UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan

UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan (also known as UFC Fight Night 173, UFC on ESPN+ 31 and UFC Vegas 5) was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 1, 2020 at the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.[2]

UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan
The poster for UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan.
Information
PromotionUltimate Fighting Championship
DateAugust 1, 2020 (2020-08-01)
VenueUFC APEX
CityLas Vegas, Nevada, United States
AttendanceNone (behind closed doors)[1]
Event chronology
UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik

Background

A women's bantamweight bout between former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm and Irene Aldana was originally slated to serve as the event headliner.[2] However, it was reported on July 22 that Aldana pulled out of the fight due to testing positive for COVID-19.[3] As a result, Holm was removed from the card as well and the pairing has reportedly been rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 180.[4][5] Subsequently, a middleweight bout between Derek Brunson and Edmen Shahbazyan was elevated to serve as a three-round main event.[4] This fight was originally expected to take place in March at UFC 248, but eventually moved to UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris one month later.[6] However, the event was ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] The pairing was rescheduled for this event.[8]

A women's flyweight bout between former Invicta FC Flyweight Champion Jennifer Maia and Viviane Araújo was initially scheduled for June 27, at UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker.[9] However, the bout was rescheduled in mid-June and moved to this event after both participants faced travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] Subsequently, Araújo was removed from the card on July 20 after testing positive for COVID-19 and replaced by Joanne Calderwood.[11]

A welterweight bout between Vicente Luque and Randy Brown was initially scheduled for April 11, at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris. However, the event was cancelled in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] The pairing was rescheduled for this event.[13]

A women's bantamweight bout between Ketlen Vieira and former Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion and UFC Women's Featherweight Championship challenger Yana Kunitskaya was initially scheduled for this event, but eventually moved to UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik a week later.[14]

South Korean fighters Jun Yong Park and Da Un Jung were respectively expected to face Trevin Giles and Ed Herman at the event. However, Park and Jun were both removed from the bouts on July 23 due to alleged travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, Giles would face Kevin Holland, while Herman would face Gerald Meerschaert.[15][16] On the day of the event, Meerschaert was pulled due to testing positive for COVID-19 and his bout against Herman was cancelled.[17] During the event, Giles fainted just moments before his walkout and therefore his bout against Holland was also cancelled.[18] It was later reported that Dana White personally called Herman to see if he could fight Holland, but Herman was already somewhere outside of the quarantine bubble and prohibited from re-entering.[19]

Luke Sanders was expected to face Chris Gutiérrez at the event. However, Sanders was removed from the bout in mid-July for undisclosed reasons and replaced by promotional newcomer Cody Durden.[20]

Timur Valiev was expected to make his promotional debut against Jamall Emmers. However, Valiev was removed from the card two days before the event for undisclosed reasons and replaced by Vincent Cachero.[21]

Former UFC Flyweight Championship challenger Ray Borg was expected to face Nathan Maness in a bantamweight bout at the event. However, Borg was removed from the fight on the day of the event's weigh-in for undisclosed reasons. Maness faced Johnny Muñoz in a featherweight bout.[22]

Eric Spicely was expected to face Markus Perez at the event. However, Spicely was removed from the fight (and subsequently released from the promotion) on the day of the event's weigh-in for health issues related to his weight cut. He was replaced by Charles Ontiveros, in what would be a catchweight bout of 195 pounds.[23][24] In turn, Ontiveros was deemed ineligible to compete and did not weigh in, thus cancelling the fight.[25]

At the weigh-ins, Jonathan Martinez weighed in at 140.5 pounds, four and a half pounds over the bantamweight non-title fight limit. His bout proceeded at a catchweight and he was fined 30% of his purse, which went to his opponent Frankie Saenz.[25]

Due to the many unexpected changes and last minute cancellations, the event took place with only eight bouts on the card, making it the smallest UFC event since UFC 177 in August 2014.[19]

Results
Main card (ESPN+)
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Middleweight Derek Brunson def. Edmen Shahbazyan TKO (punches) 3 0:26
Women's Flyweight Jennifer Maia def. Joanne Calderwood Submission (armbar) 1 4:29
Welterweight Vicente Luque def. Randy Brown KO (knee and punches) 2 4:56
Lightweight Bobby Green def. Lando Vannata Decision (unanimous) (30–26, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Preliminary card (ESPN+)
Catchweight (140.5 lb) Jonathan Martinez def. Frankie Saenz TKO (knee and punches) 3 0:57
Featherweight Nathan Maness def. Johnny Muñoz Decision (unanimous) (29–27, 29–27, 29–27) 3 5:00 [lower-alpha 1]
Featherweight Jamall Emmers def. Vincent Cachero Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Bantamweight Chris Gutiérrez vs. Cody Durden Draw (unanimous) (28–28, 28–28, 28–28) 3 5:00
  1. Muñoz was deducted a point in round 3 due to repeated groin strikes.

[26]

Bonus awards

The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses.[27]

  • Fight of the Night: Bobby Green vs. Lando Vannata
  • Performance of the Night: Jennifer Maia and Vicente Luque
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See also

References
  1. Steven Muehlhausen (2020-08-01). "What time is UFC Fight Night? Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan TV channel, live stream schedule, odds". dazn.com. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
  2. Staff (2020-06-08). "Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana as the main event on August 1". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-06-12. (in Dutch)
  3. Steven Marrocco (2020-07-22). "Irene Aldana: COVID-19 positive scratched fight with Holly Holm at Aug. 1 UFC event". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  4. Danny Segura (2020-07-22). "Brunson vs. Shahbazyan promoted to UFC on ESPN+ 31 headliner after Holm vs. Aldana postponed". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  5. David Tees (2020-07-22). "Irene Aldana tests positive for coronavirus, bout with Holly Holm reportedly rescheduled for October". fightful.com. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  6. Staff. "Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan moved from UFC 248 to UFC Portland". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-07-12. (in Dutch)
  7. Nolan King and John Morgan (2020-03-15). "UFC postpones three events amid growing coronavirus outbreak". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  8. Danny Segura (2020-06-08). "Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan booked for UFC Fight Night event on August 1". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  9. Raphael Marinho (2020-02-27). "UFC sets fight between Brazilian flyweight Vivi Araújo and Jennifer Maia in Texas". globoesporte.globo.com. Retrieved 2020-03-11. (in Portuguese)
  10. Guilherme Cruz and Damon Martin (2020-06-17). "Travel restrictions move Jennifer Maia vs. Viviane Araujo to Aug. 1 UFC event". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  11. Guilherme Cruz and Damon Martin (2020-07-20). "Joanne Calderwood steps in to face Jennifer Maia after Viviane Araujo tests positive for COVID-19". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  12. Nolan King and John Morgan (2020-03-15). "UFC postpones three events amid growing coronavirus outbreak". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  13. Staff (2020-06-23). "Vicente Luque vs. Randy Brown rescheduled for August 1 this time". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-06-23. (in Dutch)
  14. Nolan King and John Morgan (2020-07-15). "UFC shifts Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya to Aug. 8 event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-07-15.
  15. Nolan King (2020-07-23). "Kevin Holland replaces Jun Yong Park, meets Trevin Giles at UFC event on Aug. 1". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  16. Jay Pettry (2020-07-23). "UFC releases 'Brunson vs. Shahbazyan' bout lineup for Aug. 1 Fight Night". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  17. Mike Bohn (2020-08-01). "Gerald Meerschaert tests positive for COVID-19; Ed Herman fight off UFC on ESPN+ 31". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
  18. Damon Martin (2020-08-01). "Trevin Giles faints backstage, UFC Vegas 5 fight against Kevin Holland canceled". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
  19. Alexander K. Lee (2020-08-02). "A cursed 48 hours puts UFC Vegas 5 among the most snake-bitten events in UFC history". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
  20. Mike Heck (2020-07-26). "With Luke Sanders out, Chris Gutierrez welcomes newcomer Cody Durden at UFC event Aug. 1". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  21. Mike Heck (2020-07-30). "Timur Valiev out of UFC on ESPN+ 31; Jamall Emmers vs. Vincent Cachero in the works". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  22. Nolan King (2020-07-31). "Ray Borg out of UFC on ESPN+ 31; Nate Maness expected to fight Johnny Munoz". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  23. Nolan King (2020-07-31). "Eric Spicely out of UFC on ESPN+ 31 bout vs. Markus Perez; replacement found". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  24. Damon Martin (2020-08-03). "Eric Spicely released from UFC after dropping out of fight due to botched weight cut". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
  25. Staff (2020-07-31). "UFC on ESPN+ 31 weigh-in results: One fighter misses; Perez vs. Ontiveros canceled". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  26. "UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  27. Dan Hiergesell (2020-08-02). "UFC Vegas 5 bonuses! Luque banks $50K for 11th UFC finish". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
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