Latest news with #UFCFightNight
USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Max Holloway: UFC 317 headliner up in the air, Charles Oliveira 'thrives' in underdog role
Max Holloway warns everyone not to count out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Former UFC champions Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) and Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) square off for the vacant lightweight title in Saturday's main event (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) has competed against both fighters. He scored a first-round TKO of Oliveira due to injury in a UFC Fight Night main event in August 2015, and was knocked out for the first time in his career against Topuria at UFC 308. The BMF champion knows first hand how much power Topuria possesses, but is having a hard time picking a winner. "If Ilia gets a finish or a knockout, it wouldn't surprise me," Holloway said on his YouTube channel. "But if Charles wins with a submission or even a knockout finish of his own, it doesn't surprise me. This fight is super up in the air. A lot of people are counting Charles Oliveira out, but that's when he just thrives on being the underdog. How many times have we counted this man out, and he somehow found a way to win? From my perspective, this fight is going to be decided probably in the first three or four minutes of the first round. "Oliveira is going to get touched. Is Ilia going to touch him with something that puts him out cold or is going to hurt him, and then he somehow finds a way to fight back? That's the main thing with this fight. If I was a betting man on this fight, and Charles Oliveira is the underdog, I mean, Charles Oliveira is one of the best fighters in the world to put money on as an underdog. That's all I'm saying. I'm not really picking a winner here. I'm not going to be surprised if Ilia wins by knockout, and I'm not going to be surprised if Charles somehow pulls it off and wins by a finish or a knockout, too. This fight should be super fun." According to DraftKings, Oliveira is a big +330 underdog against former UFC featherweight champion Topuria, who's a -425 favorite.
Time Out Abu Dhabi
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out Abu Dhabi
Robert Whittaker takes on Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi in July
Looking for a cracking night out in Abu Dhabi? Well, nothing's better than a night of high-energy MMA, no? This summer, Abu Dhabi's sporting calendar gets another adrenaline-fuelled boost as UFC Fight Night returns to Etihad Arena on Saturday July 26. Headlining the card is a face-off fans have been itching to see: former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker takes on undefeated submission ace Reinier de Ridder. But that's not all. The undercard is stacked with thrilling matchups: Sharaputdin Magomedov vs Marc-André Barriault (Middleweight): This could end up being the fight of the night. Magomedov vs Barriault Ramazan Temirov vs Asu Almabayev (Flyweight): Expect speed, precision and fireworks. Almabayev vs Temirov Ibo Aslan vs Billy Elekana (Light Heavyweight): This one's got KO written all over it. Aslan vs Elekana Whether you enjoy the thrill of the energy-building in the house or clean strikes, this event's got all the makings of a crowd-pleaser, so you have to have it in your diary. Doors open from 5.30pm at Etihad Arena, so you'll have plenty of time to settle in before the action kicks off. Want to catch all the action ringside? Tickets are now on sale at – and if you want to go full VIP, has you covered with premium seating, backstage access and athlete meet-and-greets. From F1 to fight nights, the capital knows how to put on a show, and there's always more where that came from. With a year-round calendar packed with big-name events, Abu Dhabi makes it easy to find something that suits your vibe, whether you're after high-octane action or just pure entertainment. So it's safe to say that the capital is an all-in-one holiday destination. See you there? Book your tickets: From Dhs295. Sat Jul 26, from 5.30pm. Etihad Arena.
What's On
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- What's On
UFC Fight Night returns to Abu Dhabi this July – here's how to get your tickets
Get ready, fight fans — UFC Fight Night is returning to Abu Dhabi on Saturday, July 26, and it's shaping up to be one of the most anticipated sporting events of the summer. Taking place at Etihad Arena, this epic night of action will be headlined by an explosive clash between former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and former ONE Championship king Reinier de Ridder. It's a matchup that promises world-class talent, intensity, and edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Abu Dhabi has earned its place as one of the world's most exciting sporting destinations, and UFC Fight Night is just one of the many global events that proves it. Whether you're a die-hard MMA fan or just in it for the atmosphere, this is the kind of adrenaline-fuelled night that's made for your summer calendar. Beyond the octagon, Abu Dhabi offers a full line-up of experiences. From cultural escapes to beachside retreats and five-star dining, the capital has everything you need to turn your UFC weekend into an unforgettable getaway. Tickets are on sale now, with seating across eight categories starting from Dhs295. Don't wait — this is one event you don't want to miss. Date: 26 July Location: Etihad Arena Time: Doors open 17:30 Ticket Link: book here > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Aaron Pico's UFC debut set against undefeated Movsar Evloev on July 26 in Abu Dhabi
Aaron Pico's UFC era officially begins next month in Abu Dhabi on July 26 at the Etihad Arena. A bumper UFC Fight Night will see the American make his long-awaited UFC debut against undefeated contender Movsar Evloev in a must-watch featherweight five-round showdown with serious title-shot implications. This isn't Pico's first walk to the Octagon—the longtime MMA featherweight standout was a high-profile free-agent signing by the UFC earlier this year. There will be no soft entry into the UFC for Pico. He's diving straight into the deep end against a man many believe is overdue his shot at the featherweight crown. The 28-year-old is clearly taking this matchup against Evloev — who is riding a nine-fight win streak in the UFC since his 2019 debut — very seriously, coming in exceptionally prepared and in phenomenal shape. Evloev, meanwhile, has quietly dismantled some of the featherweight division's toughest names including Arnold Allen, Diego Lopes, Dan Ige, and most recently, former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Aaron Pico is known for his devastating knockout power, with 11 of his 13 career wins coming by stoppage. Pico is known for his devastating knockout power, with 11 of his 13 career wins coming by stoppage. On the other side, Evloev is a master technician, renowned for his relentless pressure and precision. While this is billed as a classic striker vs. grinder matchup, both fighters have evolved in recent bouts, suggesting this could develop into a far more tactical battle than expected. A win for Pico would immediately shake up the UFC featherweight division, while triumph for Evloev would surely secure him the long-awaited title shot he deserves. With one month to go, the stakes couldn't be higher—Aaron Pico vs. Movsar Evloev isn't just a co-main event, it's a springboard to stardom. This is one fight that simply can't be missed! The Pico vs. Evloev fight is part of a stacked card headlined by former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, who faces highly-rated Dutch standout Reinier de Ridder. Meanwhile, former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan aims to extend his winning streak to three—but heavy-handed foe Marcus McGhee stands in his way in a three-round clash.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
If you don't know UFC 317's Jacobe Smith, now's the time to pay attention
The first big knockout of the 2025 came from Jacobe Smith, a fighter fresh off the Contender Series, who blasted a left hand through the head of Preston Parsons at a UFC Fight Night on Jan. 11. We say 'through' because the shot was so clean that, well, it was like the proverbial hot knife through butter. In fact, that left hand just kind of kept going, as if Parsons' head wasn't even its final destination. Six long months later, Smith is finally making his return to action at UFC 317, where he'll face Niko Price on Saturday night's preliminary card. That punch to kick off the year, it turns out, was money. Smith finds himself as much as an 25-to-1 favorite on BetMGM over a foe with nine times as many fights in the UFC. Advertisement And if you talk to 'Cobe,' as he's known, you get the idea that he's one of the best-kept secrets in the welterweight division. 'I understand what [Price] is and I understand my capabilities,' Smith says, 'and if you know me — if you've followed me through my wrestling career — I could wrestle a trash-ass opponent or the number one guy in the country, and either one of those matches could be close. It's more so focusing on me and what I want to do — and once I figure that out, it ain't no stopping me.' Confident? Maybe, but bursting at the seams might be more like it. Smith is anxious for fans to see what Vegas already knows — which is that he's a dark horse to make some serious noise in a division already teeming with contenders. To understand that dark horse status, you have to work backward. Advertisement Smith lives in Crandall, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. He trains at Fortis MMA, which is half an hour from his house, and near enough to his combat roots, as he was a standout collegiate wrestler at Oklahoma State University. It was his wrestling buddy (and former Bellator fighter) Kyle Crutchmer who introduced Smith to Daniel Cormier, a fellow OSU Cowboy. The two became fast friends. Smith has trained with Cormier and the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov up in California whenever he can. At one point he was even signed to fight in Nurmagomedov's Eagle FC, but the pandemic prevented him from ever debuting. Still, he has raced out to a 10-0 professional MMA record, including two wins thus far under the UFC umbrella, one of which came on the aforementioned Contender Series. The wrestling pedigree is in his back pocket. Advertisement But the hands might be the difference-makers. Those hands, he says, came from trading with his older brother, Lonnie Wilson, who was a Golden Gloves boxing champion. It was hang or be hung. 'He was three or four years older than me, too' he says. 'And my daddy was so hype, he was always, 'Get your ass up, let's train.' I'm like, dude, I don't train.' This is where we work backward some more to understand where Smith is now. Smith's father was a football player who was drafted by the Oakland Raiders, and his mother was a volleyball player in the Junior Olympics. Athletes all around him, but Smith didn't train because he couldn't. At least not until he was around 12 or so. He was born with asthma. It was so severe that the doctors told him he wouldn't be able to compete. Advertisement 'I couldn't walk up the stairs to go to my room as a kid a lot because it would f*** me up,' he says. 'My parents didn't know what to do. I was in the hospital pretty much my whole life, couldn't breathe. I remember being a kid and times were so hard that I would — I knew how to make myself go unconscious because I couldn't breathe in my normal state. So I knew how to basically put myself to sleep. And once I grew out of that, my body was just so conditioned to the hard life that this regular fighting was easy.' It was a gradual escalation from losing his breath just walking up the steps to getting to the point where he could run. Then he could hang with other kids in sports. Then he could box with his brother. Then he could find the wind to begin distinguishing himself as an athlete. Jacobe Smith strolls away after a knockout victory over Preston Parsons in his UFC debut. (Chris Unger via Getty Images) 'I started with football, and I did track, and then wrestling was the Christmas season and that was pretty much the last one of that year,' he says. 'But I did everything. As soon as the doctors released me, I tried football track, soccer, basketball and wrestling. And wrestling was what I fell in love with.' Advertisement These days Smith sees his early struggles with asthma as a silver lining to his supreme conditioning. He says it 'calloused' him up to where he's 'five or 10 steps ahead' of the field. It's been a wild ride going from not being able to breathe as a kid to outlasting opponents on wrestling mats. His path was hard enough that he sees professional MMA as almost a reprieve. 'Wrestling is way harder,' he says. 'It is just way more high-maintenance due to every weekend I'm making weight, every weekend I'm cutting that weight and cutting my body, depleting it. 'But outside of that, I feel like I've mastered fighting to a sense, where I can put that pressure on people without them being able to put it back on me. My biggest obstacle is dodging the strikes before I get into where I want to get. My instincts are f***ing fire.' Advertisement Confident? Maybe, but carrying a chip on his shoulder might be more like it. That knockout that he scored on Parsons — a thing of pure and violent beauty — didn't come with a bonus, after all. 'No sir, it didn't,' he says. 'I feel like that, I mean, first knockout of the year, 2025, I was the first knockout on the card, and they gave it to the other person (Cesar Almeida). I watched the card back and everything — it should have been me, but nobody looked as skilled as me. Everybody else was sloppy.' This weekend is another chance. Price has shown a propensity to stand in the pocket and trade. For a long stretch he was a feast or famine fighter. The opportunity will be there for Smith, who is close to showing up on the welterweight radar. Should he do to Price what he did to Parsons, people might be talking about the dark horse, Jacobe Smith. Advertisement 'I'm so used to being looked over and not given what I deserve, that I don't care what it is,' Smith says. 'I could take the hardest route. Nobody ain't going to be able to do nothing with me. I say you throw me one of them Russians and see if their wrestling can stick up with mine or if I got to rely on that. 'But I don't think any of these regular strikers are going to have anything for me. These regular jiu-jitsu guys aren't going to have nothing for me because I manage my energy so well. You ain't going to catch me gassed or f***ing struggling for something that I need, because I'm ahead of the curve.'
