UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić

UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić (also known as UFC Fight Night 175 and UFC on ESPN+ 33) is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on August 29, 2020 at the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.[1]

UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić
Information
PromotionUltimate Fighting Championship
DateAugust 29, 2020 (2020-08-29)
VenueUFC APEX
CityLas Vegas, Nevada, United States
Event chronology
UFC on ESPN: Munhoz vs. Edgar UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić UFC Fight Night 176

Background

Promotion officials were originally targeting a featherweight bout between The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America featherweight winner Yair Rodríguez and Zabit Magomedsharipov to serve as the event headliner.[2] However, Rodríguez pulled out of the bout on August 5 with an ankle injury and Magomedsharipov announced he will not fight on the event as well.[3][4] The pairing was first scheduled to take place at UFC 228 in September 2018, but Rodríguez also pulled out of that event with an injury.[5] The pairing is now expected to be rescheduled for UFC 254.[6]

On August 15, it was announced that a light heavyweight bout between former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship challenger Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakić is expected to serve as a three-round main event.[7]

Emily Whitmire was scheduled to face Polyana Viana in a women's strawweight bout at UFC 248 earlier this year.[8] However, Whitmire weighed in at 117.5 pounds, one and a half pounds over the strawweight non-title fight limit. She was subsequently hospitalized the day of the event, thus cancelling the fight.[9] The pairing has been rescheduled for this event instead, in a women's flyweight bout.[10]

A featherweight bout between former UFC Featherweight Championship challenger Ricardo Lamas and The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber lightweight winner Ryan Hall was also scheduled to initially take place earlier this year at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Weidman, but the event was cancelled in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] The pairing was rescheduled for this event.[12]

A welterweight bout between Neil Magny and Geoff Neal was scheduled to take place at this event. However, Neal withdrew from the event on August 9 due to a severe case of pneumonia that evolved to sepsis.[13] He was replaced by former UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler.[14]

A light heavyweight rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Ion Cuțelaba is expected to take place at this event.[15] The pairing first met at UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo, where Ankalaev won via controversial knockout.[16] The bout was originally expected to take place at UFC 249, on its original April 18 date. However, Ankalaev was forced to pull out of the event due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[17] Cuțelaba then pulled out on August 11 after testing positive for COVID-19 and the bout was rescheduled for this event.[18]

Fight card
Main card (ESPN+)
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Light Heavyweight Anthony Smith vs. Aleksandar Rakić
Welterweight Robbie Lawler vs. Neil Magny
Women's Flyweight Alexa Grasso vs. Ji Yeon Kim
Featherweight Ryan Hall vs. Ricardo Lamas
Light Heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cuțelaba
Preliminary Card (ESPN+)
Welterweight Maki Pitolo vs. Impa Kasanganay
Women's Strawweight Mallory Martin vs. Hannah Cifers
Middleweight Alessio Di Chirico vs. Zak Cummings
Featherweight Alex Caceres vs. Giga Chikadze
Middleweight Saparbek Safarov vs. Julian Marquez
Women's Flyweight Polyana Viana vs. Emily Whitmire
Welterweight Sean Brady vs. Christian Aguilera

    [19]

    See also

    References
    1. Farah Hannoun and Mike Bohn (2020-06-19). "UFC adds Aleksandar Rakic vs. Anthony Smith to Aug. 29 lineup". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
    2. David Tees (2020-07-30). "Report: Yair Rodriguez faces Zabit Magomedsharipov at August 29 UFC event". fightful.com. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
    3. Nolan King (2020-08-04). "Dana White confirms Yair Rodriguez injured, out of fight vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
    4. Damon Martin (2020-08-10). "Zabit Magomedsharipov announces he will not fight on Aug. 29, returning to Russia for now". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
    5. Harry Davies (2018-08-23). "Injury forces Yair Rodriguez out of UFC 228 fight vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
    6. Cole Shelton (2020-08-14). "Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Yair Rodriguez rescheduled for UFC 254". bjpenn.com. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
    7. Nick Baldwin (2020-08-15). "Smith-Rakic promoted to UFC main event on Aug. 29". thescore.com. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
    8. Staff (2019-12-28). "Emily Whitmire faces Polyana Viana at UFC 248 in Las Vegas". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-07-10. (in Dutch)
    9. Staff (2020-03-07). "UFC 248 preliminary bout scratched last minute due to medical concerns". yahoo.com. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
    10. Staff (2020-07-10). "Second try for Emily Whitmire vs. Polyana Viana, this time in the Flyweight division". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-07-10. (in Dutch)
    11. Damon Martin (2020-04-09). "UFC 249, upcoming events postponed due to coronavirus pandemic, Dana White promises 'Fight Island' will proceed". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
    12. Mike Heck (2020-07-03). "Ryan Hall vs. Ricardo Lamas rebooked for UFC event on Aug. 29". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
    13. Steven Marrocco (2020-08-10). "Coach: Geoff Neal expected to recover after mysterious ailment that caused staphylococcal pneumonia, sepsis". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
    14. Nolan King and Mike Bohn (2020-08-09). "Neil Magny vs. Robbie Lawler booked for Aug. 29 UFC event after Geoff Neal suffers health scare". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
    15. Staff (2020-06-12). "Rematch after controversial first game between Magomed Ankalaev and Ion Cutelaba at UFC 252". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-06-12. (in Dutch)
    16. Damon Martin (2020-02-29). "UFC Norfolk results: Magomed Ankalaev earns KO over Ion Cutelaba in highly controversial stoppage". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
    17. Damon Martin (2020-03-05). "Ion Cutelaba vs. Magomed Ankalaev re-booked for UFC 249 following controversial stoppage". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
    18. Steven Marrocco and Damon Martin (2020-08-11). "Ion Cuțelaba tests positive for COVID-19, rematch against Magomed Ankalaev bumped from UFC 252 to August 29 event". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
    19. "UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
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