UFC will return to ABC with a thrilling middleweight contenders’ bout that will see No. 6 ranked Marvin Vettori takes on No. 10 Kevin Holland. Streaking featherweight contenders collide in the co-main event, as No. 10 ranked contender Sodiq Yusuff meets No. 11 Arnold Allen. Also, No. 5 ranked UFC strawweight contender Nina Nunes collides with No. 11 Mackenzie Dern.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: VETTORI vs. HOLLAND will take place Saturday, April 10. The main card will be simulcast live on ABC, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ (English and Spanish) at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and simulcast on ESPN+ (English and Spanish) at 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT.
The event follows on the heels of the UFC’s highly successful inaugural event on ABC, which saw Max Holloway defeat Calvin Kattar in a Fight of the Year candidate in January. The ABC broadcast of UFC FIGHT NIGHT: HOLLOWAY vs. KATTAR averaged 1.22 million viewers and was UFC’s biggest TV audience in almost a year. It was the first-ever live MMA event on ABC, which had last aired a combat sports card with a boxing event in 2000.
Vettori (16-4-1, fighting out of Mezzocorona, Italy) staked his claim as a legitimate title threat by winning an entertaining decision over Jack Hermansson in his first UFC main event. The talented grappler and striker has also secured thrilling victories against Karl Roberson, Andrew Sanchez and Cezar Ferreira. Vettori now aims to pick up his fifth consecutive win in emphatic fashion to continue his ascent up the middleweight ladder.
Holland (21-6, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) hopes to pick up where he left off despite a loss to Derek Brunson three weeks ago, which halted his historic 2020 campaign, which saw him become the first middleweight in UFC history to win five bouts inside a calendar year. A talented striker and grappler, Holland has netted spectacular KO wins against Jacare Souza, Charlie Ontiveros and Joaquin Buckley. Holland is now driven to pick up his sixth victory in a row to continue his ascent up the 185-pound ladder.
Allen (16-1, fighting out of Trimley St. Martin, Suffolk, England) also makes his first UFC appearance since January 2020, when he secured an entertaining win over fan favourite Nik Lentz. Victorious in nine consecutive outings, Allen also owns wins against former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, Mads Burnell and Makwan Amirkhani. Allen now hopes to push his win streak to double digits by becoming the first fighter to take out Yusuff in the UFC.
Yusuff (11-1, fighting out of Bladensburg, Md. by way of Lagos, Nigeria) returns to the Octagon for the first time since earning an exciting victory over Andre Fili in January 2020. Currently riding a six-fight win streak, he has also netted impressive wins against Gabriel Benitez, Sheymon Moraes and Mike Davis. Yusuff now looks to continue his unbeaten run and stake his claim as a future title challenger by becoming the first fighter to finish Allen.
Nunes (10-6, fighting out of Weston, Fla.) returns to action for the first time since June 2019, ready to remind the world that she is among the top athletes in the strawweight division. Having won four of her last five bouts, she has netted exciting victories against former title challenger Claudia Gadelha, Angela Hill and Randa Markos. Nunes is now gunning to take advantage of her first UFC co-main event by becoming the first fighter to finish Dern.
Decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dern (10-1, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) aims to push her win streak to four consecutive bouts with another stellar submission win. A two-time gold medal winner at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, she holds submission wins in MMA over Randa Markos, Hannah Cifers and Amanda Cooper. Dern is now poised to earn the biggest win of her career to crack the strawweight top five.
- Main Card: 3pm ET / 12pm PT
- Prelims: 11:30am ET / 8:30am PT
