Welcome to the Monday edition of the Knockdown Daily. Today’s issue includes a preview of this weekend’s events, plus some smaller news stories that came out of the weekend.
Just a reminder: The newsletter is off Monday, and will return Tuesday.
A Look At The Week Ahead
Friday
ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo
ONE Championship will return with a Muay Thai-heavy card this weekend from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Jonathan Haggerty will attempt to defend his 145-pound division Muay Thai belt for the first time in the main event, meeting Felipe Lobo in a five-round contest.
Haggerty captured the title last year with a first-round finish over veteran Nong-O Gaiyanghadao. The victory earned Haggerty his first title since moving up to the 145-pound weight class. He briefly held a Muay Thai title in ONE’s 135-pound weight class in a reign that was put to an end by Rodtang Jitmuangnon in 2019.
Haggerty has also gained a title in kickboxing recently, beating MMA fighter Fabricio de Andrade late last year. He’ll now return against Lobo, who has put together two Muay Thai victories in ONE since 2020. He is coming off a massive performance from last year, beating Saemapetch Fairtex via stoppage.
Three MMA bouts are scheduled to take place on Friday evening. The highest-billed bout will see Lito Adiwang try to earn a third consecutive win when facing Danial Williams. Adiwang picked up two wins in 2023, including a 23-second stoppage.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Haggerty did not have a title at 135 pounds before. The story has been updated to reflect that he had the title in 2019. Knockdown News apologizes for the error.
Here’s the bout order for ONE Fight Night 19:
Main Card (8:00PM EST / 8:00AM ICT) (Amazon Prime Video)
Bout 9: Jonathan Haggerty vs. Felipe Lobo (ONE Muay Thai Bantamweight Championship) (145 lbs)
Bout 8: Saemapetch Fairtex vs. Mohamed Younes Rabah (Featherweight Muay Thai)
Bout 7: Danial Williams (6-2) vs. Lito Adiwang (15-5) (Flyweight)
Bout 6: Liam Nolan vs. Nauzet Trujillo (Welterweight Muay Thai)
Bout 5: Hiroyuki Tetsuka (12-4) vs. Valmir da Silva (9-3) (Middleweight)
Bout 4: Luke Lessei vs. Eddie Abasolo (Lightweight Muay Thai)
Bout 3: Nat Jaroonsak vs. Dayane Cardoso (Custom Rules Flyweight)
Bout 2: Mansur Malachiev (11-1) vs. Yosuke Saruta (21-11-3) (Flyweight)
Bout 1: Thongpoon Petchportoror vs. Timur Chuikov (Flyweight Muay Thai)
Saturday
KSW 91
Just under a year after KSW made their first-ever appearance in Liberec, Czech Republic, the promotion will return on Saturday night. The country’s own Leo Brichta will challenge for a championship in the main event, taking on Valeriu Mircea for the vacant interim KSW lightweight title.
KSW is crowning an interim champion in the division since the regular titleholder in the weight class — Salahdine Parnasse — holds titles in two different divisions, causing it to take longer than usual for him to defend his respective belts.
Brichta is getting a title opportunity after earning a pair of wins in KSW. He made his debut at the promotion’s stadium show last year, overcoming Maciej Kazieczko in a split decision result. He then returned on a Czech Republic KSW card in October 2023, stopping Roman Szymanski in the third round that night. If he can win, Brichta will become the first-ever fighter from the Czech Republic to earn a KSW title.
Similarly, if opponent Mircea wins, he’ll be KSW’s first Moldovan champ. He picked up a trio of victories on his way to a title fight this weekend, including a pair of first-round finish victories from just over a year ago.
As has been the case every time KSW has come to the Czech Republic, the country’s fighters are highly represented. A total of eight Czech Republic MMA fighters are expected to appear during the 10 bouts of the evening.
A middleweight prospect from the country, Dominik Humburger, will try to bounce back from his first pro loss when he faces Albert Odzimkowski in the co-main event. Humburger had his flawless seven-fight record broken in his third KSW fight, dropping a decision to Polish talent Michal Michalski.
Here’s how KSW 91 looks:
Main Card (1:00PM EST / 7:00PM CET) (KSW PPV)
Bout 10: Leo Brichta (12-3) vs. Valeriu Mircea (29-8-1) (Vacant Interim KSW Lightweight Championship)
Bout 9: Dominik Humburger (7-1) vs. Albert Odzimkowski (14-7) (Middleweight)
Bout 8: David Hosek (10-5-1) vs. Adrian Dudek (7-2) (Middleweight)
Bout 7: Matus Juracek (10-3) vs. Henry Fadipe (14-11-1) (Welterweight)
Bout 6: Lukasz Charzewski (12-2) vs. Michal Sobiech (5-1) (Catchweight 150 lbs)
Bout 5: Josef Stummer (3-1) vs. Adrian Wieliczko (2-1) (Featherweight)
Bout 4: Viktor Cervinsky (4-0) vs. Kacper Koziorzebski (9-6) (Welterweight)
Bout 3: Vasil Ducar (3-2) vs. Dawid Kasperski (0-0) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 2: Mariusz Joniak (11-5) vs. Tobiasz Le (4-1) (Bantamweight)
Bout 1: Petra Castkova (6-6) vs. Wiktoria Czyzewska (2-1) (Flyweight)
UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria
There are two ways to look at Alexander Volkanovski’s career as of late: Considering all of his fights, or considering strictly the work he has done at featherweight.
When looking at Volkanovski’s entire MMA body of work, the past year hasn’t been too kind to him. The 35-year-old failed to become a two-division champion early last year, dropping a five-round unanimous decision to Islam Makhachev. After defending his belt against Yair Rodriguez, Volkanovski then suffered a second loss to Makhachev, this time getting finished in the first round of a short-notice bout.
2023 wasn’t like basically the rest of Volkanovski’s career, when he didn’t lose to anyone. But there’s a key fact to remember in all of this: Volkanovski is still the undisputed king of featherweight. He has defended his title five times since earning it in 2019, making his reign the second-longest in division history (first place goes to Jose Aldo, who defended his belt seven times over 1,800 days).
After getting finished for just the second time in his entire career, Volkanovski will have to refocus and try to continue his dominance at 145 pounds when he headlines UFC 298 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, USA this weekend. He has a tough opponent for his return to the division, facing undefeated contender Ilia Topuria.
Topuria has quickly shot up the rankings at featherweight since joining the UFC roster in 2020. He has finished four of his six opponents in the promotion, including a late 2022 submission against Bryce Mitchell. Topuria secured a title fight last year after beating former interim title challenger Josh Emmett in a five-round unanimous decision result.
While Volkanovski and Topuria are the stories of two nearly flawless featherweights, they certainly do not carry the same storylines heading into this weekend. For Volkanovski, it’s a chance to get some confidence back after a rough end to his 2023. For Topuria, it’ll be an opportunity to prove that is swollen confidence heading into this bout — including already calling himself the division’s champion — was for good reason.
UFC 298 has some solid matchups as part of the main card. Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will return in the co-main event against Paulo Costa. Whittaker suffered just the third finish loss of his UFC career in 2023, getting stopped in the second round by now-champion Dricus Du Plessis.
Costa has been out of the cage for quite some time, as his last fight was an August 2022 victory over Luke Rockhold. Before then, his last win dates all the way back to 2019.
Welterweight prospect Ian Machado Garry will also compete on Saturday against the experienced Geoff Neal. Garry has won six UFC fights since 2021, including a recent win against Neil Magny.
Other notable appearances on Saturday include high-ranked bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili, rising middleweight Anthony Hernandez, undefeated “Road To UFC” winner Rinya Nakamura, and former strawweight title challenger Amanda Lemos.
Here’s a full look at Saturday’s card:
Main Card (10:00PM EST / 7:00PM PST) (PPV)
Bout 12: Alexander Volkanovski (26-3) vs. Ilia Topuria (14-0) (UFC Featherweight Championship)
Bout 11: Robert Whittaker (24-7) vs. Paulo Costa (14-2) (Middleweight)
Bout 10: Geoff Neal (15-5) vs. Ian Machado Garry (13-0) (Welterweight)
Bout 9: Merab Dvalishvili (16-4) vs. Henry Cejudo (16-3) (Bantamweight)
Bout 8: Anthony Hernandez (11-2) vs. Roman Kopylov (12-2) (Middleweight)
Preliminary Card (8:00PM EST / 5:00PM PST) (ESPN / ESPN+)
Bout 7: Amanda Lemos (13-3-1) vs. Mackenzie Dern (13-4) (Strawweight)
Bout 6: Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-9-1) vs. Justin Tafa (7-3) (Heavyweight)
Bout 5: Rinya Nakamura (8-0) vs. Carlos Vera (11-3) (Bantamweight)
Bout 4: Zhang Mingyang (16-6) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (15-5) (Light Heavyweight)
Early Prelims (6:30PM EST / 3:30PM PST) (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 3: Josh Quinlan (6-1) vs. Danny Barlow (7-0) (Welterweight)
Bout 2: Val Woodburn (7-1) vs. Oban Elliott (9-2) (Welterweight)
Bout 1: Andrea Lee (13-8) vs. Miranda Maverick (12-5) (Flyweight)
News
Welterweight Title Fight To Headline LFA 179, Flyweight Prospects Booked For LFA 180 Main Event
A pair of main event bouts for LFA’s March schedule were announced last weekend. The additions include the return of a champion and a showcase in the promotion’s lightest men’s class.
Neto To Defend Welterweight Belt Against Antunes
Geraldo Neto will return to LFA in hopes of defending his welterweight title for the first time when he fights Vanilto Antunes. Their bout is expected headline LFA 179 on March 23rd from the Parque Olimpico in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Neto captured the promotion’s 170-pound title last September, going five rounds against Magnus Conrado to earn the title. This extended a winning streak on the Brazilian regional scene that previously included five wins, along with a first-round finish victory in his promotional debut.
Antunes is getting a title shot after putting together a record of 15 wins and six losses since his 2014 debut. He has competed in notable regional promotions like Shooto Brasil and Jungle Fight. His last fight was a win against Wendell Oliveira, a former UFC fighter who has been on a streak of losses since 2019.
Fernandez vs. Siqueira To Headline LFA’s Louisville, Kentucky Debut
LFA’s first-ever event in Louisville, Kentucky, USA will have a matchup between flyweight prospects in the main event.
Kevin Fernandez and Igor Siqueira are expected to headline LFA 180 on March 29th, as announced by the promotion on Friday.
Fernandez has quickly built up wins in LFA since joining the promotion in early 2022. He picked up his fourth straight victory four months ago, catching Joseph Camacho in the second round with an arm triangle choke.
With nine wins and two losses, Siqueira is the most experienced fighter that Fernandez has faced yet. Siqueira lost his LFA debut last year, although it was in a title fight against Cody Davis, which saw him get stopped in the fifth round. He built up wins all around the regional scene before then, fighting in Mexico, Brazil, and Antioquia. After suffering a loss in a title fight, Siqueira will try to bounce back while still being in the main event picture.
Undercard fights for both LFA 179 and 180 were announced this weekend as well. Details on those matches can be read in today’s notes section.
Notes On: UFC, KSW, ONE Championship, LFA & Cage Warriors
Undefeated bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov (16-0) has been given UFC newcomer Bekzat Almakhan (17-1) for the promotion’s March 2nd card in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, per a report from Frontkicked. Nurmagomedov has scored four victories since entering the UFC roster in early 2021. His last win was a first-round stoppage against Raoni Barcelos. Almakhan is entering the UFC with a record that includes 15 finish victories since his 2016 pro debut.
Rising featherweights Joanderson Brito (16-3-1) and Jack Shore (17-1) will meet at UFC’s May 4th show, as first reported by Octagon Update. Brito has finished his past four opponents in the UFC, including a 2022 victory over Andre Fili. Shore bounced back from his sole pro loss last year, submitting Makwan Amirkhani.
UFC is planning to hold an event on June 1st, as the first bout on that date has reportedly been booked. Argentina’s Ailin Perez (9-2) has been lined up to return later this year in a bantamweight fight against Joselyne Edwards (13-5), per Carlos Contreras Legaspi of ESPN Deportes. Perez is coming off a successful 2023 that saw her earn a pair of wins in the UFC cage. Edwards had a three-fight streak broken last year with a defeat to Nora Cornolle.
A last-minute middleweight fight between David Hosek (10-5-1) and Adrian Dudek (7-2) has been added to KSW 91 this weekend from Liberec, Czech Republic. Hosek is returning to KSW after losing his promotional debut early last year. Dudek, on the other hand, scored his first win in the promotion a few months back.
ONE Championship announced they will host an International Women’s Day-themed card on March 8th, holding a show from the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. While no MMA bouts have been booked for it yet, a kickboxing bout between Janet Todd and Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom and a Muay Thai fight between Allycia Hellen Rodrigues and Cristina Morales have been announced.
Two MMA bouts took place last weekend as part of ONE Championship’s “Friday Fights 51” card from the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Kazakbai Tilenov (6-1) picked up a finish win in his ONE Championship debut, stopping Ivan Parshikov (12-5) in the third round with strikes. Parshikov’s promotional record is now three wins and two losses since early 2023.
Adilet Alimbek Uulu (4-1) handed Cho Gyu Jun (3-1) his first pro loss, catching him in the second round with a neck crank to end a fight that had numerous accidental fouls committed.
A welterweight fight between Egor Kostyuchenko (4-0) and James Wallace (10-4) for LFA 177 on February 23rd was confirmed during the promotion’s broadcast last weekend. Kostyuchenko has scored four victories since his debut in mid-2021. Wallace is a Bellator and “Dana White’s Contender Series” alum returning for the first time in a year and a half.
Along with the title fight that was announced for LFA 179, five other bouts were confirmed:
Jose Delano (13-3) will be matched up against Alan Villalba (17-6) at featherweight. Delano has four wins in LFA, with his sole defeat being a title shot loss to Gabriel Santos early last year. Villalba is making his promotional debut and currently has a five-fight winning streak.
Lucas Fernando (9-3) has the chance to snap a losing streak when matched against Joao Paulo Silva (8-2). Fernando suffered a pair of losses last year against tough names: he lost on “Dana White’s Contender Series” against Cesar Almeida, then dropped an LFA title fight to Azamat Bekoev. Silva is returning to LFA after earning two wins on the Brazilian regional scene.
After an impressive first-round finish win in his LFA debut, Icaro Brito (7-1) has been booked to meet Felipe Oliveira (9-3) at featherweight. Brito beat Junior Duarte last year, stopping him in just over three minutes. Oliveira has won in his last five fights.
Strawweight prospects Yasmin Castanho (6-1) and Natalia Alves (5-0) have been paired up. Castanho’s sole loss came against now-UFC fighter Bruna Brasil, and she has earned two wins in the LFA. Alves’ flawless five-fight pro record includes an LFA debut from 2022.
Luiz Felipe Herculano (6-0) will try to protect his undefeated record against Werick Douglas (5-2). Herculano is coming off a streak of submission victories in notable regional Shooto Brasil, although he hasn’t fought since late 2020. Douglas will be trying to snap a two-fight losing streak.
LFA has announced a total of 12 bouts for their March 29th card from Lousiville, Kentucky, USA. A story on the main event can be read in the news section above. Here’s the undercard:
Lightweight prospect Kegan Agnew (6-1) will make his LFA debut in the co-main event against Richie Miranda (7-1). Agnew has picked up six wins since 2018, with his only loss being against UFC fighter Austin Hubbard. Miranda bounced back from his singular pro loss a few months back, stopping Derion Chapman in the first round.
After suffering a split decision loss to Alfred Walker last year, Landry Ward (8-2) will return at featherweight against Lance Lawrence (7-4). While Lawrence is coming off a win, he has lost four of his last six pro fights.
Angelo Robles (3-0) has the chance to keep the momentum of a strong rookie year alive when he faces Kibedy Gordon (5-1). Along with his amateur run, Robles has a record of eight wins and one draw. Gordon lost his LFA debut last year to Amari Sengsavanh but has picked up another victory since then.
Mateo Garner (3-0) is expected to make his LFA return against Logan Woods (4-1) in a middleweight fight. Garner won his pro debut in the promotion last year, beating Trent Nott. He has since gone on to score two more victories on the regional scene. Woods, a fighter who took his first pro loss at LFA 94 in 2020, is coming back after earning a victory in Anthony Pettis’ promotion just over two years ago.
Five-fight LFA vet Alandria Rosales (3-2) has the chance to get back into the win column against Chelsea Conner (2-3).
Undefeated flyweight Joshua Perreira (3-0), who has won all three of his pro bouts via finish, has been booked to now face Jesse Martinelli (3-1), a 30-year-old prospect returning to LFA for the second time.
After taking her first loss last year, Nejra Repp (2-1) has been matched against Whittany Pyles (4-6).
Following an amateur career of six wins and two losses, Trae Cusac (0-0) will turn pro against Ben Fowler (2-2).
PFL Challenger Series alum Rakim Talley (1-1) has been booked to make his LFA debut against Emilio Vallecillo (1-0), who won his debut last year against William Myers.
Undefeated amateur Hayden Russell (2-0) will fight Blake Alvey (4-2), and amateur heavyweights Alexander Collett (1-1) and Charlie Cleveland (1-0) will face off.
Lightweight prospects Tariq Pell (3-0) and Shaun Fraser (1-0) have been booked for Cage Warriors 169 on March 30th. Pell earned a win on his first numbered Cage Warriors card appearance last year, stopping Michael Blair in 22 seconds. Fraser won his pro debut on the regionals last year.
“Road To UFC” alum Eperaim Ginting (7-1) will return to Cage Warriors at their Glasgow, Scotland show on April 20th, being booked across from Iain Postlethwaite (6-6). Ginting picked up a second-round victory over Shawn Johnson in his promotional debut late last year.