This weekend’s UFC Fight Night will be headlined by what should be an intriguing contest between Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez, with both men seeking to stay in the featherweight title picture.
Ortega (15-2, 1 No Contest) last fought in September, when his second title shot ended in defeat – just like his first – as the American was outpointed by Alexander Volkanovski.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez (13-3, 1 NC) has not yet fought for the gold, but the Mexican showed his potential in a valiant loss to former champion Max Holloway in November.
Both dynamic striker Rodriguez and jiu-jitsu specialist Ortega likely need a couple more wins if they are to challenge for the belt – again, in Ortega’s case – meaning Saturday’s main event is an important bout for each fighter.
Here’s all you need to know.
When is it?
The event will take place on Saturday 16 July at the UBS Arena in Elmont.
The prelims will start at 4pm BST (8am PT, 10am CT, 11am ET), with the main card following at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET).
How can I watch it?
The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights.
In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass.
Odds
Ortega – 4/7
Rodriguez – 5/4
Full card
Main card
Brian Ortega vs Yair Rodriguez (featherweight)
Michelle Waterson vs Amanda Lemos (women’s strawweight)
Li Jingliang vs Muslim Salikhov (welterweight)
Matt Schnell vs Sumudaerji (flyweight)
Shane Burgos vs Charles Jourdain (featherweight)
Lauren Murphy vs Miesha Tate (women’s flyweight)
Prelims
Ricky Simon vs Jack Shore (bantamweight)
Punahele Soriano vs Dalcha Lungiambula (middleweight)
Bill Algeo vs Herbert Burns (featherweight)
Dustin Jacoby vs Da-Un Jung (light heavyweight)
Dwight Grant vs Dustin Stoltzfus (middleweight)
Phil Rowe vs Abubakar Nurmagomedov (welterweight)
Jessica Penne vs Emily Ducote (women’s strawweight)
