Since the beginning of its ESPN partnership in 2019, the UFC hasn’t had many programs on ABC, but this card on July 16 makes terrific use of an ABC slot.
The five-round main event between featherweight contenders Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez at the brand-new UBS Arena on Long Island, New York, has the potential to be Fight of the Year. It’s Ortega’s first fight since losing his championship battle to Alexander Volkanovski, while Yair hasn’t fought since falling to Max Holloway in a close decision.
Although the co-main event has not yet been revealed, the flyweight bout between Askar Askarov and Alex Perez and the spectacular bantamweight match between Ricky Simon and Jack Shore are both scheduled for the show. When Li Jingliang and Muslim Salikhov square off in the cage, there will also be pyrotechnics.
In the 145-pound championship fight at UFC 266 in September, Ortega was defeated by Alexander Volkanovski by unanimous decision. With a fourth-round stoppage loss against Max Holloway in December 2018, “T-City” is 0-2 in bouts for championships. In his professional career, Ortega is 15-2 with important victories against Chan Sung Jung, Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson, Renato Carneiro, and Clay Guida, among others.
Rodriguez, on the other hand, last competed at UFC Fight Night 197 this past November, when he lost to Holloway in five rounds in his first fight since October 2019. The Mexican featherweight’s record with the Las Vegas-based promotion is 8-2 with one no-contest, and he has significant victories over opponents like Jeremy Stephens, Jung, B.J. Penn, Alex Caceres, and Dan Hooker.\
Ortega vs. Rodriguez, UFC on ABC 3 Date & Tme
Jul 17, 12:00 AM