UFN212

Grasso vs. Araujo

Alex Volkanovski will likely fight on the card.

BREAKING: UFC 284 Takes Place In Perth, Australia

Frankie Edgar makes one last walk at Madison Square Garden.

NEWS: Frankie Edgar To Retire At UFC 281 vs. Chris Gutierrez

Geoff Neal Answers The Call of Undefeated Shavkhat Rakhmonov.

NEWS: Geoff Neal And Shavkhat Rakhmonov Agree To Fight

Abdullah Ouazri

The UFC is heading to Perth, Australia on February11th of 2023 at the RAC Arena for UFC 284. Featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski and Robert Whittaker will likely be on the card, per Perth Now. 

It will be the first time since 2019 that the promotion has traveled down under. The last event was UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya which broke the record for live attendance, seating 57,127 fans in the Marvel Stadium. The record stands to this day. 

Shortly after his last title defense at UFC 277 vs. Max Holloway, Featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski set his eyes on a home-town fight in Australia and has since been eluding that the UFC will oblige. With wins over Max Holloway, The Korean Zombie, Brian Ortega, and 4 title defenses to show for it, the former rugby standout deserves to fight in front of his native fans. 

Other oceanic fighters like Justin Tafa have spread the news about UFC 284 and have already begun clamoring to fight on the card. 

Now with the pound-for-pound #1 and #2 fighters in the world, Alex Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya, hailing from that region, the UFC has all the more reason to put on a show.

UFC 284 Set In Australia, Alex Volkanovski Looks To Return

Geoff Neal and Shavkhat Rakhmonov have verbally agreed to meet inside the octagon. This began with a callout from Rakhmonov.

> I don’t blame you for doubting yourself. When are you going to accept the fight offer (Geoff Neal) - Shavkhat Rakhmonov via Twitter 

To which Neal responded candidly,

> Had my team call (Sean Shelby) this morning. Be careful what you wish for. See you soon. (Shavkhat Rakhmonov) - Geoff Neal via Twitter 

**Should this fight take place, it will be a Welterweight (170 lbs) bout.**

Shavkhat Rakhmonov has a professional record of 16-0-0 and at Welterweight is currently ranked #10 while Geoff Neal has a professional record of 15-4-0 and at Welterweight is currently ranked #6.

Geoff Neal has been a staple of the UFC's Welterweight division for years now, and after facing legal troubles involving a DWI and more, he has had a major career bounce back. His last 2 outings saw him notch wins over Santiago Ponzinibbio and Vicente Luque. His performance over Luque was dominant and clinical on the way to a 3rd-round knockout, becoming the first man to end Luque with strikes. 

![F995616C-42C3-4213-A46F-0313B20E42C7.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/f079e4a5-be2c-49db-28b6-ab8946bc9f00/pub "Geoff Neal KO's Vicente Luque. Credits to: Chris Unger-Zuffa LLC")

Shavkhat Rakhmonov is a dark horse in the Welterweight division, with many believing him to be a future champion. His undefeated record of 16-0 is impressive, but even more so is his 100% finish rate with 8 knockouts and 8 submissions. His last win was a 2nd-round guillotine choke over perennial Welterweight contender Neil Magny, a man who has beaten Geoff Neal. At just 27 years of age and 4-0 in the UFC, the sky is the limit for Shavkhat Rakhmonov.

In a division that has been held up due to its contenders’ lack of activity, this fight will loom largely over the top ranks and potentially even the title picture.

Geoff Neal And Shavkhat Rakhmonov Verbally Agree To Fight

Frankie Edgar returns to the octagon one last time to fight Chris Gutierrez at UFC 281 on November 12th at Madison Square Garden per Brett Okamoto.

This fight will take place at Bantamweight (135 lbs).

Frankie Edgar holds a professional record of 24-10-1 and is currently ranked #11 at Bantamweight.

Chris Gutierrez holds a professional record of 18-3-2 and is currently unranked.

Frankie Edgar is a legend and former champion in the UFC. He is tied for the most title defenses in the Lightweight division with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Benson Henderson. He is currently riding a 2-fight KO losing streak to Cory Sandhagen and Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. He recently asked for one last fight in the UFC and for it to be at Madison Square Garden. Now his wish has been Granted.

His opponent, Chris Gutierrez has won 6 out of his last 7 fights with the only outlier being a draw. His most recent performance was a spinning-backfist knockout over Danaa Batgerel at UFC 275. 


With this fight, Edgar will try to retire on a win while Gutierrez looks to make a name for himself and enter the Bantamweight rankings.

Frankie Edgar Faces Chris Gutierrez In His Retirement Fight

The semi-retirement of Kevin Holland has come to an abrupt halt shortly after it had begun. The UFC has revealed that he will face Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson in the main event at UFC Orlando on December 3rd at the Amway Center.

**This 5-round fight will take place at Welterweight (170 lbs).**

Stephen Thompson holds a professional record of 16-6-1 and is currently ranked #7 while Kevin Holland holds a professional record of 23-8-0 and is currently unranked.

Holland’s last fight was against Khamzat Chimaev in one of the most bizarre fight weeks of all time. Chimaev was set to headline the UFC 279 PPV but weight issues pulled him from the main event. Backstage brawls between himself and Holland led to their fight being booked at Catchweight on just 24 hours' notice. Chimaev dominated the fight, submitting Holland in under a round. This prompted a short-lived retirement out of the loser, which he has since doubled back on to face Stephen Thompson.

Thompson’s last fight was a lopsided decision loss to Belal Muhammad in December of 2021. This return will mark nearly 1 full year since his last appearance. Muhammad controlled the fight with his grappling and landed heavy ground and pound throughout. Before that Wonderboy faced Gilbert Burns in a closely contested decision loss. 

Holland will look to restart his career on a big win while Wonderboy tries to protect his ranking.

Kevin Holland Ends Retirement, Set For Main Event Against Wonderboy At UFC Orlando

Finalizations for a bout between former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev are reportedly being made for UFC 282 on December 10th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas according to Magomed Ankalaev via Mayer Meni. The fight is not a done deal.

Jan Blachowicz has a professional MMA record of 29-9-0 and competes in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division (205 lbs) where he is currently ranked #2. 

Magomed Ankalaev has a professional MMA record of 18-1 and at Light Heavyweight he is ranked #3. 

This fight has been brewing since Ankalaev called out Blachowicz for a #1 contender’s fight after his most recent win. 

On the subject, Ankalaev’s last win came against Anthony Smith at UFC 277. He won the bout by 2nd-round TKO after severely comprising Smith’s leg with kicks. He is riding the longest winning streak in the division at 9 with wins over the likes of Nikita Krylov, Volkan Oezdemir, and Thiago Santos.

Jan Blachowicz’s last fight was against Aleksandar Rakic in May of this year. It was his first bout since he lost his title vs. Glover Teixeira at UFC 267. Blachowicz won the fight by 3rd-round TKO, and much light Ankalaev, it was due to a leg injury. Rakic tore his ACL in the fight and was unable to continue. Jan has wins over Israel Adesanya, Dominick Reyes, and Luke Rockhold, and will look to add Ankalaev to that list.

The winner of this fight will likely be the #1 contender to challenge for the title next year.

Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev Reportedly Being Finalized For UFC 282

Alexandre Pantoja will serve as the backup fighter for the Flyweight title unification bout between Deiveson Figuieredo and Brandon Moreno at UFC 283 on January 21st at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil according to Guilherme Cruz.

Pantoja has a professional record of 25-5 and competes in the UFC Flyweight (125 lbs) division where he is currently ranked #2. 

Should either fighter miss weight or be forced to withdraw from the card due to any reason, Alexandre Pantoja will be called upon to fill in and face a short-notice opponent.

This is not the first time Pantoja has been in this situation. He served as the backup for the last title fight between Figuieredo and Moreno at UFC 271. 

Regardless of whether or not a fighter falls through, Pantoja will be required to weigh in at the championship limit of 125 lbs or less the day before the fight.

![6B738F99-3582-4BEA-8CD2-09B29A149955.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/cfd3a241-f62d-4f62-5681-472690849700/pub "Alexandre Pantoja finishes Alez Perez in round 1. Credits to: Jerome Miron USA-TODAY Sports")

Pantoja is familiar with both of his potential foes. He lost a unanimous decision to Deiveson Figuieredo in the UFC and has beaten Brandon Moreno twice. Once by submission on The Ultimate Fighter, and once by unanimous decision in the UFC.

Riding the waves of a 3-fight winning streak, Alexandre Pantoja will try to make the most of the opportunity presented to him and potentially fight for a UFC title.

Alexandre Pantoja Set As Backup Fighter For Figuieredo vs. Moreno IV At UFC 283

Former ranked UFC Bantamweight Aspen Ladd has been quickly drafted to the PFL roster after being cut by the UFC.

Ladd competed in the UFC’s Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions where she was a ranked contender. She holds a professional record of 9-3-0.

Ladd’s last fight was a unanimous decision loss to Raquel Pennington at UFC 273 earlier this year. It marked her 2nd straight loss with the promotion but wasn’t the reason she was released from her contract. 

She parted ways with the company due to extensive inconsistencies in making weight. In just 7 fights, Ladd missed weight or forced a change in weight 4 times. She was most recently meant to fight Sara McMann at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song last month but caused the bout to be scrapped for the 3rd time due to a weight miss. 

This prompted UFC president Dana White and his fellow executives to end her contract with the promotion. Dana revealed that there were no hard feelings and that he wishes the best for her, however, a level of professionalism must be kept. 

Now Ladd has joined a wave of talent in signing with the PFL this year. Some fellow stars such as Shane Burgos, Thiago Santos, and Marlon Moraes have all found new homes in the PFL alongside her. 

The PFL Signs Aspen Ladd Following UFC Release

Jordan Lopez

The UFC returned to the Apex for UFC Vegas 61 headlined by Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan. This was a huge fight in the women's Strawweight division as the winner is one step closer to a title shot. The main card had everything fans would ask for. There were some impressive performances, nice finishes, and more. Let's take a look and recap what took place at UFC Vegas 61 on the main card. 

## Yan Xiaonan edges out Mackenzie Dern in majority decision

![YanXiaonan.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/0c2d35b8-eb30-4bae-eac0-a465b34ded00/pub "Yan Xiaonan throwing a straight-right on Mackenzie Dern. Credits to: Jeff Bottari-Getty Images.")

The main event featured an important fight in the women's Strawweight division as Mackenize Dern and Yan Xiaonan battled it out in a high paced fight. The first round was great for Xiaonan as she displayed early that her striking ability was going to force problems for Dern throughout the fight. She defended takedowns and looked freshed out of the gates. In the second round, Dern made adjustments and got the fight to the ground. Dern is one of the best BJJ practitioners in the UFC and she poses a serious threat on the ground. She recorded a couple of submission attempts but Xiaonan did an impressive job on surviving the round. Xiaonan responded back in rounds three and four in a big way as she continued to throw at a high volume. Dern had her moments in rounds three and four but she had her best round in the fifth. Dern immediately got the fight to the ground and had over four minutes of control time. She was searching for multiple submission attempts but Xiaonan did a great job with her defense as it looked like Dern might be able to submit her. The fifth round was so dominant for Dern that many in the Verdict Community scored it a 10-8 round and even one judge did as well. It still was not enough as Xiaonan edges out a majority decision at the end in a huge main event win. 

## Randy Brown defeats Francisco Trinaldo via unanimous decision

![RandyBrown.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/daf9e404-c665-4910-61d8-04293fa6a300/pub "Randy Brown landing a jab on Francisco Trinaldo. Credits to: Jeff Bottari-Getty Images.")

The co-main event featured a fun Welterweight bout between Randy Brown and Francisco Trinaldo. Brown started the fight great in the first round. He scored a knockdown on Trinaldo and was keeping pace with him on the ground as well. Brown kept the same striking pace in the second round but Trinaldo tried to give it his all in the third round. He recorded over three minutes of control time and was trying to finish Brown. Unfortunately for Trinaldo, the fight went the full 15 minutes and Brown got the nod from the judges. All three judges had it 29-28 in favor of Brown for the fight. Brown has now won four consecutive fights and is poised for a top 15 fight. He's currently not ranked in the Welterweight division but some have imagined that Brown will be ranked sooner than later. 

## Raoni Barcelos cruises to a decision win over Trevin Jones

![Barcelos.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/f01b5e42-dc55-4269-f9d2-9c369e6a3100/pub "Raoni Barcelos after his win at UFC Vegas 61. Credits to: Jeff Bottari-Getty Images.")

In the featured fight between Trevin Jones and Raoni Barcelos, both fighters desperately needed a win. Jones and Barcelos entered the fight on a two-fight skid and a win at UFC Vegas 61 would be huge for either one of them. To start the fight, Barcelos was the one that came out aggressive. He had a control time of over two minutes in the round and was having the better of the exchanges too. It was more of the same in the second round as Jones only landed two significant strikes in the round and was controlled for over three minutes. The output and pace of Barcelos was overwhelming for Jones and it continued in the third round. It appeared that Barcelos had Jones stunned in the third round but Jones recovered and continued to fight. Barcelos eventually got the fight to the ground again and did what he does best. He landed heavy shots on Jones towards the end of the fight but was not able to get the finish. Barcelos earned the win over Jones via unanimous decision as this was one of his biggest wins in his career. 

## Sodiq Yusuff finishes Don Shainis in 30 seconds 

![SodiqYusuff.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/86b33b0b-0579-4dfc-9a3f-2a30e0784800/pub "Sodiq Yusuff after defeating Don Shainis at UFC Vegas 61. Credits to: Jeff Bottari-Getty Images.")

Sodiq Yusuff adds to the total of finishes at UFC Vegas 61 with his own submission win over Don Shainis. Yusuff came out hot and on the attack to start the fight. Both fighters engage in the clinch and Yusuff lands some vicious knees to the body of Shainis. Yusuff jumps on the guillotine and gets the finish in just 30 seconds. He continues to climb the ranks in the Featherweight division. He couldn't have looked better and continues to show the world that he keeps on improving. Yusuff improves his record to 13-2 with back-to-back wins.

## Mike Davis earns the win over Viacheslav Borshchev in his return to the octagon

![MikeDavis.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/3ab7ae30-cdbc-4d40-50ad-5bd8da301900/pub "Mike Davis gets his hand raised and earns the victory at UFC Vegas 61. Credits to: Jeff Bottari-Getty Images.")

The fight to open up the main card did not disappoint. Mike Davis and Viacheslav Borshchev slugged it out and it was nothing but entertaining. Daivs looked great to start the fight, considering this was his first fight since January of 2021. He had Borshchev hurt in the first round with a knee to the head and proceeded with some damaging ground-and-pound shots on the ground. Borshchev returned the favor to start the second round as he came out firing on all cylinders. The striking of Borshchev looked crisp as long as it lasted because Davis decided to take the fight to the ground again where he found much success throughout the duration of the fight. Going into the third round, it appeared that Borshchev needed a finish to win the fight as he fought with a lot more urgency to start. Davis was patient and capitalized on the opportunity for the takedown to seal the fight. He was in control for most of the round and got the judges approval for the fight. Daivs earned the victory via unanimous decision in his return to the octagon.


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