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MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring fights for ranked heavyweight Marcin Tybura, light heavyweight veteran Ovince Saint Preux, former KSW flyweight champion Ariane Lipski, and rising 125lber Manel Kape.
With UFC cards being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.
The main story this week surrounded a crucial clash toward the top of the bantamweight division. After a pair of headline victories in 2022, Marlon Vera will look to move a step closer to the title by defeating Cory Sandhagen, whom “Chito” is set to share the Octagon with in the UFC Vegas 69 main event on February 18.
Elsewhere on the card, women’s flyweight contender Taila Santos will return to action. Following her tight defeat to champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 275, the Brazilian will look to secure a second crack at the gold when she meets the rising Erin Blanchfield.
In contrast, there was just the one cancellation this week, but it was certainly a major one. Recent interim flyweight title challenger Kai Kara-France won’t be making the walk in front of a home Australian crowd next February, as an injury has forced him out of his planned UFC 284 showdown with Alex Perez.
For more detailed information on some bouts that may have flown under your radar between December 19 and December 24, scroll down and check out this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin.
Priscila Cachoeira vs. Sijara Eubanks – UFC Vegas 67 (January 14)
Priscila Cachoeira will look to secure the biggest win streak of her UFC career to date when she meets Sijara Eubanks on January 14.
Cachoeira (12-4) began her Octagon career with three defeats to Valentina Shevchenko, Molly McCann, and Luana Carolina. In 2022, she’s been able to move past her initial woes, as well as an eye-gauging controversy against Gillian Robertson, with a pair of victories over Ji Yeon Kim and Ariane Lipski.
“Zombie Girl” will look to make it three in a row at the expense of Eubanks (7-7) at UFC Vegas 67. “SarJ” has struggled for consistency inside the Octagon, with a pair of two-fight win streaks both followed by equal-length skids. Most recently, Eubanks had the momentum from a dominant TKO victory over Elise Reed stalled by a stoppage loss to Melissa Gatto in a bout she missed weight for.
This women’s flyweight matchup was first reported by Dama de Ferro MMA.
Marcin Tybura vs. Blagoy Ivanov – UFC Vegas 68 (February 4)
It’ll be a heavyweight showcase on February 4, with a clash between Marcin Tybura and Blagoy Ivanov joining Derrick Lewis‘ headliner opposite Serghei Spivak.
Tybura (23-7) has remained in the top-15 conversation since finding form in 2020. After consecutive defeats to Shamil Abdurakhimov and Augusto Sakai, the Polish fighter reeled off five straight wins, including over Serghei Spivac, Greg Hardy, and Walt Harris. While a defeat to Alexander Volkov stalled his rise last October, Tybura bounced back in style by blemishing the previously unbeaten record of Alexandr Romanov at UFC 278.
Having defended his #10 spot opposite the #13 man, Tybura will look to do the same at UFC Vegas 68 against the #15-ranked Ivanov (19-4, 1 NC). The Bulgarian veteran, who boasts wins over Tai Tuivasa and Ricco Rodriguez, returned after a two-year layoff this past May at UFC 274. There, he rebounded from a narrow decision loss to Sakai by outpointing Marcos Rogério de Lima.
This heavyweight fight was first reported by MMA Underground’s John Morgan.
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Philipe Lins – UFC Vegas 69 (February 18)
Ovince Saint Preux will look to finally make it to the cage at UFC Vegas 69 on February 18.
Saint Preux (26-16), a 25-fight Octagon veteran, saw three separate opponents withdraw from UFC 282. Having missed out on the planned pay-per-view appearance, which was set to come seven months after he edged out Maurício Rua, “OSP” will hope to square off with one of the trio of light heavyweights who pulled out in 2023.
Former heavyweight Philipe Lins (15-5) initially agreed to step in for Alexander Gustafsson to face Saint Preux earlier this month but withdrew for undisclosed reasons. He’ll look to make the walk against the veteran next year, with the hope being to continue the momentum from a successful drop to 205 pounds against Marcin Prachnio this past April at UFC Vegas 52.
This light heavyweight contest was first reported by MMA Fighting.
Julian Marquez vs. Marc-André Barriault – UFC 285 (March 4)
Like Saint Preux, Julian Marquez also saw a December appearance fall through. With planned opponent Deron Winn’s subsequent release, he’ll be preparing to face a new name at UFC 285 on March 4.
Marquez (9-3) returned from a near-three-year layoff last February, choking out Maki Pitolo. While he made it back-to-back submissions two months later in a Fight of the Night opposite Sam Alvey, another lengthy layoff culminated in a knockout loss to Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Austin this past June.
“The Cuban Missile Crisis” will hope to rebound in 2023 when he faces Marc-André Barriault (14-6, 1 NC). The Canadian went 1-2 in 2022, with a first-round submission victory over Jordan Wright sandwiched between a brutal KO defeat against Chidi Njokuani and a submission setback versus Anthony Hernandez.
This middleweight matchup was announced by Marquez’s management team, Iridium Sports Agency.
JJ Aldrich vs. Ariane Lipski – UFC Vegas 71 (March 11)
JJ Aldrich and Ariane Lipski will both be searching for a return to the win column when they collide at UFC Vegas 71 on March 11.
Aldrich (11-5), a former Invicta FC standout, extended her win streak to three in her first appearance of 2022. But while she’d outpointed Cortney Casey, Vanessa Demopoulos, and Gillian Robertson, she couldn’t repeat the feat against the charging Erin Blanchfield at June’s UFC Vegas 56 event, where she was submitted via guillotine choke in the second round.
If the 30-year-old is to avoid the first losing skid of her professional career, she’ll have to get past Lipski (14-8). “The Queen of Violence,” who is a former KSW flyweight titleholder, established herself as an intriguing prospect with a hard-to-watch kneebar against Luana Carolina in 2020. Since then, however, she’s gone 1-3, most recently suffering a first-round TKO at the hands of Priscila Cachoeira at UFC San Diego.
This women’s flyweight bout was first reported by Meni Mayer.
Jake Hadley vs. Malcolm Gordon – UFC 286 (March 18)
Having missed both London-held cards in 2022, England’s Jake Hadley will have the chance to make the walk in front of his home fans at UFC 286 on March 18.
Hadley (9-1) secured a contract on Dana White‘s Contender Series last October despite missing weight. But on debut, his record was blemished for the first time by Allan Nascimento at UFC Vegas 54. Six months later, “White Kong” entered the winner’s circle in the UFC for the first time by submitting Carlos Candelario at UFC Vegas 64.
The flyweight prospect will next look to send veteran Malcolm Gordon (14-6) on a losing skid to British opponents in 2023. The Canadian had a two-fight win streak snapped at UFC 280 in October by Dagestani-born Brit Muhammad Mokaev. Before that, he had his hand raised in consecutive outings opposite Francisco Figueiredo and Denys Bondar.
This flyweight scrap was first reported by TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter.
Per sources, ??Malcolm Gordon will face Jake Hadley at UFC 286 on March 18 in London, England.— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) December 23, 2022
Alex Perez vs. Manel Kape – UFC San Antonio (March 25)
After seeing his planned matchup with Kai Kara-France at UFC 284 next February fall through, flyweight contender Alex Perez has been booked on the UFC San Antonio card the following month.
Perez (24-7), a one-time title challenger, is without a win since a 2020 TKO against Jussier Formiga. After failing to dethrone Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 255, falling via submission in just under two minutes, Perez was out of action for almost two years, during which he had six different fight dates fall through. He returned to a similar scenario as his title challenge, with Alexandre Pantoja forcing him to tap in the first round at UFC 277.
Having struggled for form and to make it into the cage in recent years, Perez will look to succeed in both areas when he meets Manel Kape (18-6) on March 25. While the former Rizin champion had a tough start to Octagon life, suffering losses to top contenders Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau, he’s since rebounded and risen the ladder with three impressive performances against Ode’ Osbourne, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, and David Dvo?ák.
This flyweight fight was first reported by MMA Fighting.
Alex Perez about to lose his place ?— ??????? Manel Kape (@ManelKape) December 23, 2022
Who do you envision having their hands raised in these UFC matchups?
MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring fights for ranked heavyweight Marcin Tybura, light heavyweight veteran Ovince Saint Preux, former KSW flyweight champion Ariane Lipski, and rising 125lber Manel Kape.
With UFC cards being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.
The main story this week surrounded a crucial clash toward the top of the bantamweight division. After a pair of headline victories in 2022, Marlon Vera will look to move a step closer to the title by defeating Cory Sandhagen, whom “Chito” is set to share the Octagon with in the UFC Vegas 69 main event on February 18.
Elsewhere on the card, women’s flyweight contender Taila Santos will return to action. Following her tight defeat to champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 275, the Brazilian will look to secure a second crack at the gold when she meets the rising Erin Blanchfield.
In contrast, there was just the one cancellation this week, but it was certainly a major one. Recent interim flyweight title challenger Kai Kara-France won’t be making the walk in front of a home Australian crowd next February, as an injury has forced him out of his planned UFC 284 showdown with Alex Perez.
For more detailed information on some bouts that may have flown under your radar between December 19 and December 24, scroll down and check out this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin.
Priscila Cachoeira vs. Sijara Eubanks – UFC Vegas 67 (January 14)
Priscila Cachoeira will look to secure the biggest win streak of her UFC career to date when she meets Sijara Eubanks on January 14.
Cachoeira (12-4) began her Octagon career with three defeats to Valentina Shevchenko, Molly McCann, and Luana Carolina. In 2022, she’s been able to move past her initial woes, as well as an eye-gauging controversy against Gillian Robertson, with a pair of victories over Ji Yeon Kim and Ariane Lipski.
“Zombie Girl” will look to make it three in a row at the expense of Eubanks (7-7) at UFC Vegas 67. “SarJ” has struggled for consistency inside the Octagon, with a pair of two-fight win streaks both followed by equal-length skids. Most recently, Eubanks had the momentum from a dominant TKO victory over Elise Reed stalled by a stoppage loss to Melissa Gatto in a bout she missed weight for.
This women’s flyweight matchup was first reported by Dama de Ferro MMA.
Marcin Tybura vs. Blagoy Ivanov – UFC Vegas 68 (February 4)
It’ll be a heavyweight showcase on February 4, with a clash between Marcin Tybura and Blagoy Ivanov joining Derrick Lewis‘ headliner opposite Serghei Spivak.
Tybura (23-7) has remained in the top-15 conversation since finding form in 2020. After consecutive defeats to Shamil Abdurakhimov and Augusto Sakai, the Polish fighter reeled off five straight wins, including over Serghei Spivac, Greg Hardy, and Walt Harris. While a defeat to Alexander Volkov stalled his rise last October, Tybura bounced back in style by blemishing the previously unbeaten record of Alexandr Romanov at UFC 278.
Having defended his #10 spot opposite the #13 man, Tybura will look to do the same at UFC Vegas 68 against the #15-ranked Ivanov (19-4, 1 NC). The Bulgarian veteran, who boasts wins over Tai Tuivasa and Ricco Rodriguez, returned after a two-year layoff this past May at UFC 274. There, he rebounded from a narrow decision loss to Sakai by outpointing Marcos Rogério de Lima.
This heavyweight fight was first reported by MMA Underground’s John Morgan.
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Philipe Lins – UFC Vegas 69 (February 18)
Ovince Saint Preux will look to finally make it to the cage at UFC Vegas 69 on February 18.
Saint Preux (26-16), a 25-fight Octagon veteran, saw three separate opponents withdraw from UFC 282. Having missed out on the planned pay-per-view appearance, which was set to come seven months after he edged out Maurício Rua, “OSP” will hope to square off with one of the trio of light heavyweights who pulled out in 2023.
Former heavyweight Philipe Lins (15-5) initially agreed to step in for Alexander Gustafsson to face Saint Preux earlier this month but withdrew for undisclosed reasons. He’ll look to make the walk against the veteran next year, with the hope being to continue the momentum from a successful drop to 205 pounds against Marcin Prachnio this past April at UFC Vegas 52.
This light heavyweight contest was first reported by MMA Fighting.
Julian Marquez vs. Marc-André Barriault – UFC 285 (March 4)
Like Saint Preux, Julian Marquez also saw a December appearance fall through. With planned opponent Deron Winn’s subsequent release, he’ll be preparing to face a new name at UFC 285 on March 4.
Marquez (9-3) returned from a near-three-year layoff last February, choking out Maki Pitolo. While he made it back-to-back submissions two months later in a Fight of the Night opposite Sam Alvey, another lengthy layoff culminated in a knockout loss to Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Austin this past June.
“The Cuban Missile Crisis” will hope to rebound in 2023 when he faces Marc-André Barriault (14-6, 1 NC). The Canadian went 1-2 in 2022, with a first-round submission victory over Jordan Wright sandwiched between a brutal KO defeat against Chidi Njokuani and a submission setback versus Anthony Hernandez.
This middleweight matchup was announced by Marquez’s management team, Iridium Sports Agency.
JJ Aldrich vs. Ariane Lipski – UFC Vegas 71 (March 11)
JJ Aldrich and Ariane Lipski will both be searching for a return to the win column when they collide at UFC Vegas 71 on March 11.
Aldrich (11-5), a former Invicta FC standout, extended her win streak to three in her first appearance of 2022. But while she’d outpointed Cortney Casey, Vanessa Demopoulos, and Gillian Robertson, she couldn’t repeat the feat against the charging Erin Blanchfield at June’s UFC Vegas 56 event, where she was submitted via guillotine choke in the second round.
If the 30-year-old is to avoid the first losing skid of her professional career, she’ll have to get past Lipski (14-8). “The Queen of Violence,” who is a former KSW flyweight titleholder, established herself as an intriguing prospect with a hard-to-watch kneebar against Luana Carolina in 2020. Since then, however, she’s gone 1-3, most recently suffering a first-round TKO at the hands of Priscila Cachoeira at UFC San Diego.
This women’s flyweight bout was first reported by Meni Mayer.
Jake Hadley vs. Malcolm Gordon – UFC 286 (March 18)
Having missed both London-held cards in 2022, England’s Jake Hadley will have the chance to make the walk in front of his home fans at UFC 286 on March 18.
Hadley (9-1) secured a contract on Dana White‘s Contender Series last October despite missing weight. But on debut, his record was blemished for the first time by Allan Nascimento at UFC Vegas 54. Six months later, “White Kong” entered the winner’s circle in the UFC for the first time by submitting Carlos Candelario at UFC Vegas 64.
The flyweight prospect will next look to send veteran Malcolm Gordon (14-6) on a losing skid to British opponents in 2023. The Canadian had a two-fight win streak snapped at UFC 280 in October by Dagestani-born Brit Muhammad Mokaev. Before that, he had his hand raised in consecutive outings opposite Francisco Figueiredo and Denys Bondar.
This flyweight scrap was first reported by TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter.
Per sources, ??Malcolm Gordon will face Jake Hadley at UFC 286 on March 18 in London, England.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) December 23, 2022[/quote]
Alex Perez vs. Manel Kape – UFC San Antonio (March 25)
After seeing his planned matchup with Kai Kara-France at UFC 284 next February fall through, flyweight contender Alex Perez has been booked on the UFC San Antonio card the following month.
Perez (24-7), a one-time title challenger, is without a win since a 2020 TKO against Jussier Formiga. After failing to dethrone Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 255, falling via submission in just under two minutes, Perez was out of action for almost two years, during which he had six different fight dates fall through. He returned to a similar scenario as his title challenge, with Alexandre Pantoja forcing him to tap in the first round at UFC 277.
Having struggled for form and to make it into the cage in recent years, Perez will look to succeed in both areas when he meets Manel Kape (18-6) on March 25. While the former Rizin champion had a tough start to Octagon life, suffering losses to top contenders Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau, he’s since rebounded and risen the ladder with three impressive performances against Ode’ Osbourne, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, and David Dvo?ák.
This flyweight fight was first reported by MMA Fighting.
Alex Perez about to lose his place ?
— ??????? Manel Kape (@ManelKape) December 23, 2022[/quote]
Who do you envision having their hands raised in these UFC matchups?
Click here to view the article.
With UFC cards being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.
The main story this week surrounded a crucial clash toward the top of the bantamweight division. After a pair of headline victories in 2022, Marlon Vera will look to move a step closer to the title by defeating Cory Sandhagen, whom “Chito” is set to share the Octagon with in the UFC Vegas 69 main event on February 18.
Elsewhere on the card, women’s flyweight contender Taila Santos will return to action. Following her tight defeat to champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 275, the Brazilian will look to secure a second crack at the gold when she meets the rising Erin Blanchfield.
In contrast, there was just the one cancellation this week, but it was certainly a major one. Recent interim flyweight title challenger Kai Kara-France won’t be making the walk in front of a home Australian crowd next February, as an injury has forced him out of his planned UFC 284 showdown with Alex Perez.
For more detailed information on some bouts that may have flown under your radar between December 19 and December 24, scroll down and check out this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin.
Priscila Cachoeira vs. Sijara Eubanks – UFC Vegas 67 (January 14)
Priscila Cachoeira will look to secure the biggest win streak of her UFC career to date when she meets Sijara Eubanks on January 14.
Cachoeira (12-4) began her Octagon career with three defeats to Valentina Shevchenko, Molly McCann, and Luana Carolina. In 2022, she’s been able to move past her initial woes, as well as an eye-gauging controversy against Gillian Robertson, with a pair of victories over Ji Yeon Kim and Ariane Lipski.
“Zombie Girl” will look to make it three in a row at the expense of Eubanks (7-7) at UFC Vegas 67. “SarJ” has struggled for consistency inside the Octagon, with a pair of two-fight win streaks both followed by equal-length skids. Most recently, Eubanks had the momentum from a dominant TKO victory over Elise Reed stalled by a stoppage loss to Melissa Gatto in a bout she missed weight for.
This women’s flyweight matchup was first reported by Dama de Ferro MMA.
Marcin Tybura vs. Blagoy Ivanov – UFC Vegas 68 (February 4)
It’ll be a heavyweight showcase on February 4, with a clash between Marcin Tybura and Blagoy Ivanov joining Derrick Lewis‘ headliner opposite Serghei Spivak.
Tybura (23-7) has remained in the top-15 conversation since finding form in 2020. After consecutive defeats to Shamil Abdurakhimov and Augusto Sakai, the Polish fighter reeled off five straight wins, including over Serghei Spivac, Greg Hardy, and Walt Harris. While a defeat to Alexander Volkov stalled his rise last October, Tybura bounced back in style by blemishing the previously unbeaten record of Alexandr Romanov at UFC 278.
Having defended his #10 spot opposite the #13 man, Tybura will look to do the same at UFC Vegas 68 against the #15-ranked Ivanov (19-4, 1 NC). The Bulgarian veteran, who boasts wins over Tai Tuivasa and Ricco Rodriguez, returned after a two-year layoff this past May at UFC 274. There, he rebounded from a narrow decision loss to Sakai by outpointing Marcos Rogério de Lima.
This heavyweight fight was first reported by MMA Underground’s John Morgan.
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Philipe Lins – UFC Vegas 69 (February 18)
Ovince Saint Preux will look to finally make it to the cage at UFC Vegas 69 on February 18.
Saint Preux (26-16), a 25-fight Octagon veteran, saw three separate opponents withdraw from UFC 282. Having missed out on the planned pay-per-view appearance, which was set to come seven months after he edged out Maurício Rua, “OSP” will hope to square off with one of the trio of light heavyweights who pulled out in 2023.
Former heavyweight Philipe Lins (15-5) initially agreed to step in for Alexander Gustafsson to face Saint Preux earlier this month but withdrew for undisclosed reasons. He’ll look to make the walk against the veteran next year, with the hope being to continue the momentum from a successful drop to 205 pounds against Marcin Prachnio this past April at UFC Vegas 52.
This light heavyweight contest was first reported by MMA Fighting.
Julian Marquez vs. Marc-André Barriault – UFC 285 (March 4)
Like Saint Preux, Julian Marquez also saw a December appearance fall through. With planned opponent Deron Winn’s subsequent release, he’ll be preparing to face a new name at UFC 285 on March 4.
Marquez (9-3) returned from a near-three-year layoff last February, choking out Maki Pitolo. While he made it back-to-back submissions two months later in a Fight of the Night opposite Sam Alvey, another lengthy layoff culminated in a knockout loss to Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Austin this past June.
“The Cuban Missile Crisis” will hope to rebound in 2023 when he faces Marc-André Barriault (14-6, 1 NC). The Canadian went 1-2 in 2022, with a first-round submission victory over Jordan Wright sandwiched between a brutal KO defeat against Chidi Njokuani and a submission setback versus Anthony Hernandez.
This middleweight matchup was announced by Marquez’s management team, Iridium Sports Agency.
JJ Aldrich vs. Ariane Lipski – UFC Vegas 71 (March 11)
JJ Aldrich and Ariane Lipski will both be searching for a return to the win column when they collide at UFC Vegas 71 on March 11.
Aldrich (11-5), a former Invicta FC standout, extended her win streak to three in her first appearance of 2022. But while she’d outpointed Cortney Casey, Vanessa Demopoulos, and Gillian Robertson, she couldn’t repeat the feat against the charging Erin Blanchfield at June’s UFC Vegas 56 event, where she was submitted via guillotine choke in the second round.
If the 30-year-old is to avoid the first losing skid of her professional career, she’ll have to get past Lipski (14-8). “The Queen of Violence,” who is a former KSW flyweight titleholder, established herself as an intriguing prospect with a hard-to-watch kneebar against Luana Carolina in 2020. Since then, however, she’s gone 1-3, most recently suffering a first-round TKO at the hands of Priscila Cachoeira at UFC San Diego.
This women’s flyweight bout was first reported by Meni Mayer.
Jake Hadley vs. Malcolm Gordon – UFC 286 (March 18)
Having missed both London-held cards in 2022, England’s Jake Hadley will have the chance to make the walk in front of his home fans at UFC 286 on March 18.
Hadley (9-1) secured a contract on Dana White‘s Contender Series last October despite missing weight. But on debut, his record was blemished for the first time by Allan Nascimento at UFC Vegas 54. Six months later, “White Kong” entered the winner’s circle in the UFC for the first time by submitting Carlos Candelario at UFC Vegas 64.
The flyweight prospect will next look to send veteran Malcolm Gordon (14-6) on a losing skid to British opponents in 2023. The Canadian had a two-fight win streak snapped at UFC 280 in October by Dagestani-born Brit Muhammad Mokaev. Before that, he had his hand raised in consecutive outings opposite Francisco Figueiredo and Denys Bondar.
This flyweight scrap was first reported by TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter.
Per sources, ??Malcolm Gordon will face Jake Hadley at UFC 286 on March 18 in London, England.— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) December 23, 2022
Alex Perez vs. Manel Kape – UFC San Antonio (March 25)
After seeing his planned matchup with Kai Kara-France at UFC 284 next February fall through, flyweight contender Alex Perez has been booked on the UFC San Antonio card the following month.
Perez (24-7), a one-time title challenger, is without a win since a 2020 TKO against Jussier Formiga. After failing to dethrone Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 255, falling via submission in just under two minutes, Perez was out of action for almost two years, during which he had six different fight dates fall through. He returned to a similar scenario as his title challenge, with Alexandre Pantoja forcing him to tap in the first round at UFC 277.
Having struggled for form and to make it into the cage in recent years, Perez will look to succeed in both areas when he meets Manel Kape (18-6) on March 25. While the former Rizin champion had a tough start to Octagon life, suffering losses to top contenders Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau, he’s since rebounded and risen the ladder with three impressive performances against Ode’ Osbourne, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, and David Dvo?ák.
This flyweight fight was first reported by MMA Fighting.
Alex Perez about to lose his place ?— ??????? Manel Kape (@ManelKape) December 23, 2022
Who do you envision having their hands raised in these UFC matchups?
With UFC cards being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.
The main story this week surrounded a crucial clash toward the top of the bantamweight division. After a pair of headline victories in 2022, Marlon Vera will look to move a step closer to the title by defeating Cory Sandhagen, whom “Chito” is set to share the Octagon with in the UFC Vegas 69 main event on February 18.
Elsewhere on the card, women’s flyweight contender Taila Santos will return to action. Following her tight defeat to champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 275, the Brazilian will look to secure a second crack at the gold when she meets the rising Erin Blanchfield.
In contrast, there was just the one cancellation this week, but it was certainly a major one. Recent interim flyweight title challenger Kai Kara-France won’t be making the walk in front of a home Australian crowd next February, as an injury has forced him out of his planned UFC 284 showdown with Alex Perez.
For more detailed information on some bouts that may have flown under your radar between December 19 and December 24, scroll down and check out this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin.
Priscila Cachoeira vs. Sijara Eubanks – UFC Vegas 67 (January 14)
Priscila Cachoeira will look to secure the biggest win streak of her UFC career to date when she meets Sijara Eubanks on January 14.
Cachoeira (12-4) began her Octagon career with three defeats to Valentina Shevchenko, Molly McCann, and Luana Carolina. In 2022, she’s been able to move past her initial woes, as well as an eye-gauging controversy against Gillian Robertson, with a pair of victories over Ji Yeon Kim and Ariane Lipski.
“Zombie Girl” will look to make it three in a row at the expense of Eubanks (7-7) at UFC Vegas 67. “SarJ” has struggled for consistency inside the Octagon, with a pair of two-fight win streaks both followed by equal-length skids. Most recently, Eubanks had the momentum from a dominant TKO victory over Elise Reed stalled by a stoppage loss to Melissa Gatto in a bout she missed weight for.
This women’s flyweight matchup was first reported by Dama de Ferro MMA.
Marcin Tybura vs. Blagoy Ivanov – UFC Vegas 68 (February 4)
It’ll be a heavyweight showcase on February 4, with a clash between Marcin Tybura and Blagoy Ivanov joining Derrick Lewis‘ headliner opposite Serghei Spivak.
Tybura (23-7) has remained in the top-15 conversation since finding form in 2020. After consecutive defeats to Shamil Abdurakhimov and Augusto Sakai, the Polish fighter reeled off five straight wins, including over Serghei Spivac, Greg Hardy, and Walt Harris. While a defeat to Alexander Volkov stalled his rise last October, Tybura bounced back in style by blemishing the previously unbeaten record of Alexandr Romanov at UFC 278.
Having defended his #10 spot opposite the #13 man, Tybura will look to do the same at UFC Vegas 68 against the #15-ranked Ivanov (19-4, 1 NC). The Bulgarian veteran, who boasts wins over Tai Tuivasa and Ricco Rodriguez, returned after a two-year layoff this past May at UFC 274. There, he rebounded from a narrow decision loss to Sakai by outpointing Marcos Rogério de Lima.
This heavyweight fight was first reported by MMA Underground’s John Morgan.
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Philipe Lins – UFC Vegas 69 (February 18)
Ovince Saint Preux will look to finally make it to the cage at UFC Vegas 69 on February 18.
Saint Preux (26-16), a 25-fight Octagon veteran, saw three separate opponents withdraw from UFC 282. Having missed out on the planned pay-per-view appearance, which was set to come seven months after he edged out Maurício Rua, “OSP” will hope to square off with one of the trio of light heavyweights who pulled out in 2023.
Former heavyweight Philipe Lins (15-5) initially agreed to step in for Alexander Gustafsson to face Saint Preux earlier this month but withdrew for undisclosed reasons. He’ll look to make the walk against the veteran next year, with the hope being to continue the momentum from a successful drop to 205 pounds against Marcin Prachnio this past April at UFC Vegas 52.
This light heavyweight contest was first reported by MMA Fighting.
Julian Marquez vs. Marc-André Barriault – UFC 285 (March 4)
Like Saint Preux, Julian Marquez also saw a December appearance fall through. With planned opponent Deron Winn’s subsequent release, he’ll be preparing to face a new name at UFC 285 on March 4.
Marquez (9-3) returned from a near-three-year layoff last February, choking out Maki Pitolo. While he made it back-to-back submissions two months later in a Fight of the Night opposite Sam Alvey, another lengthy layoff culminated in a knockout loss to Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Austin this past June.
“The Cuban Missile Crisis” will hope to rebound in 2023 when he faces Marc-André Barriault (14-6, 1 NC). The Canadian went 1-2 in 2022, with a first-round submission victory over Jordan Wright sandwiched between a brutal KO defeat against Chidi Njokuani and a submission setback versus Anthony Hernandez.
This middleweight matchup was announced by Marquez’s management team, Iridium Sports Agency.
JJ Aldrich vs. Ariane Lipski – UFC Vegas 71 (March 11)
JJ Aldrich and Ariane Lipski will both be searching for a return to the win column when they collide at UFC Vegas 71 on March 11.
Aldrich (11-5), a former Invicta FC standout, extended her win streak to three in her first appearance of 2022. But while she’d outpointed Cortney Casey, Vanessa Demopoulos, and Gillian Robertson, she couldn’t repeat the feat against the charging Erin Blanchfield at June’s UFC Vegas 56 event, where she was submitted via guillotine choke in the second round.
If the 30-year-old is to avoid the first losing skid of her professional career, she’ll have to get past Lipski (14-8). “The Queen of Violence,” who is a former KSW flyweight titleholder, established herself as an intriguing prospect with a hard-to-watch kneebar against Luana Carolina in 2020. Since then, however, she’s gone 1-3, most recently suffering a first-round TKO at the hands of Priscila Cachoeira at UFC San Diego.
This women’s flyweight bout was first reported by Meni Mayer.
Jake Hadley vs. Malcolm Gordon – UFC 286 (March 18)
Having missed both London-held cards in 2022, England’s Jake Hadley will have the chance to make the walk in front of his home fans at UFC 286 on March 18.
Hadley (9-1) secured a contract on Dana White‘s Contender Series last October despite missing weight. But on debut, his record was blemished for the first time by Allan Nascimento at UFC Vegas 54. Six months later, “White Kong” entered the winner’s circle in the UFC for the first time by submitting Carlos Candelario at UFC Vegas 64.
The flyweight prospect will next look to send veteran Malcolm Gordon (14-6) on a losing skid to British opponents in 2023. The Canadian had a two-fight win streak snapped at UFC 280 in October by Dagestani-born Brit Muhammad Mokaev. Before that, he had his hand raised in consecutive outings opposite Francisco Figueiredo and Denys Bondar.
This flyweight scrap was first reported by TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter.
Per sources, ??Malcolm Gordon will face Jake Hadley at UFC 286 on March 18 in London, England.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) December 23, 2022[/quote]
Alex Perez vs. Manel Kape – UFC San Antonio (March 25)
After seeing his planned matchup with Kai Kara-France at UFC 284 next February fall through, flyweight contender Alex Perez has been booked on the UFC San Antonio card the following month.
Perez (24-7), a one-time title challenger, is without a win since a 2020 TKO against Jussier Formiga. After failing to dethrone Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 255, falling via submission in just under two minutes, Perez was out of action for almost two years, during which he had six different fight dates fall through. He returned to a similar scenario as his title challenge, with Alexandre Pantoja forcing him to tap in the first round at UFC 277.
Having struggled for form and to make it into the cage in recent years, Perez will look to succeed in both areas when he meets Manel Kape (18-6) on March 25. While the former Rizin champion had a tough start to Octagon life, suffering losses to top contenders Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau, he’s since rebounded and risen the ladder with three impressive performances against Ode’ Osbourne, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, and David Dvo?ák.
This flyweight fight was first reported by MMA Fighting.
Alex Perez about to lose his place ?
— ??????? Manel Kape (@ManelKape) December 23, 2022[/quote]
Who do you envision having their hands raised in these UFC matchups?
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