UFC

2023 - 1 - 15

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UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Imavov Results (The Official Website of the Ultimate Fighting Championship)

Results As They Happen, Winner Interviews And More From UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Imavov, Live From The UFC APEX In Las Vegas.

[Official Scorecards ](https://www.ufc.com/news/official-judges-scorecards-ufc-fight-night-strickland-vs-imavov-ufc-vegas-67) [Watch on ESPN+](https://plus.espn.com/ufc?ex_cid=DSS-OFF-UFC-INARTICLE-EN) [UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Imavov](/event/ufc-fight-night-january-14-2023), live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 14, 2023. [Sean Strickland](/athlete/sean-strickland)(25-5, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) looks to break into the middleweight Top 5 for the first time in his career. by way of Oahu, Hawaii) takes on [Roman Kopylov](http://www.ufc.com/athlete/Roman-Kopylov)(9-2, fighting out of Bachatsky, Kemerovo, Russia) [Watch on ESPN+](https://plus.espn.com/ufc?ex_cid=DSS-OFF-UFC-INARTICLE-EN) [Dan Ige](/athlete/dan-ige)(15-6, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. [Damon Jackson](/athlete/damon-jackson)(22-4-1 1NC, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) looks to make the most of his first UFC co-main event opportunity. [Ketlen Vieira](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/ketlen-vieira)(13-2, fighting out of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) looks to stake her claim for a title shot when she takes on former title challenger and current No. by way of Accra, Ghana) in an intriguing middleweight bout [Watch on ESPN+](https://plus.espn.com/ufc?ex_cid=DSS-OFF-UFC-INARTICLE-EN) 13 ranked featherweight contender [Dan Ige](/athlete/dan-ige) squares off with streaking [Damon Jackson](/athlete/damon-jackson). [Carlos Hernandez](/athlete/carlos-hernandez), the Chute Boxe Diego Lima representative landed a front kick up the middle that caused Hernandez to pause and gave Nascimento the space he needed to get around to a back body lock. 12 ranked [Nassourdine Imavov](/athlete/nassourdine-imavov).

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UFC Fight Night predictions -- Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine ... (CBSSports.com)

Wins over Joaquin Buckley, Edmen Shahbazyan and Ian Heinisch have proven the potential is there. The light heavyweight contest should not affect the rankings at ...

Strickland is the more technical boxer and lands more frequently. Fighting again so soon was the furthest thing from Strickland's mind, but money talks and a call from UFC vice president of talent relations Mick Maynard was the catalyst for his quick turnaround. Strickland enters UFC Fight Night having lost consecutive fights for the first time in his 30-fight career. Siding with Strickland is the safe choice. Who wins UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. "I think I just have to be careful of what he's saying, the world that he's using. Sean Strickland had no fight scheduled at the week's start and Nassourdine Imavov planned a cut to 185 pounds. The impromptu booking shifted the fight from 185 pounds to 205 pounds, likely to allow Strickland an easier weight cut on such short notice. Strickland (25-5) is officially in need of repairs after losing the momentum he built with six straight wins. Imavov is aware of Strickland's notoriously big mouth when it comes to pre-fight trash talk and in-ring talk as well. Strickland, less than 30 days removed from headlining the final UFC event of 2022, stepped in for Gastelum on four days' notice. Imavov has pieced together a strong 5-1 run in UFC with only a majority loss sullying that record.

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UFC Fight Night 217: Best photos from Las Vegas (MMA Junkie)

Check out these photos from the fights at UFC Fight Night 217 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

UFC Fight Night: Nascimento v Hernandez UFC Fight Night: Argueta v Aguirre UFC Fight Night: Johnson v Flick

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UFC Vegas 67 predictions (MMA Fighting)

Is Nassourdine Imavov set to make a big jump in the rankings or will Sean Strickland's short-notice gamble pay off?

If he doesn’t outwork Barcelos on the feet, he still has that wrestling in his back pocket to throw Barcelos off of his game. Dropping decisions to the likes of [Movsar Evloev](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4892/movsar-evloev), [Josh Emmett](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3686/josh-emmett), [Chan Sung Jung](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/14/chan-sung-jung), and [Calvin Kattar](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4139/calvin-kattar) is nothing to be ashamed of, but they’re losses all the same. That will comprise much of his game plan on Saturday as well, which makes sense given how dangerous it is to stand in the pocket and trade shots with Soriano. This being a three-round fight makes it a little dicey as it’s much easier to steal two rounds than it is three, but on the flipside Vieira might be more willing to go for broke with only 15 minutes to work through. Maybe it’s because he hasn’t finished a fight in a few years, but the oddsmakers are definitely overlooking Barcelos’ chances of handing Nurmagomedov his first loss. 1 contender at bantamweight with a win over [Raquel Pennington](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1789/raquel-pennington), and bantamweight blue-chipper [Umar Nurmagomedov](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5039/umar-nurmagomedov) opens the show against [Raoni Barcelos](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4232/raoni-barcelos). That said, the competition he’s faced isn’t near the level of Ige’s, which is a big reason why I’m leaning towards the Hawaiian to snap his skid. [Jared Cannonier](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3047/jared-cannonier) in the main event of [UFC Vegas 66](https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1352/ufc-vegas-66-cannonier-vs-strickland) to close out 2022, and now he’s set to fight [Nassourdine Imavov](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5457/nassourdine-imavov) in the light heavyweight main event of [UFC Vegas 67](https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1356/ufc-vegas-67-imavov-vs-strickland) to open 2023 (up from both man’s usual class of middleweight due to Strickland replacing [Kelvin Gastelum](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2077/kelvin-gastelum) on less than a week’s notice). [Edson Barboza](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/56/edson-barboza) and [Mirsad Bektic](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1738/mirsad-bektic). Ige has been in plenty of standup fights, but his bread and butter has always been his jiu-jitsu, so he can out-grapple Jackson or at least battle him to a standstill down there. Imavov has put together a three-fight win streak on the strength of his crafty striking and a confidence that can’t be taught. The only other fighter to come close to matching this achievement is [Deiveson Figueiredo](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4188/deiveson-figueiredo), who headlined consecutive pay-per-views with flyweight title defenses at [UFC 255](https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1145/ufc-255) and [UFC 256](https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1151/ufc-256) to close out 2020, but there were a pair of Fight Night events in between.

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Leon Edwards: Khamzat Chimaev 'a good fighter,' but not 'what the ... (MMA Junkie)

The UFC welterweight champion has no problem recognizing Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) as a top fighter in his division, but won't go as far as giving him the ...

Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) thinks the UFC has built Chimaev to be more of a threat than what he actually poses at 170 pounds. Obviously, Edwards intended on keeping his title and moving on from the Usman rivalry. Edwards is expecting to fight Kamaru Usman once again in a trilogy bout at UFC 286 in London on March 18.

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What time is UFC Vegas 67 today? Schedule, channel, main card ... (Sporting News)

Here is all you need to know about UFC Vegas 67, including when Nassourdine Imavov and Sean Strickland will make their way to the cage.

GMT ET - Main event: 10 p.m. 2 p.m. 11 a.m. - Start time: 4 p.m. 12 a.m. 9 p.m. Strickland, 12-4 with the UFC, last fought in December, the last UFC card of 2022. Strickland faces UFC fellow middleweight Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Vegas 67 on January 14. He is 4-1 with the promotion and is on a three-fight win streak. Now, he will look to compete in a rebound, short-notice fight in a new division.

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UFC Fight Night 217 video: Allan Nascimento gets standing choke in ... (MMA Junkie)

With the UFC's all-time submission wins leader Charles Oliveira in his corner, Allan Nascimento got a slick finish at UFC Fight Night 217.

After losing his UFC debut in October 2021, Nascimento has rebounded strong. — UFC (@ufc) It was clear Nascimento was chasing the submission from the get-go.

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UFC Fight Night 217: Dan Ige vs. Damon Jackson odds, picks and ... (BurlingtonFreePress.com)

In a featherweight bout on the main card, Dan Ige and Damon Jackson meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 217 - also known as UFC Vegas 67 - at the UFC's APEX ...

Please [gamble responsibly](https://sportsbookwire.usatoday.com/bet-and-wager-101-responsible-gaming-and-gambling/). [Tipico Sportsbook](https://media.tipico.com/C.ashx?btag=a_94b_456c_+++SLUG+++&affid=47&siteid=94&adid=456&c=+++SLUG+++-pos5), SportsbookWire's official sportsbook partner in OH, CO and NJ. [Colorado](https://media.tipico.com/C.ashx?btag=a_94b_458c_+++SLUG+++&affid=47&siteid=94&adid=458&c=+++SLUG+++-pos-co) and [New Jersey](https://media.tipico.com/C.ashx?btag=a_94b_457c_+++SLUG+++&affid=47&siteid=94&adid=457&c=+++SLUG+++-pos-nj), claim your 100% Deposit Match up to $250 now. As far as the method of victory, JACKSON BY SUBMISSION (+650) is a great option for a chance to multiply your initial wager by 6 1/2. No (+120) [Tipico Sportsbook's](https://media.tipico.com/C.ashx?btag=a_94b_456c_+++SLUG+++&affid=47&siteid=94&adid=456&c=+++SLUG+++-pos1) lines around the UFC Fight Night 217: Ige vs. Yes (-165) Jackson +110 (bet $100 to win $110) If Jackson can get this fight to the ground, it might not end well for Ige. If Ige wins, it will go the distance. Under +120) He has notched finishes in 4 of his 6 fights so far at the UFC level, winning once and losing once via KO/TKO, while going 2-for-2 with submission victories.

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UFC Vegas 67: Strickland vs. Imavov live results, discussion, play by ... (Bloody Elbow)

Join us here at Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, and play-by-play (main event) as UFC Vegas 67: Strickland vs. Imavov event goes down from the ...

The five-fight main card is also on ESPN+, and that is supposed to start at 7pm ET/4pm PT. The six-fight preliminary card is scheduled to start at 4pm ET/1pm PT on ESPN+. The main event for this fight night will take place in the light heavyweight division, with late replacement Sean Strickland stepping in for Kelvin Gastelum to meet rising contender Nassourdine Imavov.

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“That's the Guy You Need” – UFC Legend Tells Khamzat Chimaev ... (EssentiallySports)

UFC veteran puts an end to Khamzat Chimaev's quest to find the ideal fight by pitting him against an equally competent and interesting foe.

Paulo Costa is the fight that we get soon now. Let’s hope that Khamzat Chimaev vs. I stole everything. ADVERTISEMENT Which is, not branding themselves up and not bringing enough on the table to show the promoter the basis of their demand. [Khamzat Chimaev](https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/khamzat-chimaev/) has been itching for a real challenge for quite some time now.

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UFC Vegas 67 Results: Strickland vs. Imavov (MMA Fighting)

Get UFC Vegas 67 results for the Strickland vs. Imavov event Saturday night in Las Vegas.

[Nick Aguirre](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6193/nick-aguirre) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) [Charles Johnson](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5998/charles-johnson) def. [Nick Fiore](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4618/nick-fiore) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) [Allan Nascimento](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3636/allan-nascimento) def. [Roman Kopylov](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5157/roman-kopylov) [Ketlen Vieira](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3796/ketlen-vieira) vs. [Damon Jackson](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2134/damon-jackson) [Punahele Soriano](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5245/punahele-soriano) vs. [Mateus Mendonca](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6140/mateus-mendonca) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) [Abdul Razak Alhassan](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2784/abdul-razak-alhassan) def. Sean Strickland](https://www.mmafighting.com/fight/13289/nassourdine-imavov-vs-sean-strickland) [Dan Ige](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4339/dan-ige) vs. [Raquel Pennington](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1789/raquel-pennington) [Umar Nurmagomedov def. [Featherweight](https://www.mmafighting.com/weight-class/featherweight) veterans [Dan Ige](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4339/dan-ige) and [Damon Jackson](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2134/damon-jackson) meet in the co-main event. Raoni Barcelos via KO (punches) at 4:40 of Round 1](https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/14/23555445/ufc-vegas-67-video-umar-nurmagomedov-flattens-raoni-barcelos-with-brutal-first-round-knockout) [Watch finish](https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/14/23555377/ufc-vegas-67-video-charles-johnson-gets-first-finish-with-slicing-elbows-spoil-jimmy-flick-return) [Watch finish](https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/14/23555498/ufc-vegas-67-video-abdul-razak-alhassan-obliterates-claudio-ribeiro-for-second-round-knockout) [Mateusz Rebecki](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6102/mateusz-rebecki) def. Imavov fight card, a live blog of the main event, and [live UFC Vegas 67 Twitter updates](http://www.twitter.com/mmafighting).

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Official Scorecards | UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Imavov (The Official Website of the Ultimate Fighting Championship)

See How The Judges Scored Every Round Of UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Imavov, Live From The UFC APEX In Las Vegas.

[Results, Highlights & More](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-fight-night-strickland-vs-imavov-results-highlights-winner-interviews-vegas-67) [UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Imavov](/event/ufc-fight-night-january-14-2023), live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 14, 2023. 13 ranked featherweight contender [Dan Ige](/athlete/dan-ige) squares off with streaking [Damon Jackson](/athlete/damon-jackson). 12 ranked [Nassourdine Imavov](/athlete/nassourdine-imavov). The entire card will be available on [ESPN+](https://plus.espn.com/ufc?ex_cid=DSS-OFF-UFC-INARTICLE-EN) in English and Spanish, with the main card starting at 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT and the prelims at 4 pm ET / 1 pm PT. [Dan Ige](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/dan-ige) [Roman Kopylov](http://www.ufc.com/athlete/Roman-Kopylov) [Watch on ESPN+](https://plus.espn.com/ufc?ex_cid=DSS-OFF-UFC-INARTICLE-EN) [Damon Jackson](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/damon-jackson) [Watch on ESPN+](https://plus.espn.com/ufc?ex_cid=DSS-OFF-UFC-INARTICLE-EN) [Ketlen Vieira](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/ketlen-vieira) [UFC FIGHT NIGHT: STRICKLAND vs IMAVOV](/event/ufc-fight-night-january-14-2023) will take place Saturday, January 14 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. [Raquel Pennington](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/raquel-pennington) [Watch on ESPN+](https://plus.espn.com/ufc?ex_cid=DSS-OFF-UFC-INARTICLE-EN) [Sean Strickland ](/athlete/sean-strickland)take on No.

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UFC Fight Night 217 play-by-play and live results (MMA Junkie)

Enjoy the fights, everyone. Jimmy Flick vs. Charles Johnson. Round 1 – Alright, here we go with the first fight of 2023. Both fighters very cautious here ...

Vieira closes the distance and pins her against the cage. Alhassan closes the distance and pins Ribeiro against the cage. Rebecki closes the distance and punishes Fiore against the cage. Mendonca pushes Basharat against the fence. And Nascimento sinks in the rear-naked choke! And Argueta out-grapples Aguirre until the final bell. Argueta now presses and takes down Aguirre against the cage. And Aguirre loses the back and ends on bottom. Now Argueta presses Aguirre against the cage. Once again, Argueta presses Aguirre against the cage. And he gets the takedown and transitions to the back of Johnson. The card streams on ESPN+.

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Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov: Live updates, results ... (DAZN News US)

After opening the year with a split-decision victory over Jack Hermansson in February, Strickland was knocked out by Alex Pereira in July and edged by Jared ...

ET, for the launch of the UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Imavov main card for all the live updates, results and highlights. The card will take place live from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane 'leaked' to suggest Francis Ngannou has ... (Mirror.co.uk)

A graphic has been displayed in Las Vegas that shows a heavyweight title fight between Jones and Ciryl Gane that is scheduled for UFC 285 on March 4.

The former pound-for-pound No.1, who recently hinted at his return by tweeting: "Champion 2023", hasn't fought since defending the UFC light-heavyweight title for the last time against Dominick Reyes in February 2020. Gane missed out on his chance to win the heavyweight title when he was outpointed by Ngannou at UFC 270. Ngannou, 36, has been caught up in a contract crisis with the UFC since defending his title against former training partner Gane last January.

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UFC Fight Night 217 video: Allan Nascimento gets standing choke in ... (Yahoo Sports)

With the UFC's all-time submission wins leader Charles Oliveira in his corner, Allan Nascimento got a slick finish at UFC Fight Night 217.

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T-Mobile Arena displays ad for Jon Jones-Ciryl Gane fight at UFC ... (Yahoo Sports)

The ad referred to the Jones-Gane bout as for the "world heavyweight championship," and there is no reference to interim.

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Jon Jones Confirms UFC 285 Heavyweight Title Fight Against Ciryl ... (Bleacher Report)

The long-awaited heavyweight debut of UFC star Jon Jones appears to be on the horizon, and it will be for a title. Jones confirmed to MMA content creator...

The graphic was later taken down, and MMA Fighting's [Steven Marrocco](https://twitter.com/MMAFightingSM/status/1614379795995045893) reported that it was a "behind-the-scenes mistake." [Ariel Helwani](https://twitter.com/arielhelwani/status/1614400996834414597) reported that heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is likely to be stripped of his title. The fight against Gane was the last one remaining on his UFC deal. The 35-year-old had other run-ins with the law throughout his career, as he'd previously been arrested for a hit-and-run, driving under the influence, and negligent use of a firearm, among other charges. He vacated the title a few months later before announcing his intentions to move up to heavyweight, taking some time to #UFC285 pic.twitter.com/3ItpnKY4ni

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UFC star Jon Jones confirms Ciryl Gane heavyweight fight as ... (Daily Mail)

UFC superstar Jon Jones has sensationally revealed that he will be fighting Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title - as leaked photos of stadium sign also ...

The Frenchman would make an interesting opponent for 'Bones'. It's just been great, it's been a really great trip so far,' Jones said. Henry is just so intelligent, and such a great leader and tactician.

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UFC Fight Night 217 bonuses: Dan Ige's nickname prophetic for ... (MMA Junkie)

The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday's card, including one to a man whose nickname predicts the bonus amount.

But late in the second round, he faked a right and threw a left that drilled Jackson right in the chin and put him on the canvas. Dan Ige (16-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC) lived up to his “50K” nickname when he took out Damon Jackson (22-5-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) with a one-punch knockout in the second round of the co-main event. Ige had Jackson cut and regularly on the defensive. Kopylov worked his jab regularly against Soriano, then started attacking the body. Nascimento worked to Hernandez’s back and dragged him to the canvas. Nurmagomedov was by far the biggest betting favorite on the card.

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Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane officially announced for UFC 285 on March 4 (DAZN News US)

The undisputed heavyweight championship will be on the line live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The fight against Gane will mark Jones's highly-anticipated heavyweight debut. Gane fight for the heavyweight title, according to White. "Ciryl Gane is a heavyweight who moves like a middleweight.

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UFC 285 Headlined By Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane For The ... (The Official Website of the Ultimate Fighting Championship)

Heavyweight Gold Will Be On The Line In Las Vegas When Jon Jones Faces Ciryl Gane Inside T-Mobile Arena On March 4. Tickets Go On Sale Friday, January 20.

](https://www.axs.com/events/460337/ufc-285-tickets?skin=tmobile) [Click here to buy tickets! Interviews

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Jon Jones to face Ciryl Gane for vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285 (The Athletic)

White also announced the rematch of Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman.

Edward’s finish will go down as one of the best in UFC history and certainly the best of the last year. That has to live in the head of Usman a bit — he will see it over and over in the lead up to this matchup — but I’ll take Usman in this one. He has the speed and footwork to win against an aging Jones. Jones, 35, is 26-1 and holds the UFC record for most wins in title fight history. White also announced that the title fight rematch between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman will headline UFC 286 on March 18 in London. Jon Jones will officially move up to heavyweight and take on Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285 on March 4, UFC president Dana White announced Saturday.

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Jon Jones-Ciryl Gane title bout set; UFC releases Ngannou (ESPN)

Jon Jones' long-awaited return will come March 4 for the heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane, a bout that comes after the UFC failed to reach terms with ...

[Derrick Lewis](https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/2560713/derrick-lewis) in August 2021. In his most recent appearance, he knocked out [Tai Tuivasa](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/3722422/tai-tuivasa) in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in September. White said Jones was "ready, willing and able" to fight any heavyweight, including Ngannou. He went on to hold the light heavyweight championship off and on from 2011 to 2020. He became the youngest UFC champion of all time in 2011 at age 23. White said the highest-paid heavyweight in UFC history remains

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UFC releases Francis Ngannou; Jon Jones to fight Ciryl Gane for ... (Yahoo Sports)

Dana White said the UFC offered Ngannou a contract that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in UFC history, but that Ngannou had turned it ...

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Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane set for heavyweight title fight at UFC 285 ... (MMA Fighting)

Jon Jones finally has a date and opponent for his heavyweight debut — and the best heavyweight in the world is no longer a UFC fighter.

2 ranked heavyweight in the world](https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/12/15/23508903/mma-rankings-december-2022-is-sergei-pavlovich-destined-to-become-ufc-heavyweight-champion). The 32-year-old Frenchman has won eight of his nine UFC appearances, including a wild third-round knockout over [Tai Tuivasa](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4270/tai-tuivasa) in his most recent outing this past September. Ngannou captured his title in 2021 with a knockout of [Stipe Miocic](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/775/stipe-miocic) and defended it in January 2022 with a hard-fought decision over Gane. “Bones” has been sidelined since vacating his 205-pound belt title in early 2020 in advance of an eventual move up to heavyweight. Jones (26-1, 1 NC) is widely considered one of the greatest fighters to ever compete. [Francis Ngannou](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3362/francis-ngannou) has vacated his title and is now a free agent, White said.

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UFC releases heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou from ... (CBSSports.com)

Francis Ngannou is no longer UFC heavyweight champion and now free to sign with any other combat sports promotion. Ngannou's split from the UFC comes after ...

"We offered Francis a deal that would have made him the highest paid heavyweight in the history of the company. [press conference](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66uRauzIx6g) on Saturday in the immediate aftermath of [UFC Fight Night](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ufc-fight-night-results-highlights-sean-strickland-pieces-up-nassourdine-imavov-for-decision-win/). Ngannou is currently on a six-fight winning streak defeating the likes of Gane, Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez and Curtis Blaydes. Jon Jones](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ufc-285-fight-card-jon-jones-vs-ciryl-gane-set-for-heavyweight-title-clash-in-las-vegas-in-march/) will be contested for the vacant UFC heavyweight championship at UFC 285 in Las Vegas on March 4. And Jon Jones has been willing, and ready, and able to fight anybody. Francis Ngannou is no longer UFC heavyweight champion and now free to sign with any other combat sports promotion.

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UFC Fight Night results, highlights: Sean Strickland pieces up ... (CBSSports.com)

Sean Strickland is back in the win column and Nassourdine Imavov is back to the drawing board. Strickland boxed and brawled his way to victory in a ...

Gastelum exited the event due to a mouth injury and Strickland stepped in on four days' notice. Strickland, less than one month after losing to Jared Cannonier in the final UFC fight of 2022, headlined the first card of 2023. Imavov showed a lot of determination in his first main event, fighting fatigue and landing nice elbows and knees on Strickland in Round 5. The pace slowed in the third, despite a similar output of strikes, as both fighters tried to recover from the stamina dump in Rounds 1 and 2. Strickland won on all three scorecards with a pair of 49-46s and a 48-47. Strickland boxed and brawled his way to victory in a short-notice performance against Imavov at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

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'Would've been the highest paid ever': UFC HW champ stripped ... (Fox Sports)

'Would've been the highest paid ever': UFC HW champ stripped, controversial star to fight for belt.

“I think Francis is in a place right now where he doesn’t want to take a lot of risk. White said the deal offered to Ngannou would’ve made the 36-year-old the “highest-paid heavyweight in the history of the company”. Jon Jones will return to the Octagon for the first time in three years, while now-former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has become a free agent, UFC president Dana White has announced.

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A fierce UFC striker bludgeoned his opponent in a must-watch ... (Yahoo Sports)

Abdul Razak Alhassan, Allan Nascimento, and Javid Basharat lit up the ESPN prelims as UFC returns with its first live event after a four-week break.

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UFC Fight Night 217 results: Sean Strickland outpoints Nassourdine ... (Yahoo Sports)

Sean Strickland stepped up on short notice and won a unanimous decision over Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Fight Night 217.

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Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman title fight trilogy bout set for UFC ... (Yahoo Sports)

UFC president Dana White has announced Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3 for the welterweight title is a done deal for UFC 286 in London.

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UFC confirm Jon Jones v Cyril Gane for the heavyweight belt (Planet Sport)

Jon Jones is set to make his return to the octagon in a UFC heavyweight title fight with Cyril Gane at UFC 285.

In January last year, Francis Ngannou mounted his first and only defence of the UFC heavyweight title against Gane. This is for the official heavyweight title." The only snag was that the bout hadn't been announced yet.

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UFC 285 fight card: Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane set for heavyweight ... (CBSSports.com)

In a corresponding move, Francis Ngannou has been removed as heavyweight champion and released from his contract. Ngannou is now a free agent and free to sign ...

After rattling off seven straight wins in the Octagon and winning the interim title, Gane got a shot at Francis Ngannou for the full world championship. From a no-contest against Daniel Cormier as a result of a failed drug test, which also resulted in Jones being stripped of the title in 2017, to other failed drug tests and legal trouble outside of the cage. Jones will face former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight championship in the main event of UFC 285 on March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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Sean Strickland outpoints Nassourdine Imavov in UFC main event (ESPN Australia)

Sean Strickland, fighting on just five days' notice, started his 2023 on the right foot, outpointing Nassourdine Imavov by unanimous decision in the UFC ...

[Nassourdine Imavov](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/4690539/nassourdine-imavov) (12-4) by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday. He forced Imavov to fight him at a boxing range and kept up a steady repertoire of jabs and front kicks to the body. He suffered a decision loss to [Jared Cannonier](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/3154860/jared-cannonier) four weeks ago at a UFC Fight Night inside the Apex. Strickland snapped a two-fight skid with the win. Despite the lack of notice, Strickland led the dance for the most part on Saturday. Almost the entire 25-minute fight took place on the feet.

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UFC 2023 schedule: Every major fight happening this year (Yahoo Sports)

Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is released from the UFC. Jon Jones will return at UFC 285 to meet Ciryl Gane for the vacant title. 8h ago.

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Jones to face Gane for heavyweight title as Ngannou exits UFC (Reuters)

Jon Jones will face France's Cyril Gane for the UFC heavyweight title at the T-Mobile Arena on March 8 after champion Francis Ngannou vacated the belt to ...

His replacement as champion will be crowned when American Jones, a former light heavyweight champion who has previously been banned for doping, meets Gane, who held the interim heavyweight championship until he was beaten by Ngannou for the undisputed title in January 2022. Jan 15 (Reuters) - Jon Jones will face France's Cyril Gane for the UFC heavyweight title at the T-Mobile Arena on March 8 after champion Francis Ngannou vacated the belt to enter free agency, UFC president Dana White told a news conference. "We offered Francis a deal that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in the history of the company, more than (former champion Brock) Lesnar, more than anybody, and he turned the deal down," White said.

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Francis Ngannou will be released from UFC contract, says Dana White (CNN)

Francis Ngannou will be released from his contract and is no longer the UFC heavyweight champion after he turned down a contract that would have made him ...

“We did everything we could to make the fight happen and give him the fight. He can go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants.” Ngannou had been in negotiations for a new agreement for two years, White said, and plans were in place for the 36-year-old to fight Jones.

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UFC: Francis Ngannou becomes free agent | Jon Jones to face Ciryl ... (Sky Sports)

UFC president Dana White confirmed Jon Jones will face Frances Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title at the T-Mobile Arena in March after champion Francis ...

He feels like he's in a position where he could fight lesser opponents and make more money, so we're going to let him do that and release him from our contract. "Francis is in a place now where he doesn't want to take a lot of risk. "We've been negotiating with [Ngannou] for more than two years," White said.

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Stipe Miocic calls for next UFC title shot after Jon Jones vs. Ciryl ... (Yahoo Sports)

Former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has largely remained silent on his fighting future, but that changed Sunday.

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UFC: Jon Jones to headline UFC 285 in heavyweight title fight as ... (New Zealand Herald)

Jon Jones will return to the octagon for the first time in three years, while Francis Ngannou has vacated the heavyweight belt to become a free agent.

“I think Francis is in a place right now where he doesn’t want to take a lot of risk. “Jon Jones has been ready, willing and able to fight anybody. Jones (26-1) will make his first appearance since February 2020 when he beat Dominick Reyes to defend his light heavyweight championship.

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UFC: Francis Ngannou becomes free agent | Jon Jones to face Ciryl ... (Sky Sports)

UFC president Dana White confirmed Jon Jones will face Frances Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title at the T-Mobile Arena in March after champion Francis ...

He feels like he's in a position where he could fight lesser opponents and make more money, so we're going to let him do that and release him from our contract. "Francis is in a place now where he doesn't want to take a lot of risk. "We've been negotiating with [Ngannou] for more than two years," White said.

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It's gotten ugly with the UFC as controversies stack up, and the ... (Yahoo Sports)

With a slew of controversies, including a gambling investigation and a domestic violence incident involving Dana White, the UFC faces a challenging 2023.

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