HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH BETWEEN
(C) STIPE MIOCIC AND (#1) FRANCIS NGANNOU
HEADLINES STACKED CARD AT UFC® APEX
FEATURED BOUTS:
(C) ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI vs. (#2) BRIAN ORTEGA
(#7) TYRON WOODLEY vs. (#10) VICENTE LUQUE
Las Vegas – UFC® continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with a highly anticipated main event that features a rematch between UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and No. 1 ranked contender Francis Ngannou. In the co-main event, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski takes on one of his most dangerous opponents yet in No. 2 ranked Brian Ortega.
UFC 260: MIOCIC vs. NGANNOU 2 will take place Saturday, March 27 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Early prelims will stream on ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT along with UFC Fight Pass. The prelims will continue on ESPN+ and simulcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card will kick off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Miocic (20-3, fighting out of Independence, Ohio) is widely recognized as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history. The record holder for most title defenses and most post-fight bonuses in the division, he cemented himself as an all-time great by defeating former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier twice during their historic trilogy. Miocic also holds the record for most heavyweight strikes landed in the Octagon with an impressive 1,525, a number he accumulated with victories over former champions Junior Dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum and Andrei Arlovski. He now looks to improve upon his 2018 win over Ngannou by becoming the first man to finish him.
Devastating finisher Ngannou (15-3, fighting out of Paris, France by way of Batie, Cameroon) intends to make the most of his second shot at UFC gold by landing another signature knockout. Among the most feared athletes to ever compete in the UFC, Ngannou boasts an imposing 100 percent finishing rate, which includes first round stoppages over former champions Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski. He now seeks to continue his current momentum by vanquishing Miocic and becoming just the third African-born champion in UFC history.
Undisputed UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski (22-1, fighting out of Windang, New South Wales, Australia) looks to continue building his legacy following two victories over former titleholder Max Holloway. Unbeaten in almost eight years, including nine straight wins in the UFC, he proved himself as one of the best with dominant performances over Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes and Darren Elkins. Volkanovski now plans to make an example out of top contender Ortega and remind the world why he is ranked as one of the top five male pound-for-pound fighters.
Ortega (15-1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) believes he is more prepared than ever to make good on his second UFC title opportunity. Two years removed from his first title challenge, Ortega most recently defeated highly respected Chan Sung Jung in convincing fashion over five rounds. This was his first decision win in the UFC, having finished all of his previous victories by stoppage including Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson and Renato Moicano. Ortega now aims to become the first person to defeat Volkanovski in the UFC and begin his reign as champion.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Former UFC welterweight champion and No. 7 ranked contender Tyron Woodley (19-6-1, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) intends to prove that he can still compete with the best in the world when he takes on dangerous No. 10 ranked Vicente Luque (20-7-1, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil)
- Bantamweight standout Sean O’Malley (12-1, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) looks to secure another highlight victory when he battles Thomas Almeida (22-4, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
- In a lightweight bout guaranteed to deliver action, Jamie Mullarkey (12-4, fighting out of Holgate, New South Wales, Australia) faces Khama Worthy (16-7, fighting out of Pittsburgh, Penn.)
- William Knight (9-1, fighting out of Vernon, Conn.) locks horns with Alonzo Menifield (9-2, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) in a clash of Dana White’s Contender Series veterans at light heavyweight
- UFC women’s strawweight Jessica Penne (12-6, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) returns to the Octagon for the first time in four years when she meets Hannah Goldy (5-1, fighting out of Orlando, Fla.)
- Welterweights Jared Gooden (17-5, fighting out of Duluth, Ga.) and Abubakar Nurmagomedov (15-3, fighting out of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia) vie for their first UFC victories
- Modestas Bukauskas (11-3, fighting out of Sarratt, England) and Michal Oleksiejczuk (14-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Leczna, Poland) face off in an intriguing light heavyweight bout
- No. 15 ranked UFC women’s flyweight Gillian Robertson (9-5, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada) intends to defend her spot in the rankings against Miranda Maverick (10-2, fighting out of Suffulk, Va.)
- Shane Young (13-5, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand) matches up with Omar Morales (10-1, fighting out of Miami, Fla. by way of Caracas, Venezuela) in an all-action featherweight bout
- Marc-Andre Barriault (11-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada) seeks to secure his first official UFC victory when he battles Abu Azaitar (14-1-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Cologne, Germany)
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