EXCITING MIDDLWEIGHT MATCHUP PITS TOP CONTENDERS (#9) BRENDAN ALLEN AND (#12) PAUL CRAIG AGAINST EACH OTHER IN
UFC APEX MAIN EVENT
FEATURED BOUT:
LUANA PINHEIRO vs. AMANDA RIBAS
Las Vegas – UFC® returns to the APEX with a thrilling main event featuring No. 9 ranked middleweight contender Brendan Allen and No. 12 Paul Craig. In addition, a pivotal bout in the strawweight division is set as No. 9 Luana Pinheiro takes on No. 10 ranked Amanda Ribas.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: ALLEN vs. CRAIG takes place Saturday, November 18 in Las Vegas and will be available exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish). The prelims will start at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT, followed by the main card at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.
Allen (22-5, fighting out of Delray Beach, Fla. by way of Covington, La.) looks to make the most of his first UFC main event. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the South Carolina native has delivered submission wins against Bruno Silva, Andre Muniz, and Krzysztof Jotko in his last three outings. Allen now sets out with intentions of securing a sixth straight victory and position himself for a massive 2024 season.
Scotland’s Craig (23-4, fighting out of Coatbridge, Scotland) returns to action seeking a second consecutive win in emphatic fashion. A versatile competitor who can do it all, Craig has collected wins against Andre Muniz, Nikita Krylov, and former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill. The always exciting Craig steps back inside the Octagon with the intention to dispose of Allen and crack into the Top 10 rankings.
Judo black belt Pinheiro (11-1, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) sets out to claim her 10th straight victory. The Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner has quickly risen through the division with strong wins against Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Sam Hughes, and Randa Markos. Pinheiro now aims to close out the year with a strong performance over Ribas.
Ribas (12-4, fighting out of Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil) is determined to bounce back into the win column and find the path back to title contention. A fan favorite, Ribas has entertained with memorable wins against Mackenzie Dern, Viviane Araújo, and Paige VanZant. The Brazilian contender is more motivated than ever to claim a win against a formidable foe in Pinheiro.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- At bantamweight, Lucie Pudilová (14-8, fighting out of Pribram, Czech Republic) steps into the Octagon with Ailin Perez (8-2, fighting out of Buenos Aires, Argentina)
- Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Cesar Almeida (4-0, fighting out of São Paulo, Brazil) takes on knockout specialist Christian Leroy Duncan (8-1, fighting out of Gloucester, England) in a middleweight matchup
- Exciting welterweights Michael Morales (15-0, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) and Jake Matthews (18-6, fighting out of Melbourne, Australia) square off
- A lightweight tilt sees Dana White’s Contender Series standout Chase Hooper (16-6, fighting out of Enumclaw, Wash..) take on Jordan Leavitt (11-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.)
- Trey Ogden (16-6, fighting out of Kansas City, Miss.) and Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Nikolas Motta (16-6, fighting out of Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil) are scheduled for three five-minute rounds at lightweight
- A high-stakes heavyweight scrap sees Dana White’s Contender Series signees Mick Parkin (7-0, fighting out of Castletown, England) and Caio Machado (8-1-1, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada) collide
- Charles Johnson (13-5, fighting out of St. Louis, Miss.) and Rafael Estevam (11-0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meet in an exciting clash of flyweights
- Dana White’s Contender Series signee Payton Talbott (6-0, fighting out of Reno, Nev.) looks to stay undefeated as he faces fellow bantamweight Nick Aguirre (7-1, fighting out of Oswego, Ill.)
- A Bantamweight contest pits John Castaneda (20-6, fighting out of Minneapolis, Minn.) against Kyung Ho Kang (19-9, 1 NC, fighting out of Busan, South Korea)
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change. Please click here to apply for the event.
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