UFC adds Fatima Kline vs. Melissa Martinez to July 12 event in Nashville
Kline takes on Martinez at a UFC Fight Night event on July 12, which is expected for Nashville, Tenn. Two people with knowledge of the booking recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Kline (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), a former Cage Fury champion, faced a stern test in her octagon debut when she stepped in on short notice to face surging flyweight contender Jasmine Jasudavicius last July. She wound up suffering her first-career loss, but was able to rebound when she stopped Victoria Dudakova by Round 2 TKO at UFC Fight Night 249.
Martinez (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has also split her first two octagon appearances. After losing to Elise Reed at UFC 279, the 27-year-old Mexican fighter returned from a two-year long layoff to defeat Alice Ardelean by unanimous decision this past October at UFC Fight Night 245.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for July 12 includes:
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USA Today
41 minutes ago
- USA Today
UFC 319: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev odds, picks and predictions
In a 5-round middleweight championship bout in the main event, Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev meet Saturday at UFC 319 at United Center in Chicago. The early prelims begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+ / Disney+), with the prelims starting at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN / ESPN+ / Disney+), followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET (Pay-Per-View). Their bout is expected to start around 12:15 a.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's UFC odds around the UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions. Records: Du Plessis (23-2-0) | Chimaev (14-0-0) Du Plessis defends his title for the third straight time. He topped Sean Strickland for the middleweight strap at UFC 297 with a split-decision win, and he successfully defended it against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Aug. 2024. At UFC 312, he posted a unanimous-decision victory over Strickland in a rematch. Chimaev gets his crack at the belt, as he has set himself up for the shot with 8 straight wins since joining the company. He is coming off a Round 1 submission win over Robert Whittaker last time out in Oct. 2024. Since arriving at the UFC, he has 6 finishes in 8 fights. Although, he has ended up going the distance twice in the past 4 outings. Still, neither of those fights were 5-round battles, only 3 rounds. The South African champ holds a slight, 1-inch reach advantage, and the switch-stance fighter has a 6.12 significant strikes landed per minute, to 5.36 for the challenger. Chimaev has been pinpoint with those strikes, posting a 70.87% mark, to just 50.60% for the champ. Chimaev has managed a 4.31-to-2.55 takedown average advantage, with the difference in accuracy percentage in the category rather negligible. Chimaev has a 2.77 submission average, while Du Plessis has managed a 0.73 mark. Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here. UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:20 a.m. ET. UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev picks and predictions Fight result (2-way line or moneyline) The champ faces his most difficult test yet, as the challenger has yet to lose in his entire career across all competitions. It's time for Chimaev (-250) to ascend to the top of the division, but you can't risk 2 1/2 times your potential return. So, let's get a little more specific. Chimaev is a fighter that knows how to get the fight to the canvas quickly, and when he does, it usually doesn't end well for the opposition. While it's been a while since Du Plessis has tapped, losing via guillotine at EFC Africa back on Aug. 30, 2014 against Garreth McLellan, if there is a weak spot in the champ's game, the ground game is it. Du Plessis has a 2.55 takedown average, which is pretty strong, and he is 50.0% on those takedowns, as far as accuracy. And, the champ has a 0.73 submission average. However, it would be in his best interest to avoid going to the ground with Chimaev, who is like a boa constrictor when he gets his opponent up against the fence. Take CHIMAEV BY SUBMISSION (+125) at plus-money for the best value. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! Over/Under No (-325): Fight to go the distance? is too risky at more than 3 times your potential return. There is no way to justify risking that kind of money on a straight up bet, and it isn't a great idea to toss it into a multi-leg parlay, either. Instead, consider a rounds block instead. Take CHIMAEV BY SUBMSSION IN ROUND 2 (+650) and CHIMAEV BY SUBMISSION IN ROUND 3 (+1200) for a solid value. Yes, you'll lose one of the ends, even if he gets the job done by submission in Rounds 2-3, but you'll still be well ahead, especially with a Round 3 victory. Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X andus on Facebook. Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. 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USA Today
41 minutes ago
- USA Today
UFC 319: Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico odds, picks and predictions
In a 3-round featherweight bout on the main card, Lerone Murphy and Aaron Pico meet Saturday at UFC 319 at United Center in Chicago. The early prelims begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+ / Disney+), with the prelims starting at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN / ESPN+ / Disney+), followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET (Pay-Per-View). Their bout is expected to start around 11:45 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's UFC odds around the UFC 319: Murphy vs. Pico odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions. Records: Murphy (16-0-1) | Pico (13-4-0) Murphy rolls into this bout with 8 consecutive victories since a draw in his company debut at UFC 242 in Sept. 2019 against Zubaira Tukhugov. He has 4 straight unanimous-decision wins, including against Josh Emmett last time out, and he has 5 straight decision victories in a row. The 28-year-old Pico makes his UFC debut after a successful run at Bellator, including a pair of Round 1 KO/TKO victories against Pedro Carvalho and Henry Corrales in his 2 most recent fights. The 34-year-old Murphy holds a 3-inch reach advantage over Pico, and the addition from Bellator has an uphill battle in his company debut. Murphy has a solid 4.53 significant strikes landed per minute, while landing 59.62% of those strikes. He is also strong in the takedown game, posting a 1.45 average in that category, while hitting 54.17% of those takedowns, with a 0.45 submission average. Pico was 13-4 in his Bellator career, including a 9-3 mark via KO/TKO, and 2-1 by way of submission. But, that's 3 knockouts, and his defense is a little questionable. Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here. UFC 319: Murphy vs. Pico odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:05 a.m. ET. UFC 319: Murphy vs. Pico picks and predictions Fight result (2-way line or moneyline) Heading into this fight, MURPHY (+140) is a strong value as a moderate underdog against the UFC newcomer Pico. It's a little surprising to see Pico favored, and by quite a bit. Murphy knows how to get the job done, and how to get the eye of the judges. He has 5 straight decision victories, and that speaks to his stamina, too. In addition, Murphy is pinpoint with his strikes, and he knows how to get the job done. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! Over/Under YES (-185): FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE? is a little on the pricey side, but it can be excused if you were to toss it into a multi-leg parlay. Again, Murphy has gone the distance in 5 straight fights, and 7 of his 9 fights at the UFC level. For Pico, while he has ended up going the distance just once in the past 5 outings, this is quite a step up in competition. It's hard to envision a quick KO/TKO victory for Pico, which would be his best path to a win. Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
UFC 319 results: Matches to make for ‘du Plessis vs. Chimaev' main card winners
UFC 319 went down last night (Sat. Aug., 16, 2025) inside United Center in Chicago, Ill., which saw Khamzat Chimaev dominate Dricus du Plessis for 25 minutes to become the undisputed Middleweight champion of the world (see it again here), while Lerone Murphy ruined Aaron Pico's UFC debut by knocking him out in the very first round via a spinning elbow (see it again here). Speaking of spinning elbow finishes, Carlos Prates did the same thing one fight prior, becoming the first person to ever finish Geoff Neal inside the Octagon, in the process (video replay here). Sorry, 'Fluffy,' but you are going to have to wait a bit longer to get your chance to drown the new 185-pound champion because Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho are set to collide at UFC Paris on Sept. 6, 2025 to determine who gets first crack at trying to dethrone Chimaev. Imavov is currently ranked No. 1 in the division and is on a four-fight win streak, with his last win being a technical knockout (TKO) over Israel Adesanya. As for Borralho, he is on a 16-fight unbeaten streak and is undefeated at 7-0 inside the Octagon, good enough to put him at No. 6 on the rankings. After ruining Aaron Pico's UFC welcome party, Murphy upped his stock by improving his record to 17-0-1, which will earn him a Top 5 spot. As far as a title shot, he may have very well locked it down because division champion, Alexander Volkanovski, was receptive to granting him a shot at the strap by the end of the year. If the promotion doesn't like that idea, they may book Murphy up against No. 1 ranked Evloev, who is also undefeated at 19-0. Interestingly enough, Evloev was supposed to face Pico before he bounced out of the fight. Prates got two of his four requests granted by Dana White last night following his spectacular win over Neal, as the UFC CEO not only gave him an extra $50K to play with, but also reserved a spot for him at the upcoming UFC Rio event in October. Prates called fore a showdown against former division king, Leon Edwards, and I don't see why it shouldn't be made. Edwards is currently on a two-fight losing streak, and while I usually don't like paring up fighters going in opposite directions, this one sort of makes sense because it's the new guard taking on the old. If Prates can take down Edwards, his march toward a title shot shortens quite a bit. Again, this is who he 'should' fight next, but Prates 'could' very well get Michael Page, since the two men are keen on fighting one another on the card. After his win over Jared Cannonier — who fought for the Middleweight title just three years ago — Page said he wasn't quite down with Welterweight, though he wouldn't mind staying put at 185 pounds if there was fight out there was the fun and exciting, and a matchup against Adesanya fits the bill perfectly. Adesanya has lost three straight fights, with his last win coming in April 2023. While 'The Last Stylebender' is obviously going downward in his career at the moment, he is still ranked in the Top 5 and would make for a fun matchup against 'Venom.' Both men love to stand and bang and both are two of the best showmen in the game today. Call me crazy, but this would make for a great five-round main event. But should UFC matchmakers go ahead and book Page against Prates, I wouldn't be mad at that, either. After nearly two years on the sidelines, Elliott returned with a vengeance, submitting former RIZIN Bantamweight champion, Kai Asakura, with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their Flyweight bout. Elliott is now 4-1 in his last five fights and could be staring at a Top 10 spot following his huge win over Asakura. Up next, a fight against Kape would be fun. Kape is 6-1 in his last seven fights and needs to get back into action after he was forced out of his fight against Brandon Royval, which went to Joshua Van, who upset Royval to become the new No. 1 ranked fighter in the division. For more UFC 319 results, coverage, and highlights click .
