EXCITING WELTERWEIGHT MATCHUP HEADLINES UFC® DEBUT IN ROCHESTER AS
(#4) RAFAEL DOS ANJOS BATTLES (#5 – LW) KEVIN LEE
FEATURED BOUTS:
(#6) ASPEN LADD vs. (#2 – WFLW) SIJARA EUBANKS
(#12) ANTONIO CARLOS JUNIOR vs. IAN HEINISCH
UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+®: DOS ANJOS vs. LEE TICKETS
AT BLUE CROSS ARENA GO ON SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 29
Las Vegas – UFC® heads to Rochester, N.Y. for the first time with a marquee matchup featuring former UFC lightweight champion and No. 4-ranked welterweight contender Rafael Dos Anjos welcoming former interim lightweight title challenger and No. 5-ranked lightweight Kevin Lee to the 170-pound division. In a high-stakes rematch at bantamweight, undefeated prospect and No. 6-ranked contender Aspen Ladd looks to prove that her first win over No. 2-ranked flyweight contender Sijara Eubanks was no fluke.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+®: DOS ANJOS vs. LEE will stream live from Blue Cross Arena exclusively on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 18, with prelims kicking off at 5 p.m. ET. Doors open at 4 p.m. ET. All UFC live events on ESPN+ will also be available in English and Spanish.
A perennial top contender since joining UFC over a decade ago, Dos Anjos (28-11, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has defeated some of the biggest names in the sport. He holds impressive victories over former UFC champions Anthony Pettis, Benson Henderson and Robbie Lawler. A fan-favorite for his aggressive fighting style, Dos Anjos now aims to work his way back into the title picture by spoiling Lee’s welterweight debut and earning his eighth UFC post-fight bonus.
Hailed as the next generation of MMA talent since he debuted in the UFC at just 21 years old, Lee (17-4, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) looks to make a statement in his welterweight debut. While at lightweight, Lee impressed with notable stoppage victories over Francisco Trinaldo, Michael Chiesa and Edson Barboza. Now, Lee intends to make an immediate impact in his new division by being the first man to finish Dos Anjos at 170-pounds and asserting himself as one of the top contenders for the belt.
One of the top rising women’s prospects in the UFC, Ladd (7-0, fighting out of El Dorado Hills, Calif.) aims to break into the top-5 rankings for the first time in her career. Still only 24 years old, Ladd has finished all but one of her opponents, including stopping former title challenger Tonya Evinger and multiple-time Muay Thai world champion Lina Lansberg. Now, Ladd looks to improve on the only decision victory on her resume by being the first person to finish Eubanks in their rematch.
A multiple-time jiu-jitsu world champion, Eubanks (5-2, fighting out of Toms River, N.J.) competes at bantamweight for the first time in her UFC tenure. A finalist on The Ultimate Fighter: 26, Eubanks has established herself as one of the top contenders in women’s MMA by following her appearance on the show with dominant victories over Lauren Murphy and Roxanne Modafferi. Now, Eubanks looks to even the score with Ladd and show that she is worthy of title contention in any division she competes in.
Announced bouts on the card include:
- Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 and the current No. 12-ranked middleweight contender Antonio Carlos Junior (11-2, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) aims to extend his winning streak to six when he battles Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series signee Ian Heinisch (12-1, fighting out of Englewood, Colo.)
- Looking for her eight stoppage victory in a row, Megan Anderson (9-3, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo. by way of Gold Coast, Australia) welcomes the debuting Felicia Spencer (6-0, fighting out of Orlando, Fla. by way of Montreal, Quebec, Canada) to the UFC women’s featherweight division
- Looking to stay unbeaten at middleweight in the UFC, Zak Cummings (22-6, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) intends to hand undefeated prospect Trevin Giles (11-0, fighting out of Houston, Texas) his first career loss
- Lightweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter: 27 Michael Trizano (9-0, fighting out of Ramsey, N.J.) looks to maintain his perfect record by taking outDana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series signee Grant Dawson (13-1, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.)
- In a light heavyweight slugfest that is sure to please fans, Patrick Cummins (10-5, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) meets proven veteran Ed Herman(24-14, fighting out of Portland, Ore.)
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+®: DOS ANJOS vs. LEE go on sale Friday, March 29 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase online at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, March 27 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 28 starting at 10 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. UFC boasts 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 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 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in over 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, 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.
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ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of 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 games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.
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ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.
About Blue Cross Arena
Blue Cross Arena at The War Memorial is located in Rochester, NY on the Genesee River. The 11,215-seat multi-purpose facility is host to a variety of entertainment and athletic events, including the American Hockey League’s Rochester Americans and National Lacrosse League’s Rochester Knighthawks.
In addition to hockey and lacrosse, Blue Cross Arena hosts a wide variety of events such as concerts, family shows and other sporting events. For more information, visit bluecrossarena.com and follow Blue Cross Arena at Facebook.com/BlueCrossArenaRochester and Twitter: @BlueCrossArena.
