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UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!

After staging its latest numbered event at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi last weekend, MMA’s leading promotion has remained on the road for a card inside the Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In the main event, former two-time UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno returns close to nine months on from a defeat to Brandon Royval in Mexico City. Having now lost two straight by way of split decision, “The Assassin Baby” will look to get back to winning ways at the expense of the charging Amir Albazi.

Setting the stage for them in another 125-pound contest will be Erin Blanchfield and Rose Namajunas. After winning two straight in the division this year, the ex-strawweight queen will look to notch her biggest flyweight success to date and stake her claim for a title shot by adding to the woes of “Cold Blooded,” who was beaten by Manon Fiorot last time out.

Elsewhere, heavyweight knockout artist Derrick Lewis makes the walk for his latest assignment, Mike Malott has the chance to rebound on home soil, and bantamweight veteran Pedro Munhoz adds to his Octagon experience.

Ahead of the event, all 28 fighters successfully made weight. With that, every fight is intact, and all that remains on Friday is for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC Fight Night Edmonton ceremonial weigh-ins.

Check out a live stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, commencing at 7 PM ET.

UFC Fight Night Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

Continue Reading UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream at MMA News.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Alex Pereira won’t save another UFC pay-per-view on short notice.

“Poatan” had the MMA world wondering if he would step up and headline UFC 310 on Dec. 7 after welterweight champion Belal Muhammad withdrew from a main event matchup with Shavkat Rakhmonov. The light heavyweight champion appeared to tease another quick turnaround after posting a phone emoji on social media in reaction to the Muhammad news, but MMA Fighting has learned that the fight is not being discussed for the card.

“Poatan” fought three times in 2024, defending his title with knockouts over Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr.— two of those on short notice—and competing on just over a month’s notice yet again has been ruled out.

The Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura clash for the UFC flyweight championship, and originally the co-main event for UFC 310, remains the top bout on the line-up at the moment.

It’s still early to pinpoint when Pereira will defend his title next. However, with UFC’s first pay-per-view card of 2025 scheduled for Jan. 18, it’s unlikely that Poatan could be part of that numbered show. UFC 312, the following pay-per-view on Feb. 8, could be an option. That event takes place in Sydney, Australia.

Ankalaev has solidified himself as the next man up for the 205-pound championship, and volunteered to face Pereira as soon as Dec. 7. The Russian fighter is currently riding a 13-fight unbeaten streak with a trio of victories against Brazilian fighters. Ankalaev won twice in 2024, stopping Johnny Walker before earning a decision over Aleksandar Rakic.

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At the UFC Edmonton official weigh-ins, all 28 fighters on Saturday’s fight card step on the scale early Friday morning in Edmonton, Canada. Watch ceremonial weigh-ins above, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET.

In the main event, two-time UFC featherweight champion Brandon Moreno fights Amir Albazi, a top contender yet to taste defeat inside the octagon. Moreno looks to rebound from back-to-back split decision losses to Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval, while Albazi seeks to declare himself the No. 1 contender at 125 pounds in his first fight since June 2023.

Moreno is No. 4 at flyweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, while Albazi sits at the No. 6 spot.

The headliners can weigh no more than 126 pounds, the maximum limit for a non-title lightweight bout.

In the co-main event, former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (ranked No. 9) looks to win her third straight fight at flyweight when she takes on Erin Blanchfield (ranked No. 4). For Blanchfield, this is her chance to regain her spot in the contender line after suffering her first UFC loss at the hands of Manon Fiorot.

See early morning weigh-ins from the top-2 fights below.

UFC Edmonton official weigh-ins are set to begin at 11 a.m. ET.

Ceremonial weigh-ins take place at 7 p.m. ET.

See UFC Edmonton official weigh-in results below.

Main Card (ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET)

Brandon Moreno (125.5) vs. Amir Albazi (125.5)

Erin Blanchfield (125.5) vs. Rose Namajunas (125)

Derrick Lewis (266) vs. Jhonata Diniz (257)

Caio Machado (205) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (205)

Marc-Andre Barriault (185) vs. Dustin Stoltzfus (185.5)

Mike Malott (170.5) vs. Trevin Giles (170)

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET)

Aiemann Zahabi (135.5) vs. Pedro Munhoz (135)

Ariane da Silva (125) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (125)

Charles Jourdain (135) vs. Victor Henry (135)

Jack Shore (145.5) vs. Youssef Zalal (145)

Alexandr Romanov (261) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (264)

Serhiy Sidey (135) vs. Garrett Armfield (135)

Chad Anheliger (135) vs. Cody Gibson (135.5)

Jamey-Lyn Horth (126) vs. Ivana Petrovic (125)

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Junkie!
| BJPenn.com

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will once again venture away from the familiarity of its APEX facility and ship its cast and crew across the continent for the upcoming UFC Edmonton fight card, locked and loaded for tomorrow night (Sat., Nov. 2, 2024) from inside Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, featuring a 125-pound headliner between former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and longtime division contender Amir Albazi.

Like most “Fight Night” cards, you’ll need a subscription to ESPN+ to stream this weekend’s event (sign up here).

Before we dive into the main and co-main event, which includes the women’s flyweight showdown between Top 5 title contenders Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield, check out Andrew Richardson’s “X-Factor” breakdown for the rest of the UFC Edmonton main card by clicking here. Get all the latest “Moreno vs. Albazi” odds and betting props courtesy of FanDuel right here. For UFC Edmonton live results and play-by-play click here.

Let’s get down to business.

125 lbs.: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi

Brandon “Assassin Baby” Moreno
Record: 21-8-2 | Age: 30 | Betting line: -175
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 11 SUB, 5 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 8 DEC
Height: 5’7” | Reach: 70” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.87 | Striking accuracy: 44%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.63 | Striking Defense: 59%
Takedown Average: 1.74 (46% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 63%
Current Ranking: No. 2 | Last fight: Split decision loss to Brandon Royval

Amir “The Prince” Albazi
Record: 17-1 | Age: 31 | Betting line: +145
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 9 SUB, 3 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 1 DEC
Height: 5’5“ | Reach: 68” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 2.80 | Striking accuracy: 39%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.07 | Striking Defense: 63%
Takedown Average: 1.71 (33% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 40%
Current Ranking: No. 3 | Last fight: Split decision win over Kai Kara-France

Brandon Moreno returns to competition looking to snap just the second two-fight losing streak of his illustrious combat sports career, which includes a flyweight championship and multiple UFC main events. His comeback timeline is a bit surprising considering the fuss he made about stepping away from the sport back in late March, which left him out of action for roughly six months. To put that absence into perspective, UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria was gone even longer, for no particular reason, so this next fight for the “Assassin Baby” feels right on schedule — even though Moreno claims to have greatly benefited from the absence.

It also helps that he’s no longer charged with being the face of the division.

“My energy right now feels amazing,” Moreno told reporters at the UFC Edmonton media day (watch it here). “I feel so hype. It’s crazy how my last two training camps I didn’t feel like this. I feel all the stress, all the responsibilities. At some point that exploded my mind and I wasn’t really enjoying these kind of moments. Now I feel like before when you start your career with the UFC. I tried to recover my body, recovery my mind, heal some injuries that were bothering me in my last training camps. Now I feel perfect.”

“I feel very frustrated because even when I lost my last two fights, I feel in my prime,” Moreno continued. “I feel very strong. I feel stronger. I feel with better technique. I feel with more knowledge about the fight game. Just the result isn’t what I’ve been having in my last couple of fights. Now my goal is to show that to the world. To show all my hard work at the gym, and that’s it.”

Amir Albazi knows a thing or two about taking time off, having missed more than a year of competition due to health issues. In fact, the situation was precarious enough to warrant heart surgery, sending “The Prince” to the injured reserves in mid-2023. That was a tough pill to swallow, from a matchmaking perspective, considering his place in the Top 5 of a division already into reruns. Now fully recovered, Albazi hopes to pick up where he left off, having already captured six in a row with four nasty finishes. The last time we saw the Iraqi bruiser, he was slipping past perennial contender Kai Kara-France atop UFC Vegas 75 at APEX.

Then it all fell apart.

“Before my Kai Kara-Fance fight, I was struggling with some health issues,” Albazi told reporters at the UFC Edmonton media day (watch it here). “I didn’t really know what it was, but after my fight it showed that I had something called supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). That’s the medical name for it. It’s basically irregular heart beat. My heart rate would go up to 239, so I had to do a heart surgery.”

“After the heart surgery, I kept training for the fight against Brandon Moreno in Mexico City, and then my left arm literally stopped,” Albazi continued. “I couldn’t lift my arm up, I couldn’t jab, I couldn’t do anything, but I still kept training. After I got my first MRI, the first doctor said, ‘You shouldn’t be fighting anymore. Find a 9-to-5.’ I kept going to different doctors and when the UFC doctors found out, they literally pulled me out of the fight and I had to go straight into surgery. They told me (I was) one punch away from getting paralyzed. So after that surgery, here I am. It’s the longest break of my career.”

Whether or not you think Albazi has a clear path to victory may depend on how much stock you put into his win over Kara-France. Keep in mind that 19 of 21 media outlets scored the bout for the Kiwi and outside of that performance, “The Prince” does not hold a single victory over anyone ranked in the Top 15. As for Moreno, his resume is beyond reproach, having faced a murderer’s row of flyweight killers over the last five years. His size is likely to stonewall any ground attack from Albazi and Moreno remains the harder puncher. Unless the “Assassin Baby” self destructs, this figures to be a clean sweep on the judges’ scorecards for the returning ex-champ.

Prediction: Moreno def. Albazi by decision

125 lbs.: Rose Namajunas vs. Erin Blanchfield

“Thug” Rose Namajunas
Record: 13-6 | Age: 32 | Betting line: +115
Wins: 2 KO/TKO, 5 SUB, 6 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 4 DEC
Height: 5’5“ | Reach: 65” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.70 | Striking accuracy: 42%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.38 | Striking Defense: 64%
Takedown Average: 1.55 (53% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 59%
Current Ranking: No. 5 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Tracy Cortez

Erin “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield
Record: 12-2 | Age: 25 | Betting line: -135
Wins: 2 KO/TKO, 4 SUB, 6 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 2 DEC
Height: 5’4“ | Reach: 66” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.47 | Striking accuracy: 45%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.34 | Striking Defense: 58%
Takedown Average: 2.05 (33% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 81%
Current Ranking: No. 3 | Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Manon Fiorot

Rose Namajunas appears to have settled into her new home at flyweight after a decorated run at 115 pounds. It’s unfortunate that her lame-duck performance against Carla Esparza at UFC 274 was the catalyst for a trip north, considering there was unfinished business against current strawweight champion Zhang Weili. I doubt it would have taken more than one or two wins from “Thug” to get that rubber match rebooked; but alas, Namajunas prefers to bang it out against bigger women. After stumbling out of the gate against French phenom Manon Fiorot, the former Ultimate Fighter finalist proved she’s just as formidable at flyweight, though you could argue that her blue-collar performances against Amanda Ribas and Tracy Cortez — two fighters seated far down the division rankings — were unspectacular, but effective. I would expect more of the same this weekend in Edmonton, even with a potential title shot hanging in the balance.

“Anything’s possible and, yeah, that’s my intentions, to really put on a good performance, enough to where there’s no doubt that I could be next,” Namajunas told reporters at the UFC Edmonton media day (watch it here). “I just kind of feel as if Manon deserves it next anyway, regardless of what I do. She technically has a (win) over me. I do feel like, if that was a five-round fight, I think I could’ve found a way to win. I was finding it toward the end, but it is what it is.”

“If [Fiorot] wins the belt, then that would be great to fight her again or even have that dream matchup with Valentina [Shevchenko] one day,” Namajunas continued. “I’d be excited to see them fight, but if the UFC wanted to put me ahead of that with a very spectacular performance, I’d be open to that, as well.”

Erin Blanchfield, like Namajunas before her, suffered her first loss at flyweight after running into Fiorot atop the UFC Atlantic City card back in March. From an observer’s perspective, it appeared as though Blanchfield was flummoxed when her usual bag of tricks failed to yield the results she was accustomed to and as such, had no Plan B against the 125-pound “Beast.” Prior to that performance, Blanchfield was making it look easy, racking up six straight wins with three nasty finishes, beating an ex-champ and a former title challenger along the way. Despite her tenure at 125 pounds, she’ll bring no physical advantages into her contest against Namajunas, who also has years of championship experience.

“Losing always sucks and it takes a little getting over,” Blanchfield told reporters at the UFC Edmonton media day (watch it here). “I didn’t harp on it for too long. I just let my body heal from the fight and then I was back to training. Yeah, I feel like me and my coaches watched over it. We found things we wanted to improve on, my distance management and my striking and my wrestling and everything as I always do. So I kind of focused on that.”

“Honestly, it’s just a sport at the end of the day and you have to treat it like kids would,” Blanchfield continued. “You just get up and get back to training and focus on the things you need to improve on. I think I had a lot of time after that fight to do that and time to just train, not have a fight, and then finally have a fight and have a camp and feel really good. I think Manon is definitely getting the title next and I think having a really good performance Saturday, like getting a finish over Rose definitely puts me in that title picture next.”

Namajunas is the better striker and far more effective at controlling the distance inside the cage. It will be interesting to see how she deals with Blanchfield’s wrestling, especially considering “Thug’s” history with Esparza. This might be the fight where Namajunas needs to resurrect her dynamic offense from the strawweight days, as the paint-by-numbers approach against Blanchfield may sink her on the scorecards. “Cold Blooded” is still just 25 years old and not yet fighting in her competitive prime, facing a former champion who’s seen and done it all. Assuming Namajunas doesn’t take a mental coffee break, I would expect her to capture four of the five frames and coast comfortably to a decision.

Prediction: Namajunas def. Blanchfield by decision

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

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

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Edmonton news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. For the updated and finalized “Moreno vs. Albazi” fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Welcome to the latest edition of Missed Fists where we shine a light on fights from across the globe that may have been overlooked in these hectic times where it seems like there’s an MMA show every other day.

Halloween has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t frightful fights to be revisited.

In fact, our first clip of the week is guaranteed to disturb you more than any scary movie you watched last night.

(Big thanks as always to @Barrelelapierna for their weekly lists of the best KOs and submissions, and to @Grabaka_Hitman for uploading many of the clips you see here. Give them a follow and chip in on Patreon if you can.)

Kimbert Alintozon vs. Estrada Donga-as

If you’re reading Missed Fists, you know what you’re getting into as far as seeing a variety of knockouts and submissions that will make even the most seasoned combat sports fan squirm, so we don’t usually issue warnings for what you’re about to watch.

Still, this knockout from a Zeus Combat League show in Quezon City, Philippines, requires extra caution. Just scroll past to the next section if you’d rather not see what is, without hyperbole, the most gut-wrenching KO of the year.

OK, here it is.

Kimbert Alintozon tagged Estrada Donga-as with a combo that had Donga-as retreating. Unfortunately, he stepped right into an Alintozon power punch that violently separated him from his consciousness.

The way Donga-as fell looked plenty scary, but the grisly scene didn’t stop there. In the footage above, you get a clear view of his lower body rapidly twitching for an uncomfortable amount of time. Unsurprisingly, Donga-as needed to be stretchered out of the cage.

Nissi Icasiano, the reporter who uploaded the footage, later shared an update on Donga-as’ status.

“Donga-as was immediately taken to the hospital but managed to return before the event concluded. This journalist caught up with him in the dugout, where he shared that his CT scan and other test results were clear.”

Let’s hope Donga-as is taken care of and doesn’t return to action anytime soon.

Cam Rowston vs. Blair Bretag

With that ugliness out of the way, let’s move on to a clip featuring one of my favorite submissions: The calf slicer!

At a Stealth Fighters League show in Auckland, New Zealand, Cam Rowston showed off some sweet grappling skills, opening up a turtling Blair Bretag with the leg submission that caused an immediate tap.

Still nasty, but considerably less troubling to look at, right?

Daichi Kamiya vs. Raymart Quintana

This next submission from Eternal MMA 89 (available on UFC Fight Pass) is the stuff of nightmares, though.

Daichi Kamiya had Raymart Quintana tied up something fierce, eventually putting him away with a modified twister. At least that’s what I think that is, your guess is as good as mine. If I was Quintana, even if I wasn’t in clear danger, I’d tap just like he did because I’m not waiting to find out if the predicament was about to get a lot worse.

Hat tip to Kamiya, a 25-year-old lightweight who is now 6-0 as a pro. Kamiya has only been competing since 2022 and dreams of following in the footsteps of his idol Khabib Nurmagomedov and someday becoming UFC lightweight champion. Not a bad start to his career so far.

Jadon Shuey vs. Lukas Nazad

From a Flex Fight Series event in Queens, N.Y., amateur lightweight Jadon Shuey picks up the spectacular KO win and nails an even more spectacular post-fight cage flip.

No notes.

Can Hircin vs. Tom Molenaar
Barry Irausquin vs. Freek Van Iersel

Can Hircin stalked his prey like The Predator (uhh, the classic sci-fi alien, not Francis Ngannou… though this was kind of Ngannou-esque, now that I think about it) and landed a right hand wrecking ball on poor Tom Molenaar.

No setup, just load it and let it rip.

Speaking of which, Barry Irausquin got to slipping and ripping with this gorgeous 19-second punch-out of Freek Van Iersel.

He’s a super-Freek, super-Freek, he’s super-unconscious, yeeeoooooow.

Not my best work.

You can watch a free replay of Levels Fight League 14 from Amsterdam on the promotion’s YouTube channel.

Ilzat Asiev vs. Bekhruz Isroilov

There are so few positions in MMA where you are “safe,” as it were, and this definitely wasn’t one of them.

Ilzat Asiev and Bekhruz Isroilov were engaged in some spirited grappling, with Isroilov using a whizzer to block a takedown. Unfortunately for Isroilov, he never managed to free his arm, so when Asiev straightened him up, he was left wide open for that knockout knee.

Great timing, but chill on the ground-and-pound, my dude.

A replay of Octagon League 65 from Almaty, Kazakhstan is also available for free on YouTube.

Christopher Alvidrez vs. Albert Gonzales

Christopher Alvidrez was putting it on onetime Bellator fighter Albert Gonzales at a Lights Out Xtreme Fighting show in Long Beach, Calif., but the resilient Gonzales kept coming at him like a zombie.

Only one solution for that: head shot.

No reanimating after that. One of those knockouts that’s so bad, Alvidrez showed instant remorse after. Spooky stuff, for sure.

If you know of a recent fight or event that you think may have been overlooked, or a promotion that could use some attention, please let us know on X — @AlexanderKLee — using the hashtag #MissedFists.

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UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria cemented his reign as the best in the weight class by defending the belt for the first time at UFC 308. After doing what he said he would do and becoming the first man to knock out Max Holloway, he’s becoming harder to deny.

“El Matador” has got a proven track record at this stage for making his goals come true and if that’s going to continue being the case, we’re in for an all-time great UFC run. Having stopped two of the greatest champions in UFC history in back-to-back fights, the champion wants more belts.

Topuria has spoken many times about his goal to not only move up to lightweight but to one day compete at welterweight also. Following his impressive display in Abu Dhabi, the intrigue of seeing him go up against the 155-pound king Islam Makhachev certainly increased.

During a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy discussed this fight and how they think it would play out. Thomson, who previously trained with Makhachev at AKA, does not think it would go well for Topuria.

Instead, he believes that the 145-pound champion should stay in his weight class where several contenders await him. Considering how quickly he rose to the top of the division, following his likely rematch with Alexander Volkanovski next time out, there’s still other challenges like Diego Lopes or the winner of Movsar Evloev vs Aljamain Sterling for him to attend to.

Thomson said that in his opinion, he thinks Topuria should stay put for the time being so that he can continue to beat opponents at his natural weight class before going for a second belt.

“You’ve just dominated two of the best guys that have ever graced that weight class. If I was to say hey, make your easy money, and I’m not saying these guys are easy fights. They’re not easy fights but I’m saying they’re not going to get easier going up so why not just stay where you’re at, cash out as much as you possible can on these type fights, guys that you’re comfortable fighting. You’ve been training your whole life to fight at this weight class.”

Continue Reading MMA Analyst Urges Ilia Topuria To Stay At Featherweight: ‘Make Your Easy Money!’ at MMA News.

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