5 months agoDan Ige (18-8) was supposed to fight on July 20, but as UFC 303 had already started, the Hawaiian got a call to step up on hours' notice to face Diego Lopes in the co-main event of the card. Ige replaced Brian Ortega who was pulled from the fight due to an illness on fight day. In the first two rounds, Ige struggled as he was outstruck in the first round and was controlled in the second. But, in the third round, Ige took over as he outstruck Lopes 41-to-16 and landed some big shots. However, it was too little too late as he dropped a decision. With the loss, Ige is now 10-7 in the UFC and is 3-5 in his last eight fights.Source: UFC
5 months agoDiego Lopes (25-6) scored a unanimous decision win over Dan Ige in the co-main event of UFC 303. Lopes was supposed to fight Brian Ortega but on fight day, Ortega had to pull out due to an injury. On just hours' notice, Dan Ige stepped up to face Lopes at a 165lbs catchweight. In the first round, Lopes had success as he outstruck Ige 23-to-9. Lopes then controlled the second round with his grappling as he had over three minutes of control. But, in the third round, he did slow down, as Lopes was outstruck 41-to-16, but did enough to win the first two rounds to get the decision win. With the victory, Lopes is on a four-fight winning streak and should get a top-five opponent next time out.Source: UFC
5 months agoAlex Pereira is set to defend his light heavyweight title for the second time in the main event of UFC 303 against Jiri Prochazka. It will be the second time they've met in the Octagon. The first time was at UFC 295, last November in Madison Square Garden, when they competed for the vacant light heavyweight belt. Pereira won that fight via second-round TKO. Heading into his title defense, DraftKings sees Pereira as the favorite with a salary of $8,500. Throughout his UFC career (eight bouts), he averages 83.8 fantasy points per contest. Both men possess knockout power and it's only a matter of time before one of them lands clean.Source: UFC
5 months agoFormer UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka has a chance to regain the light heavyweight title when he rematches Alex Pereira at UFC 303 in Las Vegas this Saturday. After falling short against Pereira, Prochazka got back in the win column in his last fight, defeating Aleksandar Rakic via second-round TKO. Prochazka is the underdog, as DraftKings has him at a salary of $7,700 while in his UFC career, he's averaging 92.8 fantasy points per fight. Source: UFC
5 months agoUFC middleweight Roman Dolidze will step in on short notice to face former title challenger Anthony Smith in a light-heavyweight bout on Saturday's UFC 303 main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 35-year-old native of Georgia lost two of his previous bouts by decision to Marvin Vettori, and more recently to Nassourdine Imavov. DraftKings sees Dolidze as the favorite with a salary of $8,400. Throughout his UFC career (nine bouts), he averages 78.1 fantasy points per contest.Source: UFC
5 months agoAnthony Smith is set for a bout against Roman Dolidze, who usually fights at middleweight but took the bout on short notice after the scheduled opponent, Carlos Ulberg, dropped out because of injury. Smith wasn't originally on UFC 303, but an injury to Jamahal Hill opened up a spot to take on Ulberg. In his last bout, Smith got back in the win column by defeating Vitor Petrino via first-round guillotine choke. DraftKings sees Smith as the underdog with a salary of $7,800. Throughout his UFC career of 22 bouts, Smith averages 58.3 fantasy points per contest.Source: UFC
5 months agoTUF 28 winner Macy Chiasson is set to take on former title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva on the main card of UFC 303 on Saturday. Chiasson defeated Pannie Kianzad in her last fight via first-round rear-naked choke. She's alternated wins and losses over her last five fights, beating Marion Reneau and Norma Dumont, while dropping bouts to Raquel Pennington and Irene Aldana. DraftKings sees Chiasson as a slight underdog with a salary of $7,400. Throughout her UFC career of 10 bouts, Chiasson averages 82.1 fantasy points per contest.Source: UFC
5 months agoMichael Page (22-2) is set to take on Ian Machado Garry in the main card opener of UFC 303 on Saturday. Page is a longtime Bellator veteran who signed with the UFC last year and made his debut back in March and beat Kevin Holland by decision in a fight he was an underdog in. Heading into UFC 303, Page is once again the underdog as DraftKings has him at a salary of $8,000. Page is a couterstriker like Garry is, which could lead for it to be a boring fight as both don't throw much volume. But, if Page can get the win, he could very well be a win away from a title shot at welterweight.Source: UFC
5 months agoIan Machado Garry (14-0) is set to take on Michael Page in the main card opener of UFC 303 on Saturday. Garry is coming off a decision win over Geoff Neal in February and enters the bout against Page as the slight favorite as DraftKings has him at a salary of $8,200. The Irishman is a counter striker who is 7-0 in the UFC, but takes on Page who is also a counter strikes, which could lead for this to being a boring fight. In the UFC, three of his seven wins have come by knockout, with the other four by decision. However, if Garry can beat the Bellator veteran, the Irishman should get a top-five opponent next and be a win or two away from a title shot. Source: UFC
5 months agoMayra Bueno Silva (10-3-1, one no-contest) is set to take on Macy Chiasson on the main card of UFC 303 on Saturday. Silva is coming off a decision loss to Raquel Pennington back in January for the vacant title. Entering this fight, DraftKings has Silva as the favorite with a salary of $8,800. In the UFC, Silva is 5-3-1 with a no-contest, but since moving up to bantamweight, she's 3-1 with a no-contest. In her UFC tenure, she has four wins by submission, while all three of her losses have come by decision. If Silva can get her hand raised, she could be a win away from fighting for the bantamweight title again.Source: UFC
5 months agoBrian Ortega (16-3, one no-contest) is set to take on Diego Lopes in the co-main event of UFC 303 on Saturday in Las Vegas. Ortega is coming off a submission win over Yair Rodriguez back in February to return to the win column, and now he will take on the rising contender in a fight that was booked on two weeks of notice. Despite Ortega being ranked third and Lopes being ranked 14th, T-City enters the bout as the underdog, as DraftKings has him at a salary of $7,800. In the UFC, Ortega is 8-3 with a no-contest, with seven of his wins by stoppage, while two of his losses have come via stoppage (one due to injury). If Ortega can pull off the upset, he should get a third crack at the featherweight title.Source: UFC
5 months agoDiego Lopes (24-6) is set to take on two-time UFC featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega in the co-main event of UFC 303. Lopes is coming off a first-round knockout win over Sodiq Yusuff at UFC 300 and now faces Ortega in a fight that was made on two weeks' notice. Despite Lopes fighting the third-ranked featherweight, the Brazilian is the favorite as DraftKings has him at a salary of $8,400. In the UFC, Lopes is 3-1 with all three wins coming by first-round stoppage. If Lopes can finish Ortega at UFC 303 he could be fighting for the featherweight title next time out.Source: UFC
5 months agoTop contenders Alexander Volkov and Sergei Pavlovich squared up in the co-main event of UFC Saudi Arabia and it was Volkov who emerged victorious. It was a one-sided performance by Volkov who dominated Pavlovich throughout three rounds. The judges scored the fight 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 with Volkov earning one of the biggest wins of his UFC career. In 15 minutes of action, Volkov landed 83 significant strikes. With the win, Volkov improved his UFC record to 12-4.Source: UFC
5 months agoSergei Pavlovich was defeated by former friend and training partner Alexander Volkov in the co-main event of UFC Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Pavlovich entered the bout coming off a knockout loss to interim titleholder Tom Aspinall at UFC 295 in November. Heading into that fight, Pavlovich was on a six-fight winning streak. In this fight, however, he was dominated from the opening bell. In 15 minutes of action, Pavlovich landed 46 significant strikes. This is the first losing skid of his professional MMA career.Source: UFC
5 months agoDaniel Rodriguez looked to get back in the win column. However, it didn't go his way as he lost by a unanimous decision to Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Gastelum's weight issue and the resulting change in weight class might have influenced the outcome of the fight. The fight was moved to middleweight after Gastelum admitted to having problems making the welterweight limit. In 15 minutes of action, Rodriguez landed 127 significant strikes. Rodriguez is now on a dangerous three-fight skid without a win in two years.Source: UFC