The UFC is heading back to its Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada for the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Ankalaev event on March 12, 2022. Headlining the event will be a light heavyweight showdown between No.5-ranked contender Thiago Santos and No.6-ranked Magomed Ankalaev.
Former bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes will take the co-main event spot opposite Song Yadong, hoping to get back on track. The fight against his Chinese opponent will serve as a huge test for Moraes, who is currently on a three-fight losing skid in the promotion. It will also present a big opportunity for the 24-year-old Yadong, who will look to progress from being a rising prospect to a contender in the stacked division.
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Also on the card, Terrance McKinney will make a quick turnaround from his first-round submission win over Fares Ziam two weeks ago to take on his toughest test yet in Drew Dober. McKinney is one of the most interesting prospects in the lightweight division and has finished all of his last five bouts inside the first round.
Further down the card, Gillian Robertson will look to continue her winning ways when she faces JJ Aldrich in a women's flyweight bout.
The event's prelims are scheduled to kick off at 4 PM ET/ 1 PM PT, while the main card is set to get underway at 7 PM ET/ 4 PM PT.
UFC Fight Night: Thiago Santos seeks to reclaim lost glory against Magomed Ankalaev
Thiago Santos stopped a three-fight skid with his unanimous decision victory over Johnny Walker last October. Interestingly, two of those three losses came against former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and the division's reigning king Glover Teixeira.
At the upcoming Fight Night event, the Brazilian will step under the bright lights hoping to get back to championship form as he takes on Magomed Ankalaev.
Ankalaev will be heading into the bout on the back of seven straight victories, while looking to close in on his own shot at the 205 lb gold. This is the first time that the Russian will main-event a UFC card and he will look to make the most of it.
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