Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje have combined for 11 post-fight bonuses over their last nine fights. That’s not a typo. They have more bonuses than fights over that span. Now, at UFC on ESPN+ 16, these two entertaining lightweights will attempt to live up to the hype. This showdown is as important to the top of the division as any non-title fight in recent history. Its importance can only be topped by its potential for unforgettable action.
After suffering his first two professional losses in back-to-back outings against Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje has bounced back with a pair of first-round knockouts over James Vick and Edson Barboza. Cerrone was on a three-fight winning streak and looking better than ever after returning to the 155-pound weight class until dropping a “Fight of the Night” affair to Tony Ferguson at UFC 238. Cerrone will try to replicate the success he had the last time he fought in Canada when he soundly
UFC Fight Island 8 medical suspensions: Mike Davis, Victoria Leonardo facing potential six-month layoffs
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Mike Davis picked up a big win on Wednesday, but it could be a while before he gets to capitalize on it.
Though the majority of the 28 fighters who competed on the UFC Fight Island 8 card in Abu Dhabi escaped with relatively minor injuries, Davis and Victoria Leonardo are both facing potential six-month suspensions following their fights against Mason Jones and Manon Fiorot, respectively.
Davis requires an X-ray on his left thumb and clearance from a physician or he could receive a 180-day medical suspension. He won a unanimous decision against the previously undefeated Jones in a bout that earned both men an extra $50,000 for the Fight of the Night.
#8 Michael Chiesa (170.5 lbs.) vs. #9 Neil Magny (171 lbs.)
Warlley Alves (171 lbs.) vs. Mounir Lazzez (171 lbs.)
Vinicius Moreira (206 lbs.) vs. Ike Villanueva (206 lbs.)
#9 Viviane Araujo (126 lbs.) vs. #8 Roxanne Modafferi (126 lbs.)
#13 Tyson Nam (126 lbs.) vs. #9 Matt Schnell (126 lbs.)
Lerone Murphy (146 lbs.) vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade (145 lbs.)
#13 Omari Akhmedov (186 lbs.) vs. Tom Breese (186 lbs.)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 9 a.m. ET)
Gaetano Pirrello (136 lbs.) vs. Ricky Simon (136 lbs.)
Zarrukh Adashev (126 lbs.) vs. Su Mudaerji (126 lbs.)
Dalcha Lungiambula (186 lbs.) vs. Markus Perez (186 lbs.)
Francisco Figueredo (126 lbs.) vs. Jerome Rivera (126 lbs.)
Mike Davis (154.5 lbs.) vs. Mason Jones (156 lbs.)
Sergey Morozov (135 lbs.) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (136 lbs.)
UFC Fight Island 8 results: Matches to make for ‘Chiesa vs Magny’ main card winners
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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to action earlier today (Weds., Jan. 20, 2021) to stage UFC Fight Island 8 inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In the headlining act, Michael Chiesa earned an impressive win over Neil Magny (recap), while Warlley Alves got back in the win column with a huge knockout victory over Mounir Lazzez (video here). Related
Stephen Thompson
With Chiesa winning his fourth straight fight since making the move back up to Welterweight, it’s time for him to start facing the cream of the crop. A fight against Stephen Thompson seems appropriate since both men are pretty hot at the moment. Ranked No. 5, “Wonderboy” has won two in a row, including his most recent win against Geoff Neal. Chiesa isn’t too far behind at No. 8, though I fully expect him to get a bump