UFC 282 promises to provide fireworks with a stacked card that the UFC will be hoping sends 2022 out with a bang in the final PPV of the year.
The main event of the evening will see former champion Jan Blachowicz face off against 30-year-old Dagestani contender Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant light heavyweight championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday (AEDT).
Watch UFC 282: Blachowicz v Ankalaev LIVE on Main Event available on Foxtel & Kayo Sports, Sunday 11 December from 2pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >
Blachowicz is looking to recapture the championship that he surrendered when he lost to Glover Teixeira back in October last year. Meanwhile, the imposing Ankalaev – who has bounced back from losing his UFC debut to record an impressive eight-bout win streak – is favoured to capture his first UFC world championship.
The fight was originally scheduled to be a number one contenders match in the co-main event slot on the card before being promoted once the original main event was cancelled following reigning champion Jiří Procházka’s nasty training injury.
Procházka was initially slated to rematch Glover Teixeira in what would have been his first title defence but was forced to withdraw from the match and vacate his belt after suffering a significant injury that UFC president Dana White labelled “the worst shoulder injury the doctors have seen in UFC history”.
The UFC confirmed that Blachowicz v Ankalaev would be contesting for the vacant light heavyweight title in the new main event after Teixeira – the man that memorably submitted Blachowicz to capture the lightweight strap – declined the chance to fight Ankalaev for the belt.
Brazilian Teixeira said he refused the opportunity against Ankalaev as he preferred on short notice to fight someone he was familiar with in Blachowicz.
“This could be my last chance to fight for the title,” the 43-year-old former champion said.
“I want to win this belt. I’m training like a maniac. I am a professional. Every time I show up, I put on a great fight. Win or lose. I’m not going to go in there and just show up to fight a guy because they say so. This is a dangerous game and I need to prepare myself the best I can …”
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The new co-main event sees rising lightweight contender Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett face his toughest test yet in savvy veteran Jared “Flash” Gordon.
The 27-year-old Liverpudlian will be looking to put on a show for the fans after taking the MMA world by storm following three exciting finishes since making his UFC debut in September last year.
Never short of something to say, Pimblett’s cheeky wit, charismatic personality and brash confidence have many comparing his rise through the ranks to that of a young Conor McGregor.
Australian UFC star Robert Whittaker knows Pimblett has plenty to prove with tougher opponents to come, but he can’t help feel that the Scouser “looks to have it all.”
“He has the potential to be the next superstar, the next Conor McGregor, if you will,” Whittaker said on Fight Week.
“He definitely has the attitude and the personality to run that, to draw the crowd in, to make it exciting. And he has the skill-set to back it up.”
Fellow Skouser and fan favourite Darren Till will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon when he squares off against the explosive Dricus Du Plessis in a middleweight contest that is sure to excite.
Another intriguing element to the main card line-up is that it opens with Ilia Topuria, better known as “Mr. Hand Sanitiser” following his now infamous backstage clash with Paddy Pimblett during UFC fight week in London in March.
The pair got into it again as things got heated during yesterday’s press conference with Pimblett referring to Topuria as a “little chorizo … little f****** Spanish sausage”.
Topuria will look to keep his undefeated MMA record in tact when he meets rising star Bryce “Thug Nasty” Mitchell in a clash that could propel one of them towards title contendership.
Meanwhile, the preliminary card is sure to get the crowd rocking with some notable names fighting including the UFC’s youngest ever debutant in 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr., powerful heavyweight’s Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Chris Daukaus facing off, the return of the highly-touted Edmen Shahbazyan, and the always entertaining Joaquin Buckley looking to get back on the winner’s list.
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WHEN DOES UFC 276 START?
The main card starts at 2pm AEDT with the main event (Blachowicz v Ankalaev) expected at around 5pm AEDT
The prelims start at 12pm AEDT
The early prelims start at 10.30am AEDT
HOW CAN I WATCH UFC 276?
PRELIMS: Watch Live UFC with ESPN on Channel 509 or on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial >
MAIN CARD: Watch UFC 282: Blachowicz v Ankalaev LIVE on Main Event available on Foxtel & Kayo Sports, Sunday 11 December from 2pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >
TALE OF THE TAPE (FULL CARD)
MAIN CARD
Jan Blachowicz (POL) vs Magomed Ankalaev (RUS) – Light Heavyweight (Title fight)
MMA record: Blachowicz 29-9, Ankalaev 18-1
Age: Blachowicz 39, Ankalaev 30
Height: Blachowicz 6’2”, Ankalaev 6’3”
Official Weight: Blachowicz 204.5lb, Ankalaev 205lb
Reach: Blachowicz 78”, Ankalaev 75”
Paddy Pimblett vs Jared Gordon – Lightweight
MMA record: Pimblett 19-3, Gordon 19-5
Age: Pimblett 27, Gordon 34
Height: Pimblett 5’8.5”, Gordon 5’7.5”
Official Weight: Pimblett 156lb, Gordon 155.5lb
Reach: Pimblett 73”, Gordon 68”
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Alex Morono – Catchweight (180lb)
MMA record: Ponzinibbio 29-6, Morono 22-7, 1NC**
Age: Ponzinibbio 36, Morono 32
Height: Ponzinibbio 6’0”, Morono 5’9”
Official Weight: Ponzinibbio 179.5lb, Morono 179.5lb
Reach: Ponzinibbio 73”, Morono 72”
Darren Till vs Dricus Du Plessis – Middleweight
MMA record: Till 18-4-1*, Du Plessis 17-2
Age: Till 29, Du Plessis 28
Height: Till 6’2”, Du Plessis 6’3.5”
Official Weight: Till 184.5lb, Du Plessis 185lb
Reach: Till 74.5”, Du Plessis 76”
Bryce Mitchell vs Ilia Topuria – Featherweight
MMA record: Mitchell 15-1, Topuria 12-0
Age: Mitchell 28, Topuria 25
Height: Mitchell 5’8.5”, Topuria 5’6”
Official Weight: Mitchell 146lb, Topuria 146lb
Reach: Mitchell 70”, Topuria 69”
PRELIMINARY CARD
Raul Rosas Jr. vs Jay Perrin – Bantamweight
MMA record: Rosas Jr. 6-0, Perrin 10-6
Age: Rosas Jr. 18, Perrin 29
Height: Rosas Jr. 5’7.5”, Perrin 5’6”
Official Weight: Rosas Jr. 136lb, Perrin 136lb
Reach: Rosas Jr. 67”, Perrin 67”
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs Chris Daukaus – Heavyweight
MMA record: Rozenstruik 12-4, Daukaus 12-5
Age: Rozenstruik 34, Daukaus 33
Height: Rozenstruik 6’2”, Daukaus 6’3”
Official Weight: Rozenstruik 261.5lb, Daukaus 242.5lb
Reach: Rozenstruik 78”, Daukaus 76”
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Dalcha Lungiambula – Middleweight
MMA record: Shahbazyan 11-3, Lungiambula 11-5
Age: Shahbazyan 25, Lungiambula 35
Height: Shahbazyan 6’ 2”, Lungiambula 5’7”
Official Weight: Shahbazyan 186lb, Lungiambula 185.5lb
Reach: Shahbazyan 74”, Lungiambula 76”
Chris Curtis vs Joaquin Buckley – Middleweight
MMA record: Curtis 29-9, Buckley 15-5
Age: Curtis 35, Buckley 28
Height: Curtis 5’ 8.5”, Buckley 5’ 8.5”
Official Weight: Curtis 185.5lb, Buckley 185.5lb
Reach: Curtis 75.5”, Buckley 76”
EARLY PRELIMS
Billy Quarantillo vs Alexander Hernandez – Featherweight
MMA record: Quarantillo 16-4, Hernandez 13-5
Age: Quarantillo 34, Hernandez 30
Height: Quarantillo 5’8.5”, Hernandez 5’7”
Official Weight: Quarantillo 146lb, Hernandez 145.5lb
Reach: Quarantillo 70”, Hernandez 72”
TJ Brown vs Erik Silva – Featherweight
MMA record: Brown 16-9, Silva 9-1
Age: Brown 32, Silva 35
Height: Brown 5’7”, Silva 5’7”
Official Weight: Brown 145.5lb, Silva 146lb
Reach: Brown 72”, Silva 71”
Cameron Saaiman vs Steven Koslow – Bantamweight
MMA record: Saaiman 6-0, Koslow 6-0
Age: Saaiman 21, Koslow 25
Height: Saaiman 5’7”, Koslow 5’6”
Official Weight: Saaiman 135lb, Koslow 136lb
Reach: Saaiman 67”, Koslow 69”
*Denotes that fight was declared a draw
**Denotes that fight was declared a no contest, meaning that neither fighter could be declared the winner due to reasons which are outside of at least one of the fighter’s control, e.g., an accidental illegal strike, an accidental foul, the winner tests positive in a post-fight drug test, etc.
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ODDS – Courtesy of TAB
MAIN CARD
Blachowicz $3.25 v Ankalaev $1.34
Pimblett $1.38 vs Gordon $3
Ponzinibbio $1.50 vs Morono $2.60
Till $2.45 vs Du Plessis $1.55
Mitchell $2.15 vs Topuria $1.70
PRELIMINARY CARD
Rosas Jr. $1.44 vs Perrin $2.80
Rozenstruik $1.57 vs Daukaus $2.40
Shahbazyan $1.34 vs Lungiambula $3.25
Curtis $2.20 vs Buckley $1.67
EARLY PRELIMS
Quarantillo $1.57 vs Hernandez $2.40
Brown $2 vs Silva $1.80
Saaiman $1.27 vs Koslow $3.75
