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Mounir Lazzez will replace Christian Aguilera and face Warlley Alves in a welterweight contest at UFC on ESPN 20.

Alves and Aguilera were initially slated to meet at UFC on ABC 1, but Lazzez vs. Alves has been moved to an event scheduled four days later. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new booking. UFC on ESPN 20 takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 20 and is headlined by a 170-pound clash between Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny. The card will air on both ESPN and ESPN+.

Tunisia’s Lazzez made a strong first impression when he scored a clear-cut decision victory over knockout artist Abdul Razak Alhassan in his debut at UFC on ESPN 13 on July 15. The man known as “Sniper” is 10-1 as a professional, with eight wins coming via KO or TKO.

Alves, who won Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” has lost two of his last three Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 29-year-old X-Gym member fell to Randy Brown via second-round submission at UFC Figh…

IN ONE ROUND.@JaredVanderaa opened the night with RELENTLESS finishing shots

[ Tune in on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/UCQSGCS7tY

— UFC (@ufc) November 5, 2020 The lineup for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Feb. 20 event continues to grow, as a heavyweight tilt betweeen Sergey Spivak and Jared Vanderaa and a featherweight clash between Michael Trizano and Rafael Alves have been added to the card.

MMAFighting.com was first to report Spivak vs. Vanderaa, which was initially slated for UFC 256 before Vanderaa tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, MMA DNA brought word of the Trizano-Alves matchup. UFC Fight Night takes place at an as yet to be announced location and is headlined by a heavyweight clash between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.

Spivak has alternated wins and losses in his first four UFC appearances. Most recently, the 25-year-old Moldovan captured a majority decision against Carlos Felipe at UFC Fight Night 172 o…

Michael Chandler has a golden opportunity at UFC 257.

The former Bellator lightweight champion will make his Octagon debut against Dan Hooker in the evening’s co-main event in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23, one fight before Irish superstar Conor McGregor returns for a rematch with Dustin Poirier in the card’s headliner. Such prominent placement represents a golden opportunity for Chandler, but he must first get past Hooker before making any future plans.

Hooker, who is coming off a memorable decision loss to Poirier in a five-round war at UFC on ESPN 12, has won seven of his last nine promotional appearances while establishing himself as a reliable action fighter in the process.

“He’s the tallest guy in the division, which isn’t that big of a deal for me. Obviously I’m not the tallest guy, I’m about average height. So I fight a lot of guys who are taller than me, and I’ve got numerous knockouts against guys that are taller than me,” Chandler told ESPN. “I have a knack f…

A showdown between heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis has been rescheduled for UFC Fight Night on Feb. 20.

ESPN was first to report the news. Blaydes and Lewis were initially booked to lock horns in the main event of UFC on ESPN 18 on Nov. 28, but the bout was postponed after Blaydes tested positive for COVID-19.

Blaydes vs. Lewis will serve as the headliner for the UFC Fight Night card on Feb. 20, which doesn’t yet have an official location.

Blaydes has won four straight bouts since a 45-second TKO loss to current heavyweight No. 1 contender Francis Ngannou at UFC Fight Night 141 in November 2018. Most recently, Blaydes earned a five-round verdict against Alexander Volkov in the UFC on ESPN 11 headliner on June 20.

Lewis, meanwhile, enters the matchup on a three-fight winning streak. After defeating Blagoy Ivanov via split decision and taking a unanimous verdict over Ilir Latifi, “The Black Beast” scored an emphatic victory at UFC F…

A welterweight title tilt between reigning champion Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns is in the works for UFC 258.

ESPN has reported that both Usman and Burns have verbally agreed to the bout, though contracts have not yet been signed. UFC 258 takes place on Feb. 13 at an as yet to be announced location. Combate initially reported the fight.

Usman vs. Burns has already been scheduled on two previous occasion. A positive COVID-19 test for Burns nixed their bout at UFC 251 in July, and then the rebooking at UFC 256 on Dec. 12 fell through when Usman withdrew to recover from lingering injuries.

Usman enters the matchup on a 16-bout professional winning streak that includes 12 victories within the Las Vegas-based promotion. “The Nigerian Nightmare” claimed 170-pound gold with a dominant five-round verdict over Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 and has since defended the crown with a fifth-round TKO of Colby Covington at UFC 245 and a decision against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251…

A welterweight clash pitting Neil Magny against Michael Chiesa has been elevated to the new UFC on ESPN 20 main event, promotion officials announced Monday.

The Jan. 20 card’s originally scheduled headliner, Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev, was scrapped when Chimaev experienced complications after testing positive for COVID-19 in early December. According to a release, the plan is to reschedule Edwards vs. Chimaev for a third time later this year.

UFC on ESPN 20 takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and will also see Carlos Condit face Matt Brown at 170 pounds, while Jimmie Rivera takes on Pedro Munhoz at bantamweight. The main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT, while the prelims begin on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.

After not competing at all in 2019, Magny went 3-0 within the Las Vegas-based promotion last year, earning successive decision triumphs against Jingliang Li, Anthony Rocco Martin and Robbie Lawler. The Elevation Fight …

ESPN+ & @ABCNetwork combine to televise #UFCFightNight: Holloway vs Kattar

Live from #UFCFightIsland on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Saturday, Jan. 16Prelims | Noon ET | Exclusively on ESPN+Main Card | 3p ET | ESPN+ (English/Spanish) & ABC

More: https://t.co/Uw9jqLM4Q0 pic.twitter.com/ZWzQl4uAFp

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) January 4, 2021

More information has emerged regarding the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s broadcast plans with ABC.

According to a release, the main card of the UFC Fight Night event scheduled for Jan. 16 will be simulcast on both ABC and ESPN+ beginning at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. Immediately prior, the preliminary draw will stream exclusively on ESPN+ at noon ET/9 a.m. PT.

Reports of the UFC’s move to ABC first emerged in late December. Details regarding future broadcast plans with ABC have not been revealed, however.

“We are excited to collaborate with ABC to televise the first UFC event of 2021, an…

A matchup of light heavyweight prospects is on tap for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s March 27 event.

According to ESPN, Jimmy Crute and Johnny Walker will square off on the card, which doesn’t yet have an official location or headliner.

Crute, who appeared on Season 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series, has been victorious in four of his first five Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 24-year-old Australian known as “The Brute” knocked out Modestas Bukauskas in the opening round of their encounter at UFC Fight Night 180 on Oct. 17.

A winner on the Brazilian interation of the Contender Series, Walker snapped a two-bout skid with a first-round KO of Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night 178 this past September. The 28-year-old Rio de Janeiro native initially rose to prominence with three consecutive first-round knockouts to kick off his UFC tenure.

A pivotal lightweight showdown pitting Michael Chandler against Dan Hooker is official for the UFC 257 co-main event.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the booking to broadcast partner ESPN following an initial report from The Schmo last week. UFC 257 takes place at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23 and is headlined by a 155-pound clash between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.

Chandler will make his highly-anticipated UFC debut after a successful stint with Bellator MMA that saw him capture lightweight gold on three different occasions. The former University of Missouri wrestler enters the matchup with Hooker riding the momentum of back-to-back first-round KO victories against Sidney Outlaw and Benson Henderson. Before being paired with Hooker, Chandler made weight to serve as an alternate for the Khabib Nurmagomedov-Justin Gaethje headliner at UFC 254.

Hooker, meanwhile, will return for the first time since a memorable five-round decision defeat at t…

Credit: Joao Baptista/Sherdog.com

An elbow injury has forced Isi Fitikefu out of his Octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 20.

As a result, Markus Perez will step in and face Dalcha Lungiambula on Jan. 20 in Abu Dhabi. Multiple outlets confirmed the new middleweight booking following an initial report from Ag Fight. UFC on ESPN 20 takes place at the Flash Forum and is headlined by a welterweight duel between Neil Magny and Michael Chiesa.

The 30-year-old Perez has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances and is coming off a first-round knockout loss against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC Fight Night 179 on Oct. 10. “Maluko” is 2-4 in the UFC and 12-4 as a professional overall, with nine of his triumphs coming inside the distance.

After winning his promotional debut against Dequan Townsend, Lungiambula had a six-fight pro winning streak halted in a third-round KO loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Fight Night 163 on Nov. 9. A former Extreme Fighting Championship heavyweig…

Nasty knee here at #LFA89! pic.twitter.com/FWeqsbMwbY

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) August 29, 2020

A middleweight showdown between Josh Fremd and Bruno Oliveira will top the Legacy Fighting Alliance 98 lineup on Jan. 29.

The promotion recently announced the booking. LFA 98 takes place at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas and streams on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Five other main card bouts were also confirmed: J.J. Okanovich vs. Lucas Clay at lightweight; Richard Palencia vs. Jeimeson Saudino at bantamweight; Kyle Frost vs. Austin Clem at lightweight, Joshua DaSilveira vs. Matthew Paul at light heavyweight and Zac Pauga vs. Ashby Thomas at light heavyweight.

Anchored at Factory X, Fremd has been victorious in six of his first seven professional outings. The 26-year-old enjoyed an impressive 2020 with first-round knockout victories over Lamar Gosey and Antonio Jones under the LFA banner.

Oliveira, 36, is com…

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. The first Ultimate Fighting Championship card of 2021 lost a key matchup. On his Instagram page on Friday, Anthony Hernandez (7-2, 1 NC) posted that he contracted COVID-19 and his bout with Rodolfo Vieira (7-0) needed to be rescheduled. The middleweight pairing originally slated for UFC on ABC 1 on Jan. 16 has been pushed to UFC 258 on Feb. 13.

“Happy New Year,” Hernandez wrote. “Good news is that #teamFluffy is safe and gear goes out next week. Bad news is the fight’s delayed – 2020 left me with the COVID. I’m good [though] – and rescheduled for 2/13.”

Hernandez will be looking to bounce back from his first career knockout loss, which Kevin Holland handed to him in 39 seconds in May. “Fluffy” has overcome some adversity leading into and throughout his UFC career, as he began his ascent on Dana White's Contender Series…

Per sources, light heavyweight bout between Nikita Krylov and Magomed Ankalaev has been added to UFC Fight Night on Feb. 27. Fun fight. Ankalaev a potential dark horse in the division. Looking to add to a five-fight win streak.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 30, 2020 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. The betting line for Fight Doesn’t Go to Decision will be through the roof for this upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight rumble. ESPN announced on Tuesday that Nikita Krylov (27-7) would be taking on Magomed Ankalaev (14-1) at the UFC Fight Night card on Feb. 27. This light heavyweight bout, and the card itself, does not have an official destination on the books, but it likely will be held either in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, or in Las Vegas.

Krylov has alternated wins and losses in each of his last…

Well guys 20 minutes before 2020 ended I got a phone call to say Jackson wont make the fight on January 20th you just cant write this shit. Do not ask me why because I dont know the full ins and outsnd wish him the best.. We are been rescheduled for march/april in America. pic.twitter.com/amzDJieiQO

— Dean Barry (@Deanbarry123) January 1, 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. Fight fans will have to wait a little longer to see Mike Jackson compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship again. Prospective UFC newcomer and welterweight Dean Barry (3-1) posted on Twitter on Friday that his matchup against Mike Jackson (1-1) would no longer be taking place on the upcoming UFC on ESPN 20 event on Jan. 20. Jackson has since confirmed the removal of the bout on the card on his Twitter page, although no reason has yet been given. The fighter…

Ex-Ultimate Fighting Championship star Paige VanZant has her opponent for her first bare knuckle match in 2021.

VanZant (0-0 BK) posted on her Instagram on Thursday announcing the signing of the bout agreement for her Feb. 5 fight with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. The date of her debut had been previously announced, but her opponent had not been made official. At BKFC 14 in November, Britain Hart (1-2 BK, 1 KO) battered Randine Eckholm to force a fourth-round stoppage. After the match, Hart called for a fight with VanZant. Additionally, Hart came on the broadcast at BKFC 15 to again call for her shot against the former UFC fighter. Her wish has been granted, per MMA Fighting on Thursday. The two will meet at the BKFC featherweight division, which is 125 pounds.

VanZant transitions over to bare knuckle boxing after a 13-fight MMA career including nine in the UFC. On the heels of three losses in four bouts from 2016 to 2020, VanZant became a free agent and left …

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. If former Ultimate Fighting Championship champ Jon Jones has his choice, he will never go back down to 205 pounds. Jones spoke with Bleacher Report on Thursday, discussing his future in the sport including his change in weight classes. He told the outlet that he was ready for a new challenge, since he believed he had achieved everything he could at light heavyweight.

“I was just ready to challenge myself,” Jones said. “I was ready to enter a new chapter in my career. At this point, I’m in this sport for legacy and for the biggest-paying fights, and I just don’t think that continuing on at light heavyweight was going to do much for my legacy.”

Jones voluntarily surrendered his throne after a trio of title defenses in 2019 and 2020. Jones dominated Anthony Smith at UFC 235, but subsequent close fights with Thiago Santos at UF…

It appears the rumors of Kyoji Horiguchi’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Rizin Fighting Federation wrapped up 2020 in style with an event that saw the crowning of two brand new champions. In the Rizin 26 main event, former Rizin and Bellator MMA bantamweight champion Horiguchi (29-3) recaptured the 135-pound championship by smashing former titleholder Kai Asakura (16-3). Horiguchi looked to chop down Asakura’s leading leg with low kicks early in the fight, putting the defending champion on alert as he saw annulled his reach advantage. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship title contender put everything he had into these leg kicks, causing Asakura some difficulties putting down his lead leg in the early going.

As soon as Horiguchi noticed he had his opponent hurt, he pressed forward throwing heavy combinations. One of them landed on the button, sending Asakura crashing down to the ground. The end came when Asakura wasn’t able to defend himself any longer, and …

Israel Adesanya will attempt to become a two-division champion when he faces 205-pound king Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the booking to ESPN on Wednesday evening. UFC 259 takes place on March 6 and also includes a featherweight title tilt between Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson, but the promotion has not yet announced a location for the event. Only seven fighters have been two-division UFC champions.

Adesanya is 20-0 to begin his professional career, including nine triumphs under the UFC banner. “The Last Stylebender” claimed the middleweight throne with a second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 and has since defended the title with victories against Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa.

After a rough beginning to his promotional tenure in which he lost four of his first six appearances, Blachowicz captured the vacant light heavyweight belt with a second-round technical knockout of Dominick Reyes at UFC 253. The 37-year-old …

Earlier this year, UFC president Dana White and former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones were at odds.

The two men engaged in a very public dispute regarding negotations for a potential heavyweight clash between Jones and Francis Ngannou, with White claiming that “Bones” asked for something in the neighborhood of $25 million to $30 million to accept that bout. Jones responded by calling White a “f—-ing liar” on social media, while the UFC boss implied that the fighter’s personal issues outside the cage hindered his earnings potential.

As 2020 draws to a close, White and Jones seem to have made amends. Jones officially vacated the 205-pound throne in August with plans for a move to heavyweight, and things don’t seem to be nearly as tense between the Jackson-Wink MMA standout and the Las Vegas-based promotion.

“I think he’s in a much better place than he has been,” White said on the "SHOUT!" podcast. “I think mentally, emotionally, whatever it might be, he’s i…

Bantamweight gold will be on the line when Kyoji Horiguchi and Kai Asakura square off in a rematch more than a year in the making on New Year’s Eve.

Both Horiguchi and Asakura made weight ahead of their championship bout in the Rizin Fighting Federation 26 headliner. Horiguchi tipped the scales at 134 pounds, while Asakura checked in at 133.9 pounds. Rizin 26 takes place on Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and and is available via pay-per-view for $25.

Asakura and Horiguchi initially squared off in a non-title bout at Rizin 18, with Asakura scoring a surprising 68-second knockout victory on Aug. 18, 2019. Horiguchi, who was then 135-pound champion in both Rizin and Bellator MMA, vacated both titles after suffering a knee injury and has not competed since that defeat.

“I started sparring and training fully in July. I feel like I am close to 100 percent,” Horiguchi said. “I’ve been adding new stuff to my original style during this period. I never think …

Survival mode! #Higher #UFC257 @ufc @DustinPoirier @TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/RKdQVlGITB

— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) December 29, 2020

If you want to witness the return of Conor McGregor at UFC 257, it’s going to cost you a little bit more than it did in 2020.

According to a report from Variety, the price of UFC pay-per-view events on ESPN+ will increase from $64.99 to $69.99 as of Jan. 8, 2021. Additionally, the annual subscription fee for the ESPN+ streaming service will go up from $49.99 to $59.99 per year. The ESPN+ monthly rate already recently increased from $4.99 to $5.99.

When the UFC initially signed an agreement to make ESPN+ the sole provider of its pay-per-view content in 2019, it lowered the price point for its premium events from $64.99 to $59.99. That lasted from April 2019 through the end of the year before ESPN+ raised the price of UFC pay-per-views back to $64.99 beginning with UFC 246 in January. Coincidenta…

Former Invicta Fighting Championships atomweight title holder Jinh Yu Frey will attempt to earn her first UFC triumph when she meets Gloria de Paula on March 13.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the strawweight booking. The UFC Fight Night card does not have an official location or headliner as of yet.

Frey competed twice in the Octagon in 2020, losing ot Kay Hansen via submission at UFC on ESPN 12 before dropping a decision against Konklak Suphisara at UFC on ESPN 16. The 35-year-old Genesis Jiu-Jitsu representative went 7-3 during her Invicta FC tenure.

De Paula, meanwhile, earned a UFC contract thanks to a three-round verdict over Pauline Macias on Dana White’s Contender Series on Nov. 17. The 25-year-old Sao Paulo native owns a 5-2 professional mark.

Rest up Khamzat, i'm sure ill see you soon. But I want to fight January 20th on the island @danawhite @seanshelby @ufc lets make it happen

— Leon 'Rocky' Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) December 29, 2020

Khamzat Chimaev needed more time to recover after battling COVID-19, and that led to his exit from the UFC on ESPN 20 headliner.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report that Chimaev’s lungs hadn’t fully healed after testing positive for the coronavirus in early December, an issue that was hindering his training as he prepared to face Leon Edwards on Jan. 20 in Abu Dhabi.

"Khamzat had coronavirus and when he went back to gym, his lungs did not recover 100 percent,” wrote Chimaev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, in a statement to ESPN. “He needs time for his lungs to recover, and right now it's about taking that necessary time.”

Chimaev and Edwards were initially scheduled to meet in the UFC Fight Night 183 headliner on Dec. 19, but Edwards’ own strug…

Dalcha Lungiambula (10-1) tops his UFC debut with a cherry, bombing Dequan Townsend early in round three! The Congolese, two-division EFC champ rides a six-fight tear. He has knocked out five. #UFCMinneapolis pic.twitter.com/oIm7iD4EU0

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) June 29, 2019

Dalcha Lungiambula will drop to middleweight to face Isi Fitikefu at the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Jan. 20 event in Abu Dhabi.

Multiple outlets confirmed the pairing following an initial report from MMA DNA. UFC on ESPN 20 takes place on Yas Island and is currently in need of a main event after Khamzat Chimaev withdrew from a proposed matchup with Leon Edwards.

A former heavyweight champion in Africa’s Extreme Fighting Championship, Lungiambula went 1-1 in his first two UFC appearances at light heavyweight. The 35-year-old began his tenure with a third-round TKO of Dequan Townsend at UFC on ESPN 3 before suffering a KO loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Fight Nig…