Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will come face-to-face following a special pre-fight press conference on Sun., Aug. 18, 2024 at the inaugural Fanatics Fest inside Javits Center in New York City. Taking the stage alongside the Netflix headliners, scheduled to collide in a professionally-sanctioned boxing match later this year in Texas, will be hall-of-fame quarterback Peyton Manning, who won Super Bowl championships with both Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.

Ex-gridiron great Ryan Clark will host the Aug. 18 presser while Manning is expected to just stand around being Peyton Manning.

“After eating Mike Perry as an appetizer, I’m ready to go for the main course on Friday, November 15,” Paul said. “To be fighting the biggest baddest boxer ever is a dream come true for me and it is going to be a nightmare for Mike Tyson. It’s cool to be featured at Fanatics Fest alongside some of the biggest names in sports and I look forward to delivering a show the fans won’t soon forget on Friday, November 15th.”

Paul vs. Tyson, previously scheduled for July 20, was temporarily postponed after Tyson suffered a medical emergency on a flight to Los Angeles (more on that here). That incident did no favors for event organizers, who were already getting slammed for booking “El Gallo” against a 58 year-old pugilist several years past his prime.

“When we launched Fanatics Fest earlier this year, our vision was to create a platform where sports legends and cultural icons could connect with fans in unprecedented ways,” said Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin. “Hosting the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson press conference at Fanatics Fest NYC is a testament to that vision. This event embodies the energy, excitement, and passion that we aim to bring to every Fanatics Fest experience.”

The Nov. 15 Netflix card will also feature the overdue rematch between undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor and unified featherweight titleholder Amanda Serrano. In addition, Neeraj Goyat will make his Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) debut against Brazilian bruiser Whindersson Nunes in a six-round super middleweight bout at 165 pounds.

Expect more “Paul vs. Tyson” fight card announcements in the coming weeks.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Vegas 95 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., Aug. 10, 2024) on ESPN and ESPN+ from inside APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a heavyweight main event between Top 10 title contenders Marcin Tybura and Serghei Spivac, a five-round headliner with major title implications for late 2024 and beyond.

It’s also a rematch of their 2020 affair, which ended in favor of “Tybur.”

Before we dive into the main and co-main event, which includes the featherweight banger between Chepe Mariscal and Damon Jackson, check out Andrew Richardson’s “X-Factor” breakdown for the rest of the UFC Vegas 95 main card by clicking here. Get all the latest “Tybura vs. Spivac 2” odds and betting props courtesy of DraftKings right here. For UFC Vegas 95 live results and play-by-play click here.

265 lbs.: Marcin Tybura vs. Serghei Spivac

Marcin “Tybur” Tybura
Record: 25-8 | Age: 38 | Betting line: +136
Wins: 9 KO/TKO, 7 SUB, 9 DEC | Losses: 5 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 3 DEC
Height: 6’3“ | Reach: 78” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.60 | Striking accuracy: 48%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.35 | Striking Defense: 55%
Takedown Average: 1.43 (33% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 79%
Current Ranking: No. 8 | Last fight: Submission win over Tai Tuivasa

Serghei “The Polar Bear” Spivac
Record: 16-4 | Age: 29 | Betting line: -162
Wins: 7 KO/TKO, 7 SUB, 2 DEC | Losses: 3 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 1 DEC
Height: 6’3“ | Reach: 78” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.54 | Striking accuracy: 49%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.79 | Striking Defense: 49%
Takedown Average: 4.56 (64% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 70%
Current Ranking: No. 9 | Last fight: Technical knockout loss to Ciryl Gane

Marcin Tybura has been fighting under the UFC banner for more than eight years and in that time has compiled a 12-7 record, which is kind of like 3.6 roentgen … not great, not terrible. The fact that Tybura has yet to crack the division Top 5 after eight years should tell you where his ceiling is located, evidenced by losses to Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov (both Top 5 fighters). That said, the Polish powerhouse typically performs well against the bottom half of the division or one-dimensional sluggers, like Tai Tuivasa and Walt Harris. For UFC Vegas 95, he’ll once again square off against Serghei Spivac, who like Tybura, has been around for awhile (more than five years) and can’t seem to get over the heavyweight hump.

“He for sure (improved),” Tybura said at the UFC Vegas 95 media day (watch it here). “I saw a couple of his fights, and he had a very good performance using his skills, throwing his takedowns, making submissions. I can see he gained some weight, muscles mostly, so he’s more power, more strong. For sure, he’s a different fighter.”

“It’s always excitement when the UFC calls, offers you a fight,” Tybura continued. “I’ve been here long and have lots of fights, but is still the same. I know how UFC was a big dream for me, so when I get the call, I’m always excited. Sure, I rather fight somebody that gets me closer to the top, but I feel like you can gain something in every fight.”

“I’ve been in fights where I’ve been really close to getting there, and I didn’t manage to do it, so right now I’m just trying to focus on the fight,” Tybura said. “That’s what I’m doing. It’s like my fight with Tom Aspinall, which was two fights ago. Right now, it’s like looking for some answers that I don’t know yet and look to see to be a Top 5 fighter.”

Spivac is 6-2 in eight fights since dropping a decision to Tybura at UFC Fight Night 169, just a few months before COVID-19 delivered us to the APEX era. Unfortunately, those two losses came against top-ranked heavyweight hurters Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall, proving “The Polar Bear” is not quite ready for the big time. Like Tybura, the Moldovan is well-rounded with his finishes spread equally across knockouts and submissions. His wrestling is where he really shines and Spivac currently holds the UFC record for takedown accuracy in the heavyweight division at 64.3 percent. In his first go-round with Tybura, Spivac was 0-1 in takedowns against 2-8 for “Tybur.” I would be surprised if that statistic was not flipped for this rematch because Tybura turns 39 in November and the 29 year-old Spivac is now fighting in his competitive prime.

“This is actually the first rematch of my career, so it’s not like I’ve felt this before,” Spivac said at the UFC Vegas 95 media day (watch it here). “But I don’t think about it in any certain way. We’re just close to each other in the rankings, so it is just set for us to fight again. I’m going to come out, I’m going to fight. It’s just a sport. That’s the way I feel.”

“I wasn’t as experienced back then as I was now, I was very, very young,” Spivac continued. “But I don’t want to look for excuses. He won. He won fair and square, and he did a great job back then. I think he still does a good job now. He’s a great fighter, so we’ll see what happens. But yeah, obviously it’s going to be a very different fight.”

I’m expecting a close, competitive contest that has “The Polar Bear” winning with a well-timed takedown late in the fight.

Prediction: Spivac def. Tybura by decision

145 lbs.: Jose Mariscal vs. Damon Jackson

Jose “Chepe” Mariscal
Record: 16-6, 1 NC | Age: 31 | Betting line: -218
Wins: 7 KO/TKO, 3 SUB, 6 DEC | Losses: 3 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 3 DEC
Height: 5’7“ | Reach: 69” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.70 | Striking accuracy: 52%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.68 | Striking Defense: 52%
Takedown Average: 2.35 (28% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 66%
Current Ranking: Unranked | Last fight: Split decision win over Morgan Charriere

Damon “The Leech” Jackson
Record: 23-6-1, 1 NC | Age: 36 | Betting line: +180
Wins: 4 KO/TKO, 15 SUB, 4 DEC | Losses: 4 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 1 DEC
Height: 5’11“ | Reach: 71” | Stance: Switch
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.00 | Striking accuracy: 41%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.29 | Striking Defense: 51%
Takedown Average: 2.51 (35% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 40%
Current Ranking: Unranked | Last fight: Split decision win over Alexander Hernandez

Note: The promotion’s last-minute lineup changes (more on that here) pushed Jose Mariscal vs. Damon Jackson into the co-main event, which Andrew Richardson previously covered in his X-Factor breakdown (reposted below, along with comments from both Mariscal and Jackson).

I very much enjoy watching “The Leech” fight. He’s not the most athletic man on the roster, but Jackson knows how to use his range well, and he’s quite excellent on the mat. 30 fights into his professional career, Jackson appears to still be at his best at 35 years of age, which is an impressive accomplishment in its own right.

“The way the fans, the people look at it, I’m the underdog this fight,” Jackson said at the UFC Vegas 95 media day (watch it here). “It blows my freaking mind. I’m coming out there and making a statement for sure. He’s ‘the next big thing’ — I’ve heard this story over and over.(Movlid) Khaybulaev, Pat (Sabatini), all these guys. They throw out these names. Like yeah, the kid is good. He’s tough as hell, too, and I know he’s game to fight. I know this is going to be a great fight for the fans and definitely worthy of a co-main or main event spot. It’s a tough fight. I’m not looking past him in any way. Just mentally right now and physically right now, I’m just at a different level and he can’t handle me on the ground.”

Mariscal has shown a strong mix of skills as well. He was lucky to escape with the split-decision nod in his last bout versus Morgan Charriere, but even in that difficult scrap, Mariscal showed his grit and smarts to up the pressure, wrestle, and find success when the bout started out strongly in his opponent’s favor.

“With his IQ and everything else, he’s good at calculating his takedowns and everything else,” Mariscal said at the UFC Vegas 95 media day (watch it here). “I feel like he’s not that big of a brawler and if he runs into a brawler it’s kind of like, you know, a bad end for him, and I feel like this is that kind of fight. I feel like he’s really got to use his IQ to fight me. I definitely want a finish. I think he’s looking for a finish. I feel like if you have to do good in this business, you have to be a finisher and yeah, I feel like for the second it’s going to be the goal.”

I’m expecting a close and competitive fight here. Both can compete everywhere, so it’s not as simple as one man taking down the other and easily winning. Jackson has small advantages in height and reach, as well as a large edge in overall high-level experience. Mariscal, however, is the younger and faster man, two attributes that could make a huge difference as well.

Ultimately, what has me leaning toward Mariscal is simple volume. He throws more strikes and does so in combination, whereas we’ve seen Jackson’s output fade late (against Billy Quarantillo, for example). In a close fight where neither man can outright dominate on the floor, volume is very often the deciding factor.

Prediction: Mariscal def. Jackson by decision

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the UFC Vegas 95 main card predictions RIGHT HERE.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 95 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ preliminary card matchups, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN/ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 95 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archives here and here. For the updated and finalized “Tybura vs. Spivac 2” fight card and ESPN/ESPN+ lineup click here.

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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) head coach Javier Mendez believes in his pupil Islam Makhachev.

Makhachev has risen up the pound-for-pound ranks (much to Dana White’s annoyance) on the strength of three title defenses, which includes two finishes. Currently, Makhachev rides a 14-fight win streak, and he’s more than lived up to expectations as the man to follow Khabib Nurmagomedov’s foot steps.

A rematch opposite Arman Tsarukyan was planned for October and is still likely the next step, but an injury to the champion’s hand delayed that Lightweight title defense. It’s unclear if Makhachev will still face Tsarukyan in 2024 or if UFC will opt to change the plan entirely. Either way, Mendez expects Makhachev to defend his title a fourth time, breaking the UFC Lightweight record.

“That’s a good reason to fight Arman or anybody else, and you get the most defenses in the lightweight history,” Mendez told Red Corner MMA (via MMA Junkie). “I can’t believe three is the record. That’s just amazing how it turns over.

“So many fighters have won titles there, but they never kept it more than three title defenses. So Islam will break the record, and I want to see him go down as one of the greatest of all time, and I believe he’s on track to do that.”

After Tsarukyan? Makhachev’s longterm goal has been to move up to Welterweight and become double champ. Belal Muhammad upsetting Leon Edwards complicated those plans, however. Makhachev and Muhammad are friends and training partners, so the Russian athlete isn’t as interested in that bout.

He’s flirted with the idea of going all the way up to Middleweight to face Dricus Du Plessis. That’s a 30 pound jump, but Mendez believes a properly prepared Makhachev could still find real success at 185-pounds.

“Then after that let’s see what happens,” Mendez said. “Maybe Islam gains weight and goes to 185. I mean, he’d have to gain weight, obviously, because that’s a little big for him. You never know. He’s that good. (He’s) pound-for-pound No. 1 for a reason.”

It really all depends on timing. By the time Makhachev takes on Tsarukyan and then is ready to fight again, Welterweight could have a new champion, rendering the two weight class jump unnecessary. Or, Dricus Du Plessis could lose the belt, creating a new theoretical match up entirely.

Insomnia

There is method to Jiri Prochazka’s madness.

Ilia Topuria’s brother Aleksandre (5-1) has officially signed to the UFC as a Featherweight.

Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes 2 remains one of the very best and most high-level fights in UFC history.

A new way for a face-off to go off the rails!

This clip is definitely even more legendary with just the crowd audio.

Canelo Alvarez and Renato Moicano might have the same English coach.

Taking out the base leg is a great strategy against a strong kicker.

Eagle-eyed fight fans believe Muhammad Mokaev has signed with Brave CF.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

This slick kneebar entry absolutely feels like a blast from the past.

An athletic Southpaw like Danny Barlow doesn’t need much more than a hard left hand and left kick to find major success inside the Octagon.

Running away or tactical reset?

Random Land

One of the most famous fights in anime history came across my feed in its entirety today.

Midnight Music: Prog, 1969

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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Dricus Du Plessis has a handful of challengers calling for his head.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) saw a change in Middleweight champions to kick off 2024. At UFC 297, South Africa’s Du Plessis made history as his country’s first UFC champion when he dethroned Sean Strickland via split decision (watch highlights) in January 2024. Now, Du Plessis is onto his first title defense opposite bitter rival and former two-time champion, Israel Adesanya, at UFC 305 next weekend (Sat., Aug. 17, 2024).

In the meantime, a big Middleweight contender pairing has been rebooked as another former champion, Robert Whittaker, will battle the undefeated 13-0 Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 on Oct. 26, 2024. Although Strickland has maintained he won’t fight anyone without a title on the line in his next time out, Du Plessis doesn’t see a world where “Tarzan” leapfrogs the other contenders.

“Whittaker does have the two wins,” Du Plessis told Shak MMA. “Strickland shouldn’t have been there in the first place, he got it by default and then proved that he deserved to be there. So that’s amazing. The winner of Khamzat and Whittaker is gonna get the title shot. That’s gonna happen. Strickland says he’s gonna wait until he gets a title shot. He’s gonna wait for quite a while, in my opinion.

“If Whittaker beats Khamzat, he’s 100 percent getting the title shot,” he continued. “The UFC’s been wanting to give Khamzat a title shot since his debut. Maybe if it’s a draw, Khamzat will still get the title shot. Let’s see if he makes it to the fight.”

Strickland, 33, has had the idea proposed of facing one of his fellow contenders like Whittaker (before the Chimaev fight was rebooked). Unfortunately for Strickland’s hopes, he doesn’t see how a win over “The Reaper” would help prove his worthiness as the top contender.

Having beaten both in his last two fights, Du Plessis can see cases for each. Ultimately, as the champion, “StillKnocks” will do as the fans desire.

“More deserving? Both of them are making a case,” Du Plessis said. “Whittaker, being more active, getting those wins, and Strickland when we fought, it was a close fight. Both of them are making a case, but like I said, for me, it’s about the fight the fans want to see. Which one’s going to be the biggest fight? Which one do the fans think is going to be the best fight?”

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First-round brackets for the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) were released earlier this week for the upcoming grappling tournament on Aug. 16-17 from inside Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to the $ 1 million grand prize, CJI will also pay out $ 50,000 for “Submission of the Night.”

CJI will run head-to-head with ADCC 2024, also being staged in “Sin City.”

Check out the first-round brackets below:

Under 80kg:

Tye Ruotolo vs. Jason Nolf
Roberto Jimenez vs Levi Jones-Leary
Lucas Barbosa vs. Kenta Iwamoto
Jozef Chen vs. Andy Varela

Kade Ruotolo vs. Matheus Diniz
Renato Canuto vs. Tommy Langaker
Magid Hage vs. Eoghan O’Flanagan
Nicky Ryan vs. Andrew Tackett

Over 80kg:

Nicky Rodriguez vs. Max Gimenis
Owen Livesey vs. Mahamed Aly
Adam Bradley vs. Kyle Boehm
Luke Rockhold vs. Pat Downey

Victor Hugo vs. Lucas Kanard
Inacio Santos vs. Pedro Alex
Fellipe Andrew vs. Daniel Greg Kerkvliet
William Tackett vs. Joao Gabriel Rocha

Minimum prize purse for each competitor is $ 10,001.

In addition to the bracketed showdowns, CJI will also feature a pair of super fights, starting with former ADCC champion Mackenzie Dern taking on defending ADCC gold medalist Ffion Davies. Elsewhere on the card, event organizer Craig Jones battles nine-time world champion Gabi Garcia in a special crossover match.

For much more on the upcoming CJI tourney click here.

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Alvarez signed to fight Berlanga in September, but he’s now found himself battling the UFC, Saudi Arabia, and Conor McGregor.

The Battle For Las Vegas is set with Canelo Alvarez on one side against the combined forces of UFC, Conor McGregor, and Saudi Arabia on the other.

The final showdown occurs September 14th on Mexican Independence Day weekend, where Alvarez goes head to head against the UFC. Canelo vs. Berlanga takes place in the T-Mobile Arena. UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili (aka Riyadh Season Noche UFC) occurs down the street at the extremely expensive but spectacular Sphere.

You can expect a lot of skirmishes in the five weeks remaining before the shows take place. Already we have Conor McGregor declaring UFC will ‘run Canelo off the strip’ and Riyadh Season promoter Turki Alalshikh trying to tarnish Alvarez’s reputation.

“I only target big fights at fair prices, so of course anyone who likes easy fights won’t like that,” Alalshikh tweeted on Wednesday. “And I know how [Alvarez] feels after losing to Bivol, so he’s been looking for easier fights ever since. Also, I’m not the one who’s afraid of fighting Benavidez or Crawford.”

“Therefore, I knew he was wasting our time and making excuses with big amounts of money that can’t be paid. So I’m continuing my way to make big fights that serve the boxing world, and he’s on his way to making easy show-only fights.”

Canelo, who had initially said his refusal to meet with Alalshikh had more to do with focusing on the upcoming Berlanga fight than anything else, responded to Turki’s message with laughing emojis. As for Conor McGregor’s comments?

“What’s happening is that he’s helping Dana White to sell for the UFC,” Alvarez said at a recent presser. “That’s why he’s saying that. But he knows he’s my son.”

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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

2024 has been a difficult year for former UFC Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

His sophomore boxing performance went considerable worse than his professional debut, as Anthony Joshua wasted little time in handing “The Predator” his first knockout loss in combat sports. A painful defeat was nothing compared to personal tragedy, however, as Ngannou’s 15 month old son suddenly passed just weeks later in April 2024. Ngannou has already opened up about the tremendous sadness and struggle with moving forward after the death of his child, but now there’s an official date for his return: October 19 against PFL Heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira.

It’s a return that almost didn’t happen. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Ngannou talked about having to make a decision about his professional career and the uncertainty of it all. Ultimately, however, Ngannou decided to fight on to honor his son’s memory and create something positive from the trauma.

“This is not a great moment for me,” Ngannou began (via Curtis Calhoun). “I need some activities. I need to stay active to be in a zone that I belong to. I also need to keep it going, to fight for my boy, for Kobe. The past few months hasn’t been the easiest. I think it has been by far my hardest [moment] in life. I lost my son. For some time, I felt like I didn’t even have to do this or questioning about if I should do it or fight again…

“But I want to do something good in his memory. Not to be the reason for me to quit but to be motivation and also to fight for him.”

When asked further about his potential retirement, Ngannou explained that his doubts and concerns were greater than fighting. His uncertainty was existential and more complicated than just fighting.

“It’s not that I have come close to retiring. It’s just that in this circumstance you think, you have different thoughts,” Ngannou said. “You see how fragile life is. You feel hurt, you feel powerless. You feel useless. You’re questioning about your existence, about the importance of all of this, or life in general.”

Insomnia

Some fun facts ahead of UFC Vegas 95 this weekend:

I don’t often say this about unranked Middleweights, but Brunno Ferreira is a must-watch action fighter.

Jon Jones being weird on social media? Couldn’t be!

Joaquin Buckley analyzes the rise of Alex Pereira in … unique … fashion.

Canelo isn’t impressed with or bothered by Conor McGregor yapping.

A super slick single leg takedown counter!

Walking 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) is one way to jumpstart Jiri Prochazka’s new weight cut to 185 pounds.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

As it turns out, yelling in pain is not optimal defense to any leg lock!

A sneaky gi choke:

Caught standing tall by a wide left hand swing:

Random Land

Not everybody is built for the world’s greatest games.

Midnight Music: Art rock, 1980

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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Muhammad Mokaev is the best, least wanted fighter in mixed martial arts (MMA) right now.

The 24-year-old Flyweight has been perfect in his career thus far, winning 13 of his 14 fights with the lone asterisk coming in the form of a no-contest before his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) arrival in March 2022. Unfortunately for Mokaev, a unanimous decision win over Manel Kape at UFC 304 was not his ticket to a UFC title fight as he hoped. Instead, it was Mokaev’s last with his contract expiring and UFC CEO, Dana White, immediately declining to negotiate and re-sign him.

The decision had many in the MMA community scratching their heads while others agreed with the choice because of a difference in entertainment levels. Former UFC Bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, isn’t among the latter.

“If you ask me, I think it’s f*cked up,” Sterling told The MMA Hour. “I don’t think there was any real reason to cut him. You can say the piggybacking of the fight at the P.I., but that takes two to tango.

“I know Mokaev was the first one to talk sh*t,” he continued. “Manel told him, ‘When you see me, keep that same energy.’ He saw him, tried to apologize, but Manel told him to keep that same energy, they had a fight or whatever happened, the scuffle. Fast forward, they had a fight again … and then we saw what happened at the hotel, which is kind of odd to put your arm around someone to take a picture and then sucker-punch them. I think that’s a little bit too low for me. I think that one was very, very dirty.

“Then they fought the way that they fought, which was unfortunate because the whole toe thing with Manel in that fight,” Sterling concluded. “Then you’ve got one guy who is undefeated, gets cut, it’s weird.”

As clarified, Mokaev wasn’t released but simply fought out his contract and had negotiations closed. Ultimately, Sterling’s point still stands as Mokaev is an undeniable top talent at 125 pounds.

Mokaev likely won’t be back too soon, but anything is possible if he goes out and shines with enough good performances elsewhere.

“You’ve kind of got to just do what’s best for you,” Sterling said. “Mokaev is [24] years old. It’s unfortunate that he got cut for that. I don’t think that was necessary. He more than deserved another chance and I think if he goes on the regional circuit and wins one fight, or if they just bring him back right away, it gets odd.”

Sterling, 35, will make his second appearance in the Featherweight division when he battles the undefeated 18-0 contender, Movsar Evloev, at UFC 307 on Oct. 5, 2024.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is holding a special pre-fight media day this afternoon (Weds., Aug. 7, 2024) for the upcoming UFC Vegas 95: “Tybura vs. Spivac 2” mixed martial arts (MMA) event on ESPN and ESPN+, scheduled for this Sat. night (Aug. 10) inside the promotion’s APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The LIVE video stream gets underway promptly at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Fighters scheduled to appear include:

2:30 p.m.: Chepe Mariscal available
2:45 p.m.: Quang Le available
3:00 p.m.: Serghei Spivac available
3:30 p.m.: Chris Gutierrez available
3:45 p.m.: Marcin Tybura available
4:00 p.m.: Damon Jackson available
4:15 p.m.: Danny Barlow available
4:30 p.m.: Nikolay Veretennikov available

Note: Times and availability subject to change.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 95 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ preliminary card matchups, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN/ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 95 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archives here and here. For the updated and finalized “Tybura vs. Spivac 2” fight card and ESPN/ESPN+ lineup click here.

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This weekend (Sat., Aug. 10, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns home to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 95. What happens when an already bad card loses its co-main event? Not much, as it turns out, since the co-main event wasn’t much better than the rest of the card. Losing a second good fight the week of the event didn’t help either, but again, it’s hard to be too downtrodden when nobody was that excited in the first place.

Despite my general inclination to dunk on bad Heavyweight main events — and this one is quite bad! — I do actually believe these fights will be fun. There are genuinely interesting prospects on the card, just ones who should probably still be cutting their teeth on the undercard. Take it for what it is: UFC Vegas 95 will probably be a reasonably entertaining night of fights that don’t matter.

Let’s dig into all the main card fights leading up to the main event:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Bantamweight: Chris Gutierrez vs. Quang Le

Best Win for Gutierrez? Frankie Edgar For Le? Cody Peterson
Current Streak: Gutierrez lost his last bout, while Le debuts undefeated at 8-0
X-Factor: Le accepted this fight on fight week
How these two match up: Le is replacing Javid Basharat, and it probably won’t go well.

I understand Gutierrez just got mopped up by Song Yadong, but like, Song Yadong is really good! It wasn’t all that long ago that Gutierrez put together an eight-fight unbeaten streak to advance into the rankings, routinely kicking the crap out of his opponents. Le, conversely, has earned his stripes competing for LFA, which is as good as it gets in regards to regional promotions. He’s a solid kickboxer with good jiu-jitsu, but he’s facing a massive step up in competition.

This feels like one of those cost-of-entry debuts. Le wants to be on the UFC roster, so he’s basically agreeing to get his lead leg kicked to pieces on extremely short-notice against a far more experienced opponent. The odds aren’t released yet, but Le will be a huge underdog in need of a miracle.

Hopefully it pays off for “Bang” in the long run, but this Saturday night is probably going to be unpleasant.

Prediction: Gutierrez via knockout

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Featherweight: Damon Jackson (+180) vs. Chepe Mariscal (-218)

Best Win for Jackson? Pat Sabatini For Mariscal? Jack Jenkins
Current Streak: Jackson won his last bout, while Mariscal is 3-0 in the UFC
X-Factor: Jackson is a crafty veteran good at playing spoiler
How these two match up: See, this is a fun fight regardless of the overall card.

I very much enjoy watching “The Leech” fight. He’s not the most athletic man on the roster, but Jackson knows how to use his range well, and he’s quite excellent on the mat. 30 fights into his professional career, Jackson appears to still be at his best at 35 years of age, which is an impressive accomplishment in its own right.

Mariscal has shown a strong mix of skills as well. He was lucky to escape with the split-decision nod in his last bout versus Morgan Charriere, but even in that difficult scrap, Mariscal showed his grit and smarts to up the pressure, wrestle, and find success when the bout started out strongly in his opponent’s favor.

I’m expecting a close and competitive fight here. Both can compete everywhere, so it’s not as simple as one man taking down the other and easily winning. Jackson has small advantages in height and reach, as well as a large edge in overall high-level experience. Mariscal, however, is the younger and faster man, two attributes that could make a huge difference as well.

Ultimately, what has me leaning towards Mariscal is simple volume. He throws more strikes and does so in combination, whereas we’ve seen Jackson’s output fade late (against Billy Quarantillo, for example). In a close fight where neither man can outright dominate on the floor, volume is very often the deciding factor.

Prediction: Mariscal via decision

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Women’s Bantamweight: Yana Santos (-135) vs. Chelsea Chandler (+114)

Best Win for Santos? Ketlen Vieira For Chandler? Josiane Nunes
Current Streak: Santos has lost three straight, while Chandler won her last bout
X-Factor: Chandler has difficulty making the 135-pound limit
How these two match up: Alright, this fight is probably going to be less good,

Santos is frustrating. She’s shown the ability to play spoiler well (Vieira) or fall apart completely after getting hit (Aldana). She’s a kicks-and-clinch fighter, one who avoids the pocket like her life depends on it … because it often does.

Chandler is now three fights into her UFC career, and all I can really remember is her face-first sprint into the cage opposite Norma Dumont. That’s not fair, seeing as she won her other two fights, but it’s how I feel. When she isn’t meeting obstacles head-on, the Southpaw is actually a reasonably well-rounded prospect with good power and solid grappling.

This is a match up of a fighter trying to halt a skid while the other aims to pick up momentum. Santos hasn’t won a fight since 2021, and she’s looked offensively inept in large portions of her losses. Chandler, conversely, is just eight fights into her pro career and hasn’t even really figured out the cut to Bantamweight yet.

Despite the uncertainty of it all, I like the (minor) upset here. At this stage of her career, Santos mostly wins fights by muscling her opponents to the floor from the clinch. Chandler is strong enough to prevent that from happening easily, and she just has a lot more confidence in the pocket.

When in doubt, size and youth win the day.

Prediction: Chandler via decision

Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Welterweight: Danny Barlow (-375) vs. Nikolay Veretennikov (+295)

Best Win for Barlow? Josh Quinlan For Veretennikov? Ashley Reece
Current Streak: Barlow recently won his UFC debut, while Veretennikov has won three straight on the regional scene
X-Factor: Veretennikov accepted this fight just days ago
How these two match up: A short-notice replacement debuts against a quality prospect.

Barlow is a great example of what works well in MMA. The 29-year-old has just eight pro fights to his name, but he’s athletic, big for the division, and has a great Southpaw cross. What else could a young talent need?!?

Veretennikov is a slugger himself. He actually gave rising contender Michael Morales a solid scrap in his Contenders Series appearance back in 2021, which was his only loss in the last eight years. He’s stopped nine of his 12 victories via knockout and should be able to hold his own in a firefight.

There’s the recipe for an upset here: Veretennikov is more experienced and has significant power himself. Barlow doesn’t do anything overly complicated in the cage, so perhaps the Kazakh athlete can outmaneuver him.

That feels like an unreasonable tall ask on just a few day’s notice, however. Barlow is a quality prospect with great natural instincts. He appears to have a high ceiling, which is enough of a reason to pick “Left Hand 2 God” against an unproven and short-notice opponent.

Prediction: Barlow via decision

‘X-Factor’ Picks for 2024: 30-20 (3)

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