Latest news with #PaulCraig
USA Today
18-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC Fight Night 256 loses co-main event minutes before walkouts due to medical issue
UFC Fight Night 256 loses co-main event minutes before walkouts due to medical issue The UFC Fight Night 256 co-main event was in the on-deck circle when the promotion announced it was canceled due to a medical issue. Due to an undisclosed issue with Rodolfo Bellato, his co-headlining bout vs. Paul Craig scheduled for Saturday's card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas was nixed. No further information about the medical issue specifics was given. Bellato (12-2-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was aligned for the highest-profile bout of his career vs. Craig (17-9-1 MMA, 9-9-1 UFC), who aimed to snap a three-fight losing skid. With the cancellation, Mairon Santos vs. Sodiq Yusuff was slid into co-main event position. Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 256 results
Forbes
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Winners And Losers Burns Vs. Morales Card
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 16: (L-R) Opponents Gilbert Burns of Brazil and Michael Morales of Ecuador ... More face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino on May 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) The UFC is back at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas for the first time since early April for tonight's UFC Vegas 106 fight card. In the UFC Fight Night main event, former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns looks to end a three-fight losing skid against the up-and-coming, and undefeated, Michael Morales. In the evening's co-main event, Paul Craig faces Rodolfo Bellato in a light heavyweight matchup. We have live results, reactions, highlights and more for UFC Vegas 106 during tonight's fight card. Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato Sodiq Yusuff vs. Mairon Santos Dustin Stoltzfus vs. Nursulton Ruziboev Julian Erosa vs. Melquizael Costa Gabriel Green vs. Matheus Camilo Jared Gordon vs. Thiago Moisés Yadier Del Valle vs. Connor Matthews Luana Santos vs. Tainara Lisboa Elise Reed vs. Denise Gomes Park Hyun-sung vs. Carlos Hernandez Tecia Pennington vs. Luana Pinheiro LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 16: Michael Morales of Ecuador poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night ... More weigh-in at the Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino on May 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Burns (22-8) is the No. 8 competitor in the official UFC welterweight rankings. Burns had won six straight when he battled then-UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman in February 2021. Usman won that contest by TKO in the third round. Since that setback, the 38-year-old Burns has gone 3-4. He is riding a three-fight losing skid heading into UFC Vegas 106, falling to Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena, and Sean Brady in those contests. Burns fell from No. 6 to No. 8 following his UFC Vegas 97 decision loss to Brady in September 2024. Morales (17-0) joined the UFC in 2021 when he won a contract via a decision victory on a Dana White's Contender Series fight card. Since then, Morales has gone 5-0 with the UFC with three knockouts and two decisions. The 25-year-old Morales broke into the official UFC welterweight rankings in August when he earned a 'Performance of the Night' bonus for his first-round knockout win over long-time UFC competitor Neil Magny. The main event of UFC Vegas 106 is an excellent opportunity for the 38-year-old Burns to show that he remains an elite UFC welterweight. As for Morales, Saturday's UFC Fight Night is his chance to show that he belongs among the top 10 of the 170-pound division. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 16: (L-R) Opponents Rodolfo Bellato of Brazil and Paul Craig of Scotland ... More face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino on May 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Paul Craig has been with the UFC since 2016. He enters his UFC Vegas 106 matchup against Rodolfo Bellato on the worst run of his professional career, going 1-5 since July 2022 and losing his past three outings. Craig knows Saturday's fight could be his last under the UFC banner with a loss. As for Bellato, he is a relative newcomer to the UFC, joining the promotion via the Dana White's Contender Series in 2023. He is 1-0-1 with the promotion and coming off a UFC 312 draw with Jimmy Crute. UFC Vegas 106 results, reactions and more will be updated live throughout tonight's fight card.
Forbes
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
What Time Does Tonight's UFC Vegas 106 Fight Card Start?
An incredibly important welterweight matchup headlines tonight's UFC Vegas 106 fight card. In that bout, former UFC title challenger Gilbert Burns looks to end a three-fight losing skid against the unbeaten Michael Morales. In the UFC Fight Night 256 co-main event, Paul Craig faces Rodolfo Bellato. Below, we look at details from the headlining bouts and the start time for each portion of the UFC Vegas 106 fight card. Date: Saturday, May 17, 2025 Location: UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV Main Card Start Time: 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ Preliminary Card Start Time: 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato Sodiq Yusuff vs. Mairon Santos Dustin Stoltzfus vs. Nursulton Ruziboev Julian Erosa vs. Melquizael Costa Gabriel Green vs. Matheus Camilo Jared Gordon vs. Thiago Moisés Yadier Del Valle vs. Connor Matthews Luana Santos vs. Tainara Lisboa Elise Reed vs. Denise Gomes Park Hyun-sung vs. Carlos Hernandez Tecia Pennington vs. Luana Pinheiro Burns (22-8) is the No. 8 competitor in the official UFC welterweight rankings. Burns had won six straight when he battled then-UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman in February 2021. Usman won that contest by TKO in the third round. Since that setback, the 38-year-old Burns has gone 3-4. He is riding a three-fight losing skid heading into UFC Vegas 106, falling to Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena, and Sean Brady in those contests. Burns fell from No. 6 to No. 8 following his UFC Vegas 97 decision loss to Brady in September 2024. Morales (17-0) joined the UFC in 2021 when he won a contract via a decision victory on a Dana White's Contender Series fight card. Since then, Morales has gone 5-0 with the UFC with three knockouts and two decisions. The 25-year-old Morales broke into the official UFC welterweight rankings in August when he earned a 'Performance of the Night' bonus for his first-round knockout win over long-time UFC competitor Neil Magny. The main event of UFC Vegas 106 is an excellent opportunity for the 38-year-old Burns to show that he remains an elite UFC welterweight. As for Morales, Saturday's UFC Fight Night is his chance to show that he belongs among the top 10 of the 170-pound division. Paul Craig has been with the UFC since 2016. He enters his UFC Vegas 106 matchup against Rodolfo Bellato on the worst run of his professional career, going 1-5 since July 2022 and losing his past three outings. Craig knows Saturday's fight could be his last under the UFC banner with a loss. As for Bellato, he is a relative newcomer to the UFC, joining the promotion via the Dana White's Contender Series in 2023. He is 1-0-1 with the promotion and coming off a UFC 312 draw with Jimmy Crute. Stay tuned for more coverage from the UFC Vegas 106 fight card. Including live UFC results, reactions, recaps and video highlights during tonight's event.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rodolfo Bellato vows to stop ‘predictable' Paul Craig after showing heart in back-to-back UFC wars
Former LFA champion Rodolfo Bellato hopes for a drama-free night in the cage when he co-headlines a UFC event for the first time Saturday as he faces Paul Craig at UFC Vegas 106. 'Trator' was signed by the UFC after two appearances on Dana White's Contender Series and had to dig deep in his debut, surviving an onslaught before knocking out Ihor Potieria for a $50,000 bonus at UFC Austin in December 2023. Advertisement Just over a year later, with then-light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in his corner, Bellato was once again almost finished in the opening round, this time by Jimmy Crute. However, he survived to go the distance and walk home with a rare majority draw. Bellato met UFC CEO Dana White backstage moments after the 15-minute war and said he was praised by the executive for 'getting beat up but coming back.' At UFC Vegas 106, though, he's aiming for a clean victory. If there's blood spilled, make it Craig's only. 'Every fight teaches us something,' Bellato told MMA Fighting. 'Thank God I was able to see that it will never lack heart in me [laughs], but if it could be with a little bit less of emotion, that's better. Every fighter dreams of being there, landing one punch, the guy goes down and you go out celebrating with your coaches [laughs].' Craig returns to the light heavyweight division after a 1-3 trip to middleweight between 2023 and 2024, losing to Bo Nickal, Caio Borralho and Brendan Allen. He had previously left the 205-pound class after defeats to Johnny Walker and Volkan Oezdemir, so Bellato expects him to be under pressure. Advertisement 'He's not someone I expected to fight, but when it got booked, my coach and I said there was no better guy for us to fight right now,' Bellato said. 'A great strategy, a style that matches up well with ours. It's the perfect matchup for us. He's a dangerous guy and deserves all respect, but I'm in a better moment than him, who's coming off three losses. 'It's a dangerous guy, he has a good ground game, but maybe it's a style that is a bit predictable, and we're able to study well and see holes that fit well with our game. I'm well-trained for this fight, I had a full camp this time. … He's definitely feeling under pressure. He tried at [185], at [205], but I can't let that interfere with my performance. I'll go there and fight like any other fight, not thinking about my opponent. Go there and impose my game, you know?' Craig makes his 20th walk to the UFC cage with a promotional record of 9-9-1, having beat future and former champions like Magomed Ankalaev, Jamahal Hill and Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua. Despite Craig's experience with elite fighters and all-time greats, Bellato expects the Scottish veteran to struggle with his well-rounded game. 'Most of his fights, except for his last one against Bo Nickal where he kept it on the feet for three rounds, he tries the takedown and pulls guard and tries to play on the ground at all costs,' Bellato said. 'And since my fights had no significant ground work yet, I believe he's thinking, 'It's going to be easier to go to the ground.' But little does he know that I'm also a jiu-jitsu black belt and train that a lot. It won't be easy for him if the fight goes to the ground.' Advertisement 'I don't want to make this a striker-versus-grappler type of fight either,' he continued. 'No, I'm an MMA fighter, and I train everything. I'm ready for anything. Wherever the fight goes, I'm ready to finish it.' More from
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Odds, Lines, Prop Bets And Predictions
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 16: (L-R) Opponents Gilbert Burns of Brazil and Michael Morales of Ecuador ... More face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino on May 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Saturday's UFC Vegas 106 fight card is nearly upon us. In the main event of the UFC Fight Night, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns faces the undefeated Michael Morales. Meanwhile, in the evening's light heavyweight co-main event, Paul Craig meets Rodolfo Bellato. We look at the betting odds, line movement, prediction, picks, and prop bets for the UFC Vegas 106 main card. UFC Vegas 106 streams on ESPN+ with the main card starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. The prelims begin at 4:00 p.m. ET. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 16: Michael Morales of Ecuador poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night ... More weigh-in at the Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino on May 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Burns (22-8) is the No. 8 competitor in the official UFC welterweight rankings. Burns had won six straight when he battled then-UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman in February 2021. Usman won that contest by TKO in the third round. Since that setback, the 38-year-old Burns has gone 3-4. He is riding a three-fight losing skid heading into UFC Vegas 106, falling to Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena, and Sean Brady in those contests. Burns fell from No. 6 to No. 8 following his UFC Vegas 97 decision loss to Brady in September 2024. Morales (17-0) joined the UFC in 2021 when he won a contract via a decision victory on a Dana White's Contender Series fight card. Since then, Morales has gone 5-0 with the UFC with three knockouts and two decisions. The 25-year-old Morales broke into the official UFC welterweight rankings in August when he earned a 'Performance of the Night' bonus for his first-round knockout win over long-time UFC competitor Neil Magny. The main event of UFC Vegas 106 is an excellent opportunity for the 38-year-old Burns to show that he remains an elite UFC welterweight. As for Morales, Saturday's UFC Fight Night is his chance to show that he belongs among the top 10 of the 170-pound division. When the betting odds opened for the UFC Vegas 106 main event, Morales was a significant -600 betting favorite over the +425 Burns. Today, Morales comes in at -800, while Burns is the +550 betting underdog. With the lopsided odds, it's no surprise to see that 91 percent of wagers have come in on Burns. However, it is somewhat surprising that Morales has earned 59 percent of the handle while presenting so little betting value. The pick is for Morales to win via decision, but the value is clearly in Burns to win via upset. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 16: (L-R) Opponents Rodolfo Bellato of Brazil and Paul Craig of Scotland ... More face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino on May 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Paul Craig has been with the UFC since 2016. He enters his UFC Vegas 106 matchup against Rodolfo Bellato on the worst run of his professional career, going 1-5 since July 2022 and losing his past three outings. Craig knows Saturday's fight could be his last under the UFC banner with a loss. As for Bellato, he is a relative newcomer to the UFC, joining the promotion via the Dana White's Contender Series in 2023. He is 1-0-1 with the promotion and coming off a UFC 312 draw with Jimmy Crute. When the betting odds opened for this bout, Bellato was the -350 favorite over the +275 Craig. Today, Bellato is listed at -550, while Craig is the +400 underdog. Craig has 70 percent of the bets, while 65 percent of the money is on Bellato. The betting pick is Bellato to win via knockout, but for those looking for value, Craig by submission, while extremely unlikely, is the bet. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 16: (L-R) Opponents Sodiq Yusuff of Nigeria and Mairon Santos of Brazil face ... More off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino on May 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Sodiq Yusuff ends an absence of more than a year at UFC Vegas 106. He makes his lightweight debut following a 6-3 featherweight run with the UFC. Yusuff, who has back-to-back losses on his record heading into Saturday's fight card, faces Marion Santos, who is 2-0 with the UFC and the winner of Season 32 of 'The Ultimate Fighter.' When the odds opened on this contest, Yusuff was a +120 betting underdog to the -145 Santos. Those odds have shifted slightly. Today, Yusuff is +120, while Santos is the -140 favorite. Yusuff has 51 percent of the bets, while Santos has 60 percent of the handle. The betting pick is Yusuff to win via decision. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 16: (L-R) Opponents Dustin Stoltzfus and Nursulton Ruziboev of Uzbekistan ... More face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino on May 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) The opening odds in this middleweight matchup saw Dustin Stoltzfus at +220, while Nursulton Ruziboev came in at -275. Today, Stoltzfus is listed at +230, while Ruziboev is the -285 betting favorite. Ruziboev has 63 percent of the bets in his favor, and a whopping 93 percent of the money is on him. The betting pick is Ruziboev to win via knockout. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 16: (L-R) Opponents Julian Erosa and Melquizael Costa of Brazil face off ... More during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino on May 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Opening the UFC Vegas 106 main card is a featherweight scrap between Julian Erosa and Melquizael Costa. Costa was the opening favorite at -170 and he remains the favorite at +185. Erosa was a +140 underdog at opening. Today, he is listed at +150. Seventy percent of the bets are on Erosa, but 72 percent of the handle is on Costa. The betting pick is Costa to win via decision. *All numbes via BetMGM Michael Morales to beat Gilbert Burns via KO/TKO: -185 Michael Morales to land more significant strikes than Gilbert Burns: -400 Rodolfo Bellato to beat Paul Craig via KO/TKO: -170 Paul Craig to beat Rodolfo Bellato via submission: +600 Rodolfo Bellato to land more significant strikes than Paul Craig: +400 Nursulton Ruziboev to beat Dustin Stoltzfus via KO/TKO: -150 Melquizael Costa to beat Julian Erosa via KO/TKO: +200 *Odds via BetOnline Gabriel Green vs. Matheus Camilo Jared Gordon vs. Thiago Moisés Luana Santos vs. Tainara Lisboa Elise Reed vs. Denise Gomes Park Hyun-sung vs. Carlos Hernandez Tecia Pennington vs. Luana Pinheiro Yadier Del Valle vs. Connor Matthews Saturday, May 17, 2025 UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV Main Card: ESPN+ Preliminary Card: ESPN+ Prelims: 4:00 p.m. ET Main Card: 7:00 p.m. ET We will have more on the UFC Vegas 106 fight card as fight night nears, including results, reactions and highlights on fight night.
