UFC will return to ABC for a third time with a thrilling battle between top featherweight contenders that has championship implications on the line when No. 2 ranked Brian Ortega takes on No. 3 Yair Rodriguez.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: ORTEGA vs. RODRIGUEZ will take place Saturday, July 16 at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, N.Y. The main card will air live on ABC at 2pm ET / 11am PT and will be simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes. The prelims will kick off on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 11am ET / 8am PT.
The main event is scheduled for five rounds, with the remaining bouts scheduled for three rounds | Official Scorecards
UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs Rodriguez Results
Just Happened:
Dustin Stoltzfus defeats Dwight Grant by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
What was initially a tactical chess match early morphed into a back-and-forth battle of superior skills, with Dustin Stoltzfus collecting his first UFC victory on the strength of his dominant grappling in the late stretches of the second and third rounds.
The middleweights stalked each other and looked for clean shots throughout the first, with Stoltzfus banging home low kick and Grant countering with individual clean strikes. The Pennsylvania-born, German-based middleweight finally got in deep on a takedown and dragged his fellow Dana White’s Contender Series grad to the deck late in the second, quickly moving to dominant positions and landing big shots.
The third was an amalgamation of the first two stanzas, with Stoltzfus once again securing the frame by scooping Grant into the air, depositing him in the center of the Octagon, and dominating on the mat.
It’s been a long time coming, but Stoltzfus finally has his first UFC victory. | Official Scorecards
UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs Rodriguez Prelims
Emily Ducote defeats Jessica Penne by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
There were zero nerves for Emily Ducote in her UFC debut, as the former Invicta FC strawweight champion took command of the Octagon from the jump and turned in a dominant effort against former title challenger Jessica Penne in Saturday’s opener.
Ducote invested in low calf kicks early, beating up Penne’s lead leg before starting to get loose with her hands, finding a home for a sharp left hook multiple times. While Penne had her own moments with long punches and knees in the clinch, she couldn’t sustain enough offence to back Ducote off. In the third, the promotional newcomer resumed chopping at Penne’s leg and maintained her pressure throughout, dealing with whatever return fire came her way to stay in the veteran’s face and secure the victory.
An outstanding showing from “Gordinha” in her first UFC appearance, extending her winning streak to four and her record to 12-6 with the unanimous decision win, while Penne fell to 14-6 with the loss. | Official Scorecards
Up Next:
Dustin Jacoby vs Da-un Jung
- No. 15 ranked light heavyweight Dustin Jacoby (17-5-1, fighting out of Springfield, Ill.) has his sights set on defending his spot in the rankings against Da-un Jung (15-2-1, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea)
Bill Algeo vs Herbert Burns
- Bill Algeo (15-6, fighting out of King of Prussia, Penn.) and Herbert Burns (11-3, fighting out of Lantana, Fla. by way of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meet in an exciting featherweight bout
Ricky Simon vs Jack Shore
- Top 15 bantamweights lock horns as No. 12 ranked Ricky Simon (19-3, fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.) faces undefeated No. 14 Jack Shore (16-0, fighting out of Abertillery, Wales, UK)
Punahele Soriano vs Dalcha Lungiambula
UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs Rodriguez Main Card
Lauren Murphy vs Miesha Tate
- No. 2 ranked women’s flyweight Lauren Murphy (15-5, fighting out of Houston, Texas) intends to steal the show against former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate (19-8, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.)
Shane Burgos vs Charles Jourdain
- No. 14 ranked featherweight Shane Burgos (14-3, fighting out of Monroe, NY) clashes with Charles Jourdain (13-4-1, fighting out of Beloeil, Quebec, Canada)
Matt Schnell vs Sumudaerji
- No. 9 ranked flyweight Matt Schnell (15-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) returns to action against No. 12 Sumudaerji (16-4, fighting out of Chengdu, Sichuan, China)
Li Jingliang vs Muslim Salikhov
- Welterweight strikers No. 13 ranked Li Jingliang (18-7, fighting out of Beijing, China) and Muslim Salikhov (18-2, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) collide
Co-Main Event: Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs Amanda Lemos
- Ranked women’s strawweight action sees No. 10 Michelle Waterson-Gomez (18-9, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) match up with No. 11 Amanda Lemos (11-2-1, fighting out of Para, Brazil)
Main Event: Brian Ortega vs Yair Rodriguez
- Former featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega (15-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) returns to the Octagon for the first time in almost a year. An elite grappler with knockout power, Ortega has impressed fans with highlight-reel finishes of Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson and Renato Moicano. He now intends to regain his momentum in the division by becoming the first person to submit Rodriguez.
- Yair Rodriguez (14-3, 1 NC, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) aims to secure his first shot at UFC gold with another showstopping performance. Considered a top prospect since he joined the UFC at 22 years old, Rodriguez has proven himself to be among the best fighters in the world with stoppages over BJ Penn, Chan Sung Jung and Andre Fili. He now plans to make a statement against Ortega and jump to the top of the rankings.
