Flash Forum on Yas Island, UAE, hosts UFC 253. The 11-fight card is headlined by a championship doubleheader.
First a new light-heavyweight champion will be crowned as California’s, Dominick “The Devastator” Reyes faces Polish slugger Jan Blachowicz. Then in a battle between unbeaten fighters, Brazil’s Paulo Costa challenges Nigerian Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya for the undisputed UFC Middleweight championship.
The main card also has a pair of bouts between contenders. Number seven ranked Kai Kara-France faces number nine ranked flyweight Brandon Royval. Number seven Ketlen Vieria takes on thirteenth ranked women’s bantamweight Sijara Eubanks. Surging featherweight start the main card as “Mean” Hakeem Dawodu squares off against “Warrior” Zubaira Tukhugov.
The featured prelims will see “Quake” Brad Riddell, who’s on a five-fight win streak versus Alex “Leko” da Silva. At welterweight Jake “The Celtic Kid” Matthews whose won five of his last six fights battle “TUF” season one winner Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez. The featured early prelims will see former LFA champion Jeff Hughes colliding with “TUF” 28 winner Juan Espino.
Fight Card
Main Card
- Middleweight Title Bout: (champ) Israel Adesanya (20-0) def. Paulo Costa (13-1) TKO (strikes) 3:58 R2
- Vacant Light-heavyweight Title Bout: (now champ) Jan Blachowicz (27-8) def. Dominick Reyes (12-2) by TKO (punches) 4:36 R2
- Flyweight Bout: Brandon Royval (12-4) def. Kai Kara-France (21-9) by submission (guillotine choke) 0:48 R2
- Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Ketlen Vieira (11-1) def. Sijara Eubanks (6-5) by (29-28 x3) unanimous decision
- Featherweight Bout: Hakeem Dawodu (12-1-1) def. Zubaira Tukhugov (19-5-1) by (28-29, 30-27, 29-28) split decision
Preliminary Card
- Lightweight Bout: Brad Riddell (9-1) def. Alex Da Silva (21-3) by (29-28 x3) unanimous decision
- Welterweight Bout: Jake Matthews (17-4) def. Diego Sanchez (30-13) by (30-26 x3) unanimous decision
- Featherweight Bout: Ludovit Klein (17-2) def. Shane Young (13-5) by KO (head & punches) 1:16 R1
- Light-heavyweight Bout: William Knight (9-1) def. Aleksa Camur (6-1) by (29-28, 30-27 x3) unanimous decision
Fight Pass Card
- Heavyweight Bout: Juan Espino (10-1) def. Jeff Hughes (10-4) by submission (scarfhold) 3:48 R1
- Light-heavyweight Bout: Danilo Marques (10-2) def. Khadis Ibragimov (8-4) by (30-27, 29-28 x3) unanimous decision
