BREAKING NEWS
UFC debut for Nikolas Motta against Damir Hadzovic is set to take
place on May 8th.#UFC
#MMA
#UFCESPN https://t.co/H25UgcWDas pic.twitter.com/PdywHhJfFz— MMA DNA (@MMADNANL)
March 4, 2021
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. A promising Dana White’s Contender Series signee has his
Ultimate Fighting Championship debut set for May.
First reported by
MMA DNA on Thursday, Nikolas
Motta (12-3) will be squaring off against Damir
Hadzovic (13-6) at lightweight on the May 8
UFC Fight Night card. The event, which is currently tabbed to
take place in the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, does not yet have a
headliner booked. The match was confirmed later by
multiple
outlets.
Motta prevailed on the ninth week of the 2020 season of DWCS, where
he captured a decision over Joseph
Lowry to earn a contract. The ex-Cage Fury Fighting Championships champ has won
five of his last six, including a knockout of current UFC fighter
Joe
Solecki, as he made his way to the organization. “Iron” Motta
has notched two-thirds of his career wins by knockout, while he has
never won by submission. On the other hand, each of the Brazilian’s
defeats have come within the first two rounds.
Facing Motta will be “The Bosnian Bomber” Hadzovic, who will be
looking to right the ship after a pair of setbacks against Christos
Giagos and Renato
Carneiro the last two years. The Bosnian made his way to the
UFC by winning six consecutive fights including four by stoppage
from 2012 to 2015, but his own debut was unsuccessful as Mairbek
Taisumov punched him out in the opening frame. With his sights
set on evening his UFC record to .500, Hadzovic has notched
victories over Marcin Held,
Marco Polo
Reyes and Nick Hein
inside the Octagon.
The UFC Fight Night event on May 8 does not currently have a
headliner set, but it is expected to go down in the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. A pair of key fights are billed high on the card now,
including a potential women’s bantamweight title eliminator between
Holly
Holm and Julianna
Pena, while Donald
Cerrone squares off against former training partner Diego
Sanchez in the latter’s retirement fight at welterweight.
