September 18, 2023 7: 00 am ET
The UFC stays home in Las Vegas this week with lightweight contenders at the top of the lineup.
Here’s how to watch UFC Fight Night 228 with 155-pound sluggers in action.
Broadcast and streaming info
UFC Fight Night 228 has a main card that begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The prelims stream on ESPN+, as well, beginning at 4 p.m. ET.
Main event: Rafael Fiziev
After a six-fight winning streak, Rafael Fiziev (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) had his momentum halted in March with a majority decision loss to Justin Gaethje. The fight did, however, lead to Fiziev’s sixth straight $50,000 post-fight bonus with Fight of the Night honors. Prior to the Gaethje setback, Fiziev’s wins include a fifth-round knockout of former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in his first UFC main event.
Main event: Mateusz Gamrot
Mateusz Gamrot (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) rebounded from a loss to Beneil Dariush when he took a split call from Jalin Turner in March. Before his setback to Dariush, Poland’s Gamrot had a four-fight streak with stoppages of Scott Holtzman, Jeremy Stephens and Diego Ferreira, plus a decision over Arman Tsarukyan. Three of those four wins picked up $50,000 bonus awards.
Co-main event: Dan Ige vs. Bryce Mitchell
After a 15-0 start to his career, featherweight Bryce Mitchell (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) experienced a loss for the first time this past December when he was submitted by Ilia Topuria. A planned return in May never materialized when he had to pull out of a fight with Movsar Evloev with a back injury. Now to get back on track, he’ll have to get through Dan Ige (17-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who has back-to-back wins, including a bonus-winning knockout of Damon Jackson. Those wins are on the heels of a rough patch of four losses in five fights.
Featured bout: Marina Rodriguez vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez
If you feel a sense of deja vu, it’s understandable. It’s only been a little more than two years since Marina Rodriguez (16-3-2 MMA, 6-3-2 UFC) outworked Michelle Waterson-Gomez (18-11 MMA, 6-7 UFC) for 25 minutes in a main event in Las Vegas, but a weight class up at flyweight. They’ll try run it back, but at strawweight – and for three rounds instead of five. Both need to snap skids. Waterson-Gomez’s current three-fight skid started with her loss to Rodriguez, who now has lost two straight herself.
UFC debut: Montserrat Rendon
The women’s bantamweight division may have a new “Monster” on its hands when Montserrat Rendon (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) steps in the cage for her promotional debut against Tamires Vidal (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC). Their fight opens the card. Rendon, from Mexico, is a 2-1 underdog against Brazil’s Vidal, who has three straight knockout wins.
UFC Fight Night 228 main card betting odds
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
- Rafael Fiziev (-140) vs. Mateusz Gamrot (+120)
- Dan Ige (+140) vs. Bryce Mitchell (-165)
- Marina Rodriguez (-305) vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez (+245)
- Bryan Battle (-190) vs. A.J. Fletcher (+160)
- Charles Jourdain (-125) vs. Ricardo Ramos (+105)
UFC Fight Night 228 preliminary card betting odds
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
- Dan Argueta (-200) vs. Miles Johns (+165)
- Andre Fialho (-200) vs. Tim Means (+165)
- Cody Brundage (+370) vs. Jacob Malkoun (-485)
- Jake Collier (+150) vs. Mohammed Usman (-180)
- Hannah Goldy (+205) vs. Mizuki Inoue (-250)
- Montserrat Rendon (+205) vs. Tamires Vidal (-250)
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