UFC Blitz 2 June 21-29
It’s out 2nd week of the UFC Blitz and we have announcements, injuries, replacements, signings, and TV deal to tell you about.
Yosdenis Cedeno (9-3) will welcome fellow Lightweight Leo Kuntz (17-1-1) to the octagon at UFC Fight Night 45 at the Revel Casino Hotel on July 16. Cedeno at UFC lost a split decision to Ernest Chavez that ended a 6 fight win streak. Kuntz undefeated in his last 15 fight and is on a 5 fight wins streak.
At Flyweight Chris Cariaso (17-5) will meet Kyoji Horiguchi (13-1) at UFC Fight Night 52 on September 30 at the Saitama Arena in Saitama, Japan. Cariaso has won 3 in a row over Iliarde Santos (TKO), Danny Martinez (UD), and Louis Smolka (SD). Also Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-5), Takanori Gomi (35-9), and Norifumi Yamamoto (18-6) has all been announced for the card, but are awaiting opponents.
The TUF 19 Finale has gained 3 new match-ups at Bantamweight Leandro Issa (11-4) faces Jumsbieke Tuerxun (14-1), at Lightweight Adriano Martins (25-7) meets Juan Manuel Puig (11-2), and in a battle of debuting Light Heavyweights Robert Drysdale (6-0) collides with Keith Berish (5-0). The TUF 19 Finale is on July 6 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The UFC and Vale Tudo Japan/Shoot have announced a partnership to produce a new tournament based reality TVshow. The show will still have fighters living in a house fighting for UFC contracts, but this time it will be a round robin tournament format, where everyone fights each other and a total record will be kept. The fighters instead of breaking into teams will stay with their home gyms. The show is expected to run for 8 months with 30 episodes and for the 1st season will featuring Bantamweights and Featherweights.
Brazilian Thomas Almeida (17-0) a Legacy vet has signed with the UFC. Almeida is a member of Cute Boxe and Macaco Gold Team, who has all his wins by stoppage with 13 (T)KO and 4 submissions; with 15 1st round wins.
Matt Hobar (8-2) vs. Aaron Phillips (5-14) has been added to UFC Fight Night 49 on August 23, in Tulsa Oklahoma. Hobar a Legacy and Shark Fights vet will be looking to bounce back from a TKO loss to Pedro Munhoz that ended a 3 fight win streak. Phillips started off his career 5-0, with 3 TKO, but will be looking to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Sam Sicilia.
Jim Alers (13-1) is injured and now Alex White (10-0) will meet Lucas Martins (14-1) at UFC Fight Night 45 on July 16 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. White made his octagon debut at UFC on Fox 11 knocking out Estevan Payan in under 90 seconds. Martins in the UFC is 1-1 at Lightweight, having lost to Edson Barboza and beaten Jeremy Larsen. Martins is coming off a Bantamweight debut submission of Ramiro Hernandez.
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