UFC FIGHT NIGHT: ORTEGA vs RODRIGUEZ is headlined by a crucial featherweight contenders’ bout that has championship implications on the line as No. 2 ranked Brian Ortega takes on No. 3 ranked Yair Rodriguez.
The event takes place this Saturday, July 17 from at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, N.Y. The main card will air live on ABC at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT and will be simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes. The prelims will kick off on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT.
Strawweight veterans battle as No. 10 Michelle Waterson takes on No. 11 Amanda Lemos in the co-main event
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: ORTEGA vs. RODRIGUEZ will be available on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+
TOP FEATHERWEIGHT CONTENDERS COLLIDE: NO. 2 RANKED FEATHERWEIGHT BRIAN ORTEGA FACES NO. 3 RANKED YAIR RODRIGUEZ IN AN EXCITING MAIN EVENT MATCHUP
- Brian Ortega (15-2 1NC, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) aims to continue his resurgence up the featherweight ranks
- No. 2 ranked UFC featherweight
- Three wins by knockout, seven by submission
- Four first-round finishes
- Holds wins over Chan Sung Jung, Frankie Edgar, and Cub Swanson
- Yair Rodriguez (14-3 1NC, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) looks to notch the biggest victory of his UFC career and earn his first title shot
- No. 3 ranked UFC featherweight
- Five wins by knockout, three by submission
- Four first-round finishes
- Has won 10 of his last 13 bouts
- Holds wins over Jeremy Stephens, Chan Sung Jung and BJ Penn
CONTENDERS CLASH AT STRAWWEIGHT: NO. 10 RANKED CONTENDER MICHELLE WATERSON FACES OFF AGAINST NO. 11 AMANDA LEMOS
- Michelle Waterson (18-9, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) hopes to take down Lemos and make a run to the top of the rankings
- Three wins by KO, nine by submission
- Eight first-round finishes
- Holds wins over Angela Hill, Cortney Casey and Karolina Kowalkiewicz
- Amanda Lemos (11-2-1, fighting out of Para, Brazil) intends to defeat her first ranked opponent in the UFC
- Seven wins by KO, two by submission
- Eight first-round finishes
- Has won six of her last eight bouts
- Holds wins over Montserrat Conejo, Livinha Souza and Mizuki
OTHER FIGHTS ON THE CARD INCLUDE
- Welterweight strikers No. 14 ranked Li Jingliang (18-7, fighting out of Beijing, China) and Muslim Salikhov (18-2, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) collide
- No. 8 ranked flyweight Matt Schnell (15-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) returns to action against No. 12 Sumudaerji (16-4, fighting out of Chengdu, Sichuan, China)
- No. 14 ranked featherweight Shane Burgos (14-3, fighting out of Monroe, N.Y.) takes on Dana White’s Contender Series alum Charles Jourdain (13-4, fighting out of Beloeil, Quebec, Canada)
- No. 3 ranked women’s flyweight Lauren Murphy (15-5, fighting out of Houston, Texas) intends to steal the show against former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate (19-8, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.)
- A thrilling middleweight bout sees Punahele Soriano (8-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) take on Dalcha Lungiambula (11-4, fighting out of Cape Town, South Africa)
- Top 15 bantamweights lock horns as No. 13 ranked Ricky Simon (19-3, fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.) faces undefeated No. 14 Jack Shore (16-0, fighting out of Abertillery, Wales, UK)
- Bill Algeo (15-6, fighting out of King of Prussia, Penn.) and Herbert Burns (11-3, fighting out of Lantana, Fla. by way of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meet in an exciting featherweight bout
- No. 15 ranked light heavyweight Dustin Jacoby (17-5-1, fighting out of Springfield, Ill.) has his sights set on defending his spot in the rankings against Da-un Jung (15-2-1, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea)
- Dwight Grant (11-5, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.) makes his UFC middleweight debut against Dustin Stoltzfus (13-4, fighting out of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany)
- No. 14 ranked women’s strawweight Jessica Penne (14-6, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) takes on Emily Ducote (17-11, fighting out of Oklahoma City, Okla.) in her UFC debut
For more information, visit UFC.com
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