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We have all the video highlights and submission finishes from UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5.

It wasn’t the tidal shift in BJJ that Dana White had initially promised, but Fight Pass Invitational 5 was a solid night of grappling with a lot of entertaining matches.

The event was originally set to be headlined by a Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz grappling match, but injuries to both fighters scrapped that. Then Gordon Ryan was set to face Mason Fowler, but an injured rib took him off too. St-Pierre and Ryan still showed up for commentary duties over the night.

Make sure to check out our UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5 play-by-play and results post for all the nitty gritty detail from the night. We’ll just set things up and let the video highlights do the rest of the talking.

In the main event, three time IBJJF world champion Nicholas Meregali submitted ADCC absolute champion Felipe Pena in overtime with a rear-naked choke. Pena was so tired by the end that he immediately tapped after Meregali got a hand under his neck.

In the co-main, Nicky Rodriguez aka Nicky Rod beat Yuri Simoes via points, and the main note from this match was how strange the Fight Pass Invitational scoring system is. Inactivity was heavily penalized with point deductions, but pretty erratically and unevenly. Even the commentary team noted that the negative point system didn’t make much sense. After being down on points early, Rodriguez would mount Simoes multiple times for the win by a 3 to -2 score.

He then called out Gordon Ryan, suggesting the two men put up $ 50,000 each with the winner taking the $ 100,000 spoils. The callout (and match highlights) below:

Check out all the finishes from further down the card:

Fowler def. Rida by submission (kimura)

Hugo def. Manasoiu by submission (americana)

Clay def. Monteiro by submission (heel hook)

From the undercard:

Rocha def. Silverio by submission (rear naked choke)

Wilson def. Guzman by submission (triangle armbar)

Goldy def. Mazza by submission (triangle armbar)

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Though it lost its featured attractions, UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5 remains on track to hit your screens tonight (Sun., Dec. 10, 2023) with a hefty lineup of Brazilian jiu-jitsu elites.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of the main card below, as well as quick results for the rest of the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5 main card starting at 8 p.m. ET.

The original main event saw Gordon Ryan — arguably the greatest grappler on Earth — battle Fight Pass Invitational 3 winner, Mason Fowler. With Ryan out of commission (details here), Nicholas Meregali vs. Felipe Pena gets top billing, while Yuri Simoes battles Nicky Rodriguez in the co-feature and the aforementioned Fowler meets Haisam Rida.

Former UFC Welterweight champion, Georges St. Pierre — who was forced out of a clash with old rival Nick Diaz due to a shoulder injury — will be on the mic.

UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5 Quick Results:

Nicholas Meregali vs. Felipe Pena
Yuri Simoes vs. Nicky Rodriguez
Mason Fowler vs. Haisam Rida
Nicky Ryan vs. Jonnatas Gracie
Victor Hugo vs. Dan Manasoiu
Luiza Monteiro vs. Elisabeth Clay
Vagner Rocha vs. Victor Silverio
Cristian Guzman vs. Aaron Wilson — Wilson def. Guzman by submission (triangle armbar)
Amanda Mazza vs. Hannah Goldy — Goldy def. Mazza by submission (triangle armbar)
Andy Varela vs. Achilles Rocha — Rocha def. Varela by points (2 to -1)

UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5 Live Coverage:

Absolute: Nicholas Meregali vs. Felipe Pena

Final result:

Absolute: Yuri Simoes vs. Nicky Rodriguez

Final result:

Absolute: Mason Fowler vs. Haisam Rida

Final result:

170 lbs.: Nicky Ryan vs. Jonnatas Gracie

Final result:

Absolute: Victor Hugo vs. Dan Manasoiu

Final result:

145 lbs.: Luiza Monteiro vs. Elisabeth Clay

Final result:

For more grappling news and notes click here.

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After weeks of speculation, a hotly contested bantamweight contender bout between Cejudo and Dvalishvili has been announced for February 17th.

It’s official! Henry Cejudo and Merab Dvalishvili will clash in a bantamweight scrap at UFC 298 in Anaheim, California.

The news was announced by Setana Sports and confirmed by Henry Cejudo on his YouTube channel.

“The cat is officially out of the bag,” he said. “That’s right, I’ll be fighting Merab Dvalishvili on February 17th, UFC 298. I mean, we all saw this coming. This fight’s going to decide who’s actually going to fight the eventual winner of [Marlon] Chito Vera and Sean O’Malley.”

“I’m excited, and I’m not sure if we’re going to co-headline this fight with Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski, but either way this fight is absolutely going to be bonkers.”

Ilia Topuria was on hand for UFC Vegas 83 on Saturday night and he shared his thoughts on the match-up.

“Yes, that’s what they offer me, I say yes, and I don’t know when we are fighting, what day, but I’m ready,” he told ESPN’s Heidi Androl. “I’m training every day, and I’m ready for fighting. [The hand] is good, it’s finally feeling good. It’s still not 100%, but I’m training, I’m sparring, I’m punching, wrestling, I’m doing everything and the hand is good now.”

“I give him respect and I give all my opponents respect, especially Henry Cejudo,” Merab added. “He was the greatest champion, and he was when Aljamain beat him. I’m excited, this is big test for me and I don’t know if I need tests any more because I have 9 fight win streak and I beat everyone they put in front of me. I think I deserve to fight title fight. But they give me another test.”

No promises have been made thus far from the UFC regarding a title shot for the winner of Cejudo vs. Dvalishvili. It would be hard for them to deny Merab though if he beats “Triple C” for his 10th win in a row. On the other side of the equation, bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley faces Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 299 on March 9th in Miami, Florida.

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Welp, so much for Georges St-Pierre making and epic comeback at UFC 300.

St-Pierre was supposed to return to active competition tonight (Sun., Dec. 10, 2023) at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5 against Nick Diaz inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada; however, an injury to both former UFC fighters scrapped the highly-anticipated grappling match (full details here).

Nevertheless, “GSP” will still be in attendance for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament because he is commentating for the event. And, during the weigh-ins for the event, UFC’s former two-division champion stepped inside the world-famous Octagon for the first time in years.

And “Rush” was recorded doing his famous entrance.

Check out the video below:

“I haven’t stepped foot in the UFC octagon in a very long time. And no, I am not coming back,” St-Pierre wrote.

As you can see, St-Pierre ended the rumors of his unexpected return to mixed martial arts (MMA). There were whispers that he and Diaz would rematch next year at UFC 300, but that is apparently a no-go.

A Twitter user even asked about UFC 300 (tentatively planned for April 2024), and he responded, “No chance!”

Of course, there is always a chance of “GSP” playing dumb, and there will be a huge announcement next year of his return (like this), but as of now, the Canadian legend plans to remain retired.

Hopefully, he will grapple with Diaz sometime next year, though.

It will be so much fun.

For complete live UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5 results, including move-by-move match updates, click here.

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Song Yadong left nothing to the imagination last night (Sat., Nov. 18, 2023) at UFC Vegas 83 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the bantamweight contender completely dominated Chris Gutierrez over the course of five hard-fought rounds.

In addition to the bantamweight headliner, UFC Vegas 83 provided fight fans with a collection of high-level finishes, back-and-forth wars, and dominant performances. Check them out below and let us know which one stood out the most:

• Tatsuro Taira pushed his undefeated UFC record to 5-0 with a blistering TKO stoppage over Carlos Hernandez (watch HERE)
• Lightweight power puncher Steve Garcia captured his third-straight knockout finish inside of the Octagon with a bloody stoppage over Melquizael Costa (highlights HERE)
• Khalil Rountree pushed his light heavyweight win streak to five with a dominant third-round TKO stoppage over former title challenger Anthony Smith (watch HERE)
• Veteran Tim Elliott stepped up on short notice and delivered a gnarly first-round submission over flyweight prospect Su Mudaerji
• Lightweight striker Nasrat Haqparast looked as sharp as ever with a first-round TKO stoppage over Jamie Mullarkey
• Flyweight prospect Hyun Sung Park appears to be the real deal after turning in a second-round TKO over Shannon Ross

In order to sift through the action and see which fighters took home an extra $ 50,000, we take a closer look at the official UFC Vegas 83 post-fight bonus winners below:

• Performance of the Night: Nasrat Haqparast
• Performance of the Night: Hyun Sung Park
• Performance of the Night: Tim Elliott
• Performance of the Night: Khalil Rountree Jr.

For complete UFC Vegas 83 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to its APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the UFC Vegas 83 mixed martial arts (MMA) event TONIGHT (Sat., Dec. 9, 2023), streaming LIVE on ESPN+. UFC Vegas 83 will be headlined by the 135-pound showdown between bantamweight bruisers Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez, with a potential spot in the division Top 10 up for grabs. Before that five-round clash of styles gets underway, former 205-pound title challenger, Anthony Smith, steps up on short notice to battle light heavyweight wrecking ball, Khalil Rountree Jr., in UFC Vegas 83’s co-main event. Elsewhere on the card, lightweight mainstays Nasrat Haqparast and Jamie Mullarkey hook ‘em up at 155 pounds, not long after Andre Muniz and Jun Yong Park collide at bantamweight.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 83 fight card below, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 10 p.m. ET. Bet on all the UFC Vegas 83 action with our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook right here.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Song vs. Gutierrez.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC Vegas 83 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action).

UFC VEGAS 83 QUICK RESULTS:

Yadong Song vs. Chris Gutierrez
Anthony Smith vs. Khalil Rountree
Sumudaerji vs. Tim Elliott
Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jamie Mullarkey
Andre Muniz vs. Junyong Park
Kevin Jousset vs. Song Kenan
Hyun Sung Park vs. Shannon Ross
Melquizael Costa vs. Steve Garcia
Stephanie Egger vs. Luana Santos — Santos def. Egger by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Carlos Hernandez vs. Tatsuro Taira — Taira def. Hernandez by TKO (punches) at 0:55 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS!
Talita Alencar vs. Rayanne Amanda — Alencar def. Amanda by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

UFC VEGAS 83 PLAY-BY-PLAY:

135 lbs.: Yadong Song vs. Chris Gutierrez

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Round 4:

Round 5:

Final result:

205 lbs.: Anthony Smith vs. Khalil Rountree

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Final result:

135 lbs.: Sumudaerji vs. Tim Elliott

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Final result:

155 lbs.: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jamie Mullarkey

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Final result:

185 lbs.: Andre Muniz vs. Jun Yong Park

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Final result:

170 lbs.: Kevin Jousset vs. Song Kenan

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Final result:

125 lbs.: Hyun Sung Park vs. Shannon Ross

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Final result:

155 lbs.: Melquizael Costa vs. Steve Garcia

Round 1: Long 1-2 lands for Garcia, who checks a leg kick. He overextends and Costa ties up, looking for the back. Trying to slip in a second hook. Costa hits a takedown, but can’t keep him down. One minute in. Costa keeping the rear body lock as Garcia fights his hands. Knees to the butt. Two minutes in. Costa keeps trying to slip in the hooks but just can’t do so. Costa wrenches him down, still can’t keep him there. Two minutes to go.

Garcia avoiding the back take but can’t escape. Another brief mat return by Costa. One minute to go. This continues until the bell, when Costa lands a big elbow. 10-9 Costa.

Round 2:

Round 3:

Final result:

135 lbs.: Stephanie Egger vs. Luana Santos

Round 1: Egger pressuring, Santos looking to keep her at bay with straight shots. 1-2 from Santos, who tries to flurry a minute in. Lead right from Egger, Santos latches onto her glove, and they have to pause a moment to deal with a wardrobe malfunction. Body shots from Santos. She’s sloppy but Egger’s a step behind anyway. Two minutes in. Egger clinches up and Santos puts her on the fence, briefly considering a throw. Knees from Santos. Two minutes to go.

Santos continuing to grind against the fence. Egger grabs double overhooks and looks for knees. Egger with the better knees at the moment. One minute to go. Ref wants more action. Santos tries a throw, no dice, continues to grind. 10-9 Santos.

Round 2: Egger goes back to plodding after Santos. She throws herself off-balance on a whiffed punch and eats a knee on the way up. Egger wades into the clinch and puts her on the fence. They trade knees before separating a minute in. Body kick from Santos. Egger pressuring, lands an ugly right, eats one in return. Decent jab, nice flurry. Santos tries a throw and puts her on the fence. Two minutes in. Knees from Egger. Santos muscles her down into side control and looks for the back as Egger rises. Back elbow by Egger. Two minutes to go.

Egger tries to get the Thai clinch, settles for kneeing the body. She exits with a body kick. Nice jab. One minute to go. Santos looking tired. They trade jabs and Egger tries to follow with a right. Big uppercut from Egger kicks off a combination, most of which lands clean. Santos puts her on the fence. Elbow from Egger. 10-9 Egger.

Round 3: Egger walking her down as usual. Lead right and jab from Santos. They trade in the clinch and Santos hits a head-and-arm throw into scarf hold. Egger trying to take her back, makes it to her feet a minute in and puts her on the fence. Santos lands some knees and reverse. Egger trying to attack while smushed against the fence. Two minutes in. Short knees from Santos. Ref breaks them up and Santos looks completely exhausted. Santos still punching but Egger’s putting together some volume. Two minutes to go.

Egger pauses her stalking to stare at her for a second, then Santos puts her on the fence again. Knees to the thigh from Santos. One minute to go. Ref breaks them up again. Santos wades back into the clinch and Egger gets a body lock, looking for the back. One hook in. Egger hunts for the choke and lands strikes until the bell. 10-9 Egger.

Final result: Santos def. Egger by unanimous decision

125 lbs.: Carlos Hernandez vs. Tatsuro Taira

Round 1: Lots of feints from both sides. Taira slips and Hernandez tries to jump on him, but Taira hits a deep half guard sweep to kick off a wild scramble. It ends with Hernandez pressing Taira against the fence a minute in. He tries to heave Taira to the mat and somehow contrives to land in bottom side control. Two minutes in. Hernandez regains half guard, Taira immediately trying to pass to mount, denied. Solid elbow from Taira. To mount he goes, looking for the arm triangle. Two minutes to go.

Taira still trying to set up the arm triangle, then postures to drop punches. Now the back, flattening Hernandez out. Nice elbow as Hernandez tries to scramble, then looking for the RNC with the body triangle. One minute to go. Hernandez doing everything he can to try and scramble but Taira’s riding beautifully, pounding away as Hernandez works to free himself. Booming right hand by Taira after getting caught in half guard. One more for the road. 10-9 Taira.

Round 2: 1-2 from Taira. Hernandez trying to pressure. Massive lead right from Taira and Hernandez short-circuits. Taira jumps on him and swarms with a vicious barrage, forcing the ref into action and leaving Hernandez with a bloody mask.

Final result: Taira def. Hernandez by TKO (punches)

115 lbs.: Talita Alencar vs. Rayanne Amanda

Round 1: Alencar flicks out some kicks, then tries a single-leg that Amanda defends. Solid lead right by Alencar. One minute in. Big right hand from Amanda as they exchange. Two right hands by Amanda land back to back. 1-2. Two minutes in. Low kick lands for Alencar, her first clean shot in a while. Alencar ducks a left hand and looks for a single-leg, then switches to a body lock. Amanda reverses against the fence and eats a knee on the break. Both whiff with big swings. Amanda catches a body kick and both land well before separating. Amanda 1-1-2 with two minutes to go.

Sharp 1-2 by Amanda and Alencar’s got a mouse under her left eye. Two more big winging rights, then another. Alencar forces her back with a 1-2. Big counter right from Amanda kicks off a combo and she follows with an overhand right. One minute to go. Left hook from Alencar to end a long lull. She shoots, lands a knee, eats punches on the break. Amanda marching after her and swinging heat. Flurry lands in the final seconds and a flying knee just misses at the bell. 10-9 Amanda.

Round 2: Alencar slips throwing a kick, then butt-scoots after Amanda, who lets her up. Alencar looking for kicks. One minute in. Long lull in the action. Low kick from Amanda, 1-2 behind it. They trade in the center, neither lands clean. Two minutes in and it’s a sparring match so far. They trade in the center. Alencar punches her way into the clinch. Knees to the thigh against the fence. Two minutes to go.

Alencar trips her down into half guard after a bit. Looking for the kimura with a minute to go. She abandons it and stands over Amanda, who fires upkicks. Hard right hands from Alencar piling up. 10-9 Alencar.

Round 3: Alencar on the front foot. Counter right lands for Amanda, who denies a level change. One minute in. Alencar falls short with some punches. Alencar ducks a right hand and takes Amanda to the fence, but Amanda shoves her off and lands a looping haymaker on the break. Two minutes in. Both whiff with flurries. Clean counter right by Amanda. Amanda whiffs big on an overhand right and Alencar lets out a war cry. Alencar shoots again, denied again with two minutes to go.

Amanda 1-2 falls just short, as does Alencar’s right hand. Low kick from Amanda. Jabs landing for her. One minute to go. Another stiff jab by Amanda. They exchange, light connections from Amanda. Alencar falls short with a three-piece and fails on a single-leg. Both swinging wild, solid right hand lands for Amanda. They slug it out and Alencar changes levels before the bell. 10-9 Amanda.

Final result: Alencar def. Amanda by split decision

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 83 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here.

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The always entertaining Ebanie Bridges will be back in action later tonight (Sat., Dec. 9, 2023) live on DAZN from inside Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., and she’ll have Conor McGregor backing her up.

Bridges, who is known for her work on OnlyFans and inside of the ring, is the current IBF female bantamweight champion of the world. The 37-year-old fighter has made headlines over the past two years for her risqué weigh ins and pre-fight antics. However, Bridges has really began to shine inside of the ring, culminating in four-straight wins including a recent TKO victory over Shannon O’Connell in Dec. 2022 to defend her IBF bantamweight title (watch HERE).

With growing success Bridges has been able to raise her overall boxing stock and social media following. In turn, she has attracted the likes of Conor McGregor, who will be sponsoring “Blonde Bomber” this weekend with his Forged Irish Stout brand. McGregor has become quite chummy with Bridges and is quickly becoming one of her biggest fans.

On Friday, Bridges stepped on stage for another revealing weigh-in and a successful cut down to 117 pounds. This time around, the IBF champion showed off a Forged Irish Stout tattoo on her stomach. Most were looking at Bridges body because of what she was wearing (or rather not wearing) so it was perfect product placement.

Check it out at the top of the page and a social media message from Bridges below:

“Huge shout out and appreciation post for the @ForgedIrish crew and the main man @TheNotoriousMMA.

I’m so grateful for your support not just for me but for boxing/combat sports as a whole. Thank you for giving back, and supporting the industry.

Thank you for being by my side and in my corner while I chase my dreams.

I’m so proud to be a part of the forged army and I can’t wait to smash a forged Irish stout after I smash my opponent tonight.”

Bridges, who made her rise as a Golden Gloves boxer in Australia, will be matched up against Miyo Yoshida on the DAZN PPV main card. The 35-year-old Yoshida is 16-4 overall, but has won just two out of her past five trips to the ring. This will be Bridges’ fight to lose.

For “Haney vs. Prograis” results, live stream fight updates click here.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back inside the friendly confines of UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada to stage UFC Vegas 83 later TONIGHT (Sat., Dec. 9, 2023) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Headlining the ESPN+-streamed event will be a pivotal Bantamweight bout between Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez. In the co-headlining bout, Anthony Smith will face off against Khalil Rountree in a Light Heavyweight affair.

What’s Hot:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

When it comes to under-the-radar contenders, at the moment they may not get better than Song Yadong. Ranked No. 7 in the 135-pound division, Yadong has racked up an impressive 9-2-1 record inside the Octagon, scoring big wins over the likes of Marlon Vera and Marlon Moraes along the way. At 4-1 in his last five with his lone loss coming against Cory Sandhagen, Yadong is n the cusp of breaking into the Top 5 and putting his name into the title picture. But as hot as Yadong has been, Chris Gutierrez has been on a great run himself and has a record of 8-2-1. Currently holding down the No. 15 spot on the official UFC rankings, Gutierrez is looking to make a huge leap into the Top 10 with a win over “The Kung Fu Kid.”

These two fighters are so similar in more ways than one. Yadong is 20-7-1 as a pro, while Gutierrez is 25-5-2. Yadong has nine knockouts with three submissions, and Gutierrez nine knockouts with one submission. They are both well-rounded and have an mixed bag of tricks to get the job done. I will give Yadong the power advantage here, so Gutierrez needs to be careful not to be lured into an all-out striking battle if he wants to come out on top. It’s not to say he can’t strike himself, but getting in and out is the name of the game here.

What’s Not:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Junyong Park is currently on a four-fight win streak with three straight submissions, yet UFC matchmakers felt that scheduling him against Andre Muniz — who is on a two-fight losing streak — was the fight to make. I really don’t like this fight for Park because it’s big risk with little reward. Nevertheless, he still has to get in there and handle business and make sure he isn’t taking Muniz lightly based on his recent woes.

Original Card vs. Actual Card:

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Khalil Rountree was originally set to face Azamat Murzakanov at UFC Austin before he was forced out of the fight with pneumonia. As a result, Rountree was moved to this event and will now face Anthony Smith. Also, Daniel Marcos was unable to clear his visa issues in order to make in to Las Vegas on time to take part in his 135-pound fight against Carlos Vera. The promotion opted to not book a last-minute replacement, so there is a strong possibility that this fight will be re-booked for another event before year’s end.

Injuries:

Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Petr Yan was initially slated to face Song Yadong in the headlining act but was forced out with an injury and replaced by Chris Gutierrez. Allan Nascimento withdrew from his fight against Su Mudaerji with an undisclosed injury. As a result, Tim Elliott agreed to step in on short notice for the Bantamweight fight. Elliott is coming off a tough loss to Muhammad Mokaev, but has quietly gone 4-2 as a Flyweight over his last six fights. As for Mudaerji, he was submitted by Matt Schnell in his most-recent fight, snapping his three-fight losing streak.

New Blood:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Rayanne Amanda and Talita Alencar will throw down on the “prelims” in the lone battle of newcomers at this event. Amanda is currently riding a three-fight win streak and is coming in from Invicta FC, which is still going strong. Amanda is a submission specialist with eight wins in that manner, to go along with two knockouts. As for Alencar, she just started her pro career in 2021 and went 4-0 with three submissions before fighting a to a draw in her fight against Stephanie Luciano on the Contender Series earlier this year.

How The ‘Prelims’ Look:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Tatsuro Taira does not need to be buried on the “prelims,” so hopefully he ca get some main card love if he comes out on top and wins his fifteenth straight fight when he battles Carlos Hernandez in a Flyweight fight. Taira is 15-0 and has won four straights fights inside the Octagon, two via submission. His opponent, meanwhile, is 2-1 inside the Octagon and was last seen defeating Denys Bondar via unanimous decision this past summer.

Melquizael Costa vs. Steve Garcia will collide on the undercard. “Melk” is currently 1-1 and is coming off a win over Austin Lingo this past summer, so he is looking to build off that momentum against a man who is on a two-fight win streak. Mean machine is coming off an impressive TKO win over Nuerdanbieke Shayilan (say that fast three times), and previous defeated Chase Hooper.

Luana Santos had herself an impressive showing in her UFC debut, defeating Julianna Miller via first-round TKO three months ago for her third straight win. As for Egger, she is just 1-2 in her last three fights inside the eight-sided care and is coming off a loss to Irina Alekseeva.

Sung Hyun Park impressed during his run and eventual winning of Road to UFC, and will now attempt to move to 4-0 inside the Octagon. He has earned seven finishes in all eight of his wins, so if Shannon Ross wants to be the first man to hand him a loss, he will have to be sharp on all fronts. And he hasn’t been that at all, losing his first two fights inside the Octagon, chances he earned even after losing on the Contender Series. He needs a win pretty badly here to avoid the chopping block.

In the Welterweight division, Kevin Jousset will attempt to pick up his fifth straight win, second inside the Octagon, when he battles Kenan Song, who recently snapped his two-fight losing streak by defeating Rolando Bedoya. Song showed flashes of being a potential title contender, but his recent slump really took some wind out of his sails.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

As mentioned earlier, Andre Muniz has seen better days inside the Octagon. After starting his UFC career at 5-0, he has now dropped two straight fights, and a third consecutive defeat could be detrimental for his UFC future. Unfortunately for him, he will be facing on a red-hot fighter in Junyong Park, winner of four straight. Another loss could be the end for Muniz, unless he can put on an epic performance in defeat. The same can be said for Shannon Ross, who we previously mentioned has come up short in his first two fights with the promotion.

Interest Level: 5/10

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

In the co-main event Khalil Rountree will battle Anthony Smith in a pivotal fight at 205 pounds. Rountree is currently the No. 11 ranked fighter in the Light Heavyweight division and is enjoying a quite four-fight win streak, three of which he earned via technical knockout (TKO). He was last seen finishing Chris Daukaus last August and is looking to crack the Top 10 with a win over Smith.

Speaking of which, “Lionheart” is holding down the No. 8 spot and recently snapped his two-fight losing streak by edging out Ryan Spann via split-decision three months ago. The former 205-pound title contender can build himself some major momentum and get right back into the thick of it with an impressive win over “The War Horse.” Both men have made their bread in the striking department, and I don’t expect things to chance come fight night.

Nasrat Haqparast will take on Jamie Mullarkey in a highly-intriguing Lightweight bout. Haqparast has had a n odd win-loss patter since 2020. He will win two in a row, lose two straight, and then win two straight, where he currently is. If history tells us anything it means he is due for a loss…but that’s why they fight. He will look to break that pattern and pick up consecutive win number three. As for Mullarkey, he has gone an impressive 5-2 over his last seven fights and is coming off a big win over John Makdessi. Both men have their work cut out for them if they want to get close to a Top 15 ranking, but a win here will go a long way.

Enjoy the fights!

Full UFC Vegas 83 Fight Card:

UFC Vegas 83 Main Event On ESPN+:

135 lbs.: Yadong Song vs. Chris Gutierrez

UFC Vegas 83 Main Card on ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET):

205 lbs.: Anthony Smith vs. Khalil Rountree
125 lbs.: Su Mudaerji vs. Tim Elliott (not Allan Nascimento)
155 lbs.: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jamie Mullarkey
185 lbs.: Andre Muniz vs. Junyong Park

UFC Vegas 83 Prelims Card on ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET):

170 lbs.: Kevin Jousset vs. Song Kenan
125 lbs.: Sung Hyun Park vs. Shannon Ross
135 lbs.: Stephanie Egger vs. Luana Santos
125 lbs.: Carlos Hernandez vs. Tatsuro Taira
115 lbs.: Talita Alencar vs. Rayanne Amanda
155 lbs.: Melquizael Costa vs. Steve Garcia
140 lbs.: Daniel Marcos vs. Carlos Vera — CANCELED (details here)

*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 83 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card bouts at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 10 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 83 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. For the updated and finalized “Song vs. Gutierrez” fight card and ESPN+ line up click here.

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Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

UFC 298 can’t get here soon enough as each of the event’s headliners are ultra-confident in themselves ahead of their title collision. UFC’s second pay-per-view (PPV) of 2024 will see the promotion return to Anaheim, California inside the Honda Center on Feb. 17, 2023. In the main event, the Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, returns to his throne after another failed bid at capturing Lightweight gold against Islam Makhachev. Standing in his way will be the undefeated 14-0 Spaniard, Ilia Topuria.

“The Great” feels he has somewhat of a chip on his shoulder before this pairing with Topuria. Volkanovski’s first round head-kick knockout loss (watch highlights) was a sobering experience that he topped off with an emotional venting of sorts in his post-fight scrum, leaving many to question his current strength. Without the result of that champion vs. champion rematch against Makhachev, however, Topuria still found his studies providing him all the motivation needed to dethrone Australia’s finest.

“Every day I wake up and watch film,” Topuria told ESPN Deportes’ Carlos Contreras Legaspi. “Even videos of old trainings that are available. I watched everything and I don’t know what other people see. He doesn’t stand a chance, he has zero opportunity.

“I don’t see any holes, but I can tell how he attacks,” he continued. “The only attack I see is that he is going to kick my legs. That’s the only thing he can do. He has good cardio, but everyone has good cardio when they’re not under pressure. When you’re walking forward, you’ll have good cardio. When you’re in trouble, cardio tends to fade away and this will be the case. He will have someone in front of him that never goes back.”

Topuria’s perfection inside the Octagon has come in every form. Originally known for his grappling and submission ability before he joined UFC, “El Matador” has turned into a knockout artist, who’s delivered highlight-reel finishes in three of his six UFC appearances.

The last two wins were arguably Topuria’s most impressive as he finished a then-unbeaten Bryce Mitchell via second round arm triangle (watch highlights), and went on to dominate Josh Emmett over five rounds to a unanimous decision in June 2023. Stylistically, Topuria expects to continue his artistic ways of violence once he finally gets his hands on Volkanovski.

“I think it’s perfect, it’s going to be a masterpiece,” Topuria said of how he matches up with Volkanovski. “To hit and don’t get hit. That’s what you will see in this combat, you’ll see an authentic mixed martial artist.

“I’ll be there with a lot of patience, looking for any opening,” he continued. “I’ll be there to take advantage but the most important thing for me is to stay patient all the time. Stay ready, don’t make unnecessary efforts. The finish will come without pushing it too much. I don’t have any doubt that the finish will come, and it will be one of the easier fights of my career so far.”

Insomnia

That’s a black eye if I’ve ever seen one. Time to start giving Dakota some real competition. Thank goodness for the Bellator merger.

Quite the setting you got there, Mike. Happy birthday!

I love Chael’s counter-trolling.

Those pesky supplements always getcha.

Slips, Rips, and KO Clips

Nice one.

Good night.

Nothing like a good triangle.

Double the absolute filth

Delightful violence.

Random Land

I still can’t believe that game happened, but I’m oh so happy that it did. Let football be football.

Midnight Music: A little industrial metal, 2019

Sleep well, maniacs! Andrew will be back on Monday with more martial arts madness as always.

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One of the last premier boxing matches of the year will go down tomorrow night (Sat., Dec. 9, 2023) live on DAZN from inside Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., as WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight champion Devin Haney (30-0, 15 KO) moves up in weight to challenge WBC light welterweight titleholder Regis Prograis (29-1, 24 KO).

Haney, who is widely regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the sport today, is coming off a big-time decision win over Vasyl Lomachenko his last time out. Before that, Haney was seen defeating George Kambosos Jr. in back-to-back title fights. To say he’s one of the best young stars in boxing would be an understatement.

That said, Haney will be taking a risk this weekend when he moves up to take on Prograis. The light welterweight champion is as dangerous as they come and should give Haney all the problems he can handle. After all, Prograis has finished four out of his last five wins by way of knockout.

On Friday, the two fighters came face-to-face for one final staredown and things were anything but cordial. Prograis, who will be a betting underdog this weekend despite defending his title, left nothing to the imagination. The veteran fighter took to the microphone after hitting the scales and delivered a scathing message to Haney and the California crowd.

”F—k the Haneys, f—k all y’all, y’all are crackheads,” screamed Prograis as the crowd showered him with boos.

This was pretty aggressive from Prograis, but his back will be up against the wall tomorrow night. Not only is he defending his title on enemy soil, but he’s trying to become the first fighter to ever defeat Haney. That’s a tall task even for a proven fighter like Prograis, but it’s clearly bringing out some intense emotion.

Stick with Mania for more ‘Haney vs. Prograis’ fight card news and coverage.

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