I just tried staying protected. But you as you seen in the fight, I had a big smile on my face. I love that sh*t, you know what I mean? I feel miles better. In other fights, after maybe around two and a half minutes, my hands gassing and I had nothing to carry on then. I controlled him for three rounds and I still feel good to go. Any of these fighters that are on the cusp and are still killing themselves, take it from me, move up, be healthier, be happier, have a longer career. It’s much better.”

Ben Parrish (5-1) defeated#8-Christian Edwards (5-1) via KO (punches) at 0:38 of round one

Ben Parrish after his shocking knockout of Christian Edwards: “It feels good to shut a lot of people up, man that’s all I will say. I told my boss, Casey, back home, I’ll knock him out with a left hook. What’d I say? Don’t get it twisted, everybody’ll find an excuse to throw salt on me – hey, that’s not luck, that’s preparation, baby. If I can’t do it with six months of training, beat him, nobody was gonna beat him.”

Preliminary Card: 

Alex Polizzi (9-1) defeated #7-Grant Neal (6-1) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Anthony Adams (9-2) defeated Khalid Murtazaliev (15-3) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Bobby Seronio III (1-0) defeated Socrates Hernandez (0-1) via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-26, 29-26)

Abraham Vaesau (6-3, 1 NC) defeated Albert Gonzales (2-3) via KO (punches) at 2:17 of round one

Shane Keefe (2-0) defeated Rhalan Gracie (0-3) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Edwin De Los Santos (1-0) defeated Jon Adams (0-2-1) via TKO (strikes) at 3:29 of round one

Jesse Delgado (1-0) defeated Joshua Dillon (1-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

LOS ANGELES – A previously announced BELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Championship bout between Vadim Nemkov (14-2) and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson has been cancelled following the news that “Rumble” has been forced to withdraw from the bout due to an undisclosed illness.

As a result, official BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix alternate Julius Anglickas (10-1) has been called upon to fill-in for Johnson in the semifinal bout and will now challenge defending champion Nemkov on Saturday, Oct. 16 in the main event of BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.

After earning the distinction of alternate in BELLATOR MMA’s Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix following a victory over Gregory Milliard at BELLATOR 257, the 30-year-old Lithuanian will now have the golden opportunity to showcase his skills on MMA’s biggest stage, win BELLATOR gold and move to the grand prix finals. Anglickas’ original opponent No. 10 ranked light heavyweight Karl Albrektsson (12-3) will now meet Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (18-6-1) during the preliminary card. Also, a bantamweight tilt between undefeated Jaylon Bates (3-0) and Raphael Montini de Lima (6-4, 1 NC) is official, along with a welterweight bout pitting Mukhamed Berkhamov (14-0) versus Jaleel Willis (15-2).

BELLATOR MMA: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals will be telecast live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The preliminary portion of the docket will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The card features a second grand prix semifinal between current BELLATOR Heavyweight World Champion Ryan Bader (28-6) and No. 2 ranked 205-pounder Corey Anderson (15-5)

Undefeated since joining forces with the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2019, the Anglickas has emerged as the No. 5 ranked fighter in the promotion’s stacked 205-pound weight class. Holding a professional record of 10-1 and currently sporting a nine-fight winning streak that began in 2016, the 30-year-old powerhouse is now in the running for the million-dollar grand prix prize. Team Fedor’s Vadim Nemkov most recently went five hard rounds with former champion Phil Davis, earning a unanimous decision victory en route to punching his ticket to the semifinals. Nemkov has been perfect in BELLATOR to this point, winning all six of his contests including three knockouts and a submission.

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events

Fri. Oct. 1 // BELLATOR 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 //The SSE Arena, Wembley // London, England

Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Nemkov vs. Anglickas // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ

Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia

Fri. Nov. 5 // BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals Main Card:

SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT 

Light Heavyweight World Title Main Event: C-Vadim Nemkov (14-2) vs. #5-Julius Anglickas (10-1)

Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinal Bout: #1-Ryan Bader (28-6, 1 NC) vs. #2-Corey Anderson (15-5)

Lightweight Bout: #3-Benson Henderson (28-10) vs. Brent Primus (10-2)

Featherweight Bout: Henry Corrales (18-6) vs. Vladyslav Parubchenko (16-2)

Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Light Heavyweight Bout: #10-Karl Albrektsson (12-3) vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (18-6-1)

Bantamweight Bout: Erik Perez (20-8) vs. Brett Johns (17-3)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Sullivan Cauley (1-0) vs. Deon Clash (1-0)

Lightweight Bout: Nick Browne (11-1) vs. Bobby Lee (12-6)

Middleweight Bout: Javier Torres (11-5, 1 NC) vs. Gregory Milliard (12-6)

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Sumiko Inaba (2-0) vs. Randi Field (2-0)

Lightweight Bout: Lance Gibson Jr. (4-0) vs. Raymond Pina (9-4)

Bantamweight Bout: Jaylon Bates (3-0) vs. Raphael Montini de Lima (6-4, 1 NC)

Welterweight Bout: Mukhamed Berkhamov (14-0) vs. Jaleel Willis (15-2)

Amateur Strawweight Bout: Maria Henderson (1-0) vs. Collette Santiago (0-1)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

SAN JOSE, Calif. – BELLATOR MMA 266: Davis vs. Romero will be broadcast LIVE tomorrow, Saturday, September 18 on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts will stream on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, and on Pluto TV beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

BELLATOR MMA 266: Davis vs. Romero Main Card:

Saturday, September 18 – live on SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT

Light Heavyweight Main Event: #3-Phil Davis (206) vs. Yoel Romero (205.4)

Welterweight Bout: #4-Neiman Gracie (170.6) vs. Mark Lemminger (169.9)

Flyweight Bout: #5-Alejandra Lara (125.2) vs. DeAnna Bennett (129.2)*

Lightweight Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (155.6) vs. Saul Rogers (155.7)

Light Heavyweight Bout: #8-Christian Edwards (204.3) vs. Ben Parrish (205.6)

Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube Channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube Channel | Pluto TV

7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT

Light Heavyweight Bout: #7-Grant Neal (204.1) vs. Alex Polizzi (204.9)

Middleweight Bout: Khalid Murtazaliev (185.3) vs. Anthony Adams (185.3)

175-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Abraham Vaesau (175) vs. Albert Gonzales (175)

Bantamweight Bout: Bobby Seronio III (135.4) vs. Socrates Hernandez (135.9)

Welterweight Bout: Rhalan Gracie (171) vs. Shane Keefe (169.1)

Flyweight Bout: Edwin De Los Santos (125.3) vs. Jon Adams (125.4)

130-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Jesse Delgado (129.5) vs. Joshua Dillon (130)

*Missed weight

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

The ESPN+ exclusive presentation of Dana White’s Contender Series presented by ZipRecruiter continues with episode four next Tuesday, September 21, at 8 p.m. ET from UFC APEX in Las Vegas.   

A new group of contenders will meet each week, all looking to make their way into the UFC. Episode three of DWCS saw five athletes earn highly-coveted UFC contracts, including Jailton Almeida, who finished off Nasrudin Nasrudinov with a rear-naked choke in the second round.

DWCS introduces some of UFC’s top prospects from around the world in a ten-episode season, with new episodes available every Tuesday evening exclusively on ESPN+, the leading direct-to-consumer sports streaming service. Showcasing approximately five bouts in each episode, prospects will compete for the chance to earn a contract with UFC.

Following Tuesday night’s fights, 132 athletes throughout the series have now earned UFC contracts, including “Suga” Sean O’Malley, Ryan Spann, Maycee “The Future” Barber, Johnny Walker and Marina Rodriguez, who will be the first non-champion woman in UFC history to headline multiple events in a calendar year.

 Dana White’s Contender Series on ESPN+, Episode Four Bouts:

• Middleweight – Hashem Arkhagha vs. AJ Dobson
• Lightweight – Michael Morales vs. Nikolay Veretennikov
• Featherweight – Steven Nguyen vs. Theo Rlayang
• Flyweight – Kleydson Rodrigues vs. Santo Curatolo
• Lightweight – Jacob Rosales vs. Victor Martinez

###

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About UFC^®
UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 142 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly one billion TV households across more than 171 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 72 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.?For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA’s first-ever card in Russia continues to grow with today’s announcement of several new fights including the return of middleweight standout Anatoly Tokov (29-2), who returns for the first time since 2019 to take on Sharaf Davlatmurodov (18-3-1) during the main card of BELLATOR MMA 269: Fedor vs. Johnson. The new booking brings the main card to five must-see bouts for the card which emanates from Moscow’s VTB Arena on Saturday, Oct. 23.

Tickets for the highly anticipated event are on sale now and can be purchased at Kassir.ru. Additional matchups and SHOWTIME telecast details will be revealed soon.

During the preliminary portion of the event, Anatoly’s younger brother Vladimir Tokov (7-1) will compete at lightweight against France’s Aymard “Barakuda” Guih (15-11-1). Three additional prelims are also official, Aiden Lee (9-5) meets Alexander Osetrov (8-2-1) at featherweight, Gadzi Rabadanov (16-4-1) faces Alexander Belikh (9-4) at 145-pounds, and Darina Mazdyuk (4-1) makes her promotional debut against Poland’s Katarzyna Sadura (4-4) at flyweight.

Updated BELLATOR MMA 269: Emelianenko vs. Johnson Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (39-6, 1 NC) vs. #2-Tim Johnson (15-7)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Vitaly Minakov (22-1) vs. #8-Said Sowma (7-2)

160-Pound Contract Weight Bout: #6-Usman Nurmagomedov (13-0) vs. Patrik Pietila (11-8)

Middleweight Bout: Anatoly Tokov (29-2) vs. Sharaf Davlatmurodov (18-3-1)

Welterweight Bout: #8-Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) vs. Rustam Khabilov (24-4)

PreliminaryCard:

Featherweight Bout: Gadzi Rabadanov (16-4-1) vs. Alexander Belikh (9-4)

Featherweight Bout: Aiden Lee (9-5) vs. Alexander Osetrov (8-2-1)

Welterweight Bout: Alexey Shurkevich (12-4) vs. Christian Eckerlin (13-5)

Welterweight Bout: #9-Grachik Bozinyan (11-4) vs. Ross Houston (8-1, 1 NC)

Bantamweight Bout: Brian Moore (14-7) vs. Nikita Mikhailov (7-1)

Flyweight Bout: Irina Alekseeva (3-1) vs. Stephanie Ielo Page (5-2)

Flyweight Bout: Darina Mazdyuk (4-1) vs. Katarzyna Sadura (4-4)

Lightweight Bout: Vladimir Tokov (7-1) vs. Aymard Guih (15-11-1)

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat. Sept. 18 // BELLATOR 266: Davis vs. Romero //SAP Center // San Jose, CA

Fri. Oct. 1 // BELLATOR 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 //The SSE Arena, Wembley // London, England

Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ

Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia

Fri. Nov. 5 // BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

****

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND^®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME^®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME^®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple^®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku^®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation^®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to the world famous Madison Square Garden with a compelling pair of world championship rematches. Headlining the event will be UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usmanas he looks to defend his title once again against heated rival and No. 1 ranked contender Colby Covington. The co-main event will see UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Najamunas aim to make it two in a row against former champion and No. 1 ranked contender Zhang Weili.

UFC^® 268: USMAN vs. COVINGTON 2 will take place Saturday, Nov. 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, N.Y. All bouts will be simulcast on ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT with the ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass prelims. The prelims will continue exclusively on ESPNews, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT followed by the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card that will kick off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

UFC^® 268: USMAN vs. COVINGTON 2 tickets will go on sale Friday, September 17 at 10 a.m. ET and are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, September 15 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, September 16 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Usman (19-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas by way of Auchi, Nigeria) intends to maintain his dominant reign over the welterweight division and make the case that he is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Undefeated in the UFC, he is currently on the longest active win streak at 170 pounds with 14 victories in a row, including Jorge Masvidal (twice), Tyron Woodley and Rafael Dos Anjos. Usman now has his sights set on vanquishing Covington once and for all and continuing his quest to become the greatest welterweight of all time.

Former interim UFC welterweight champion Covington (15-2, fighting out of Miami, Fla.) seeks to finally clinch the undisputed title with a statement performance. One of the most prolific wrestlers in welterweight history, he has secured victories over former UFC champions Tyron Woodley, Robbie Lawler and Rafael Dos Anjos. Covington now looks to prove that he has what it takes to upset Usman and begin his championship legacy.

Fan favorite Namajunas (11-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) competes for the second time in a year for the first time since 2017 and aims to leave no doubt with another triumph over Zhang. Namajunas, the No. 3 ranked women’s pound-for-pound fighter, holds the strawweight record for most wins by stoppage, including victories over Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Michelle Waterson and Paige VanZant. She now plans to make her second run as champion a historic one and establish herself as the greatest strawweight of all time.

Zhang (21-2, fighting out of Beijing, China) intends to make the most of her title rematch opportunity and show that she is the best strawweight in the world. The first Chinese champion in UFC history, Zhang rose to prominence with notable victories Jessica Andrade and Jessica Aguilar, as well as her 2020 Fight of the Year against former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. She now hopes to deliver an awe-inspiring performance and begin building another impressive win streak.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Lightweight knockout artists clash as No. 2 ranked contender Justin Gaethje (23-3, fighting out of Arvada, Colo.) locks horns with No. 4 ranked Michael Chandler (22-6, fighting out of Nashville, Tenn.)
• No. 8 ranked middleweight contender Sean Strickland (24-3-1, fighting out of Corona, Calif.) looks to spoil the return of former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold (16-5, fighting out of Santa Cruz, Calif.)
• Former UFC lightweight champion and No. 8 ranked bantamweight contender Frankie Edgar (23-9-1, fighting out of Toms River, N.J.) intends to put on a show when he faces No. 13 ranked Marlon Vera (17-7-1, fighting out of Chone, Manabi, Ecuador)
• In a thrilling featherweight bout, No. 14 ranked contender Shane Burgos (13-3, fighting out of Monroe, N.Y.) seeks to defend his spot in the rankings against rising prospects Billy Quarantillo (16-3, fighting out of Tampa, Fla.)
• Exciting middleweight prospects clash as No. 11 ranked contender Edmen Shahbazyan (11-2, fighting out of Glendale, Calif.) meets Nassourdine Imavov (10-3, fighting out of Paris, France)
• Aleksa Camur (6-2, fighting out of Broadview, Heights, Ohio) matches up with John Allan (13-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Curitiba, State of Parana, Brazil) in a light heavyweight contest of Dana White Contender Series alums
• Fan favorite Al Iaquinta (14-6-1, fighting out of Wantagh, N.Y.) returns to action against exciting striker Bobby Green (27-12-1, fighting out of Fontana, Calif.)
• Kickboxing standout Alex Pereira (3-1, fighting out of São Paulo, Brazil) makes his highlight anticipated UFC debut against Andreas Michailidis (13-4, fighting out of Acharnes, Greece)
• Dana White’s Contender Series signees battle as Melsik Baghdasaryan (6-1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) takes on TJ Laramie (12-4, fighting out of Windsor, Ontario, Canada)
• Top welterweight prospect Ian Garry (7-0, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland) plans for a spectacular UFC debut against Jordan Williams (9-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Englewood, Colo.)

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

LOS ANGELES – A pair of elite mixed martial artists meet in the main event of BELLATOR MMA 266 next Saturday, Sept. 18 inside the SAP Center at San Jose when former 205-pound champion and No. 3 ranked Phil Davis (22-6) welcomes MMA superstar Yoel Romero (13-5) to the BELLATOR promotion. The main card of BELLATOR MMA 266: Davis vs. Romero airs live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT.

In addition, the evening features a welterweight co-main event pitting No. 4 ranked Neiman Gracie (10-2) against Mark Lemminger (12-3) and a women’s flyweight contest between former title challenger #5-Alejandra Lara (9-4) and DeAnna Bennett (10-7-1).

Two additional main card fights have been added with a lightweight fight featuring Georgi Karakhanyan (31-11-1, 1 NC) versus Saul Rogers (14-4) and a light heavyweight tilt between No. 10 ranked Christian Edwards (4-0) against Ben Parrish (4-1) kicking off the action.

Nine action-packed preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT. Complete bout listing available below.

Tickets for the event are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat. Sept. 18 // BELLATOR 266: Davis vs. Romero //SAP Center // San Jose, CA

Fri. Oct. 1 // BELLATOR 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 //The SSE Arena, Wembley // London, England

Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ

Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia

Fri. Nov. 5 // BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

****

BELLATOR MMA 266: Davis vs. Romero Main Card:

Saturday, September 18 – live on SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT

Light Heavyweight Main Event: #3-Phil Davis (22-6) vs. Yoel Romero (13-5)

Welterweight Bout: #4-Neiman Gracie (10-2) vs. Mark Lemminger (12-3)

Flyweight Bout: #5-Alejandra Lara (9-4) vs. DeAnna Bennett (10-7-1)

Lightweight Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (31-11-1, 1 NC) vs. Saul Rogers (14-4)

Light Heavyweight Bout: #10-Christian Edwards (4-0) vs. Ben Parrish (4-1)

Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube Channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube Channel | Pluto TV

7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT

Light Heavyweight Bout: #7-Grant Neal (6-0) vs. Alex Polizzi (8-1)

Middleweight Bout: Khalid Murtazaliev (15-2) vs. Anthony Adams (8-2)

175-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Abraham Vaesau (5-3, 1 NC) vs. Albert Gonzales (2-2)

Bantamweight Bout: Socrates Hernandez (Pro Debut) vs. Pedro Juarez (Pro Debut)

Bantamweight Bout: Bobby Seronio III (Pro Debut) vs. Erin Hunter (Pro Debut)

Welterweight Bout: Rhalan Gracie (0-2) vs. Shane Keefe (1-0)

160-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Eddie Abasolo (Pro Debut) vs. Art Hernandez (4-5, 1 NC)

Flyweight Bout: Edwin De Los Santos (Pro Debut) vs. Jon Adams (0-1-1)

130-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Jesse Delgado (Pro Debut) vs. Joshua Dillon (1-1)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

The ESPN+ exclusive presentation of Dana White’s Contender Series presented by ZipRecruiter continues with episode three next Tuesday, September 14, at 8 p.m. ET from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. 

A new group of contenders will meet next week, all looking to make their way into the UFC. Episode two of DWCS saw five athletes earn highly-coveted UFC contracts.

DWCS introduces some of UFC’s top prospects from around the world in a ten-episode season, with new episodes available every Tuesday evening exclusively on ESPN+, the leading direct-to-consumer sports streaming service. Showcasing approximately five bouts in each episode, prospects will compete for the chance to earn a contract with UFC.

Following Tuesday night’s fights, 127 athletes throughout the series have now earned UFC contracts, including “Suga” Sean O’Malley, Ryan Spann, Maycee “The Future” Barber, Johnny Walker and Marina Rodriguez, who will be the first non-champion woman in UFC history to headline multiple events in a calendar year.

Dana White’s Contender Series on ESPN+, Episode Three Bouts:

• Light Heavyweight – Jailton “Malhadinho” Almeida vs. Nasrudin Nasrudinov

• Bantamweight – Brandon “Superman” Lewis vs. Mo “Mo Show” Miller

• Middleweight – Albert “Machete” Duraev vs. Caio “Leão” Bittencourt

• Heavyweight – Lukasz Brzeski vs. Dylan “Big Poppa” Potter

• Welterweight – Ange Loosa vs. Jack Della Maddalena

• Women’s Flyweight – Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Julia Polastri

UFC Rise of the Contenders, a 30-minute series recap of seasons one through four of Dana White’s Contender Series, airs on ESPN2 this Saturday, September 11, at 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. showcasing some of the best and brightest prospects from UFC. Rise of the Contenders highlights the background of the Contender Series, UFC headliners the show has produced, and how the series fits into the overall plan to identify and develop future UFC athletes.

###

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About UFC^®
UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 142 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly one billion TV households across more than 171 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 72 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.?For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

Las Vegas – The 9^th Annual UFC International Fight Week^™ will take place from Tuesday, September 21 through Saturday, September 25, with numerous events throughout Las Vegas, including Park MGM Las Vegas, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, T-Mobile Arena and Resorts World Las Vegas.

UFC International Fight Week is highlighted by the prestigious UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and an easily accessible and fully interactive two-day UFC Fan Experience^Ò. The week-long celebration is anchored by the highly anticipated UFC^Ò 266: VOLKANOVSKI vs. ORTEGA, presented by Modelo, which takes place on Saturday, September 25, at T-Mobile Arena. Tickets for UFC 266 are available via AXS.

On Thursday, September 23, UFC will host the UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires^Ò, at 7:30 p.m. at Park Theater inside Park MGM. Hosted by Jon Anik, the annual ceremony honors contributors and athletes that helped shape UFC and left an indelible mark on the sport of mixed martial arts. Tickets to the induction ceremony are priced at $25.00 (not including fees), with all proceeds benefitting Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster. The ceremony will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS^Ò.

Spanning more than two acres of entertainment activation space, The Park and Toshiba Plaza will host UFC’s fully immersive and easily accessible two-day Fan Experience, featuring multiple autograph sessions and brand and partner activations with unparalleled access to UFC champions, Hall of Famers, top-ranked contenders, and other UFC personalities.

This free-of-charge event will be part of the two-day UFC Fan Experience, which will be open from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on both Friday, September 24 and Saturday, September 25. The UFC Fan Experience will be produced by global full-service cultural marketing agency 160over90.

UFC will also host three official parties during the week at Resorts World Las Vegas on Friday, September 24 and Saturday, September 25. On Friday, UFC’s official pool party takes place at Ayu Dayclub beginning at 11 a.m. On Saturday, the official UFC 266 viewing party takes place at RedTail at 5:30 p.m., followed by the official UFC 266 after party at Zouk Nightclub beginning at 10:30 p.m.

Fans will also be able to purchase exclusive UFC merchandise at the UFC Store, while also having the chance to participate in numerous activities with brand partners such as ESPN+, Toyo Tires, Modelo, Panini America, Jose Cuervo, Ultimate Sound, Venum, Howler Head and more!

For more information, visit UFCFIGHTWEEK.COM.

LOS ANGELES – The highly anticipated BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Semifinals event has become even more stacked, adding a 155-pound bout between two former world champions when No. 3 ranked lightweight Benson Henderson (28-10) squares up against Brent Primus (10-2). In addition, a featherweight battle pitting Henry Corrales (18-6) against Vladyslav Parubchenko (16-2) is set to kick off the main card action on SHOWTIME live Saturday, October 16 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Both semifinal matchups for the BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix will top the card at the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. Light heavyweight World Champion Vadim Nemkov (14-2) defends his world championship against No. 4 ranked Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (23-6), while current BELLATOR Heavyweight World Champion Ryan Bader (28-6) facesNo. 2-ranked light heavyweight Corey Anderson (15-5) in the co-main event.

Several new preliminary fights have been confirmed as well and are listed below. The preliminary card will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Former champions collide in the desert, as former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson squares off with former BELLATOR lightweight champion Brent Primus in a 155-pound bout that is sure to produce fireworks. Both men hold black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and have the capability to finish a fight no matter where it goes. Fighting out of Glendale, AZ., “Smooth” Benson Henderson fights on his home turf but has a tough test in a Primus who is eager to return to the top of the mountain at 155-pounds.

Hard-hitting Henry Corrales reintroduces himself to the featherweight ranks, taking on submission guru Vladyslav Parubchenko in the opening bout of the main card. With 13 of his 18 professional victories coming by way of finish, “OK” Corrales steps in the cage with another known finisher, as Parubchenko has finished 14 of his 16 victories with stoppages. Both fighters are in the mix within a stacked BELLATOR featherweight division, and with a win, either fighter could find themselves making an immediate impact on the 145-pound rankings.

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat. Sept. 18 // BELLATOR 266: Davis vs. Romero //SAP Center // San Jose, CA

Fri. Oct. 1 // BELLATOR 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 //The SSE Arena, Wembley // London, England

Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ

Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia

Fri. Nov. 5 // BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals Main Card:

SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT 

Light Heavyweight World Title Main Event: C-Vadim Nemkov (14-2) vs. #4-Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (23-6)

Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinal Bout: #1-Ryan Bader (28-6, 1 NC) vs. #2-Corey Anderson (15-5)

Lightweight Bout: #3-Benson Henderson (28-10) vs. Brent Primus (10-2)

Featherweight Bout: Henry Corrales (18-6) vs. Vladyslav Parubchenko (16-2)

Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Light Heavyweight Bout: #5-Julias Anglickas (10-1) vs. #10-Karl Albrektsson (12-3)

Bantamweight Bout: Erik Perez (20-8) vs. Brett Johns (17-3)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Sullivan Cauley (1-0) vs. Deon Clash (1-0)

Lightweight Bout: Nick Browne (11-1) vs. Bobby Lee (12-6)

Middleweight Bout: Javier Torres (11-5, 1 NC) vs. Gregory Milliard (12-6)

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Sumiko Inaba (2-0) vs. Randi Field (2-0)

Lightweight Bout: Lance Gibson Jr. (4-0) vs. Raymond Pina (9-4)

Amateur Strawweight Bout: Maria Henderson (1-0) vs. Collette Santiago (0-1)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with an exciting matchup in the light heavyweight division, as No. 6 ranked contender Anthony Smith faces off with No. 11 Ryan Spann. In the co-main event, fellow 205ers Ion Cutelaba and Devin Clark aim to steal the show.   

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: SMITH vs SPANN will take place Saturday, September 18 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will stream on ESPN+, with the prelims beginning at 1 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. ET and the main card at 4 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. ET.

Former light heavyweight title challenger Smith (35-16, fighting out of Omaha, Neb.) boasts an impressive 94 percent finishing rate and plans to take out Spann in classic fashion. Smith is currently undefeated in 2021, having secured two first-round finishes over Jimmy Crute and Devin Clark. He now has his sights set on continuing his streak and defending his spot in the top 10 of the division.

Spann (21-6, fighting out of Beaumont, Texas) intends to deliver his best performance yet in his first UFC main event effort. A signee from season 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Spann quickly rose through the light heavyweight ranks with notable victories over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Sam Alvey and, most recently, Misha Cirkunov. He now looks to notch the most important win of his career by defeating Smith.

Always entertaining Cutelaba (15-6-1, fighting out of Chisinau, Moldova) seeks to get back to his winning ways and re-assert himself as a future title contender. The owner of 13 first-round finishes, including 10 in 1:13 or less, Cutelaba established himself as one of the most dangerous strikers in the light heavyweight division with wins over Khalil Rountree, Gadzhimurad Antigulov and Luis Henrique da Silva. He now aims to prove that he still has his best performances ahead of him by finishing Clark.

Clark (12-5, fighting out of Sioux Falls, S.D.) looks to make his first fight of 2021 a successful one by earning his first UFC stoppage. The 2009 NJCAA wrestling champion, he has displayed his skills with wins over Alonzo Menifield, Darko Stosic and Mike Rodriguez. Clark now plans to show that he can compete with the elite with a dominant performance against Cutelaba.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• UFC legend Jim Miller (32-16, 1 NC, fighting out of Sparta, N.J.) returns to the Octagon for a record-breaking 38^th time when he looks to spoil the UFC debut of Dana White’s Contender Series signee Nikolas Motta (12-3, fighting out of Governador Valadares, Brazil) in a lightweight bout
• An exciting women’s flyweight bout sees Ariane Lipski (13-7, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) aim to hand Mandy Bohm (7-0, fighting out of Gelsenkirchen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany) her first loss
• No. 14 ranked lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan (16-2, fighting out of Krasnodar Krai, Russia) plans to show off his grappling skills against Christos Giagos (19-8, fighting out of Hawthorne, Calif.)
• Middleweight finishers lock horns as Joaquin Buckley (12-4, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) meets Antonio Arroyo (9-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M. by way of Nazare, Para, Brazil)
• Light heavyweight Dana White’s Contender Series alums Mike Rodriguez (11-6, 1 NC, fighting out of South Easton, Mass.) and Tafon Nchukwi (5-1, fighting out of Temple Hills, Md.) vie to secure another highlight reel knockout
• No. 12 ranked women’s bantamweight contender Pannie Kianzad (16-5, fighting out of Helsingborg, Skåne County, Sweden) aims to defend her spot in the rankings against former title challenger Raquel Pennington (11-9, fighting out of Colorado Springs, Colo.)
• Top bantamweight prospects Nate Maness (13-1, fighting out of Henderson, Ky.) and Tony Gravely (21-6, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) collide
• Lightweights Dakota Bush (8-3, fighting out of St. Claire, Mo.) and Rongzhu (17-4, fighting out of Chengdu Shi, Sichuan Sheng, China) compete to earn their first UFC victories
• Dana White’s Contender Series veterans compete as Montel Jackson (11-2, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) takes on JP Buys (9-3, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif. by way of Johannesburg, South Africa) at bantamweight
• Erin Blanchfield (6-1, fighting out of Elmwood Park, N.J.) hopes for a successful UFC debut when she battles Sarah Alpar (9-5, fighting out of Oklahoma City, Okla.) in a women’s flyweight bout
• Impa Kasanganay (9-1, fighting out of Charlotte, N.C.) and Carlston Harris (16-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meet in a welterweight bout
• Bantamweights Gustavo Lopez (12-6, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) and Alatengheili (14-8, 1 NC, fighting out of Shanghai, China) clash in a high-paced matchup
• Emily Whitmire (4-4, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) hopes to secure another signature submission against Hannah Goldy (5-2, fighting out of Orlando, Fla.)

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 166 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

The ESPN+ exclusive presentation of Dana White’s Contender Series presented by ZipRecruiter continues next Tuesday, September 7, at 8 p.m. ET from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. 

A new group of contenders will meet next week, all looking to make their way into the UFC.  Episode one of DWCS saw five athletes earn highly-coveted UFC contracts.

DWCS introduces some of UFC’s top prospects from around the world in a ten-episode season, with new episodes available every Tuesday evening exclusively on ESPN+, the leading direct-to-consumer sports streaming service. Showcasing approximately five bouts in each episode, prospects will compete for the chance to earn a contract with UFC.

Following Tuesday night’s fights, 122 athletes throughout the series have now earned UFC contracts, including “Suga” Sean O’Malley, Ryan Spann, Maycee “The Future” Barber, Johnny Walker and Marina Rodriguez, who will be the first non-champion woman in UFC history to headline multiple events in a calendar year.

Dana White’s Contender Series on ESPN+, Episode Two Bouts:

• Welterweight  – Darian Weeks vs. Josh “The Maverick” Quinlan

• Middleweight – Mario “Coracio Valente” Sousa vs. Chidi “Bang Bang” Njokuani

• Bantamweight  – Saimon Oliveira vs. TBD

• Flyweight – CJ Vergara vs. Bruno “Korea” Rodrigues Mesquita

• Bantamweight – Muin “Tajik” Gafurov vs. Chad “The Monster” Anheliger

UFC Rise of the Contenders, a 30-minute series recap of seasons one through four of Dana White’s Contender Series, airs on ESPN2 on Saturday, September 11, at 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. showcasing some of the best and brightest prospects from UFC. Rise of the Contenders highlights the background of the Contender Series, UFC headliners the show has produced, and how the series fits into the overall plan to identify and develop future UFC athletes.

###

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About UFC^®
UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 142 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly one billion TV households across more than 171 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 72 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.?For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

DUBLIN – Leading mixed martial arts promotion BELLATOR MMA has today announced two explosive fights have been added to the BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix main card, which takes place at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, on Friday November 5^th. 

Set to light up the main card on BELLATOR’s highly-anticipated return to Ireland is a middleweight matchup between hometown hero and No. 6 ranked ‘Relentless’ Charlie Ward (9-4) and No. 9 ranked Norbert ‘Magic’ Novenyi Jr. (5-0). In addition, a thrilling featherweight fight will be contested between No. 6 ranked Daniel ‘Drake’ Weichel (41-12) and No. 7 ranked Pedro ‘The Game’ Carvalho (11-5).

In the United States, the main card action will air live on SHOWTIME at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. BELLATOR fans in Ireland can watch the eagerly anticipated event on both Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Sport, while UK fight fans can watch event live on BBC iPlayer.

In addition, five new preliminary bouts have been announced to kick the night off. The preliminary portion of the docket will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.

The news comes just a week after the promotion announced their explosive return to the Irish capital. BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs Mix will be headlined by No. 6 ranked James “The Strabanimal” Gallagher (11-1) and the No. 2 ranked Patchy Mix (14-1) in what is set to be a must-see bantamweight match up. In the co-main event, Waterford’s Peter “The Showstopper” Queally (13-5-1) will look to bring the house down as the No. 4 ranked lightweight goes head-to-head against 23-time BELLATOR veteran and No. 1 ranked Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (23-10) in a hotly anticipated immediate rematch.

Tickets for BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs Mix are on sale now and can be purchased online from Ticketmaster.ie and Bellator.com.

“Relentless” Charlie Ward, who trains out of SBG, is unbeaten in his last two fights with six of his nine professional victories coming by the way of knockout. The number six ranked middleweight fighter will be looking to build on his impressive decision victory over Andy Manzolo in Milan at BELLATOR 247 last October. Ward will want to put on a show for his home fans and with fireworks guaranteed inside the 3Arena, this fight is certainly one not to be missed.

Standing in his way will be Hungarian Norbert Novenyi Jr., who trains out of London Shootfighters alongside Michael “Venom” Page. Novenyi who is yet to taste defeat as a professional, is one of the most explosive fighters in the middleweight division. Hewill want to prove his class once again after his first-round submission victory in his last fight against Laïd Zerhouni, which also took placeat BELLATOR 247. Novenyi will be hoping to silence the home crowd and continue his rise through the middleweight rankings as he looks to build on his impressive start to his MMA career.

Meanwhile, the highly experienced No. 6 ranked German, Daniel Weichel heads to Dublin after claiming victory over Keoni Diggsat BELLATOR 261 this past June. Weichel will be hoping to add to his impressive 41 professional victories in what is set be a thrilling encounter between two featherweights’ neck and neck in the BELLATOR rankings.

Opposing Weichel will be Portugal’s 26-year-old Pedro Carvalho, who also trains out of SBG in Ireland. “The Game” will be hoping to return to his winning ways and climb back up the featherweight rankings. A talented submission specialist, Carvalho has scored six of his 11 career victories in that fashion, proving to always be a tough out. On Nov. 5, the former featherweight world title challenger will be looking to secure the victory in his adopted hometown.

Fight fans can see the updated card for BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix below:

BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix MainCard:

SHOWTIME (US) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

Friday, October 1 – 9 p.m. GMT/5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

Bantamweight Main Event: #6-James Gallagher (11-1) vs. #2-Patrick Mix (14-1)

Lightweight Co-Main Event: #4-Peter Queally (13-5-1) vs. #1-Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (23-10)

Middleweight Bout: #6-Charlie Ward (9-4) vs. #9-Nobert Novenyi Jr. (5-0)

Featherweight Bout: #6-Daniel Weichel (41-6) vs. #7-Pedro Carvalho (11-5)

Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US)

BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

5:30 p.m. GMT/1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT

Welterweight Bout: Ashley Reece (8-2) vs. Luca Poclit (6-1) 

Lightweight Bout: Daniele Scatizzi (10-5) vs. Brian Hooi (16-7, 1 NC)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Lee Chadwick (26-15-1) vs. Arunas Andriuskevicus (15-4)

Featherweight Bout:Ilias Bulaid (2-0) vs. Georges Sasu (4-2)

Featherweight Bout: Ciaran Clarke (3-0) vs. Jordan Barton (6-1-1)

Welterweight Bout:Nicolò Solli (3-1) vs. Bobby Pallett (5-0)

Strawweight Bout: Danni Neilan (4-0) vs. Audrey Kerouche (7-5, 2 NC)

Featherweight Bout:Asael Adjoudj (1-1)vs. Keir Harvie (4-1)

Featherweight Bout: Junior Morgan (3-0) vs. Darragh Kelly (Pro Debut)

Welterweight Bout:Stephen Costello (Pro Debut) vs. Yusuf Nazokatov (Pro Debut)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat. Sept. 18 // BELLATOR 266: Davis vs. Romero //SAP Center // San Jose, CA

Fri. Oct. 1 // BELLATOR 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 //The SSE Arena, Wembley // London, England

Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ

Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia

Fri. Nov. 5 // BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND^®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME^®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME^®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple^®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku^®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation^®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

Las Vegas & Abu Dhabi – UFC^® returns to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi with another blockbuster event, headlined by two highly anticipated world championship bouts. UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz goes for his second successful title defense when he takes on No. 1 ranked contender Glover Teixeira. In the co-main event, UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling look to settle the score with former titleholder and No. 1 ranked contender Petr Yan.

UFC^® 267: BLACHOWICZ vs. TEIXEIRA will take place Saturday, Oct. 30 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

UFC^® 267: BLACHOWICZ vs. TEIXEIRA will headline Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, which will feature city-wide activations, including fan events, fitness showcases and much more, in partnership with Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

UFC^® 267: BLACHOWICZ vs. TEIXEIRA tickets will go on general sale Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 1:00 p.m. GST and are available through Ticketmaster.ae and etihadarena.ae starting from AED 495. Tickets are limited to six (6) per person.

Blachowicz (28-8, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) looks to build off his recent momentum that not only saw him capture UFC gold, but also hand middleweight champion Israel Adesanya the first loss of his career. A 14-year MMA veteran, he holds spectacular KO wins over Luke Rockhold, Dominick Reyes and Corey Anderson. Blachowicz now has his sight set on taking out another dangerous finisher to continue building his legacy atop the 205-pound ladder.

Teixeira (32-7, fighting out of Danbury, Conn.) hopes to make good on his second UFC title shot by stopping Blachowicz in emphatic fashion. A decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with heavy hands, he has delivered memorable victories against Thiago Santos, Anthony Smith, Rashad Evans and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Teixeira is now gunning for his sixth consecutive win by dethroning Blachowicz to achieve dream of becoming UFC champion.

Sterling (20-3, fighting out of Uniondale, N.Y.) plans to cement his UFC bantamweight championship reign by delivering a dominant performance in the rematch against Yan, who he defeated via disqualification in March. A skilled grappler, he has earned notable wins over Cory Sandhagen, Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera. Sterling now vies to put his rivalry with Yan to bed by netting another show-stealing submission victory.

Yan (15-2, fighting out of Yekaterinburg, Russia) is gunning to avenge his disqualification loss to Sterling by reclaiming the UFC bantamweight championship. A Master of Sport in MMA and boxing, he has secured thrilling KO victories against Jose Aldo, Urijah Faber, Douglas Silva de Andrade and Teruto Ishihara. Yan now intends to get the last laugh against Sterling by finishing the New Yorker and once again taking his spot at the top of the 135-pound division.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 5 ranked lightweight contender Islam Makhachev (20-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) looks to take out his first former UFC champion when he meets No. 7 Rafael Dos Anjos (30-13, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• No. 7 ranked Magomed Ankalaev (15-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) takes on No. 8 Volkan Oezdemir (17-5, fighting out of Fribourg, Switzerland) in a clash of light heavyweight contenders
• Top heavyweights collide when No. 5 ranked contender Alexander Volkov (33-9, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) squares off with surging No. 8 Marcin Tybura (22-6, fighting out of Uniejow, Poland)
• No. 12 ranked welterweight contender Li Jingliang (18-6, fighting out of Beijing, China) aims to spoil the return of undefeated Khamzat Chimaev (9-0, Stockholm, Sweden by way of Chechnya, Russia)
• No. 11 ranked strawweight contender Amanda Ribas (10-2, fighting out of Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil) faces No. 12 Virna Jandiroba (17-2, fighting out of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil) in a clash of talented grapplers
• Ricardo Ramos (15-3, fighting out of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil) looks for another vintage win against rising prospect Zubaira Tukhugov (19-5-1, fighting out of Grozny, Chechen Republic, Russia) at featherweight
• Exciting lightweights battle as Magomed Mustafaev (14-4, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) takes on Damir Ismagulov (23- 1, fighting out of Orenburg, Russia by the way of Almaty, Kazakhstan)
• Makwan Amirkhani (16-6, fighting out of Turku, Finland by way of Kurdistan) locks horns with Tristan Connelly (14-7, fighting out of Vancouver, BC, Canada) in an intriguing featherweight bout
• Hu Yaozong (3-2, fighting out of Beijing, China) makes his first Octagon appearance in nearly three years when he faces Alen Amedovski (8-2, fighting out of Rome, Italy) at middleweight
• Tagir Ulanbekov (13-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) hopes to continue his momentum when he takes on Allan Nascimento (18-5, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) at flyweight
• Shamil Gamzatov (14-0, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) hopes to remain undefeated when he battles Michal Oleksiejczuk (15-4 1NC, fighting out of Leczna, Poland) at light heavyweight

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 155 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to approximately 900M TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 70 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi:

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) drives the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors, fuels economic progress and helps achieve Abu Dhabi’s wider global ambitions. By working in partnership with the organisations that define the Emirate’s position as a leading international destination, DCT Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the Emirate’s potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies and systems to support the culture and tourism industries.

DCT Abu Dhabi’s vision is defined by the Emirate’s people, heritage and landscape. We work to enhance Abu Dhabi’s status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, represented by its living traditions of hospitality, pioneering initiatives and creative thought.

Etihad Arena

Etihad Arena is the UAE’s landmark of entertainment, the region’s largest multi-purpose indoor arena set on the stunning waterfront of Yas Bay, offering world-class event space and hospitality. Designed with sustainability at its core, the venue offers a dynamic event space that can be easily transformed to host a variety of events including large-scale international concerts, sports games, corporate events, private functions and local community celebrations. Owned by Miral Asset Management and operated by Flash Entertainment, Etihad Arena is proudly positioned on Yas Island, the Middle East’s premier leisure and entertainment destination, and will enhance Abu Dhabi’s position as a global entertainment hub. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is the proud naming rights partner for Etihad Arena. Over the years to come, Etihad will fly many of the world-class entertainment acts and guests to the venue.

LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA’s first-ever event in Russia just got even bigger, as BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson on Saturday, October 23 has officially added five more scintillating matchups.

As if the return of Russian legend Fedor Emelianenko wasn’t enough, two more of his countrymen join him on this stacked SHOWTIME-televised main card. Russian superstar and No. 6 ranked lightweight Usman Nurmagomedov (13-0) takes on Patrik Pietila (11-8), while former BELLATOR Heavyweight Champion Vitaly Minakov (22-1) makes his highly-anticipated return to action against No. 8 ranked heavyweight Said Sowma (7-2) in the co-main event of the evening.

Tickets for the massive event are on sale now and can be purchased at Kassir.ru. Additional matchups and SHOWTIME telecast details will be revealed soon.

The preliminary card of BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson has three confirmed bouts, with the homecoming of Russian submission ace Grachik Bozinyan (11-4) taking on former Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion Ross Houston (8-1), SBG-product and Irish star Brian Moore (14-7) squaring off with the BELLATOR-debuting Nikita Mikhailov (7-1) at 135-pounds, and sambo specialist Alexey Shurkevich (12-4) challenging the hard-hitting Christian Eckerlin (13-5) in a welterweight bout. Preliminary actionwill stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.

Initially known for being the cousin of Russian superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov, undefeated No. 6 ranked lightweight Usman Nurmagomedov (13-0) has quickly made a name for himself and ascended into the 155-pound title conversation. Coming off a dominant victory in July and knockouts in five of his last six contests, the dangerous Russian looks primed and ready to continue his climb for a title shot with a win over Pietila, while putting on a show for the country he calls home.

Stepping into the BELLATOR cage for the first time in over two years, the former BELLATOR Heavyweight Champion Vitaly Minakov (22-1) looks to remind the promotion’s heavyweight division how dangerous he is. With 20 of his 22 professional victories coming by way of stoppage, the four-time sambo world champion takes on No. 8 ranked heavyweight Said Sowma (7-2) in a fight that will instantly throw his name into the title picture if Minakov emerges victorious.

Replacing the injured Tyrell Fortune, the American Top Team-product Said Sowma (7-2) didn’t hesitate at the opportunity to welcome Vitaly Minakov back to the BELLATOR cage. Fresh off a highlight reel first-round knockout over UFC veteran Ronny Markes and debuting at No. 8 on the BELLATOR heavyweight rankings, the 28-year-old has finished five of his seven professional victories and plans on making a huge statement over the former champion in enemy territory.

Updated BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (39-6, 1 NC) vs. #2-Tim Johnson (15-7)

Heavyweight Bout: Vitaly Minakov (22-1) vs. #8-Said Sowma (7-2)

160-pound contract weight bout: #6-Usman Nurmagomedov (13-0) vs. Patrik Pietila (11-8)

Welterweight Bout: Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) vs Rustam Khabilov (24-4)

Preliminary Card: 

Bantamweight Bout: Brian Moore (14-7) vs. Nikita Mikhailov (7-1)

Welterweight Bout: Grachik Bozinyan (11-4) vs. Ross Houston (8-1, 1 NC)

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Irina Alekseeva (3-1) vs. Stephanie lelo Page (5-2)

Welterweight Bout: Alexey Shurkevich (12-4) vs. Christian Eckerlin (13-5)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

Las Vegas – UFC^® confirms another entertaining card at UFC APEX in Las Vegas as No. 5 ranked middleweight contender Derek Brunson takes on No. 7 ranked Darren Till in the main event. In the co-main event, heavyweight strikers go head-to-head as No. 13 Tom Aspinall meets No. 15 Sergei Pavlovich.  

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: BRUNSON vs TILL will take place Saturday, September 4 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will stream on ESPN+, with the prelims beginning at a special time of 1:30 p.m. ET/ 10:30 a.m. PT and the main card at 4 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. PT.

Brunson (22-7, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.) plans to continue his rise to the top of the division and add the former welterweight title challenger to his resume. Currently on a four-fight win streak, he most recently secured wins over top middleweight prospects Edmen Shahbazyan and Kevin Holland. Brunson now intends to insert himself into the title conversation with a statement win over Till. 

Fan favorite Till (18-3-1, fighting out of Liverpool, England) makes his eagerly anticipated return to the Octagon^® and hopes to kick off his off his 2021 campaign with an emphatic win. Since joining UFC’s roster in 2015, he has faced off against some of the promotion’s biggest names, scoring victories over Kelvin Gastleum, Stephen Thompson and Donald Cerrone. Till now looks to secure his most important middleweight win yet and break into the top five of the division. 

Aspinall (10-2, fighting out of Atherton, England) aims to deliver another exciting performance and continue working his way up the heavyweight rankings. Currently undefeated in the UFC, the 28-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is coming off his biggest victory to date over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski earlier this year. Aspinall now seeks to maintain his impressive 100 percent finishing rate by taking out Pavlovich.

Fellow heavyweight prospect Pavlovich (14-1, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) has his sights set on proving that he has the power to stop anyone in the division. With 11 of his 14 wins coming by first round KO, including his two UFC victories over Maurice Greene and Marcelo Golm, Pavlovich has established himself as a force to be reckoned with. He now plans to prove he has what it takes to compete with the division’s elite by vanquishing Aspinall.

Additional bouts on the card include:

·       Women’s flyweights look to steal the show as Ariane Lipski (13-7, fighting out of Paraná, Brazil) matches up against UFC newcomer Mandy Bohm (7-0, 1NC, fighting out of Gelsenkirchen, Germany).

·       Modestas Bukauskas (11-4, fighting out of Sarratt, England) plans to stop The Ultimate Fighter alum Khalil Rountree Jr. (9-5, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) in a light heavyweight bout.

·       Paddy Pimblett (16-3, fighting out of Liverpool, England) makes his long-awaited UFC debut as he takes on Brazilian Luigi Vendramini (9-2, fighting out of Brasília, Brazil) in a lightweight bout.

·       Molly McCann (10-4, fighting out of Liverpool, England) returns to the Octagon and aims to get back to her winning ways when she faces Ji Yeon Kim (9-3-2, fighting out of Incheon, South Korea) in a women’s flyweight bout.

·       An exciting bantamweight bout sees Jack Shore (14-0, fighting out of Abertillery, Wales) look to maintain his undefeated record when he faces off with The Ultimate Fighter alumni Liudvik Sholinian (9-1-1, fighting out of Kiev, Ukraine) who replaces Said Nurmagomedov.

·       In an exciting 150-pound catchweight bout, Charles Jourdain (11-3-1, fighting out of Beloeil, Quebec, Canada) collides with Julian Erosa (25-10, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) who replaces Lerone Murphy.

·       Middleweight Dalcha Lungiambula (11-2, fighting out of Cape Town, South Africa) aims to build on his recent win as he takes on Marc-Andre Barriault (12-4, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla. by way of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada).

·       Welterweights lock horns as David Zawada (17-6, fighting out of Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) battles Alex Morono (19-7, 1 NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas) who replaces Sergey Khandozhko.

·       Jonathan Martinez (13-4, fighting out of Plainview, Texas) faces off against Marcelo Rojo (16-8, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) in an exciting bantamweight bout.

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DUBLIN – After more than 18 months away from the 3Arena, BELLATOR’s return to the iconic Dublin venue is set for Friday, Nov. 5, when Ireland’s own No. 6 ranked James “The Strabanimal” Gallagher (11-1) faces the No. 2 ranked Patchy Mix (14-1) in a huge bantamweight main event to headline BELLATOR 270.

In the co-headliner, No. 4 ranked lightweight and Dublin’s very own Peter “The Showstopper” Queally (13-5-1), will be looking to bring the house down again when he faces 23-time BELLATOR veteran and No. 1 ranked Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (23-10) in a highly anticipated rematch. An additional five preliminary matchups for BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix are also confirmed below.

Tickets to BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix go on general sale on this Friday, Aug. 27, with an exclusive presale on Thursday, Aug. 26, and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.ie and Bellator.com.

Fans in Ireland will be able to watch the event on both Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Sport, while those in the UK can watch the event live on BBC iPlayer. Meanwhile U.S. fans will be able to enjoy the main card action live on SHOWTIME at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, with a replay at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

The eagerly awaited bantamweight matchup between Gallagher and Mix has the potential to go down as one of the all-time great fights in BELLATOR history. It was originally due to take place in May at BELLATOR 258, but injury forced Gallagher out of the encounter. Now, in front of what is guaranteed to be an electric Irish crowd, the “Strabanimal” will finally get his chance to silence Mix as he looks to earn the biggest win of his career to date.

“I’m so grateful to be back as the headline in Dublin,” said Gallagher, “I’ve moved to America to take my mindset and skill set to another level and I’m happy I can show my work to my home fans! Welcome to the Jimmy Show! ”

Patchy Mix is currently the #2 ranked bantamweight and fights out of Extreme Couture in Las Vegas. Like Gallagher, Mix has made a name for himself in the BELLATOR cage by displaying impressive submissions, including the rare Suloev Stretch.

Mix said of his long-awaited matchup: “I’m going to walk into James’ home country and put him away in the first round.”

After a series of lively back-and-forth trash talk encounters and cancelled bouts due to injury, Queally and Pitbull finally met in the BELLATOR cage in May earlier this year, with the Irishman causing a huge upset, securing a hard-fought TKO victory due to a doctor’s stoppage following a cut Patricky sustained in the second round. 

Queally, meanwhile, who trains alongside Gallagher out of Ireland’s famous Straight Blast Gym, will be looking to once again use the might of the home-crowd to help him secure a decisive win over his bitter rival, Pitbull.

“I can’t wait to get back out there again to settle this once and for all with Pitbull and really give the 3Arena crowd something special,” Queally said. “Patricky is such a perfect opponent, there has been so much that has gone on with me and him that I think the crowd will be even more invested than normal this time. Expect an all-out war – I’m going to beat him, and the lightweight belt is next.”

Freire – the older brother of BELLATOR lightweight champion Patrício – has competed professionally since 2005, earning a fearsome reputation as a knockout artist. Living up to the moniker “Pitbull,” Freire will be looking to even the score with Queally, silence the home crowd and get back to his winning ways.

“He knows he was getting beat up in the first fight,” said Pitbull. “He felt pain in his legs and body, I’m gonna make him feel even more pain now. The Irish fans are very loud and passionate, but when I knock him out, you will be able to hear a pin drop in that arena.”

The news of a return to Dublin rounds off a trio of BELLATOR MMA events confirmed on European soil in 2021, with the cage setting down in London on October 1 and Moscow on October 23 before heading to the Irish capital on November 5.

BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix MainCard:

SHOWTIME (US) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

Friday, October 1 – 9 p.m. GMT/5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

Bantamweight Main Event: #6-James Gallagher (11-1) vs. #2-Patrick Mix (14-1)

Lightweight Co-Main Event: #4-Peter Queally (13-5-1) vs. #1-Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (23-10)

Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US)

BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

5:30 p.m. GMT/1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT

Lightweight Bout: Daniele Scatizzi (10-5) vs. Brian Hooi (16-7, 1 NC)

Featherweight Bout: Ciaran Clarke (3-0) vs. Jordan Barton (6-1-1)

Strawweight Bout: Danni Neilan (4-0) vs. Audrey Kerouche (7-5, 2 NC)

Featherweight Bout: Junior Morgan (3-0) vs. Darragh Kelly (Pro Debut)

Welterweight Bout:Stephen Costello (Pro Debut) vs. Yusuf Nazokatov (Pro Debut)

**** 

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat. Sept. 18 // BELLATOR 266: Davis vs. Romero //SAP Center // San Jose, CA

Fri. Oct. 1 // BELLATOR 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 //The SSE Arena, Wembley // London, England

Sat. Oct. 16 // BELLATOR 268: Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals // Footprint Center // Phoenix, AZ

Sat. Oct. 23 // BELLATOR 269: Fedor vs. Johnson // VTB Arena // Moscow, Russia

Fri. Nov. 5 // BELLATOR 270: Gallagher vs. Mix // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

#3-Cheick Kongo (31-11-2, 1 NC) defeated Sergei Kharitonov (32-9, 2 NC) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of round two

#5-Logan Storley (12-1) defeated Dante Schiro (8-3) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Marcelo Golm (9-3) defeated Billy Swanson (4-1) via TKO (strikes) at 4:57 of round one

#6-Jornel Lugo (7-0) defeated Keith Lee (7-4) via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 5:00 of round one

Preliminary Card: 

Fabio Aguiar (18-2) defeated Taylor Johnson (7-3) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Mike Hamel (8-5) defeated Bryce Logan (12-6) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Archie Colgan (3-0) defeated Ben Simons (3-3) via TKO (punches) at 00:00 of round one

Duane Johnson (6-2)defeated Deven Fisher(4-9) via submission (D’arce Choke) at 1:04 of round one

Bailey Schoenfelder (2-0) defeated Kory Moegenburg (1-3) via TKO (strikes) at 4:11 of round one

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX in Las Vegas with a striking fans’ dream fight, as No. 9 ranked featherweight contender Edson Barboza clashes with No. 10 Giga Chikadze. Also on the card, The Return of the Ultimate Fighter middleweight and bantamweight tournament winners will be crowned.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: BARBOZA vs CHIKADZE will take place Saturday, August 28 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card will be available on ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off exclusively on ESPN+ in English and Spanish at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

KO artist Barboza (22-9, fighting out of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has been thrilling fans for years with highlight-reel finishes. Throughout his UFC career, he has delivered memorable victories against Beneil Dariush, Terry Etim and, most recently, Shane Burgos. Barboza now aims to keep his momentum going by becoming the first fighter to stop Chikadze in the UFC.

Rising contender and former kickboxer Chikadze (13-2, fighting out of Tbilisi, Georgia) quickly climbed the featherweight ranks upon joining the UFC roster in 2019. Since then, he is undefeated in the Octagon with wins over Cub Swanson, Jamey Simmons and Omar Morales. Chikadze now goes for the biggest win of his career to continue his ascent up the 145-pound ladder.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: BARBOZA vs CHIKADZE will also feature the exciting finals of The Return of the Ultimate Fighter. The groundbreaking reality series made its triumphant return in June, featuring UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and No. 2 ranked contender Brian Ortega as coaches.

The Return of the Ultimate Fighter will conclude with an all Team Volkanovski finale. The final middleweight bout will see Bryan Battle (5-1, fighting out of Charlotte, N.C.) take on Gilbert Urbina (6-1, fighting out of Weslaco, Texas), who is replacing Team Ortega’s Tresean Gore due to injury. Also, Ricky Turcios (10-2, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) faces Brady Hiestand (5-1, fighting out of Spokane Valley, Wash.) at bantamweight.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Kevin Lee (18-6, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) returns to welterweight to take on rising star Daniel Rodriguez (15-2, fighting out of Alhambra, Calif.)
• Team Ortega middleweights collide when Andre Petroski (5-1, fighting out of Springfield Township, Pennsylvania) faces Micheal Gillmore (6-3, fighting out of Charlotte, Michigan)
• Makhmud Muradov (25-6, fighting out of Bukhara, Uzbekistan) looks for another highlight-reel finish when he faces gritty veteran Gerald Meerschaert (32-14, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) in a middleweight bout
• Antonio Braga Neto (9-3, 1 NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) intends to stop Abdul Razak Alhassan (10-4, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) from reaching his first win at middleweight
• Fan favorite Sam Alvey (33-15-1 1NC, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) returns against Wellington Turman (16-5, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) in a middleweight bout
• Dustin Jacoby (14-5-1, fighting out of Englewood, Colo.) faces Darren Stewart (12-7 2NC, fighting out of London, England) in an exciting matchup of light heavyweight strikers
• Featherweight prospects collide when Jamall Emmers (18-5, fighting out of Redlands, Calif.) squares off with Pat Sabatini (14-3, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.)

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