The UFC has gone to work on putting together upcoming fight cards, as a handful of former champions and contenders are now scheduled for action.
UFC On ESPN 50 Receives Anthony Smith-Ryan Spann
Ryan Spann will get his rematch with former UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith this August.
The two have been booked for the UFC on ESPN 50 event that features Max Holloway vs. Chan Sung Jung. Set for August 26 from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore, the main card airs live on ESPN.
While not announced yet, one would believe Smith vs. Spann will be part of the main card.
Smith won the first meeting between the two back in 2021, scoring a submission victory in the opening round. The 34-year-old, though, is in need of a win his last two since that time.
Back in 2019, Smith went the distance with then-UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Overall, he is 36-18 with 34 wins coming by finish.
Spann has won two of three since the Smith bout, besting both Ion Cutelaba and Dominick Reyes. He was submitted by Nikita Krylov this past March, falling to 21-8 overall.
Rose Namajunas Trying Her Hand At Flyweight
Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas will move to the flyweight division this September.
Namajunas is set for a meeting with Marion Fiorot on September 2 from the Accor Arena in Paris, France. The event, UFC on ESPN 51, is scheduled to feature Ciryl Gane vs. Sergey Spivak and marks just the second time the Octagon has visited France.
Namajunas has twice captured the strawweight title, dropping it last year to Carla Esparza. She won the belt the first time in 2017 with a victory over Joanna Jedrzejczyk and again in 2021 vs. Zhang Weili.
Fiorot will have the support of her home country, as the native of France is 5-0 with the promotion and 10-1 overall. She scored a win over Katlyn Chookagian this past October and has finished six of her opponents.
Flyweight Title Rematch Set For September
Valentina Shevchenko will get her shot at reclaiming the UFC flyweight title when she challenges Alexa Grasso at UFC Fight Night on September 16.
The event is scheduled for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be used to celebrate Mexican Independence Day.
Grasso, one of those fighters who will be honored, won the belt with a fourth round submission over Shevchenko this past March at UFC 285. She has won each of her last five fights and is 16-3 overall.
The loss to Grasso snapped Shevchenko’s six-year unbeaten run, with her prior last defeat coming to Amanda Nunes in 2017. She won the UFC title in 2018 and defended it seven times before the setback.
