Latest news with #UFCFightNight259
USA Today
08-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jean Silva: Diego Lopes 'signed on his coffin' in Noche UFC headliner
Jean Silva thinks Diego Lopes made a crucial misstep by agreeing to fight him at UFC Fight Night 259. Silva said he had multiple opponents turn down a matchup with him following his submission of Bryce Mitchell at UFC 314 in April. He thinks Lopes' team was resisting it as well, but then the fighter publicly mentioned his willingness, and Silva said it was on. Now they will meet in the five-round headliner of Noche UFC on Sept. 13 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio (ESPN+), and according to Silva (16-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC), the result against Lopes (26-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) was written the moment he signed the contract. "I understand that for Diego's manager, fighting me is not something he was going to go for," Silva told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. "But then Diego just went online and made some statements about the fact he would fight me over the weekend if he could. So basically Diego was doing matchmaking, and basically signed on his coffin already. So, screw that. That's it. He signed on it. If that's where he wants to be, I'll just put some dirt on that coffin." There has been some back-and-forth between Silva and Lopes since their fight was announced. Lopes said he doesn't understand why his opponent needs to be so confrontational and what he did to create animosity. For Silva, he said that Lopes simply rubs him the wrong way. "It's no secret to anyone that I don't like the person that he is, just like Bryce Mitchell. I'm not a fan of Diego, but I don't have anything against him," Silva said. "You know when you have a relative? In Brazil, we say, 'Our saints don't match.' Our guardian angels don't go well together. They don't like each other. So that's what we say in Brazil, 'The saints don't match. So basically, you know when there's a relative of yours, every time you see them, this doesn't go well. I just don't like this person. We don't match. We don't connect. You tolerate them. But you can't beat them up. "We're in a line of business where if our auras don't match, we can actually beat the hell out of each other. I know there were some things said in the past that were childish. But I wanted this fight, I got it, I'm promoting it and, as it turns out, two people who don't go well with each other are able to fight. So I get to beat him up." Silva has taken the UFC's 145-pound division by storm, finishing all of his opponents so far to secure the No. 9 spot in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings. If Silva can get through the No. 4-ranked Lopes, and especially with a finish, then he said he will be undeniable to get the next shot at reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski (27-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC). "I do believe that I'll have all the credentials necessary to fight for the title," Silva said. "Even Volkanovski has said in a couple interviews that he does expect me to win and actually face me for the title towards the end of the year. So guys, by the end of the year, in December, this division, after 10 years since Jose Aldo, we're going to have a new Brazilian 145-pound UFC champion."
USA Today
07-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Raquel Pennington confirms withdrawal from Noche UFC fight vs. Norma Dumont
Raquel Pennington has pulled out of a fight for the first time in her UFC career. Pennington (16-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) has been forced out of her bantamweight bout against Norma Dumont (12-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 259, also known as Noche UFC, on Sept. 13 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas (ESPN+). The former UFC champion confirmed the news herself in a statement on Instagram after an initial report from Ag Fight. "This one's hard to say…I've been with the UFC for 12 years, 26 fights, and I've never had to pull out of a fight. I've been dealing with a neck injury for a while now. My last fight camp, I had a procedure in September just to get through it and step in that Octagon the beginning of October. This camp… it's just been one thing after another. I'm a competitor through and through, but I also have to take care of my health if I want to keep doing this the right way. So yeah… I'm gutted to say I have to withdraw from this fight. Apologies to the fans, @ufc and my opponent @norma_dumont_mma I'll be back, and I still would love to share that Octagon with Norma when the time's right. I'm hoping she gets a replacement opponent and her opportunity to compete isn't stripped. Thank you to everyone who rides with me through the highs and the lows. It means more than you know. ❤️ Setbacks don't break me — they build me." In her most recent outing this past October, Pennington lost the bantamweight title to Julianna Peña at UFC 307. Prior to the split decision loss – which only one of the nearly 30 pundits tracked by MMA Decisions scored for Peña – Pennington was on a six-fight winning streak, including wins over Mayra Bueno Silva, Ketlen Vieira, and Macy Chiasson. With the change, the UFC Fight Night 256 lineup includes:
USA Today
28-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC Fight Night 259 headliner
Former title challenger Diego Lopes will look to get back in the featherweight contender conversation when he takes on the red-hot and surging Jean Silva in the main event of UFC Fight Night 259, also known as the 3rd annual Noche UFC celebration. Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva preview Lopes (27-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Silva (16-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) both fought on the same card of April's UFC 314 in Miami. Lopes competed in the main event, falling short in a unanimous decision against Alexander Voplkanovski for the vacant featherweight title. The loss snapped a five-fight winning streak that turned Lopes from a UFC newcomer to a contender and one of the biggest stars in the division. Meanwhile, Silva secured the biggest win of his career, submitting contender Bryce Mitchell in the main card. Silva is now on an impressive 13-fight winning streak, with five of those victories coming in the UFC. Silva's last career defeat took place in 2018 in the regional circuit of Brazil. Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva odds According to DraftKings, Lopes is +160 underdog to halt the momentum of the streaking Silva, who is a -192 favorite for his first UFC headliner. How to watch Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva at UFC Fight Night 259 Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, Texas Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ When: Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025
USA Today
24-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former title challengers Amanda Lemos, Tatiana Suarez meet at Noche UFC in San Antonio
Un enfrentamiento de peso paja de alto riesgo entre Tatiana Suarez 🇺🇸🇲🇽 y Amanda Lemos 🇧🇷 se lleva a cabo en Noche UFC 🤩Los boletos salen a la venta este viernes 25 de julio ➡️ | Sáb 13 de septiembre 🇲🇽 | @tatianaufc vs @LemosAmandaUFC Amanda Lemos and Tatiana Suarez will try to build toward a second strawweight title fight opportunity when they meet at UFC Fight Night 259, also known as Noche UFC. The promotion announced Thursday that Lemos (15-4-1 MMA, 9-4 UFC) and Suarez (10-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) are booked to clash in a three-round bout on the Sept. 13 card, which takes place at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas (ESPN+). Lemos, No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie strawweight rankings, has won two of three fights since unsuccessfully challenging reigning champ Zhang Weili for the belt in August 2023. She's defeated Mackenzie Dern and Iasmin Lucindo on the scorecards while being submitted by Virna Jandiroba. She will have the chance to elevated her spot against No. 3-ranked Suarez, who was upset by Weili in her bid for the belt at UFC 312 in February. The standout grappler has only competed twice in the past two years, but will start the pursuit of consistency against Lemos. The latest UFC Fight Night 259 lineup now includes:
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Noche UFC: Jared Gordon vs. Rafa Garcia added to Sept. 13 lineup
Noche UFC: Jared Gordon vs. Rafa Garcia added to Sept. 13 lineup A battle between lightweight veterans is the first addition to UFC Fight Night 259, which is the third-annual Noche UFC event. Jared Gordon will take on Rafa Garcia on the Sept. 13 event, which moved from Guadalajara, Mexico to Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas (ESPN+). Both fighters confirmed news of the matchup on social media after an initial report from MMA Mania. Gordon (21-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) has won two of his past three fights, with both wins coming by knockout. The 36-year-old is coming off a first-round knockout of Thiago Moises at UFC Fight Night 256 in May. Meanwhile, Mexico's Garcia (17-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has won five of his past seven fights, most recently defeating Vinc Pichel by unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 64 in March.
