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Valentina Shevchenko vs. Liz Carmouche expected to headline UFC Uruguay

UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is expected to put her belt on the line against Liz Carmouche in the UFC on ESPN+ 14 headliner. MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday confirmed the news first reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.

The bout had been targeted as a late replacement for the UFC on ESPN 4 on July 20, but the promotion instead opted for Rafael dos Anjos vs. Leon Edwards for that fight card. Shevchenko vs. Carmouche will instead headline UFC on ESPN+ 14 on Aug. 10 in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Shevchenko (17-3) failed to capture the belt in the UFC bantamweight division, having lost once to Carmouche and twice to Amanda Nunes at 135 pounds. She has since gone undefeated at 125 pounds.

Shevchenko had one fight at 125 pounds before she squared off with former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the vacant flyweight belt. She easily earned a unanimous-decision victory over Jedrzejczyk and then defended her belt with a stunning 26-second knockout of Jessica Eye at UFC 238.

Carmouche (13-6) hasn’t been quite as stellar since her drop to 125 pounds. She lost her flyweight debut in a split decision to Alexis Davis, but rebounded with back-to-back victories over Jennifer Maia and Lucie Pudilová.

Having defeated Shevchenko via TKO stoppage under the C3 banner in 2010 certainly didn’t hurt Carmouche’s reasoning for getting a shot now. She’s already proven she could beat Shevchenko, who likely wouldn’t mind a chance at avenging her first professional defeat.

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/valentina-shevchenko-vs-liz-carmouche-expected-to-headline-ufc-uruguay

BAD BLOOD, GOOD BUSINESS: The Story of Rivalries Fueling the Biggest Fights

(Courtesy of UFC)

In 2014, a brawl between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier in the MGM Grand lobby led to one of the most successful Pay-Per-Views in company history because “bad blood” sells. That only continued with the likes of Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz… well, really Conor McGregor and nearly anyone he fought.

It really started well before today’s stars with the likes of Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz, as well as Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock. Over time, it’s proven to be an effective promotional tool.

Originally released on UFC FIGHT PASS, UFC 25 Years in Short is a 25-part documentary series celebrating the UFC silver anniversary. This compilation of short films presents 25 captivating UFC stories, one for each year of existence, and every piece stands alone as an independent feature. Viewed as a whole, these films form a larger, mosaic narrative of the UFC’s amazing evolution, fascinating characters and lasting influence.

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier’s complete UFC 178 media day brawl

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/bad-blood-good-business-ufc-25-years-in-short-video

Dana White dishes on MMA’s future during UFC Apex scrum (video)

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It seems like every time we turn around, UFC president Dana White is saying “you guys won’t believe what’s coming next.” There’s good reason for that. He and the rest of the UFC brass keep pushing the boundaries of not only the sport of mixed martial arts and promotion, but where they can take their business.

One of the milestone achievements of the UFC occurred on Tuesday, as the UFC Apex was unveiled. Though it is largely billed as a new venue, the UFC Apex is much more than that. It is a state-of-the-art facility that will not only host UFC events, but any number of other sports and events with the flexibility to produce content at an extremely high pace. That was, of course, by design, as the world of sports and entertainment moves into the age of digital streaming.

The UFC Apex was such a big deal with the promotion that White hosted a Media Day , which led into the season three launch of Dana White’s Contender Series at the facility. White spoke at length with the media as he unveiled the facility, but he spoke not only about UFC Apex and streaming, but also a host of other topics, including his seven-year contract extension, his move into promoting boxing, and more.

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/dana-white-dishes-on-mmas-future-during-ufc-apex-scrum-video

BREAKING BARRIERS: The Story of Ronda Rousey and the Rise of Women’s MMA (video)

(Courtesy of UFC)

Ronda Rousey’s run of dominance in the UFC captivated the public far beyond the sports world, and blazed a trail for all female fighters to follow.

Not only was she the UFC’s first female champion, Rousey was the first woman inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

Originally released on UFC FIGHT PASS, UFC 25 Years in Short is a 25-part documentary series celebrating the UFC silver anniversary. This compilation of short films presents 25 captivating UFC stories, one for each year of existence, and every piece stands alone as an independent feature. Viewed as a whole, these films form a larger, mosaic narrative of the UFC’s amazing evolution, fascinating characters and lasting influence.

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/breaking-barriers-the-story-of-ronda-rousey-and-the-rise-of-womens-mma-video

Rob Font ready to take out John Lineker at UFC on ESPN+ 12 and move into title contention

For bantamweight Rob Font, his win over Sergio Pettis at UFC on FOX 31 last December might not have come in the manner he would have liked, but closing out his 2018 going 2-1 was better than possibly closing it out 1-2.

“It was a great fight,” Font told MMAWeekly.com. “I had a blast out there. I thought the fight went good. I controlled him with the jab. I didn’t get the finish, but I had fun, and got good cage experience and got the W.”

Since the victory over Pettis, Font feels like his game has grown quite a bit, especially in the grappling aspect of it.

“I’m consistently improving daily,” said Font. “I really feel like my wrestling and my confidence in my wrestling has gone through the roof. I feel like a whole different fighter from six months ago.”

On Friday in Greenville, South Carolina, Font (16-4) will be looking for a bit of revenge when he faces late replacement John Lineker (31-9) in the 135-pound co-main event of UFC on ESPN+ 12.

“When we fought the first time I was playing too much to the crowd,” Font said. “It was 40,000 people screaming, and I wasn’t me and lost focus real early. I wasn’t fighting my fight, I was fighting his fight. I wasn’t me.

“I feel like this time around I’ve got to go out there and have fun, do what I know what I can do, and go out there and get the W in any way possible. I wasn’t prepared (in the first one) to fight a three-round smart fight, but this time I’m prepared.”

Originally slated to face Cody Stamann at UFC on ESPN+ 12, Font feels the change of opponent won’t be a big deal for him as he’s faced this situation more times than not in his career.

“It’s always changed on me at the last minute, so since my debut I’ve learned to focus on me and not focus too much on my opponent and their styles,” said Font.

“The way I look at it, whoever I fight is going to try punch me, so try not to get punched; they’re going to try to take me down, so don’t get taken down; if they’re going to try to kick, block the kick. I go out there and react and have fun.”

For the second half of 2019, Font would like to get a big fight near his home base or at least make some headway in the bantamweight division and close out the year near the top of the rankings.

“I’ve heard rumors they’re coming to Boston, so I’d like to get a big fight in Boston, a marquee match-up, then hopefully a title shot or a number one contender’s spot,” Font said.

“Whoever is in the Top 10, we’re all at least two fights away, so you never know how it plays out. If that doesn’t play out, I’d like to avenge another loss to Pedro Munhoz or (Raphael) Assuncao. I’m ready for it all, but I’m also not overlooking anyone, and not looking down on Lineker at all.”

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/rob-font-ready-to-take-out-john-lineker-at-ufc-on-espn-12-and-move-into-title-contention