Latest news with #ESPN72
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Alex Perez confirms 'fracture' caused withdrawal from UFC on ESPN 72 fight vs. Steve Erceg
Alex Perez opened up on his scrapped bout at UFC on ESPN 72. Perez (25-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC) was forced out of his Aug. 9 co-main event against Steve Erceg (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Perez confirmed the news on Instagram after an initial report from "The Fight Analyst" on X. The former title challenger revealed that an injury caused him to withdraw, but didn't specify what it was exactly. "Sucks to say that I have to pull out of my fight due to a fracture. It is going to take some time to heal. I was looking forward to fighting on August 9, but everything happens for a reason. Hopefully, @steveerceg gets a new opponent. I'll be back soon, better than ever. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this crazy journey. 🙏🏽" In his most recent outing, Perez injured his knee in a TKO loss to Tatsuro Taira in their UFC on ESPN 58 main event in June 2024. Erceg is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Brandon Moreno in the UFC on ESPN 64 headliner in March.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
With one fight left on contract, Eryk Anders maps out retirement plan after UFC on ESPN 72
Eryk Anders wants the final fight on his UFC contract to be a sendoff at home. Anders (17-7 MMA, 9-8 UFC) meets Christian Leroy Duncan (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 72 on Aug. 9 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He'll have one more fight left on his contract after that, and he wants it to be a special one. The 38-year-old plans on hanging up his gloves once his UFC contract is up and has two locations in mind – Noche UFC on Sept. 13 or the UFC's annual pay-per-view event in November. "They're going to San Antonio, that's my hometown, so that would be like a dream come true," Anders told MMA Junkie Radio. "That's the last fight on my contract and my 20th fight, and I'd be good retiring after that, and that's the plan anyway. "But if not there, then I was supposed to fight in Madison Square Garden last year against Weidman but got sick, couldn't fight, doctors pulled me from the fight, then we fought in Vegas. Madison Square is like the mecca for combat sports. Big boxing bouts, UFC fights have happened there, so I definitely want to fight there. If I can make that happen and that would be my last fight, then we're off to the sunset." Anders explains how his financial situation has allowed him not to feel obligated to stay very active. "I got a lot of other things going on, so I don't have to fight," Anders said. "I enjoy fighting, I love fighting, but I'm trying to move in other avenues. I used to like press the UFC to fight. 'I want to fight, I want to fight, I want to fight.' But now, I can take my time in between fights. I'm getting ready to open up a gym in September. I'm doing all this stuff now to get that going, so I have other things occupying my mind and time."
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ESPN 72's Roman Dolidze aims to prove why he deserves 'at minimum top-5 fights'
Roman Dolidze thinks he deserves top-tier middleweight opponents. Gearing up for his third UFC main event, Dolidze (15-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) will take on Anthony Hernandez at UFC on ESPN 72 at the UFC Apex on Aug. 9. As it currently stands, Dolidze sits one spot ahead of Hernandez (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at No. 8 in the promotion's official middleweight rankings, and he believes it's time for him and his opponent to crack into the elite of the division. Advertisement "I think we both deserve better fights, like at minimum top 5 fights," Dolidze told MMA Junkie Radio. "But it is how it is, we never step back. I'm ready for anything. Two months I was waiting, they were telling me about (Robert) Whittaker, but in the end, I'm fighting 'Fluffy.' But for me it doesn't mean nothing, I'm ready to go." Dolidze is currently on a three-fight winning streak, while Hernandez's current run totals seven. The level of competition has been stiffer on Dolidze's side. With the matchup against Hernandez, the Georgian acknowledges cardio could be the difference maker. "It's all about style – he loves to wrestle with guys," Dolidze said. "First couple of rounds, he's not so successful, but when everybody else is getting tired, he's still going. He's a very good athlete. He's a very good fighter, but I think on the ground, I have very good jiu-jitsu. I'm ready for anything on the ground. I'm not scared to grapple with him. That's why I don't think I have a lot of problems there." Should Dolidze pass the "Fluffy" test, perhaps he'll land that fight against former champion Whittaker. As a part of Georgia's big three in the UFC, along with champs Ilia Topuria and Merab Dvalishvili, Dolidze hopes to keep the bar very high as they proudly represent their nation, and as he works toward a title shot of his own. Advertisement "This fight, it's my third main event, and everybody knows I deserve better fights," Dolidze said. "But, I have this fight, and I will show everybody what I can do." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC's Roman Dolidze eager to challenge middleweight elite
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ESPN 72's Roman Dolidze aims to prove why he deserves 'at minimum top-5 fights'
Roman Dolidze thinks he deserves top-tier middleweight opponents. Gearing up for his third UFC main event, Dolidze (15-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) will take on Anthony Hernandez at UFC on ESPN 72 at the UFC Apex on Aug. 9. As it currently stands, Dolidze sits one spot ahead of Hernandez (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at No. 8 in the promotion's official middleweight rankings, and he believes it's time for him and his opponent to crack into the elite of the division. "I think we both deserve better fights, like at minimum top 5 fights," Dolidze told MMA Junkie Radio. "But it is how it is, we never step back. I'm ready for anything. Two months I was waiting, they were telling me about (Robert) Whittaker, but in the end, I'm fighting 'Fluffy.' But for me it doesn't mean nothing, I'm ready to go." Dolidze is currently on a three-fight winning streak, while Hernandez's current run totals seven. The level of competition has been stiffer on Dolidze's side. With the matchup against Hernandez, the Georgian acknowledges cardio could be the difference maker. "It's all about style – he loves to wrestle with guys," Dolidze said. "First couple of rounds, he's not so successful, but when everybody else is getting tired, he's still going. He's a very good athlete. He's a very good fighter, but I think on the ground, I have very good jiu-jitsu. I'm ready for anything on the ground. I'm not scared to grapple with him. That's why I don't think I have a lot of problems there." Should Dolidze pass the "Fluffy" test, perhaps he'll land that fight against former champion Whittaker. As a part of Georgia's big three in the UFC, along with champs Ilia Topuria and Merab Dvalishvili, Dolidze hopes to keep the bar very high as they proudly represent their nation, and as he works toward a title shot of his own. "This fight, it's my third main event, and everybody knows I deserve better fights," Dolidze said. "But, I have this fight, and I will show everybody what I can do."
