UFC
15 UFC fights you just can’t miss in February
UFC Fights in February. Photo via Instagram, YouTube and USA Today Sport
After a slow start in January, UFC holds three exciting events in February, with the massive UFC 298 at the Honda Center in Anaheim as the highlight of the month.
With a featherweight title bout, the return of Jack Hermansson and a highly anticipated rematch between Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega, February looks to be a banger.
Take a closer look at some of the absolute best UFC fights coming up in the next month!
Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov, Feb. 3
Roman Dolidze. Photo via Instagram (@romandolidze)
The middleweight fight between No. 11 ranked Roman Dolidze and No. 8 ranked Nassourdine Imavov headlines the first UFC event of February.
Dolidze comes from a loss to Marvin Vettori that snapped a four-fight winning streak, while Imavov needs a win after a loss and a NC in his last two fights.
Renato Moicano vs. Drew Dober, Feb. 3
Renato Moicano. Photo via Instagram (@renato_moicano_ufc)
The exciting lightweight clash between Renato Moicano and Drew Dober has Fight of the Night written all over it.
Moicano has three submissions in his past four fights, as he submitted the likes of Alexander Hernandez and Brad Riddell. Dober has four stoppages in his past five fights, including a KO over Bobby Green.
Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov, Feb 3
Randy Brown. Photo via YouTube (UFC)
A welterweight bout between Randy Brown and Muslim Salikhov will take place on the main card of UFC Fight Night 235 on February 3. The pair was supposed to fight at UFC 296 a few weeks back, but Brown was forced to withdraw due to illness.
Brown is 5-1 in his six past outings while Salikhov comes from a tough loss against Danish veteran Nicolas Dalby.
Molly McCann vs. Diana Belbita, Feb. 3
Molly McCann. Photo via Instagram (@meatballmolly)
The always interesting Molly McCann will move down from flyweight to strawweight to face Diana Belbita in the prelims of UFC Fight Night 235 on February 3.
McCann lost back-to-back fights via stoppage at flyweight, against Erin Blanchfield and Julija Stoliarenko, and will now try her luck at 115 lbs.
Belbita comes from a loss against Karolina Kowalkiewicz in October.
Damir Hadzovic vs. Bolaji Oki, Feb. 10
Damir Hadzovic. Photo via Instagram (@hadzo)
Danish-Bosnian lightweight veteran Damir Hadzovic will take on rising prospect Bolaji ”The Zulu Warrior” Oki.
28-year-old Oki will make his UFC debut after a first-round stoppage win against Dylan Salvador at DWCS in August. The Belgian has a 8-1 record and pulled together eight straight wins after losing his first pro fight.
Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer, Feb. 10
Jack Hermansson. Photo: Steve Mitchell – USA TODAY Sports
The fight between middleweight veteran Jack Hermansson and the less experienced Joe Pyfer will headline a UFC card on February 10.
“My plan is to give him something he doesn’t expect,” Hermansson recently said visiting Swedish podcast Käftsmällspodden.
”He’s been studying my fights and preparing for what he has seen, so I feel like giving him a different look. He will get some things he won’t expect.
Michael Johnson vs. Darrius Flowers, Feb 10
Michael Johnson. Photo: Paul Miller – USA TODAY Sports
The lightweight fight between veteran Michael Johnson and the promotional newcomer Darrius Flowers, who has one fight in the UFC, takes place on the main card of the February 10 Fight Night event.
Few fighters has a resume as the 37-year-old veteran Johnson, who faced pretty much every talented lightweight in the UFC over the past decade. He has tested himself against the likes of Tony Ferguson, Beneil Dariush, Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirer, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje – the list goes on and on.
Amanda Lemos vs. Mackenzie Dern, Feb 17
Amanda Lemos. Photo via Instagram (@amandalemos_ufc)
With the dangerous Tatiana Suarez out, top ranked Mackenzie Dern will step in to face former title contender Amanda Lemos in a women’s strawweight bout at UFC 298 on February 17.
Dern has alternated losses in her past five outings, while Lemos comes from a tough title fight loss against Zhang Weili in August.
Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Ilia Topuria, Feb 17
Photo via Instagram (@alexvolkanovski) and (@iliatopuria)
The featherweight title fight between dominant champion Alexander Volkanovski and undefeated rising star Ilia Topuria is perhaps the most exciting fight in February.
The fight serves as the main event of the stacked UFC 298 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry, Feb 17
Ian Machado Garry. Photo via YouTube
The clash between welterweight veteran Geoff Neal and rising star Ian Machado Garry is one of the most anticipated fights of UFC 298.
With a win against No. 8 ranked Neal, the Irish contender will just be one or two more wins from a title bout.
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo, Feb 17
Henry Cejudo. Photo via Instagram (@henry_cejudo)
The bantamweight clash between top ranked contender Merab Dvalishvili and former two-division champion Henry Cejudo is a very interesting matchup.
The two physically strong wrestlers’ extraordinary grappling game might turn the fight into a stand up battle. If Dvalishvili wins he might very well fight for the title next.
Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval, Feb 24
Brandon Moreno. Photo via YouTube
Former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will take on Brandon Royval in a headline bout at Arena CDMX, in Mexico City.
The former champion was originally scheduled to fight Amir Albazi, but the Iraqi-Swede was forced to pull out due to an injury.
Moreno and Royval clashed back in November 2020 with Moreno coming out as the winner via TKO.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Brian Ortega, Feb. 24
Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega. Photo via Instagram (@panteraufc) (@briantcity)
The featherweight rematch between top dogs Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega is one of the absolute best fights in 2023 so far.
The pair clashed in a highly anticipated main event back in July 2022. However, the fight ended as a first-round TKO win for Rodriguez due to an unfortunae shoulder injury of Ortega.
Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios, Feb. 24
Raul Rosas Jr. Photo via YouTube
Young prospect Raul Rosas Jr. will be back in action on February 24 to take on Ricky Turcios in a three-round bantamweight contest.
Rosas Jr. recently bounced back from his career-first loss with a stoppage win against Terrence Mitchell at UFC Noche in September.
Turcios comes from a split decision win against Kevin Natividad in November 2022.’
Yazmin Jauregui vs. Sam Hughes, Feb. 24
Yazmin Jauregui. Photo via Instagram (@yasminjitsu)
The women’s strawweight bout between Yazmin Jauregui and Sam Hughes is an interesting fight for the stacked division.
Jauregui might come from a loss, but her 10-1 record, with two wins in the UFC, is more than impressive.
American strawweight Hughes has three wins in her last four fights and comes from a unanimous decision win against Jaqueline Amorim.
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