Both title fights for UFC 248 are official for Mar. 7 at the T-Mobile Arena. In the co-main event, Joanna Jedrzejczyk will challenge Zhang Weili for the strawweight belt. In the main event, Israel Adesanya puts his middleweight belt on the line against Yoel Romero. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
All but one fighter made weight for UFC 248. Emily Whitmire came in heavy for the strawweight limit by 1.5 pounds. All fighters involved in title fights hit the mark making Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero official. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley explains what his two-year hiatus from competing in the octagon was like, what he missed most about fighting in his time away and what he thinks his strengths are against Jose Quinonez at UFC 248. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
All fighters on the UFC 248 main card faced off at media day at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, including Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk who will fight for the women’s strawweight title and middleweights Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero who will do battle for the division’s belt on March 7 at the T-Mobile Arena.
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya discusses how he’s prepared to handle the fame that comes with having a title belt by studying what others like Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor have done before him. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC President Dana White explains how the promotion as a global brand with fight cards in all corners of the world is preparing to handle the coronavirus. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC President Dana White explains how the promotion as a global brand with fight cards in all corners of the world is preparing to handle the coronavirus. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC Strawweight Joanna Jedrzejczyk posted a meme of herself in a gas mask next to her Chinese opponent Zhang Weili and later deleted it from Instagram. At a media day, Jedrzejczyk explained what her intent was with that post and fired back at Weili who had said earlier in the day that she was still angry over the joke. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili discusses how she fled her native China to train in Las Vegas due to the spread of the coronavirus and responds to jokes her opponent, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, made about the outbreak ahead of their UFC 248 title bout. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC president Dana White believes there is a real possibility he will be watching his good friend Tom Brady taking snaps for the Las Vegas Raiders from White’s suite at Allegiant Stadium next season. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
After defeating Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, Conor McGregor talked about who he’d be interested in facing next, his desire to fight in Ireland or to be the first combatant to compete in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
After Conor McGregor’s first-round demolition of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, UFC president Dana White said a rematch between “The Notorious” and UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is the fight to make next. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Following their victories at UFC 246, winners Drew Dober, Aleksei Oleinik, Sodiq Yusuff, Diego Ferreira and Brian Kelleher talk about what getting their hand raised meant and what they’ve planned to do next. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
MMA veteran Roxanne Modafferi, who trains out of Las Vegas, defeated 21-year-old rising prospect Maycee Barber via unanimous decision at UFC 246. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The UFC 246 fight card, featuring a welterweight main event between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone, is official, minus one planned bout. In place of Claudia Gadelha vs. Alexa Grasso, a bantamweight bout between Brian Kelleher and Ode’ Osbourne will move up to the pay-per-view main card. All fighters competing on the card faced off during the ceremonial weigh-ins at The Park Theater.
UFC 246 will be headlined by a welterweight bout between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone. While both of the main event fighters made weight, a strawweight bout between Claudia Gadelha and Alexa Grasso was scratched by the Nevada Athletic Commission when Grasso came in 5.5 pounds over the weight limit. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Conor McGregor says he knows that other fighter’s eyes light up at the chance of facing him as it usually means a dramatic increase in pay. Welterweights Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman spoke about why they’d face McGregor next and Donald Cerrone explained how he’s affected his payday for UFC 246. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
As 21-year-old Maycee Barber begins her quest to become the youngest champion in the UFC, she must first face a competitor in women’s flyweight Roxanne Modafferi – a veteran of the sport who is often regarded as one of the pioneers of women’s mixed martial arts. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
With UFC 246 fight week underway, fighters from five featured bouts, including the co-main event women’s bantamweight contest between Holly Holm and Raquel Pennington, faced off at media day in Las Vegas. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Ahead of their welterweight bout at UFC 246 on Jan. 18, Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone were respectful of one another, despite having traded barbs close to four years ago at another press conference. Their bout will serve as the five-round main event at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
In the co-main event at UFC 245, the featherweight belt changed hands. Alexander Volkanovski defeated Max Holloway via decision. Amanda Nunes retained her bantamweight belt taking a decision over Germaine de Randamie at the T-Mobile Arena. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Kamaru Usman retained the UFC welterweight title when he knocked out Colby Covington in the fifth round of their title bout at UFC 245. After a heated lead-up to their bout, Usman says sometimes love and unity wins. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Here are the staredowns from the ceremonial weigh-in featuring all fighters competing at the UFC 245 fight card on Dec. 14 at the T-Mobile Arena. There are three title fights on the main card with the main event featuring a middleweight title bout between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal).
All fighters involved in the three title fights happening on Dec. 14 event at the T-Mobile Arena made weight. Only Jessica Eye, who trains in Las Vegas, missed weight. She came in 5-pounds heavy for her women’s flyweight bout against Viviane Araujo. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Ahead of their welterweight title fight, division champion Kamaru Usman explains where the rivalry with his opponent, Colby Covington originated and discusses what he thinks about the challenger’s persona. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC welterweight title challenger Colby Covington discusses his upcoming fight taking place on Dec. 14 at the T-Mobile Arena against Kamaru Usman and says he is fueled by those who boo him at events. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Max Holloway said during UFC 245 media day that he expects a ton of Hawaiians, from his native state and the “Ninth Island” of Las Vegas, to come support him during his title bout at the T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 14 against Alexander Volkanovski. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Germaine de Randamie seeks her second UFC title on Saturday when she faces one of the greatest female fighters of all time, two-division champion Amanda Nunes. The fight will take place at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 14 as part of UFC 245’s main card. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC 244 and Canelo Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev presented by DAZN were set to air on the same date at the same time. The start of boxing’s main event at the MGM Grand was delayed until the UFC’s fight between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz ended.