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. An all-action five-round featherweight frenzy is now
officially capping off an upcoming November Ultimate Fighting Championship show. In August, UFC President Dana White
expected that the
UFC Fight Night event on Nov. 13 – an event currently
unnumbered – would likely receive a headliner of Max
Holloway (22-6) vs. Yair
Rodriguez (13-2, 1 NC). The two were previously booked at UFC
on ESPN 26, but Holloway suffered an injury and the pairing was
bumped. The organization’s broadcast partner of ESPN
has confirmed on Friday that this matchup will serve as the marquee
billing of this Fight Night card.
Former champ Holloway bounced back from a pair of close decision
losses to Alexander
Volkanovski by battering Calvin
Kattar for five rounds and
setting several records in the process. Those records include
the most significant strikes landed in a single fight, the most in
a single round, a tremendous striking differential, and many
others. Holloway has connected with more significant strikes in his
last 10 outings combined than any other UFC fighter had in their
entire career. The “Blessed” title reign began with a knockout of
Anthony
Pettis to earn the interim featherweight strap. He unified it
by knocking out Jose Aldo, and
then successfully defended it against Aldo again, Brian
Ortega and Frankie
Edgar before surrendering it to Volkanovski.
On a three-fight unbeaten streak, but making his first appearance
since October 2019 will be Rodriguez. Injuries and USADA issues
sidelined him for the better part of two years, as he was flagged
by the anti-doping agency not for a failed test but by not
notifying USADA of his whereabouts. “El Pantera” made his way to
the organization from the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter:
Latin America,” where he won his bracket by beating Leonardo
Morales at UFC 180. Victories over the likes of Dan Hooker,
Alex
Caceres and B.J. Penn
followed, and his only setback along the way came against Edgar. Of
note, his dramatic finish of Chan Sung
Jung in 2018 was considered by Sherdog to be the
2018 “Knockout of the Year.”
The UFC Fight Night show on Nov. 13 does not currently have a
number, although it will go down inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Drawing main card billings include a flyweight scrap between
Jessica
Eye and Andrea Lee,
as well as a featherweight clash pitting Felicia
Spencer against the returning Leah
Letson.
