Six Fights Announced for Noche UFC Sept. 12
Last Saturday, on the UFC Oklahoma City card, the world's best promotion announced six new bouts, scheduled for Sept. 12 in Arizona during Noche UFC.
Some big names like Brandon Moreno, Alexa, and Waldo Cortes Acosta are booked to fight in this event. Fans already started to speculate who can we expect apart from the 12 fighters that are confirmed to appear.
Apart from fine performances across the event, UFC Oklahoma City also brought us news about the next Noche UFC. Six fights were announced, featuring former champions, experienced veterans, and contenders who are looking to come one step closer to the title shot.
Big Mexican Names Ready to Fight Again in Noche UFC
As Noche UFC celebrates Mexican Independence Day, it's fitting for names like Brandon Moreno and Alexa Grasso to be the ones to represent their country. Both fighters are former champions with rich careers and hunger to prove that they are still at their best.
"The Assassin Baby" is set to face Joseph Morales, a fighter who is having his second chance in the UFC. The former flyweight champion has had a rough few fights since losing his belt to Pantoja.
The next stop was Brandon Royval, who defeated him in a split decision. After regaining the winning streak against Erceg and Amir Albazi, Moreno fell short once again to Tatsu Taira and Lone'er Kavanagh. Now, faced with an easier challenge, Moreno could pick himself up once again in an attempt to fight for the belt once more.
Grasso vs. Fiorot Set for Noche UFC, Along with Tarin vs. Aldrich
Mexican female star Alexa Grasso will face the current No. 2 fighter in the women's flyweight rankings, Manon Fiorot. It's a high-stakes fight as both of them aspire to challenge the champion Valentina Shevchenko.
Grasso had history with the champion, and as they are 1-1 with one draw between them, it sure feels like the score is yet to be settled. On the other hand, the French fighter didn't take her chance against Shevchenko, as she lost via unanimous decision, but winning against Alexa Grasso could push her into another title fight.
Another female fighter from Mexico will be making her way into the octagon on Sep. 12. Regina Tarin, who is only 21 years old, with a perfect record of 8-0, will make her second UFC appearance. After the victory over Ernesta Kareckaite, Regina Tarin will try to extend her winning streak to nine against JJ Aldrich.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Curtis Blaydes Rocks Heavyweight Ranks in Noche UFC
A heavyweight bout between two heavy hitters will surely not disappoint. After his incredible fight with Josh Hokit, Blaydes is making a comeback, ready to go to another war against the No. 4 heavyweight fighter in the world. Although Blaydes lost the fight against Hokit, he showed heart, resilience, and stubbornness, which is a recipe for an entertaining fighter.
Cortes-Acosta also lost his last bout. He suffered a defeat against Alexander Volkov in a controversial decision. Now making a return, Cortes-Acosta is looking to go back to the winning lane and potentially to grab a ticket for a title fight in the future.
As he made his way through the rankings, the Costa Rican recorded some of the best knockouts in recent times, as well as consistency and high-level striking, primarily boxing. Cortes-Acosta should be a slight favorite since his recent form was a bit better, and Blaydes is coming back from one of the most brutal fights in recent history, but that doesn't mean Blaydes should be taken lightly.
Noche UFC: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Yousri Belgaroui
The first thing that comes to mind when talking about this fight is the height difference. Belgaroui stands a towering 23 centimeters taller in comparison to Gastelum. At about 175 cm (5'9"), Kelvin Gastelum is one of the shortest fighters at middleweight; meanwhile, his opponent is the opposite, being the tallest fighter in that division with 198 (6'6") cm.
However, that doesn't determine the winner in any case. Gastelum is much more experienced, and if he can land a quick takedown, Belagaroui's reach advantage wouldn't matter much. Tunisian fighter born in the Netherlands just recently joined the UFC and has yet to be defeated in the world's best promotion.
Noche UFC: Tim Elliott vs. Edgar Chairez
The last fight will feature two fighters who like to finish opponents on the ground. Between them, they share 16 submission wins, eight each. Far more experienced, Tim Elliott is an unpredictable fighter who can cause problems both on and off the feet. He's been on the UFC roster since 2017, and throughout the 9 years spent here, he fought 22 times (10-12).
This will be the seventh fight for Chairez in the UFC. His only two losses came from Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira, when both of them were just coming up. Nine years younger then Elliott, Chairez is looking to continue his winning streak that is currently three.
