The UFC returns to Asia this weekend with a massive card that is absolutely stacked. The UFC Singapore Fight Card will present us with former champions, numerous former contenders, and some future ones. Here is everything you need to know.
UFC Singapore Fight Card: Everything You Need to Know
We rarely get excited for a regular fight night event but there is no lying about it – this one is massive. The matchmakers definitely constructed a card that is almost worthy for a Pay-Per-View event, minus the title fight at the top. But we have Max Holloway in that main event, which really makes up for it, right?
Let's start with some of the fighters on the rise who will take part in the UFC Singapore fight card. Take Rolando Bedoya, for instance. Until a few months ago, he was on a 11-fight winning streak and suffered a shocking defeat at UFC 288. We expect him to bounce back against a less talented fighter, Song Kenan.
Erin Blanchfield is also returning for a fight in the main card and she has become one of our favorite talents in women's MMA. Few people expected her to be this successful although she was named a future contender as soon as she entered the UFC. But she has registered 8 consecutive professional wins, including five in a row in the UFC.
Her biggest challenge to date – the former contender Taila Santos, will not give her an easy win. This will be one of the best fights of the evening.
Right after Blanchfield-Santos, we have Rinya Nakamura – the unbeaten Japanese, who is making his debut on the main card of the UFC Singapore fight card. He will try to best another debutant – Fernie Garcia. We expect a banger out of this one, in particular.
Earlier in the evening (or day, depending where you are), we have some wild bouts. Chidi Njokuani returns to the UFC against the talented Michal Oleksiejczuk as both fighters still have to prove that they are worthy of something more. We expect a bloody battle and a potential knockout.
Waldo Cortes Acosta arrived to the UFC in August last year and has already fought three times, making him one of the most active fighters on the roster. He will try to best Lukasz Brzeski, who lost two in a row and could get removed from the promotion if he loses again.
In the remaining main card bouts from the UFC Singapore fight card, we will see the return of Giga Chikadze, who was once the main contender for the featherweight title. He won 7 wins in a row in the UFC before losing to Calvin Kattar in the match that was supposed to give him the title shot. This was in 2022 and Chikadze has not fought since then. It will be interesting to see him against the veteran Alex Caceres, who seems to be in his best form yet.
UFC Singapore Co-Main and Main Events
• Featherweight: Max Holloway (24-7-0) vs Chan Sung Jung (17-7-0) • Light Heavyweight: Anthony Smith (36-18-0) vs Ryan Spann (21-8-0)
Max Holloway always brings the heat and we expect a wild match against Chan Sung Jung, another fan favorite from the roster. Jung has not fought since UFC 273, when he faced Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title. In fact, both fighters have not been as active lately, so this comes as their final chance to make a stand and potentially gain another shot at the title.
This was a fight that had to happen a long time ago, so it will be interesting to witness. Max Holloway has given us some of the wildest bouts in MMA history, so we expect a massive main event.
In the co-main event of the UFC Singapore fight card, Anthony Smith faces Ryan Spann. Both fighters have lost their most recent bouts and have to win this one at all costs. Curiously, it will be their second time out against each other. In September 2021, Spann lost to Anthony Smith via 1st round submission.
With this said, here is the full list of fights on the UFC Singapore fight card.
UFC Singapore Main Card
• Featherweight: Max Holloway (24-7-0) vs Chan Sung Jung (17-7-0) • Light Heavyweight: Anthony Smith (36-18-0) vs Ryan Spann (21-8-0) • Featherweight: Giga Chikadze (14-3-0) vs Alex Caceres (21-13-0) • Bantamweight: Rinya Nakamura (7-0-0) vs Fernie Garcia (10-3-0) • Women's Flyweight: Erin Blanchfield (11-1-0) vs Taila Santos (19-2-0) • Heavyweight: Junior Tafa (4-1-0) vs Parker Porter (14-8-0)
UFC Singapore Prelims:
• Heavyweight: Waldo Cortes Acosta (9-1-0) vs Lukasz Brzeski (8-3-1) • Bantamweight: Toshiomi Kazama (10-3-0) vs Garrett Armfield (8-3-0) • Middleweight: Chidi Njokuani (22-9-0) vs Michal Oleksiejczuk (18-6-0) • Welterweight: Song Kenan (19-7-0) vs Rolando Bedoya (14-1-0) • Welterweight: Billy Goff (8-2-0) vs Yusaku Kinoshita (6-2-0) • Women's Flyweight: Na Liang (17-6-0) vs JJ Aldrich (11-6-0) • Featherweight: Seungwoo Choi (10-6-0) vs Jarno Errens (13-4-1)
Vlad is a former amateur MMA fighter. After a series of injuries, he found a different way to connect with the sport and its fanbase - through writing. He's been covering everything-UFC for over 5 years on various platforms and has been part of the team at NYFights since early 2022.
