Off the heels of their widely successful UFC 251 PPV card in Abu Dhabi on Yas Island, the UFC is gearing up for three more nights of stacked fight cards on Fight Island before returning to Las Vegas for more cards in August.
UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Ige
Wednesday, July 15th will feature an intriguing matchup of featherweight contenders with rising star Calvin Kattar taking on Dan Ige. Kattar last fought in the first live sporting event on American soil in April on the UFC 249 PPV card, which took place in Jacksonville, FL.
Most experts believe Kattar, ranked number 7 in the featherweight division, holds the advantage, however, don’t discredit Ige who is ranked in number 10. Ige is known for his activity in the Octagon and is gunning for an upset in order to earn a title shot, which many feel he’s close to.
Kattar on the other hand is looking to build on the momentum he established versus top contender Zabit Magomedsharipov, whom he beat by decision.
Prelims for the fight start at 7pm ET and the main card begins at 10pm ET.
UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2
On Saturday, July 18th the UFC will end its first week of fights on Fight Island with a rematch between Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez for the UFC flyweight belt.
These two last met in February with the vacated flyweight championship belt on the line. However, Figueiredo missed weight so he was unable to claim the belt after his second-round TKO. On Saturday, Figueiredo will look to find the same success and be crowned champion once and for all.
Prelims for the fight start at 5pm ET and the main card begins at 8pm ET.
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Till
The fourth and final fight on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi will feature two middleweight contenders – Robert Whittaker versus Darren Till. Whittaker is a former champion of the division and Till is a crafty veteran who once was a challenger for the belt. The fight is expected to be action-packed.
Till is looking to rebound after losing two of his last three fights and Whittaker is looking to get back into the win column as well after losing his belt to current champion Israel Adesanya. Prior to losing to Adesanya, Whittaker was on a nine-fight win streak. If Whittaker has any hopes of regaining his belt he’ll have to get past Darren Till first, which is no easy task.
Prelims for the fight start at 5pm ET and the main card begins at 8pm ET.
What’s next after Fight Island?
So far Fight Island has delivered on the hype and many expect the remaining cards to be almost as good as the UFC 251 PPV card on July 11th.
With that said, after July the UFC will return to the Apex Center in Las Vegas, with marquee matchup slated for Saturday, August 15th. UFC 252 will feature the third rematch between heavyweights Stipe Miocic (champion) and challenger Daniel Cormier. Each fighter has earned one victory and the third fight is likely the final matchup between the two rivals.
Overall, the UFC has nearly perfected putting on live sporting events during the coronavirus pandemic. Many casual sports fans and sports bettors have tuned in given the lack of live sports. Particularly sports bettors in Colorado since the launch in May, Colorado online sports books like BetRivers and Draftkings have had little to bet on. Needless to say, the UFC has really captured demand and likely will continue promoting fights throughout the pandemic, no matter how long things last.
