SHOWDOWN BETWEEN TOP-RANKED HEAVYWEIGHT KNOCKOUT ARTISTS, EXCLUSIVELY ON ESPN+
FEATURED BOUTS:
(#2) DERRICK LEWIS vs. (#7) JUNIOR DOS SANTOS
TICKETS FOR MARCH 9TH UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+®: LEWIS vs. DOS SANTOS
AT INTRUST BANK ARENA GO ON SALE FRIDAY, JAN. 18
Las Vegas – UFC® heads to Wichita, Kan. for the first time in the promotion’s history and brings with it a showcase matchup in the heavyweight division. Recent title challenger and No.2-ranked Derrick Lewis looks to re-insert himself into the championship conversation by landing another signature KO against a former UFC heavyweight champion and fellow knockout artist No.7-ranked Junior Dos Santos. UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+®: LEWIS vs. DOS SANTOS will stream live from INTRUST Bank Arena exclusively on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 9, with the ESPN+ prelims kicking off the evening at 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET. Doors open at 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET. All UFC live events on ESPN+ will be available in English and Spanish.
Coming off the first title shot of his UFC career against current No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world Daniel Cormier, Lewis (21-6, fighting out of Houston, Texas) aims to get back to his winning ways with another spectacular knockout. Tied for having the most KOs in UFC heavyweight history, Lewis won nine of his last 10 bouts leading up to his title shot, including victories over Alexander Volkov, Francis Ngannou and Travis Browne. Lewis now intends to add the first ex-UFC champion to his KO list and earn the fifth post-fight award bonus in his last seven fights.
Former UFC heavyweight champion and multiple-time title challenger Dos Santos (20-5, fighting out of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil) looks for his third win in a row to break back into the top-5. In the headlining spot for the fifth time in a row, and 11th overall, Dos Santos has faced a who’s who of UFC heavyweights, such as Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem and Cain Velasquez. Dos Santos is now poised to earn his fourth shot at the title with another impressive win.
Announced bouts on the card include:
- No.6-ranked women’s bantamweight contender Marion Reneau (9-4-1, fighting out of Visalia, Calif.) looks to get back into the championship picture by taking out former women’s featherweight title challenger and No.9-ranked bantamweight Yana Kunitskaya (11-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M. by way of Murmansk, Russia)
- No.14-ranked welterweight Elizeu dos Santos (20-5, fighting out of Francisco Beltrao, Brazil) looks to keep his impressive six-fight winning streak alive as he attempts to hand Curtis Millender (17-3, fighting out of Fullerton, Calif.) his first loss in the Octagon
- Longtime UFC veteran Tim Boetsch (21-12, fighting out of Sunbury, Pa.) makes his 20th walk to the Octagon when he meets battle-tested Russian Omari Akhmedov (17-4-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia)
- Hopeful heavyweight contenders clash as Daniel Spitz (6-2, fighting out of Spokane, Wash.) aims to spoil the UFC debut of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series signee Jeff Hughes(10-1, fighting out of Independence, Ohio)
- Blagoy Ivanov (16-2, fighting out of Sofia, Bulgaria) hunts for his first UFC win when he welcomes back perennial top UFC heavyweight contender Ben Rothwell (36-10, fighting out of Kenosha, Wisc.)
- Looking to continue his tear through the welterweight division, Anthony Rocco Martin (14-4, fighting out of Boston, Mass.) takes on surging submission specialist Sergio Moraes (13-4-1, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil)
- Veteran lightweight Beneil Dariush (15-4-1, fighting out of Yorba Linda, Calif.) looks to break back into the UFC rankings with an impressive performance against Drew Dober (20-8, fighting out of Denver, Colo.)
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
Visit the UFC® Press Portal for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.
Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+®: LEWIS vs. DOS SANTOS go on sale Friday, Jan. 18 at 10 a.m. CT/11 a.m. ET and are priced at $125, $100, $85 and $75 (not including fees). Tickets are available for purchase online at selectaseat.com, by phone at 855-755-SEAT (7328) or in person at the Select-A-Seat Box Office at INTRUST Bank Arena. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. CT/11 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Jan. 17 starting at 10 a.m. CT/11 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
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About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2018, UFC boasts more than 284 million fans worldwide and has produced over 450 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to more than 1.1 billion TV households worldwide in 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.
About ESPN+
ESPN+, which surpassed one million paying subscribers in just five months, is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.
Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports), domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie and more), exclusive Top Rank boxing, UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.
ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App, the leading sports app and the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans. The ESPN App is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation, delivering a rich, personalized experience that curates all of ESPN’s content around each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also be available through ESPN.com.
About INTRUST Bank Arena
INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita’s premier entertainment venue, is located in downtown Wichita. The Arena can seat more than 15,000 guests and hosts a variety of events including professional and collegiate sports, concerts, family shows and corporate functions. INTRUST Bank Arena is owned by Sedgwick County Government, and managed by SMG, the world leader in venue management, marketing and development.
