5/8/24: Umar Nurmagomedov Set For His First UFC Main Event Against Cory Sandhagen
Also: A change to this weekend's KSW main event
Welcome to a Wednesday edition of the Knockdown Daily! Today’s issue is a catch-up of the past 48 hours in MMA. In today’s newsletter: The newest UFC main event, a massive change to this weekend’s KSW card, a potentially wise delay of a high-profile MMA-to-boxing crossover match, plus much more. If you like the in-depth notes section, we talk about six different promotions today! Let’s get started.
Undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov To Headline UFC Abu Dhabi Against Cory Sandhagen
Umar Nurmagomedov will soon get his first-ever UFC main event spotlight against Cory Sandhagen.
A clash between the ranked bantamweights will headline a “Fight Night” card from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on August 3rd, as announced by the promotion Tuesday.
Nurmagomedov’s flawless 17-fight pro record includes five appearances in the UFC since his promotional debut in 2021. Recent outings include a first-round finish against Raoni Barcelos and a decision win over promotional newcomer Bekzat Almakhan.
Former interim title challenger Sandhagen will be looking for his fourth consecutive high-profile win at bantamweight. He has overcome a trio of tough names in recent years, beating Song Yadong, recent Sean O’Malley opponent Marlon Vera, and Rob Font.
While the five-round main event treatment will be a new experience for Nurmagomedov, the same cannot be said about Sandhagen. The upcoming matchup will be his sixth time headlining a UFC card, and his seventh five-round fight in the promotion.
UFC has previously tried to book a fight between Nurmagomedov and Sandhagen, booking the pair for a main event matchup last August. However, that bout didn’t come to fruition after Nurmagomedov had to withdraw.
The recently announced event will be the first of two trips to Abu Dhabi for the promotion in the second half of the year. UFC 308 is also scheduled to take place at the Etihad Arena, going down on October 26th.
KSW Welterweight Champ Adrian Bartosinski Receives New Opponent For Title Defense on Saturday
This weekend’s KSW card from Gdansk, Poland has undergone a big change.
KSW Welterweight Champion Adrian Bartosinski has received a new matchup for his main event appearance on Saturday night, as his original opponent Andrzej Grzebyk has withdrawn from the card after suffering a torn bicep.
Replacing him will be fellow Polish talent Igor Michaliszyn, who is getting a title opportunity on short notice after scoring a pair of recent finish wins. News of the change was announced during a press conference on Monday.
28-year-old Michaliszyn joined KSW in 2022, winning his promotional debut with a 66-second victory against Idris Amizhaev. He followed this up with a stoppage win just over a year ago against Krystian Bielski.
The original plan was for Michaliszyn to face Brian Hooi at KSW’s June 7th card. However, with a last-minute opponent needed for this weekend, he was instead pulled from that fight and slotted into Saturday night’s main event.
The change in matchup means that Bartosinski will no longer be rematching an opponent from the past. Grzebyk was coming into this weekend with the chance to avenge a kneebar submission loss that he took against Bartosinski two years back. He had put together some momentum since that loss, having earned a trio of victories since late 2022.
Bartosinski will be trying to defend his title for the second time since earning it 13 months ago with a quick finish win over Artur Szczepaniak. He defended his belt for the first time in late 2023, going five rounds against Salahdine Parnasse to shut down the two-division champ’s hopes of earning yet another title.
Along with the welterweight championship fight, KSW 94 is expected to also have an interim title bout at featherweight between Robert Ruchala and Patryk Kaczmarczyk. The card will also have a special attraction MMA fight between kickboxer Arkadiusz Wrzosek and boxer Artur Szpilka.
Report: Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz Boxing Bout Moved To July 6th, No Longer Running Head-To-Head With UFC 302
A boxing match between MMA stars Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz has been delayed by a month, stopping the fighters from competing against a pay-per-view card from their former promoter.
Masvidal and Diaz are now expected to compete on July 6th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, USA, as initially reported by Lance Pugmire of Boxing Scene.
The card was originally booked to take place in Inglewood, California at the Kia Forum on June 1st. This would have made the card run up against UFC 302, which is scheduled to be headlined by lightweight champ Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier in New Jersey.
UFC currently doesn’t have a card planned for July 6th, preventing a scenario where viewers have to choose between the two MMA-centered combat sports viewing options.
The matchup will be Masvidal’s first combat sports appearance since departing the UFC roster and retiring from MMA in 2023. He has remained in the spotlight since his departure just over a year ago, promoting bare-knuckle MMA events for his “Gamebred” brand.
Diaz is expected to make his second boxing appearance since leaving the UFC in 2022. He notably faced Jake Paul last year, losing via decision after 10 rounds of action.
Kegan Gennrich vs. Richie Lewis To Headline Title Doubleheader At LFA 185
A pair of LFA champions will return when the promotion heads to the Horseshoe Hammond Casino in Hammond, Indiana, USA on June 7th.
Championship bouts at lightweight and strawweight will take place at LFA 185 next month, per a recent announcement made by the promotion.
LFA Lightweight Champion Kegan Gennrich will attempt to defend his title for the first time when he faces undefeated Richie Lewis in the main event.
Gennrich earned LFA’s lightweight title in January, dethroning JaCobi Jones with a fifth-round arm triangle choke submission. He had four wins in LFA before then, including a 2023 victory against Richie Miranda, who came into that bout as an undefeated talent.
Lewis is a former Rutgers University wrestler who has parlayed his collegiate athletics background into an MMA career. He has fought on the regional scene since 2021, mainly competing in Titan FC through his first five bouts. This matchup is a big step up in competition for him, going from facing opponents with just a few pro wins to standing across from a regional champ with 10 fights to his name.
In the co-main event spot, Natasha Kuziutina’s interim LFA Strawweight Championship will be on the line against former Bellator fighter Bruna Ellen.
Kuziutina went the distance late last year against Giovanna Canuto to win the interim belt, prevailing with a unanimous decision result in the end. The current main strawweight champ, Rose Conceicao, hasn’t competed since she claimed the title last July with a win against Elaine Lopes.
Ellen is making the move to LFA after a lengthy run in Bellator. She fought for the promotion nine times since her 2016 debut with the brand, including appearances against Juliana Velasquez and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane. She is coming off a win from her last appearance, overcoming Ilara Joanne via decision just over a year ago. Now for the first time in her career, she’ll be challenging for a belt and potentially fighting for up to five rounds.
A total of 12 fights were announced for LFA 185. Details on the 10 other matchups can be seen in today’s notes section. Here’s a quick look at the lineup:
Bout 12: Kegan Gennrich (8-2) vs. Richie Lewis (5-0) (LFA Lightweight Championship)
Bout 11: Natasha Kuziutina (5-1) vs. Bruna Ellen (7-4) (Vacant Interim LFA Strawweight Championship)
Bout 10: Busurmankul Abdibait Uulu (5-2) vs. Cassio Barao (8-0-1) (Featherweight)
Bout 9: Tyler Scott (8-3) vs. Joey Hart (5-1) (Welterweight)
Bout 8: Sadeck Sanon (5-2) vs. Paul Kimble (3-0) (Welterweight)
Bout 7: Zach Vaci (4-1) vs. John Beckett (4-1) (Bantamweight)
Bout 6: Miguel Sanson (4-2) vs. John Burkholder (5-1) (Flyweight)
Bout 5: Bunyod Majidov (4-0) vs. Ilay Barzilay (4-0) (Lightweight)
Bout 4: Alberto Rodriguez (4-3) vs. Cauta Samuel (6-3) (Bantamweight)
Bout 3 Omoyele Gonzalez (3-3) vs. Jerry Arreola (1-0) (Welterweight)
Bout 2: Luis Unzueta (3-2) vs. Daniel Jeschke (2-0) (Amateur Lightweight)
Bout 1: Zhiian Suliev (4-1) vs. Mauricio Rodriguez (4-0) (Amateur Featherweight)
Notes On: UFC, PFL, KSW, OKTAGON, LFA & Cage Warriors
UFC
Oumar Sy (9-0) has received a new opponent for his UFC debut on May 18th. While he was originally scheduled to face Rodolfo Bellato (12-2), a fighter coming off his debut win over Ihor Poteria, he is now expected to face fellow newcomer Antonio Trocoli (12-3). Sy, a fighter who per La Sueur now has a new opponent, is entering the UFC with an undefeated record which includes three previous appearances in KSW. Trocoli is a fighter mainly with wins on the Brazilian regional scene. His last fight dates all the way back to late 2021. He was seemingly booked for a UFC fight in 2022 against Ovince St. Preux, although that fight fell through.
Payton Talbott (8-0) versus Yanis Ghemmouri (12-2) has been added to the UFC 303 undercard on June 29th, as announced Monday. Talbott has gained a fair amount of traction for a strong pair of performances since joining the promotion, finishing Nick Aguirre and Cameron Saaiman. Ghemmouri, on the other hand, is returning after getting finished by William Gomis in his UFC debut last September.
Matt Brown (24-19) spoke about his recent MMA retirement when he appeared on “The Fighter vs. The Writer” this week. He said that he decided to step away when a potential fight by the UFC didn’t excite him: “I got the email [for a fight]. And when I got the email, the first thing that crossed my mind was ‘I could use that money.’ But I didn’t get that chill running down my spine, right? I didn’t take a deep breath like ‘Here we f****** go, baby!’” In the hour-long conversation, Brown provides a very insightful exit interview following his lengthy MMA run. You can watch the full chat between Brown and MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin here.
PFL
PFL announced numerous changes to their June 13th card:
UFC alum Blagoy Ivanov (19-7) has been pulled from his regular season bout against Oleg Popov (17-1). Replacing him will be Marcelo Nunes (11-2), who won a non-season fight against Jordan Heiderman earlier this year via first-round armbar. Popov is riding the momentum of a second-round finish win against Steve Mowry from April.
Danilo Marques (15-5) has been slotted into a fight against Gokhan Saricam (9-2), replacing Steve Mowry (10-2-1). Marques is appearing for the first time since beating Satoshi Ishii last August. Saricam is coming over to PFL after a record of five wins and two losses in Bellator.
Katlyn Neil (7-5) has been taken out of her fight against Sumiko Inaba (6-1). Stepping in to replace her will be RIZIN alum and LUX Fight League Flyweight Champion Saray Orozco (8-5). Orozco is entering the PFL after winning four of her last five fights in Mexico. Inaba will be trying to come back from her first pro loss, a 2023 decision against Denise Kielholtz.
A flyweight fight between pro newcomer Melissa Balic (0-0) and Kristina Katsikis (1-2) has been booked for the opening slot of the night. It seems unlikely that this bout is part of the flyweight season, although it hasn’t been specified by the promotion. Balic is turning pro after earning three wins and one loss on the amateur circuit. Katsikis will be returning to MMA for the first time since she lost a fight against Sumiko Inaba in mid-2021.
KSW
Light heavyweight prospects will collide at KSW 95 on June 7th when Michal Dreczkowski (4-0) faces Stevan Jaric (4-1). Dreczkowski won his KSW debut last October, beating Vojtech Garba on scorecards. Jaric is entering the promotion with a record of four wins and one loss from the regional scene in Serbia.
OKTAGON
Rising lightweight Shem Rock (10-1-1) has been booked against Jaroslav Pokorny (16-11) for OKTAGON 58 on June 8th. Rock has won his last two fights via first-round finish, stopping Jan Malach and Stefano Catacoli with submissions. Pokorny is returning after losing a decision to Gjoni Palokaj in February. Before then, he had a pair of wins in OKTAGON.
OKTAGON 60 will take place on September 21st at the 7,700-capacity Winning Group Arena in Brno, Czech Republic.
LFA
Here’s a rundown of the 10 other bouts that have been announced for LFA 185 on June 7th:
Brazil’s Cassio Junior (8-0-1) will return for a featherweight bout against Busurmankul Abdibait Uulu (5-2). After his LFA debut resulted in a draw, Junior returned last September to score a 36-second finish against Paulo Oliveira. LFA 185 will be his first time competing outside of Brazil. Abdibait is joining LFA after previously competing in promotions like Eagle FC, Naiza FC, and M-1 Challenge. He lost an Eagle FC title fight in 2022, but came back a year later to score a finish against Elvis Martins.
A pair of welterweight finishers will collide when Tyler Scott (8-3) and Joey Hart (5-1) meet. Scott has earned seven of his eight wins via finish and is coming off an 18-second win from two months back. Hart is on a three-fight streak of stoppages, including a 2023 win in LFA against Jeff Nielsen.
Undefeated Paul Kimble (3-0) will take on Sanon Sadeck (5-2) at welterweight. Kimble has scored a trio of stoppage wins since his 2021 debut, with his last fight being a first-round submission win. Sadeck is returning after a busy 2023, earning two wins on the regional scene after dropping a split decision on PFL’s “Challenger Series.”
Searching for his third LFA win, Zach Vaci (4-1) will fight John Beckett (4-1). Vaci has earned his last two wins in the LFA cage. The upcoming fight will end a nearly two-year-long absence from competition for Vaci. Beckett, a fighter who won his LFA debut last year over Ian Engbrock, is coming back to the promotion after earning a victory in Missouri-based promotion Synergy FC in January.
Miguel Sanson (4-2) will try to end a two-fight losing streak when he meets Jordan Burkholder (5-1). Career-long LFA talent Sanson has suffered a pair of losses since 2023, albeit against a pair of really tough prospects. After dropping a decision to Road To UFC alum Mark Climaco in 2023, he lost to undefeated An Tuan Ho in February. Burkholder bounced back from his sole pro loss in the fall, catching Daniel Gonzales with a rear naked choke.
In a pairing of lightweights with flawless records, Bunyod Majidov (4-0) and Ilay Barzilay (4-0) will meet. Barzilay has earned a pair of wins in LFA via decision since last August. Majidov is making his LFA debut after scoring wins in Russia and Azerbaijan. Per Tapology, all of his previous wins have come against fighters making their pro debuts.
Featherweights Alberto Rodriguez (4-3) and Cauata Samuel (6-3) will meet. Rodriguez is returning to LFA after picking up a win and a loss on the regionals. Samuel won in the main event of a card in Minnesota last year, beating LFA alum Santos Verdinez.
Coming back a year after winning his pro debut, Jerry Arreola (1-0) is booked to face Omoyele Gonzalez (3-3). Arreola won his debut via submission, beating Jamese Taylor III on a Caged Aggression card. He has earned an impressive seven wins and no losses between his pro and amateur runs since 2021. Gonzalez is on a two-fight skid after losing to LFA vet Haris Talundzic and CFFC fighter Eric Nolan.
In an amateur fight at lightweight, Daniel Jeschke (2-0) will face Luis Unzueta (3-2). An amateur bout at featherweight between Mauricio Rodriguez (4-0) and Zhiian Suliev (4-1) has also been added to the card.
Cage Warriors
Bantamweights Miguel Peimbert (3-4) and Steve Mora (4-4) have been paired up for Cage Warriors 173 on June 7th in California. Peimbert is returning after defeating Carlos Elizarraraz in February via split decision. Mora has earned a pair of regional U.S. finish wins this year, evening his record after a three-fight skid in 2023.