ACTION CONTINUES ON UFC FIGHT ISLAND JULY 15, TOP FEATHERWEIGHT CONTENDERS LOOK TO MAKE A STATEMENT

ACTION CONTINUES ON UFC FIGHT ISLAND JULY 15 AS TOP FEATHERWEIGHT CONTENDERS

LOOK TO MAKE A STATEMENT

(#6) CALVIN KATTAR AND (#10) DAN IGE

FEATURED BOUTS:

(#12) TIM ELLIOT vs. RYAN BENOIT

JIMMIE RIVERA vs. CODY STAMANN

UFC® action continues on UFC FIGHT ISLAND with an exciting featherweight contenders’ bout that will see No. 6 Calvin Kattar and No. 10 Dan Ige battle to prove they belong in the title conversation. In the co-main event, thrilling flyweights clash as No. 12 ranked contender Tim Elliott takes on Ryan Benoit. All events on UFC FIGHT ISLAND are the result of a partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN®: KATTAR vs. IGE will take place Wednesday, July 15 at Flash Forum on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island. The full event will be simulcast airing live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ (English and Spanish) with the prelims starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and the main card at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The event will be closed to the public and will be produced with only essential personnel in attendance.

Quickly returning to action after securing the biggest win of his career over Jeremy Stephens, Kattar (22-4, fighting out of Methuen, Mass.) has his sights set on breaking into the top five of the division for the first time with another signature win. Among the most skilled strikers at featherweight, Kattar has finished all but one of his UFC victories via knockout, including wins over Shane Burgos, Chris Fishgold and Ricardo Lamas. Kattar now aims to make his biggest statement yet by becoming the first person to ever stop Ige.

The newest member of the featherweight top 10, Ige (14-2, fighting out of Haleiwa, Hawaii) plans to continue his impressive winning streak in his first UFC main event. After a close decision loss in his UFC debut, Ige has gone undefeated in six fights, earning impressive wins over Edson Barboza, Mirsad Bektic and Kevin Aguilar. Now, Ige looks to prove he belongs with the elite of the division by securing his most important victory to date.

A former UFC flyweight title challenger, Elliott (16-11, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.) looks to defend his spot in the rankings and put on another entertaining performance. Known for his incredible pressure and cardio, Elliott has earned victories over some of the toughest competitors in the division’s history, including Jens Pulver, Mark De La Rosa and Louis Smolka. He now aims to bounce back into the win column and reinsert himself into the championship conversation.

Competing in the first co-main event of his UFC career, Benoit (10-6, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) aims to make the most of the opportunity and claim his biggest win yet. One of the hardest hitters in the flyweight division, Benoit has finished a remarkable eight of his 10 wins by knockout or TKO, including stoppages over Sergio Pettis and Ashkan Mokhtarian. He now attempts to become the first person in the UFC to knockout Elliott, and break into the division’s top 15.

Additional bouts on the card include:

Top-ranked bantamweights meet at featherweight on short notice as Jimmie Rivera (22-4, fighting out Ramsey, N.J.) seeks to become the first person to KO Cody Stamann (19-2, fighting out of Sparta, Mich.)

No. 15 ranked women’s flyweight contender Molly McCann (10-2, fighting out of Liverpool, England) looks to extend her impressive winning streak against Dana White’s Contender Series signee Taila Santos (15-1, fighting out of Balneário Camboriú, SC, Brazil)

Dangerous knockout artist Abdul Razak Alhassan (10-1, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) returns to action against UFC newcomer Mounir Lazzez (9-1, fighting out of Dubai, UAE by way of Sfax, Tunisia) at welterweight

Heavy-handed middleweight John Phillips (22-9, fighting out of Swansea, Wales) goes for another signature finish against undefeated newcomer Khamzat Chimaev (6-0, fighting out of Sweden)

Top featherweight prospects face off when Ricardo Ramos (14-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) meets Lerone Murphy (8-0-1, fighting out of Manchester, England)

Debuting light heavyweights Modestas Bukauskas (10-2, fighting out of Buckinghamshire, England by way of Klaipėda County, Lithuania) and Andreas Michailidis (12-3, fighting out of Athens, Greece) aim to make a good first impression on UFC fans

Entertaining featherweights clash as Jared Gordon (15-4, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) takes on Chris Fishgold (18-3, fighting out of Liverpool, England)

Diana Belbita (13-5, fighting out of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania) and Liana Jojua (7-3, fighting out of Tbilisi, Georgia) look to secure their first UFC wins in a women’s flyweight clash

Undefeated bantamweight Jack Shore (12-0, fighting out of Abertillery, Wales) faces the returning Aaron Phillips (12-3, fighting out of Lafayette, La.)

Light heavyweights Jorge Gonzalez (16-4, fighting out of Mexico City, Mexico) and Kenneth Bergh (8-0, fighting out of Oslo, Norway) look to make the most of their UFC debuts and announce themselves as the next top prospect