The UFC train rolls on with their fourth event in July on Saturday as UFC Fight Night occurs from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
This time, the middleweights take center stage in a battle of friends when No. 8-ranked Uriah Hall takes on No. 11-ranked Sean Strickland. The contest was supposed to happen next week at UFC 265 but got shifted to this weekend.
Hall rides a four-fight winning streak going into his second headliner out of his last three fights. In his last time out, Hall beat Chris Weidman at UFC 261 but not how he wanted to get it. Seconds into the bout, Weidman suffered one of the most gruesome injuries you could ever see when he threw a leg kick, Hall checked it, and when the former middleweight champion planted his leg, the limb cracked, and Weidman crumbled to the mat in agony.
Like his opponent, Strickland has won four consecutive fights to earn himself his first-ever UFC main event slot. To put himself in this position, Strickland defeated Krzysztof Jotko via unanimous decision at the beginning of May. But, friends or not, Strickland knows what to expect come fight night.
“I consider Uriah a friend of mine,” Strickland told LowKickMMA. “Not only (did I train with him) at Xtreme Couture but also back in Reign when Mark Munoz was throwing down. I’ve trained with him a lot. He was actually a guy I didn’t really like to train with because he was kind of a f—ing d—. The things he threw were so dangerous, and he had like no control of it. So, when you spar Uriah, you have to fight Uriah to shut that down.
“Uriah’s path to success is catching me,” Strickland continued. “He’s a very dangerous man, and if I f— up, you’re gonna see me waking up on the canvas. That’s a likely possibility."
Someone's winning streak is going to go. So which run will come to a halt?
Here is everything you need to know about UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Strickland.
Date: Saturday, July 17
Main card: 9:00 p.m. ET/2:00 a.m. BST
Main event: 11:15 p.m. ET/4:15 a.m. BST
UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Strickland takes place on Saturday night with the prelims launching at 6 p.m. ET/11:00 p.m. BST and the main card kicking off at 9 p.m. ET. That spells a 2 a.m. start for the UK. Hall and Strickland should make their walks to the Octagon at approximately 11:15 p.m., although that depends on the lengths of the previous bouts.
U.S.: ESPN/ESPN+
U.K.: BT Sport 1
In the United States, the UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Strickland prelims can be seen in its entiriety on ESPN and via live stream on ESPN+.
In the U.K., the event can be seen on BT Sport 1.
More details about how to watch in other countries can be found at UFC.com.
Hall vs. Strickland will be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Hall and Strickland compete at the venue for the second time.
Bet MGM (as of July 26) has tabbed Strickland as a sizable favorite at -225, meaning a $225 bet will land you $100. Hall is listed as a +175 underdog, signaling that a $100 bet would net $175 if he's victorious Saturday night.
Nationality: Jamaican
Born: July 31, 1984
Height: 5-10
Reach: 79.5 inches
Total fights: 26
Record: 17-9
Nationality: American
Born: February 27, 1991
Height: 6-1
Reach: 76 inches
Total fights: 26
Record: 23-3
Main card
Preliminary card