Fights come together fast these days, and if you blink, you can easily miss them. In Fight Roundup, we bring you the latest reported matchups to keep you up to date with what’s on the horizon.
All bouts featured have been officially announced or confirmed with MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, and Damon Martin via sources with knowledge of the matchups.
Bobby Green vs. Jared Gordon
Two of the UFC’s best lightweights will be fighting this April.
Bobby Green (29-14-1) meets Jared Gordon (19-6) at the UFC’s upcoming April 22 event, with a location still to be determined. MMA Junkie was first to report the bout.
Both 155-pound stalwarts look to rebound from tough losses. Green was knocked out in the second round by Drew Dober this past December after controlling the majority of the contest, a loss that sent him to his third loss in his past four fights. His UFC record fell to 10-9-1.
Gordon also appeared to be having success in a high-profile bout against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 282, but the scorecards were not in his favor as he lost a controversial decision to the English star. Gordon owns a 7-5 UFC record.
Chris Gutierrez vs. Pedro Munhoz
Dustin Jacoby vs. Azamat Murzakanov
Brady Hiestand vs. Danaa Batgerel
Bruna Brasil vs. Denise Gomes
The UFC’s April 15 event doesn’t have an official location yet, but the card is already shaping up, with Chris Gutierrez facing off against Pedro Munhoz in a battle of bantamweight contenders.
Gutierrez (19-3-2) is coming off of a thrilling knee knockout of legend Frankie Edgar at UFC 281, a highlight that extended Gutierrez’s current win streak to four and his unbeaten streak to eight. He hasn’t lost since being submitted by Raoni Barcelos in November 2018. His success has put him just outside the top 15 of the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.
Formerly ranked but trending in the other direction is Munhoz (19-7, 2 NC), who has just one win in his past six appearances. The Brazilian veteran made one appearance in 2022, a matchup with Sean O’Malley that ended in a disappointing no contest when Munhoz was unable to continue due to an accidental eye poke.
Gutierrez vs, Munhoz was first reported by ESPN Deportes.
Fringe light heavyweight contenders Dustin Jacoby (18-6-1) and Azamat Murzakanov (12-0) are also set to compete on April 15 (first reported by MMA Junkie). Jacoby has been on a tear in his second stint in the UFC, going 6-0-1 before dropping a split decision to Khalil Rountree this past October.
Murzakanov is 12-0 as a pro with third-round knockout victories in his first two UFC appearances. “The Professional” was signed off of the Contender Series in 2021, following a first-round knockout of Mattheus Scheffel.
Also added to the April 15 card, Lando Vannata (12-6-2) takes on 23-year-old prospect Daniel Zellhuber (12-1) in a lightweight bout, Brady Hiestand (6-2) fights Danaa Batgerel (12-4) in a bantamweight bout, and Bruna Brasil (8-2-1) makes her UFC debut against Denise Gomes in a strawweight bout.
Vannata vs. Zellhuber was first reported by MMA Latinoamerica, Hiestand was first to announce his fight with Batgerel, and Brasil vs. Gomes was first reported by Dama de Ferro MMA.
Kyler Phillips vs. Raphael Assuncao
Another key bantamweight bout has been added to the 2023 slate as Kyler Phillips (10-2) fights longtime contender Raphael Assuncao (27-9) on March 11 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. The matchup was first announced by Phillips’ management.
“The Matrix” has impressed in his five UFC appearances, going 4-1 with two Fight of the Night-winning efforts. Phillips beat Marcelo Rojo in the third round of his February fight.
Assuncao competed once in 2022, scoring a unanimous decision win over Victor Henry at UFC Vegas 62. The victory snapped a four-fight losing skid for Assuncao, who brought his UFC record up to 12-6.
Four other fights have also been officially announced for the March 11 event:
- Featherweight: Ricardo Ramos (16-4) vs. Austin Lingo (9-1)
- Light Heavyweight: Vitor Petrino (7-0) vs. Anton Turkalj (8-1)
- Heavyweight: Karl Williams (7-1) vs. Lukasz Brzeski (8-2-1, 1 NC)
- Bantamweight: Victor Henry (22-6) vs. Tony Gravely (23-8)
Malcolm Gordon vs. Jake Hadley
Canada’s Malcolm Gordon heads into enemy territory for a bout with England’s Jake Hadley.
The Gordon vs. Hadley flyweight contest has been added to UFC 286, which takes place March 18 at O2 Arena in London. TSN was first to report the matchup.
Gordon (14-6) fell to 2-3 at UFC 280 this past October after being submitted by the undefeated Muhammad Mokaev. Before that, he had a successful streak of UFC wins, beating Denys Bondar twice and Francisco Figueiredo once.
Hadley (9-1), a recent Contender Series signing, scored his first UFC victory this past November when he submitted Carlos Candelario in the second round.
Also added to the March 18 card is a battle of lightweight newcomers as Sam Patterson (10-1-1) fights Yanal Ashmoz (6-0). The matchup was first reported by Eurosport.
Alex Caceres vs. Nate Landwehr
Alex Caceres could be headed for a slugfest.
A veteran of 27 UFC fights, Caceres (20-13, 1 NC) next takes on Nate Landwehr (16-4) in a featherweight bout at UFC San Antonio, which takes place March 25 at AT&T Center. The matchup was first reported by BRKRZ.
“Bruce Leeroy” scored a highlight-reel knockout of Julian Erosa this past December to rebound from a decision loss to Sodiq Yusuff and earn his sixth win in his past seven fights. Caceres was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus for this finish.
No stranger to bonuses himself, Landwehr is coming off of one of 2022’s best fights, a wild majority decision victory over David Onama. The former M-1 featherweight champion has won two straight and is 3-2 since joining the UFC in 2020.
Natan Levy vs. Pete Rodriguez
Natan Levy and Pete Rodriguez look to continue their winning ways in 2023 as they meet in a lightweight bout on April 29, with a location still to be determined. This marks Rodriguez’s first fight at 155 pounds after previously competing as a welterweight.
The matchup was first reported by ESPN Deportes.
Levy (8-1) has won two straight fights since debuting in the UFC with a loss to Rafa Garcia. He defeated Mike Breeden via unanimous decision this past April and then followed that up with another win on points against Genaro Valdez.
Rodriguez lost his debut in a knockout to Jack Della Maddalena. However, this October saw him earn his first UFC victory with a knockout of Mike Jackson.
Zac Pauga vs. Jordan Wright
The Ultimate Fighter 30 runner-up Zac Pauga has his first fight and it’s in a new division.
Pauga drops down to light heavyweight to fight Jordan Wright (12-4) on Feb. 18 at UFC Vegas 69. The matchup was first announced by Pauga’s management.
On the most recent season of TUF, Pauga was one of the favorites to win the competition, but he was upset in the finals where he suffered a brutal knockout at the hands of Mohammed Usman. He is 5-1 since making his pro debut with the Legacy Fighting Alliance in 2020.
Wright makes his seventh UFC appearance and seeks his first win since May 2021. “The Beverly Hills Ninja” has lost three straight fights, all by knockout or submission. His UFC record sits at 2-4.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/26/23570799/ufc-fight-roundup-bobby-green-meets-jared-gordon-in-lightweight-veterans-clash-on-april-22?rand=96749
