HIGHLY SKILLED MIDDLEWEIGHTS
(#7) SEAN STRICKLAND AND ABUS MAGOMEDOV
LOCK HORNS AT UFC® APEX
FEATURED BOUT:
(#12) DAMIR ISMAGULOV vs. (#15) GRANT DAWSON
UFC® returns to the APEX with a high-stakes match in the middleweight division, as No. 7 ranked contender Sean Strickland takes on Abus Magomedov. In addition, we will see No. 12 lightweight Damir Ismagulov and No. 15 Grant Dawson square off in a pivotal 155-pound clash.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: STRICKLAND vs. MAGOMEDOV will take place Saturday, July 1 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The entire card will be available on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ in English and Spanish, with the main card starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and the prelims beginning at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.
Strickland (26-5, fighting out of Corona, Calif.) steps into his fifth UFC main event as he looks to reinsert his name into the division’s Top 5 with a strong outing. The Octagon veteran holds victories over top contenders Nassourdine Imavov, Jack Hermansson, and Uriah Hall. Strickland now sets out with the intention of halting rising star Magomedov.
Magomedov (25-4-1, fighting out of Dusseldorf, Germany) aims on securing the biggest win of his career by defeating a Top 10 ranked opponent. Dangerous in all facets of MMA, Magomedov delivered a 20-second knockout of Dustin Stoltzfus in his UFC debut. He now looks to deliver a statement victory in his first UFC main event.
Top-ranked contender Ismagulov (24-2, fighting out of Orenburg, Russia by way of Almaty, Kazakhstan) intends on securing a strong win and position himself for a big second half of 2023. Ismagulov’s elite skills have led him to victories against the likes of Guram Kutateladze, Rafael Alves, and Thiago Moisés thus far, and he plans on sending a message to the division by stopping Dawson in impressive fashion.
Dawson (19-1-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) returns to action looking to secure his first victory of the year. A versatile competitor, he has delivered highlight reel finishes against formidable opponents such as Mark Madsen, Jared Gordon, and Leonardo Santos. Dawson now looks to display a show stealing performance against Ismagulov.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- At flyweight Ariane Lipski (15-8, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) steps into the Octagon with Melissa Gatto (8-1-2, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Kevin Lee (19-7, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Detroit, Mich.) makes his return and meets Rinat Fakhretdinov (20-1, fighting out of Saransk, Russia) in a thrilling welterweight bout
- Max Griffin (19-9, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) looks for back-to-back wins as he faces undefeated Dana White’s Contender Series signee Michael Morales (14-0, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico)
- An exciting lightweight matchup pits Ismael Bonfim (19-3, fighting out of Brasília, Brazil) against Benoît Saint Denis (10-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Paris, France)
- Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus Jordan Leavitt (11-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) squares off with Elves Brener (14-3, fighting out of São Paulo, Brazil) at lightweight
- At flyweight, Ivana Petrovic (6-0, fighting out of Tonsberg, Norway) looks to keep her perfect record intact as she faces veteran Luana Carolina (8-4, fighting out of São Paulo, Brazil)
- Hard-hitting middleweights meet as Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-5, fighting out of Denver, Colo. by way of Accra, Ghana) takes on undefeated Brunno Ferreira (10-0, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil)
- No. 6 ranked bantamweight Yana Santos (14-7, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Saint Petersburg, Russia) and No. 8 Macy Chiasson (8-3, fighting out of Dallas, Texas by way of New Orleans, Loui.) meet at bantamweight
- Heavyweights Alexandr Romanov (16-2, fighting out of Comrat City, Republic of Moldova) and Blagoy Ivanov (19-5, fighting out of Sofia, Bulgaria) go toe-to-toe
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change. Please click here to apply for the event.
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