Latest news with #trilogyfight
CNN
6 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Katie Taylor reflects on her iconic fights against Amanda Serrano and the explosion of interest in women's boxing
The highly anticipated trilogy fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano was not only a win for the sport but could ultimately prove to be a game-changing moment for women's boxing. The highest-profile rivalry in women's boxing has transcended the sport since they first met in April 2022. Taylor swept the trilogy at New York's Madison Square Garden to retain her undisputed super lightweight championship. With the dust having settled, and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 is now available to watch globally on Netflix, Taylor reflected on her dominance in the sport with CNN World Sport's Don Riddell, as well as discussing other great female athletes, such as Caitlin Clark and her accomplishments in the WNBA.
Malay Mail
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Dustin Poirier ends MMA career in defeat as Max Holloway claims trilogy win at UFC 318
NEW ORLEANS, July 29 — The trilogy fight between Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier may not have been a microcosm of their first two encounters, but it delivered an electrifying final 15 seconds when Holloway and the retiring Poirier traded blows in Round 5. The result was a victory for lightweight Holloway by unanimous decision on the three judges' cards — 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 — at UFC 318 in New Orleans on Saturday night. Holloway (27-8 MMA) was classy in victory against Poirier, as he had lost the first two fights of the series before returning the favor in Louisiana native Poirier's last MMA bout. 'The baddest man alive, bro,' said Holloway, 33. 'Give it up for Dustin Poirier.' A first-round knockdown from the Hawaiian set the tone early as Holloway nearly finished Poirier (30-10) but his 36-year-old opponent persevered. By Round 4, Poirier had little energy left but admitted post-fight that he was impressed that the former featherweight champion Holloway's striking was still as sharp as ever. According to the final stats on the broadcast, Holloway outlanded Poirier 113-99 in significant head strikes. 'I thought he was going to be in here cracking a little bit harder, which he was,' Poirier said of Holloway. 'This guy is tough to deal with when he's in front of you. He's slick. He's crafty. He's fast. He's the (BMF) champ. I got nothing but respect for Max, man. He's one of the good guys.' Max Holloway (red gloves) hugs Dustin Poirier (blue gloves) during UFC 318 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 19, 2025. — Stephen Lew/Imagn Images pic Holloway made his first defense of the 'BMF' title a successful one since winning it last April at UFC 300. It is unclear what direction the belt takes, as it is not associated with a division and has been used infrequently since November 2019 Paulo Costa of Brazil got back in the win column with a unanimous decision over Roman Kopylov, utilizing his boxing to sweep the cards 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Costa (15-4) remains in the middleweight title picture, while Kopylov (14-4) had won his last two fights. The next two fights also saw another string of decisions with welterweight Daniel Rodriguez outlasting Kevin Holland despite a late rally from Holland nearly finishing him in Round 3 with strikes. The cards read 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, as Holland (28-14) was another betting favorite at the expense of Rodriguez (20-5). Patricio Pitbull earned his first UFC victory with a win by unanimous decision over featherweight Dan Ige by identical 29-28 scores. Pitbull's wrestling was too much for Ige, who entered the fight having lost two of his last three fights. Pitbull (37-8) last fought in April at UFC 314, where Ige (19-10) earned a win on the same card. UFC 318's pay-per-view got underway with lightweight Michael Johnson earning a unanimous decision in an upset of Daniel Zellhuber. The 39-year-old Johnson (24-19) was a significant underdog entering the fight but won the cards with matching 29-28 scores. A second-round knockdown swung the fight in Johnson's favor, as Zellhuber (15-3) now has lost back-to-back outings. — Reuters
BreakingNews.ie
20-07-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Max Holloway spoils Dustin Poirier's retirement sendoff with decision win
The trilogy fight between Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier may not have been a microcosm of their first two encounters, but it delivered an electrifying final 15 seconds when Holloway and the retiring Poirier traded blows in Round 5. The result was a victory for lightweight Holloway by unanimous decision on the three judges' cards -- 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 -- at UFC 318 in New Orleans on Saturday night. Advertisement Holloway (27-8 MMA) was classy in victory against Poirier, as he had lost the first two fights of the series before returning the favor in Louisiana native Poirier's last MMA bout. "The baddest man alive, bro," said Holloway, 33. "Give it up for Dustin Poirier." A first-round knockdown from the Hawaiian set the tone early as Holloway nearly finished Poirier (30-10) but his 36-year-old opponent persevered. By Round 4, Poirier had little energy left but admitted post-fight that he was impressed that the former featherweight champion Holloway's striking was still as sharp as ever. According to the final stats on the broadcast, Holloway outlanded Poirier 113-99 in significant head strikes. Advertisement "I thought he was going to be in here cracking a little bit harder, which he was," Poirier said of Holloway. "This guy is tough to deal with when he's in front of you. He's slick. He's crafty. He's fast. He's the (BMF) champ. I got nothing but respect for Max, man. He's one of the good guys." Holloway made his first defense of the "BMF" title a successful one since winning it last April at UFC 300. It is unclear what direction the belt takes, as it is not associated with a division and has been used infrequently since November 2019 Paulo Costa of Brazil got back in the win column with a unanimous decision over Roman Kopylov, utilizing his boxing to sweep the cards 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Costa (15-4) remains in the middleweight title picture, while Kopylov (14-4) had won his last two fights. The next two fights also saw another string of decisions with welterweight Daniel Rodriguez outlasting Kevin Holland despite a late rally from Holland nearly finishing him in Round 3 with strikes. The cards read 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, as Holland (28-14) was another betting favorite at the expense of Rodriguez (20-5). Advertisement Patricio Pitbull earned his first UFC victory with a win by unanimous decision over featherweight Dan Ige by identical 29-28 scores. Pitbull's wrestling was too much for Ige, who entered the fight having lost two of his last three fights. Pitbull (37-8) last fought in April at UFC 314, where Ige (19-10) earned a win on the same card. UFC 318's pay-per-view got underway with lightweight Michael Johnson earning a unanimous decision in an upset of Daniel Zellhuber. The 39-year-old Johnson (24-19) was a significant underdog entering the fight but won the cards with matching 29-28 scores. A second-round knockdown swung the fight in Johnson's favor, as Zellhuber (15-3) now has lost back-to-back outings.
The Sun
19-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
UFC 318 – Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier: Start time, TV channel, live stream, & full card for huge BMF title fight
DUSTIN POIRIER headlines UFC 318 as he takes on Max Holloway in their trilogy fight for the BMF belt this Saturday! Fighting in his hometown of New Orleans, Poirier has one last shot at winning a non-interim title before he hangs up the gloves. 2 After many miles on the clock, Poirier has announced that this will be his final fight and is set to retire. And what a way to bow out, by going up against UFC superstar Max Holloway, who will defend his BMF belt in the third fight between them. With BMF standing for Baddest Mother F***er, these bouts never disappoint - and this one certainly won't. The pair have already shared the Octagon twice, with Dustin Poirier holding two wins over the Hawaiian. Their first clash came early in their careers, while the second, in 2019, was an all-action war that saw Poirier capture the interim lightweight title. Despite being 2-0 up, fans are still buzzing for this trilogy bout, and with two veterans who always deliver excitement, it's all but guaranteed to live up to the hype. UFC 318 also delivers some big names on the undercard, with fan favourite Paulo Costa making a return to the octagon vs Roman Kopylov. Kevin Holland features on this card to face Daniel 'D-Rod' Rodriguez in a welterweight showdown - this marks Holland's fourth fight of 2025. SunSport has all the details for this card as Dustin Poirier makes his final walk to the Octagon. When is UFC 318: Poirier vs Holloway Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier will take place on Saturday, July 19. The preliminary action of the UFC 318 card is expected to get underway around 3am BST (Sunday) / 10pm ET. However, timings could change depending on the length of the other bouts. UFC 318 will be hosted at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. What TV channel is UFC 318 on and can it be live streamed? UFC 318 will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK. You can live stream all the action from TNT Sports and the Discovery+ app, which is available on your computer, mobile or tablet device. UFC 318 full card Main Event - Dustin Poirier vs Max Holloway - BMF title Paulo Costa vs Roman Kopylov Kevin Holland vs Daniel Rodriguez Dan Ige vs Patricio Pitbull Michael Johnson vs Daniel Zellhuber Prelims Kyler Phillips vs Vinicius Oliveira Marvin Vettori vs Brendan Allen Francisco Prado vs Nikolay Veretennikov Ateba Gautier vs Robert Valentin Early Prelims Adam Fugit vs Islam Dulatov Jimmy Crute vs Marcin Prachnio Ryan Spann vs Lukasz Brzeski Brunno Ferreira vs Jackson Mcvey Carli juice vs Nicolle Caliari What's been said? In an exclusive interview, Dustin Poirier told SunSport about why he wants to retire. He said: "I want to go out on top with stuff still left in the tank. "I don't want to empty myself out and leave this game broken and bruised for a paycheck. "It's just time. I just feel like it's time, you know. I've done a lot in the sport. "And I want to be healthy and be with my family. I've been doing this for a very long time."
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC 318 Fight Card: Date, Time, Location, How To Watch Or Stream
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 12: (L-R) Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier face off during the UFC 236 weigh-in ... More at State Farm Arena on April 12, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) The next pay-per-view card on the 2025 UFC schedule is nearly upon us. That event, UFC 318, takes place on Saturday, July 19, and is headlined by a trilogy fight that also serves as a BMF title fight, as well as the final walk of one fighter's career. In the fight card's main event contest, BMF champ Max Holloway faces Dustin Poirier for the third time in what is Poirier's retirement fight. Poirier heads into the lightweight matchup atop the UFC 318 PPV with a 2-0 record against Holloway. UFC 318 Fight Card: Date Saturday, July 19, 2025 UFC 318 Fight Card: Location Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA UFC 318 Fight Card: How to Watch Or Stream Main Card: ESPN+ PPV Preliminary Card: ESPN and ESPN+ Early Prelims: UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ UFC 318 Fight Card: Fight Card Time Early Prelims: 6:15 p.m. ET Prelims: 8:00 p.m. ET Main Card: 10:00 p.m. ET UFC 318 Main Event: Max Holloway Vs. Dustin Poirier 3 ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 13: (L-R) Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway embrace after finishing five rounds ... More in their interim lightweight championship bout during the UFC 236 event at State Farm Arena on April 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Dustin Poirier (30-9-0-1) has been a UFC fighter since 2011. At the time he had a 7-1 record. Between 2011 and 2018, Poirier went 16-4-0-1, picking up notable wins over Max Holloway, Bobby Green, Jim Miller, Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, and Eddie Alvarez. His losses during that stretch came to The Korean Zombie, Cub Swanson, Conor McGregor, and Michael Johnson. Poirier's wins over Miller, Pettis, Gaethje, and Alvarez set him up to fight for the interim UFC lightweight title against then-UFC featherweight titleholder Max Holloway. Poirier was the No. 3 ranked fighter in the UFC 155-pound division at the time, April 2019. Poirier claimed the interim crown with a decision win. In September 2019, Poirier faced Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title unification bout. Nurmagomedov won that contest by third-round submission. Three wins after that, including two TKO victories over Conor McGregor, put Poirier in another lightweight title fight. He lost that battle to Charles Oliveira, falling to a rear-naked choke in the third round of their December 2021 matchup. The 36-year-old Poirier is 2-2 since that setback with wins over Michael Chandler and Benoit Saint Denis. Poirier's losses during that run came against Justin Gaethje for the BMF title and, most recently, opposite Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 302 in June 2024. Poirier has 15 fight-night bonus awards, which ties him for fourth all-time in that category. Poirier is the No. 6 ranked UFC lightweight. ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 13: (L-R) Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway meet in the middle of the Octagon in ... More their interim lightweight championship bout during the UFC 236 event at State Farm Arena on April 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Max Holloway (26-8) has been with the UFC since 2012. If there's a stat that the UFC tracks, chances are Holloway is among the leaders. He holds the UFC featherweight record for wins (20), finishes (11), knockouts (nine), win streak (13 straight), total fight time (6:58:57), significant strikes landed (2,971), and total strikes landed (3,180). Holloway's overall UFC records include significant strikes landed (3,457) and total strikes landed (3,706). Holloway's run as UFC featherweight champ began in June 2017 when he knocked out Jose Aldo. Holloway entered that contest as the interim champ, a belt he won by knocking out Anthony Pettis in December 2016. He defended his title against Aldo (TKO), Brian Ortega (TKO), and Frankie Edgar (decision). He also attempted to win the interim UFC lightweight belt during that run, but he fell short, dropping a decision to Dustin Poirier. Holloway's championship run ended in December 2019 when Alexander Volkanovski beat him by decision. Volkanovski retained the title in an immediate rematch. Wins over Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez earned Holloway another shot at Volkanovski and his title in July 2022, but the champ retained his belt with a decision win. Holloway followed that setback with wins over Arnold Allen, the Korean Zombie, and Justin Gaethje. The Gaethje victory, a fight that many voted 'Fight of the Year' and 'Knockout of the Year,' earned Holloway the BMF title. That fight took place at 155 pounds. Holloway followed his BMF title win with the first knockout loss of his career, falling to Ilia Topuria in a UFC featherweight title fight in October 2024. Holloway was recently removed from the UFC featherweight rankings per his request. He is ranked at No. 5 at 155 pounds and sits at No. 11 in the pound-for-pound rankings. UFC 318 Co-Main Event: Paulo Costa Vs. Roman Kopylov SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - AUGUST 20: Paulo Costa of Brazil looks on in a middleweight bout against Luke ... More Rockhold of the United States during UFC 278 at Vivint Arena on August 20, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by) Paulo Costa (14-4) was 8-0 and coming off a defense of the Jungle Fight middleweight title when he joined the UFC in 2017. He opened his run with the promotion with four knockouts and one decision. That decision, an August 2019 win over Yoel Romero, earned Costa a shot at Adesanya in September 2020. Adesanya retained his title in that fight, knocking out Costa in the second round. Costa has not been an active competitor in the UFC. Between 2018 and 2022 he stepped into the Octagon once per year. He did not compete at all in 2023. In 2024, Costa went 0-2, losing a unanimous decision to former UFC middleweight champ Robert Whittaker in February and then dropping a split decision to ex-UFC 185 kingpin Sean Strickland in June. Costa has not competed since his loss to Strickland at UFC 302. Costa is 1-4 in his past five UFC outings. His only win during that stretch, which began with the Adesanya loss, was a August 2022 decision win over former UFC middleweight titleholder Luke Rockhold. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 01: Roman Kopylov of Russia prepares to face Cesar Almeida of Brazil in a ... More middleweight fight during the UFC 302 event at Prudential Center on June 01, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) A former Fight Nights Global middleweight champ, Roman Kopylov (14-3) joined the UFC in 2019 with an 8-0 record. Kopylov had seven straight knockout wins heading into his UFC debut, a fight he lost to Karl Roberson via submission. COVID-19 and visa issues kept Kopylov out of action until October 2021. When he returned to the Octagon, Kopylov dropped a decision to Albert Duraev. Kopylov seemed to find his footing after those back-to-back losses. Between September 2022 and September 2023, he went 4-0 with four knockout wins. That winning streak did not earn Kopylov a spot inside the top 15 of the UFC's middleweight division, but it did get him booked opposite the No. 15 ranked Anthony Hernandez at UFC 298 in February. Hernandez won that fight via second-round submission. Kopylov came back from that defeat to beat César Almeida at UFC 302. In his most recent outing, Kopylov stopped Chris Curtis via head kick, in a 'Fight of the Night' affair on A UFC Fight Night card in January 2025. UFC 318 Fight Card: Kevin Holland Vs. Daniel Rodriguez NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 07: Kevin Holland of the United States reacts after defeating Vicente ... More Luque of Brazil in the welterweight bout during UFC 316 at the Prudential Center on June 07, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo) Kevin Holland (28-13-0-1) was 12-3 when he earned his shot at a UFC contract on a Dana White's Contender Series card in June 2018. Despite getting a win, UFC CEO Dana White did not offer Holland a contract. However, Holland got the chance to fight for the UFC in August 2018 when Thiago Santos needed a short-notice opponent. Holland has been one of the more active UFC competitors since losing that contest by decision, fighting at middleweight and welterweight. Holland followed the loss to Santos with an 8-1 run, a stretch that included five victories between May 2020 and December 2020. His last win of that run was a 'Performance of the Night' bonus-winning knockout of ex-Strikeforce champion Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza. Holland's career has been up-and-down since the highlight-reel win over Souza. He has a 7-8-0-1 record since then, never winning, or losing, more than two fights in a row. Holland is 2-2 in his past four outings, losing back-to-back fights to Roman Dolidze and Reinier de Ridder via stoppage before putting together a two-fight winning streak with victories over Gunnar Nelson and most recently, Vicente Luque. The 32-year Holland's two recent losses were at middleweight, his wins, both of which earned him a 'Performance of the Night' bonus, came at welterweight, where he is the No. 13 ranked fighter. DES MOINES, IOWA - MAY 03: Daniel Rodriguez reacts after his TKO victory over Santiago Ponzinibbio ... More of Argentina in their welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Wells Fargo Arena on May 03, 2025 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC) Daniel Rodriguez (19-5) began his UFC career on a great run. Debuting with the promotion in 2020 with a 'Performance of the Night' bonus-winning submission win over veteran competitor Tim Means, Rodriguez went 8-1 in his first nine fights with the promotion. His only loss during that stretch was a decision setback to Nicolas Dalby in Rodriguez's fourth UFC fight of 2020. A September 2022 split decision win over Li Jingliang at UFC 279 put him in the co-main event of a UFC Fight Night card opposite veteran gatekeeper Neil Magny. At the time of that scrap, Magny was the No. 13 fighter in the UFC's welterweight division, while Rodriguez was No. 14. Magny turned back Rodriguez, submitting him in the third round. Rodriguez followed that setback with a TKO loss to Ian Machado Garry and a decision defeat to Kelvin Gastelum in a fight that was contested at middleweight after Gastelum had weight cutting issues. Rodriguez has bounced back from that three-fight losing skid with a decision win over Alex Morono in October 2024 and a TKO victory over Santiago Ponzinibbio in May. A win over Holland would likely put the 38-year-old Rodriguez back in the UFC rankings. UFC 318 Fight Card: Dan Ige Vs. Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 12: Dan Ige of the United States reacts after defeating Sean Woodson of the ... More United States during UFC 314 at Kaseya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by) Dan Ige (19-9) earned a UFC contract during Season 3 of Dana White's Contender Series, which took place in 2017. Ige opened his UFC career with a decision loss to Julio Arce in early 2018. He put that loss behind him and went unbeaten in his next six outings. That stretch of victories secured him the No. 10 spot in the official UFC featherweight rankings, and a UFC Fight Night main event matchup against the No. 6 ranked Calvin Kattar in July 2020. Kattar won that scrap via unanimous decision. Since facing Kattar, Ige is 5-6 in the UFC. He has faced tough competition during that stretch and proven to be a game competitor. Ige raised his profile in 2024 when he agreed to meet Diego Lopes on the UFC 303 pay-per-view card on a few hour's notice. While Ige lost to Lopes in that fight, which served as the PPV co-main event, he took the rising Lopes the distance in an entertaining battle. Ige followed his loss to Lopes with a decision setback to Lerone Murphy at UFC 308. He is coming off a third-round knockout win over Sean Woodson at UFC 314. MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 12: Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire of Brazil battles Yair Rodriguez of Mexico in a ... More featherweight bout during the UFC 314 event at Kaseya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Freire (36-7) spent the bulk of his career under the Bellator banner. He made his promotional debut on the Bellator 15 card in April 2010. Freire first fought for the Bellator featherweight belt in 2013, losing by decision to Pat Curran. He got his revenge on Curran in September 2014, winning the belt via decision. Freire defended his title twice before dropping a decision to Daniel Straus in November 2015. He regained the belt in 2017, submitting Straus via guillotine. Freire defended the title twice before adding the Bellator lightweight title to his trophy case. Freire's May 2019 TKO win over Michael Chandler earned him the Bellator 155-pound belt. Freire defended his featherweight crown three times as a two-division champ before losing a July 2021 submission to A.J. McKee. He never put the lightweight belt up for grabs, vacating the title in October 2021. The featherweight crown returned to Freire's mantle in April 2022 when he defeated McKee via decision. Freire defended the belt twice in his third stint as the 145-pound champ. His most recent fight was a March 2024 TKO win over Jeremy Kennedy in a title defense. Freire also dropped to bantamweight for a 2023 title shot against Sergio Pettis. Pettis won that contest via decision. In December, Freire told MMA Junkie he wanted to be done with Bellator, which the PFL purchased in November 2023. He signed with the UFC as a free agent in February 2025. Freire lost an uninspired unanimous decision to former interim UFC featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314. UFC 318 Fight Card: Michael Johnson Vs. Daniel Zellhuber TAMPA, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 14: Michael Johnson reacts after a knockout victory against Ottman Azaitar ... More of Morocco in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Amalie Arena on December 14, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Michael Johnson (23-19) is one of the longer-tenured fighters on the UFC roster. The 39-year-old has been with the promotion since 2010 when he lost to Jonathan Brookins in the finals of season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter. Johnson has had an active, if up-and-down UFC career. While always game, he has a history of inconsistency. Johnson's longest winning streaks with the UFC are a four-fight run between 2013 and 2015 and a three-fight unbeaten stretch in 2012. Johnson went 0-4 between 2019 and 2021. He ended that run with a 2022 knockout win over Alan Patrick. Since then, Johnson is 3-2. He enters UFC 318 on a two-fight winning streak, beating Darrius Flowers and Ottman Azaitar. He has not fought since he knocked out Azaitar in December, winning a 'Performance of the Night' bonus in the process. Johnson is at the point in his career where the UFC is booking him as a gatekeeper against younger fighters or competitors who are relatively new to the promotion. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 13: Daniel Zellhuber of Mexico poses on the scale during the UFC 306 ... More at Riyadh Season Noche UFC Ceremonial Weigh-in at Sphere on September 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Daniel Zellhuber (15-2) might be coming off a loss to Esteban Ribovics at UFC 306, but that fight was in the running for 'Fight of the Year' in 2024, and earned Zellhuber his third straight UFC Fight Night bonus. Zellhuber might have lost some momentum in that fight, but he did not lose much stock. He is looking for a bounce-back performance at UFC 318. Zellhuber moved his professional record to 12-0 in September 2021 when he defeated Lucas Almeida to earn a UFC contract on a Dana White's Contender Series card. UFC CEO Dana White praised both men for their performance that night, but offered the contract to Zellhuber, saying, "First of all, he's got an incredible chin, well-rounded game. He's only 22 years old, which usually I look for people who are a couple of years older, but he's 12-0 at 22 years old. You never see that. 'He said something about fighting like a real Mexican. This dude fights like a real Mexican. He's awesome. I love everything about him.' Zellhuber dropped his UFC debut, losing a decision to Trey Ogden by decision. He rebounded from that defeat with three straight wins before falling to Ribovics. We will have more on the UFC 318 fight card, including results, reactions and highlights on fight night.
