The UFC’s successful 2021 on pay-per view continued this past Saturday as UFC 263 brought in around 600,000 buys worldwide according to Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand.
Ourand reported that close to 500,000 of those buys were domestic through ESPN+ with around 100,000 in international markets. He also reported the 1.1 million viewer average for the prelims on ESPN was UFC’s second-best June broadcast since 2014.
“The stat that UFC execs are happiest about is that its demo ratings among men 18-49 and men 25-54 was the second highest on TV, trailing only game 3 of the Clippers-Jazz second round NBA playoff series,” Ourand wrote.
UFC 263 was headlined by middleweight champion Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori II, flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno II and fan favorite Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards in the former’s return to the Octagon after a long absence.
Here’s how the promotion and ESPN+ have done thus far on PPV this year via Ourand’s reporting:
UFC 257 (Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier): 1.6 million buys worldwide (1.2 million domestic)
UFC 259 (Jan Blachowicz vs. Israel Adesanya): 800,000 buys worldwide (600,000 domestic)
UFC 262 (Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler): 300,000 buys domestic
Numbers for UFC 258 or UFC 260 were not released.
Their run will undoubtedly continue for UFC 264 on July 10th, headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier III.
Updated coverage on SummerSlam and early word on Survivor Series is the lead story on this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
We look at the location, the time of the show and why they are limited in time, the new stadium, talk about top matches plus more on Dwayne Johnson and WrestleMania, Survivor Series and a plan for an August Takeover.
Also in this issue:
Dominion, the Shingo Takagi title win, with match-by-match coverage, star ratings, poll results, business notes and booking direction.
Plans for a WWE draft, a WWE TV show on verge of being canceled, Bret Hart documentary, Stephanie McMahon talks WWE business, WWE ticket sales, Miz talks injury, UK & Canada viewing numbers, WWE looks a changes in how it does house hows, WWE autograph new rules, most watched WWE videos of the past week and WWE market value.
The next two WWE major events with lineups, notes about the Takeover crowd, matches announced and not yet announced for Hell in a Cell and more.
Full coverage of this past Saturday’s UFC show.
Cyber Fight show combining NOAH, DDT, Ganbare Pro and Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling. We look at Keiji Muto’s title loss, why he got the title in the first place, why Marufuji wasn’t the guy who should have won, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.
The death of controversial wrestler Angel o Demonio.
More into detail on the ratings than any other source, how many different viewers the shows had which is very different from the television number, breakdown of who watches the shows, how they watch, DVR numbers and how long the average fan watches.
Results of the major pro wrestling events of the past week.
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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight taking In Your House Takeover, Stardom PPV and the rest of the latest news. You can also send questions to the show tonight to [email protected]
Antonio Inoki, 78, had emergency surgery due to an intestinal issue a few weeks ago. He has been hospitalized for much of this year with various health problems and his lower back is in a lot of pain and deteriorating leaving him mostly wheelchair bound.
NXT Takeover tonight at 8 p.m. on Peacock from Orlando, FL:
Xia Li vs. Mercedes Martinez. The biggest test of Li’s career to date. Li is currently a -950 favorite to win
Cameron Grimes vs. LA Knight in a ladder match to revive the old Million Dollar belt. The build has been comedy oriented. Grimes is outstanding and this will be a new environment for him. He started training with the ladder experts like the Hardys as a teenager. Knight’s been given a big chance here. Grimes is a very slight betting favorite at -125.
Bronson Reed & MSK defend both the North American title and NXT tag titles against Santos Escobar & Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza. I’m not a fan of singles and tag titles being defended in matches that aren’t singles or four-man tag matches. But it looks to be a good action match. Reed & MSK are -850 favorites.
Raquel Gonzalez vs. Ember Moon for the women’s title. Another big test for Gonzalez who is a huge favorite to retain at -1000.
Karrion Kross defends the NXT title against Adam Cole, Pete Dunne, Kyle O’Reilly and Johnny Gargano. By all rights given the talent involved and that they are likely to be going 30:00 or more, this should be a classic match. The last updated odds had Kross as the favorite at -250, while Cole is +550, O’Reilly is +750, Gargano is +1000 and Dunne is +1100.
We’re doing polls this weekend on both UFC 263 and NXT Takeover In Your House so you can leave a thumbs up, down or middle along with a best and worst match from each show to [email protected].
How is this for a story on Brandon Moreno:
He debuted on the Ultimate Fighter and was the last man picked
He was cut by UFC after some losses
His weight class was scheduled to be dropped except Henry Cejudo saved it
He became the first Mexican-born UFC champion last night.
Moreno’s title win was one of the best feel good moments in UFC history.
Dana White last night said that he thinks Colby Covington and not Leon Edwards should get the next welterweight title shot at Kamaru Usman.
Nate Diaz said he wants to fight again in the next few months. Diaz got an amazing pop and reaction throughout his fight. If he had pulled that win out in the closing seconds it would be talked about for fight of the year.
White said that he thought last night would be Demian Maia’s last UFC fight. It was the last fight of Maia’s contract and he’s 43 years old.
As far as Lauren Murphy vs. Joanne Calderwood’s fight for a potential women’s flyweight title shot, which Murphy won via split decision, Murphy won round two and Calderwood won round three. The first round was very close and could have gone either way so it was just a close fight. Media scores were 55 percent for Calderwood and 45 percent for Murphy.
Today’s is the 12th anniversary of the death of Mitshuaru Misawa from a severed spine from neck problems. Misawa was among the greatest wrestlers of all-time and as far as a major arena is concerned, Misawa at Budokan Hall would rank with Bruno Sammartino in Madison Square Garden as the biggest and most successful long-term draw in an arena of that size in history.
Lots of stuff made the top 20 Google search charts this past week. UFC was the biggest thing over the weekend with 2.65 million searches from last night’s Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori fight, a number that was about what you would have expected for a show like that. Besides Adesanya as part of the main event, the key names searched for included Nate Diaz, Brandon Moreno and Paul Craig. Craig’s submission was No. 4 earlier today at 50,000. For yesterday, the Tik Tok vs. YouTube fight show did 1.2 million for No. 2, Diaz was No. 4 with 500,000. Moreno was No. 10 at 100,000. Aaron Carter in a celebrity boxing match was No. 5 on Friday at 200,000. Claressa Shields making her MMA debut on Thursday was No. 11 at 100,000. The Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul show did 5 million. NXT Takeovers have charted before but most often they don’t. I would not expect tonight’s show to do so.
With the A&E bio season over, there is a Most Wanted Treasures episode going head-to-head with Takeover from 8-10 p.m. on A&E. The show features Stephanie McMahon enlisting Mark Henry and Paul Wight to search for Andre the Giant memorabilia. This was filmed before either Henry or Wight went to AEW.
WWE
Cara Noir defends his Progress title against Elijah in the main event for the show that takes place 6/19 and airs on Peacock.
AAW from Friday night in Merrionette Park, IL before 440 fans: Hakim Zane (Rohit Raju) & Ace Austin & Madman Fulton b Dante Leon & Travis Titan & Myron Reed, Davey Vega b Stor Grayson, Allysin Kay b Allie Katch, Josh Alexander d Mat Fitchett( (said to be really good), Joeasa & Deonn Rusman b Manders & Matthew Justice to win AAW title titles, Schaff b AJZ, Fred Yehi b Daniel Garcia, Kris Statlander b Hyan to keep AAW women’s title, Mance Warner b Jake Something to keep AAW title.
Legacy Fighting announced a 7/2 show in Shawnee, OK at the Grand event Center just outside of Oklahoma City. Jesse Murray (8-3) faces Joshua Silveira (5-0), the son of Marcus Conan Silveira and a former wrestler at Arizona State) for the light heavyweight title in the main event. The co-main event, for the interim flyweight title, has Charles Johnson (8-2) vs Yuma Horiuchi (8-3). Horiuchi is the first Japanese fighter to sign with the LFA. Like all LFA shows, this will air on UFC Fight Pass live.
EPW from last night in Western Australia: Dan Moore & Bobby Marshall & Jesse Lambert b Aaron Hawk & Jonathan Windsor & Chris Target, Julian Ward b James Hartness, Damian Slater b Michael Morleone in a submission match, Taylor King & Jack Edwardes b Del Cano & Zenith-DQ in a tag title match, Kaz Jordan b Bruno Nitro, Edith Night b Casey Jones in a street fight, Joel Hagan b Ryan Allen, Marcius Pitt b Gavin McGavin. Next show is 7/25 headlined by Mikey Nicholls vs. Kiel Steria for the EPW title.
Due to a lockdown, the Melbourne City Wrestling show this month has been moved to 7/10. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
A horse that goes by the name Dick the Bruiser won a race yesterday at Arlington Park in Chicago (thanks to Barry Werner)
Mid Missouri Wrestling Alliance from last night in St. Louis: Rick Ruby b Jimmy D, Johnny Blade b Garrett Shanks, CJ Shine b Frodo the Ghost, Moondog Rover b Damion Cortess, D’Mon G d Ryan Ash, Ricky Cruz & Keith Smith Jr. b Kahyman & Damian Blade-DQ, Moondog Rover & Ricky Cruz & Keith Smith Jr. b Kahyman & Damian Blade & Damion Cortess (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
Mission Pro Wrestling from last night in Buda, TX: VertVixen b Rache Chanel, Alex Gracia b Shana Reed, Jazmin Allure b Gypsy Mac, JennaCide b Savanna Evans, Robyn Renegade & Charlotte Renegade b Killa Kate & Seishin, Holidead won three-way over Marti Belle and KiLynn King, Rosa Negra b Masha Slamovich to keep the title. This is Thunder Rosa’s all-women’s promotion and lots of the talent from here works AEW. (thanks to wrestlingwithdemons.com)
Coming off his first MMA loss to light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz earlier this year, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya returned to form in his home division, dispatching Marvin Vettori in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 263.
Adesanya took a unanimous decision 50-45 on all three judges’ scorecards.
Despite a few Vettori takedown attempts and a third round rear naked choke attempt, Adesanya was simply too quick and too evasive for Vettori, dodging his strikes and wearing him out early. He attacked Vettori’s lead leg throughout the fight and made it look easy in attacking the Italian challenger with both punches and kicks without an ounce of lost confidence.
This was Adesanya’s third title defense and a rematch from an April 2018 split decision Adesanya won. Adesanya’s next encounter is likely to be another rematch against former champion Robert Whittaker who Adesanya defeated to unify the undisputed and interim titles in October 2019.
In the night’s co-main event, Brandon Moreno pulled off a mild upset in defeating Deiveson Figueiredo for the UFC flyweight title, submitting him in the third round.
He was confident throughout the fight and got Figueiredo’s back in the third, working for a rear naked choke on two occasions before finally sinking it in for the tap. With the win, Moreno becomes the company’s first Mexican-born champion and the youngest champion in the company.
The two fought in December to a majority draw in one of the year’s best fights. The loss is Figueiredo’s first since March 2019 and his reign consisted of just one successful title defense while Moreno is unbeaten in his last seven.
Moreno capped the feel-good moment with a tremendous promo. He was cut from the UFC in late-2018 and brought back a year later.
Nate Diaz’s first UFC fight since November 2019 was an unsuccessful one, dropping a unanimous decision to Leon Edwards at Saturday’s UFC 263 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The five-round non-title undercard fight was a first for the UFC. Edwards took all three judges’ scorecards 49-46.
While Edwards dominated for the majority of the fight, Diaz landed a right hand slap and a left hand in the fifth round that had Edwards on wobbly legs. Diaz pursued and continued to land punches, but Edwards was able to defend and survive for the win.
Edwards bloodied a grounded Diaz with an elbow to his head midway through the fight that had the Stockton, CA, star wearing a partial crimson mask for the duration. He also opened up a cut on Diaz’s head that saw significant blood flow.
As one might expect, Diaz had some unorthodox moments with unusual stances during the fight, trying to goad Edwards into making a mistake.
Edwards is now on a ten-fight unbeaten streak dating back to May 2016 and puts himself in the conversation for a title shot at current titleholder Kamaru Usman. Usman was the last fighter to deal Edwards a defeat.
It’s the second straight loss for Diaz who was last seen losing to Jorge Masvidal for the BMF title at November 2019’s UFC 244. He reportedly has one fight left on his contract.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2, emanating from the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
The Octagon returns to Arizona for the first time since in over two years, bringing an absolutely stacked card to Glendale, with two title fights and three five-round bouts, including two of the biggest stars currently in the sport on the card.
UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya defends the title against Marvin Vettori in the main event. This is a rematch of an April 2018 bout won by Adesanya, which coincidentally took place in the same arena as this show. Adesanya is looking to rebound from his first career loss, as he dropped a decision to Jan Blachowicz in his attempt to become a two-division champion in March. Vettori comes into this fight riding a five-fight win streak.
In the co-main event, it is another rematch as UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo defends against Brandon Moreno for the second time. The two fought to a draw at UFC 256 in December in one of the best fights of 2020, and they look to settle the score here.
In another big fight on the card, Leon Edwards welcomes Nate Diaz back to the Octagon in the first-ever non-headline five-round bout in UFC history. Edwards is looking to secure a title shot, while Diaz fights for the first time since November 2019 and is looking to get back in the win column.
Also on the main card, Demian Maia takes on Belal Muhammad in a welterweight bout, and Paul Craig battles Jamahal Hill in a light heavyweight bout. The prelims have several great match-ups, capped off by a lightweight bout between Drew Dober and Brad Riddell, and a potential title eliminator bout in the women’s flyweight division as Lauren Murphy takes on Joanne Calderwood.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
ESPN PRELIMS | 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
> Carlos Felipe (10-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Jake Collier (12-5, 4-4 UFC) Heavyweights
Collier with some early kicks. They trade right hands. Both are swinging hard. Collier with a combo ending with a right hand. Collier mixing his strikes. Felipe with a right hand. They trade in close. Collier with the jab. Collier with a leg kick. Collier throwing kicks high and low. Felipe with a left hook to the body and lands an overhand right. Felipe with a right hand to the body. Collier with a good combo. They trade in close range. They are throwing big punches in close as Felipe rips to the body. Felipe with a leg kick. They both land big punches in the pocket and the crowd is going wild. Entertaining round. 10-9 Collier.
Collier with a high kick then the jab to start the second. They trade in close range. Both landing some good shots. Felipe with the jab. Felipe with a combo. Collier with a leg kick. Collier landing the jab and Felipe with a hard right and then a leg kick. They are both landing and Felipe is telling Collier to hit him harder. Felipe with a right hand. Collier taking deep breaths. Felipe landing a little more towards the end of the round. Collier with a body kick. Felipe with a body kick. 10-9 Felipe, 19-19.
Collier with some leg kicks to start the third. They trade in close range. Collier with an inside leg kick. Felipe with a jab. They are starting to swing for the fences and Felipe lands some big punches. Collier shoots for a takedown but Felipe easily defends. Felipe landing more after a quick break in the action. Collier lands a nice jab. Collier tries a spinning back fist but Felipe blocks it. Felipe with the jab and Collier with a body kick. Collier with a leg kick and Felipe with a counter right hand. They are trading and Collier is landing more while Felipe is taunting. Felipe landing more as the round gets to the end. Collier with a late combo ending with a body kick. Close fight. 10-9 Collier, 29-28 Collier.
Official Result- Carlos Felipe def. Jake Collier by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
> Fares Ziam (11-3, 1-1 UFC) vs. Luigi Vendramini (8-1, 1-1 UFC) Lightweights
Ziam landing the jab at the start. Vendramini tried a body lock but Ziam was ready for it and shook him off. Ziam landing the jab and Vendramini’s face is already showing damage. Ziam with a leg kick. Vendramini lands a right hand. Ziam lands a nice left hook. Ziam lands a right hand and then a leg kick. Vendramini with a leg kick. Both missing on most of the strikes they’re throwing. 10-9 Ziam.
Ziam is landing the jab early in the second. Vendramini lands a nice combo and then a leg kick and tries a takedown against the fence but Ziam defends and they break. They trade left hands and Ziam back working the jab. Ziam still working the jab and mixing the left hand to the body. They trade in close range. Ziam with a body kick. Vendramini fights hard for a takedown and Ziam with fantastic defense as he pushes him off. Ziam with the jab. Ziam with a leg kick. 10-9 Ziam, 20-18 Ziam.
Vendramini lands some big shots to start the third and Ziamis retreating. Vendramini chasing him down and landing big shots as he’s trying for the finish. Ziam gets taken down by Vendramini and Vendramini lands big punches from the top and is now in the half-guard. Vendramini moves to side control and was looking to set something up but gets to the full mount and is landing. Vendramini looking for an arm-in guillotine but the positioning is wrong and he gives up on it. Vendramini in the half-guard and lands a big hammerfist. Vendramini lands some elbows. They get to the fence and Ziam works his way up. Vendramini with a combo against the fence. They clinch against the fence at the end. 10-9 Vendramini, 29-28 Ziam.
Official Result- Fares Ziam def. Luigi Vendramini by majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
> Chase Hooper (10-1-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Steven Peterson (18-9, 2-3 UFC) Featherweights* (Peterson missed weight by 2.5 pounds)
They trade in close range to start. They clinch and Hooper drags him down and Peterson lands from the top and then they get up. Hooper drags Peterson back to the mat and Peterson on top. They get up and are clinched against the fence. Hooper pulls guard and they scramble up and Hooper has the back standing. Peterson with a knee. Hooper pulls it to the ground and Peterson on top and lands some elbows. They stand. Peterson with a right hand. Peterson with a leg kick. Hooper with a left hand and gets a takedown. Hooper now trying for a heel hook. Peterson defending and lands a hammerfist. Hooper now looking for a calf slicer. Peterson with some hammerfists. Hooper stands and gets on top and now both are looking for the leg. Hooper lands some hammerfists. Hooper going for another leg lock. Hooper lands at the end. 10-9 Peterson.
Hooper with a high kick. Hooper lands some left hands. They trade in close range and Hooper with a head kick. Hooper shoots for a takedown but Peterson defends. They are clinched against the fence. Peterson with a right hand in the clinch. Peterson drops down looking for a guillotine but Hooper escapes. Hooper pulls guard. Hooper keeping Peterson in his guard and Peterson with some nice elbows from the top. Peterson landing big punches at the end of the second. 10-9 Peterson, 20-18 Peterson.
Peterson with a Superman punch and landing more as the third starts. Hooper lands some punches. Hooper lands a left hand and tries a takedown but Peterson defends. They’re clinched against the fence and Peterson with some shoulder strikes. They go to the mat and Peterson is on top and landing. Hooper with some soft punches from the bottom. Peterson looking for an arm-triangle but Hooper rolls out and they scramble to their feet and are clinched. Hooper gets it to the mat and takes the back. Hooper trying to find the neck but Peterson defending. They both land on the mat late. 10-9 Peterson, 30-27 Peterson.
Official Result- Steven Peterson def. Chase Hooper by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
> Matt Frevola (8-2-1, 2-2-1 UFC) vs. Terrance McKinney (10-3, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
McKinney lands a combo right at the start that drops Frevola and then starts landing hammerfists and it is quickly stopped. One of the quickest stoppages ever. McKinney then celebrated and looked to blow out his knee as he was celebrating. What a crazy sequence of events.
Official Result- Terrance McKinney def. Matt Frevola by knockout (punches) at :07 of Round 1
> Pannie Kianzad (#11, 14-5, 3-2 UFC) vs. Alexis Davis (20-10, 7-5 UFC) Women’s Bantamweights
Kianzad lands a left hand right away. They trade in close range. Kianzad with a left hand. They clinch and Davis with some uppercuts. They continue to trade and Davis landing with slightly more volume. Kianzad with a left hook. Kianzad landing some good shots as Davis presses forward. Davis lands a leg kick and Kianzad counters with a right hand. Kianzad with the jab. They trade right hands. Kianzad lands a nice right hand. Davis with a leg kick. Davis with a nice right hand. Davis is landing more but Kianzad is doing more damage. Davis with a body kick. Kianzad with a left hook and then another. 10-9 Kianzad.
Kianzad with the left hook. Davis with a leg kick. Kianzad with a nice right hand. Kianzad with a combo. They clinch and Davis lands a right hand on the break. Kianzad with the right hand. They trade punches. Davis staying busy landing more but Kianzad doing more damage and lands a nice left hook and a nice right hand. Davis with a calf kick. Davis with a step-in knee but eats a right hand from Kianzad. Davis with another calf kick. Kianzad with a hard right hand. Davis with a combo then a leg kick. Davis with a combo and a body kick. They trade jabs. Kianzad with a right hand as Davis lands a calf kick. Davis with a calf kick and then trips Kianzad to the mat and lands some right hands at the end of the round. 10-9 Davis, 19-19.
They are trading to start the third and Davis continuing with the calf kick. Kianzad still landing punches as she’s working the jab more. They trade in close range. Davis with an uppercut and a knee to the body and she lands the jab as they break. Davis landing with more volume as the third wears on. Kianzad with a combo. Davis with the jab and Kianzad lands a nice counter right hand. Kianzad lands a right hand and Davis with a nice right hand in countering. They trade punches. They trade late. Close fight. 10-9 Davis, 29-28 Davis.
Official Result- Pannie Kianzad def. Alexis Davis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Evloev lands a big right hand. They trade in close range. Evloev lands a right hand. They trade jabs and Evloev with a leg kick. Evloev grabs a single leg and gets a takedown but they quickly scrambled up. Evloev has the back and gets a big takedown and lands some left hands. They get to their feet and Evloev still has the back. They get back to the mat and Evloev looking for a choke. He’s got it in but not under the chin and lets go. Evloev still has back control and lands some punches. Evloev peppering the body and head with the left hand. They get to their feet and Evloev gets another brief takedown. 10-9 Evloev.
Dawodu with a body kick. Evloev gets a takedown and gets Dawodu’s back. They get to their feet and Evloev drags Dawodu back down. They scramble to their feet and Evloev still has a hold of Dawodu and takes him back down again. Evloev trying for the choke again but is always getting it across the face. Evloev landing left hands from the back. Dawodu unable to get out of the bad position. Evloev just peppering with punches. Evloev just dominant as he’s landing big shots from the back. 10-8 Evloev, 20-17 Evloev.
Dawodu trying to land the right hand but missing. Dawodu with a leg kick. They clinch for a second and both land before breaking. Dawodu lands a left hand. Dawodu with a leg kick. Evloev lands an uppercut. Dawodu with the double jab. Evloev goes for a takedown but Dawodu sprawls out of it. Dawodu lands a right hand. They trade the jab. They trade in close range and Dawodu lands to the body and then a left hook to the jaw of Evloev. They trade leg kicks. Dawodu lands a left hand and Evloev is rocked. Dawodu lands another that hurts Evloev more. Dawodu lands a right hand. Evloev gets a takedown and has the back. Evloev lands some left hands as they stand. Evloev gets another takedown and has the back as the fight ends. 10-9 Dawodu, 29-27 Evloev.
Official Result- Movsar Evloev def. Hakeem Dawodu by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Murphy lands an early combo. Calderwood with a side kick and lands a spinning back fist. Calderwood with a body kick. Murphy with a left hand. They clinch and Murphy with short uppercuts. They trade knees in the clinch. Calderwood lands a body kick as they break. Calderwood with some leg kicks. Murphy with a combo. They trade and Calderwood with some leg kicks. Calderwood with a right hand. Calderwood landing more as the round wears on. Murphy with a right hand and lands a knee and Calderwood lands some elbows. Murphy with an uppercut. They trade late. 10-9 Calderwood.
They are trading before they clinch and Murphy gets a takedown and is landing punches from the top. Murphy still landing as she moves to the top and is looking for an arm-triangle. Murphy in the half-guard and is still landing left hands from the top. Murphy looking for a kimura late in the second as she lands elbows to the body. A clear round for Murphy. 10-9 Murphy, 19-19.
They trade to start the third. Calderwood with the jab. They trade in close range and Murphy lands a right hand. Calderwood with a combo. Calderwood lands a right hand. Calderwood with some body kicks. Murphy landing the jab. Murphy still landing it as she rushes in. Murphy tries a takedown Calderwood defends and they both land knees and punches in the clinch. They clinch and trade knees and Murphy lands an uppercut. Murphy lands the jab and then follows with some right hands. They trade and both land. Calderwood with a right hand and then a left hook. They trade and Calderwood with a body kick. Close fight. 10-9 Calderwood, 29-28 Calderwood.
Official Result- Lauren Murphy def. Joanne Calderwood by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
> Eryk Anders (13-5 1 NC, 5-5 1 NC UFC) vs. Darren Stewart (12-6 2 NC, 5-5 2 NC UFC) Light Heavyweights
Stewart with a leg kick and Anders lands a counter left hand. Stewart with a leg kick. They clinch against the fence. They trade knees. They are battling for positioning against the fence. Anders with a knee. Stewart gets a takedown and is landing in the half-guard. He ends the round on top. 10-9 Stewart.
Stewart with a leg kick and Anders with a left hand. They clinch against the fence and Stewart with a knee. Stewart lands a nice knee and a shoulder strike. They are broken up by Jason Herzog. Stewart with a leg kick. Anders shoots for a takedown but Stewart defends and they are clinched again. They break and Anders lands a left on the break. Anders lands a left hand and they were both throwing before clinching. They are battling for underhooks but break. They both land and Anders shoots for a takedown but Stewart defends. They break and trade late. 10-9 Anders, 19-19.
Anders with a body kick. Stewart gets a big takedown and was in side control but Anders is able to reverse to the top. Anders gets to side control. Anders landing left hands from the top. Anders is looking to get the mount as he’s looking for an arm-triangle. He lets go and lands some nice left hands. Anders now looking for a rear-naked choke. He lets go and is working from the top. Anders with some left hands from the top. Anders landing left hands as they get to their feet. Several punches from Anders and now the fans aren’t booing. Strong final round for Anders. 10-9 Anders, 29-28 Anders.
Official Result- Eryk Anders def. Darren Stewart by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
> Drew Dober (#13, 23-9 1 NC, 9-5 1 NC UFC) vs. Brad Riddell (9-1, 3-0 UFC) Lightweights
They both land left hands at the start. They’re swinging early. Dober with a leg kick. Riddell with a body kick. Dober with a leg kick followed by a left hand. Dober rocks Riddell with a left hand. Riddell tries for a takedown but Dober defends and is landing left hands to defend. Riddell gets Dober down but they get to their feet. Riddell with an elbow as they break. Dober with a high kick. They trade hard shots. They trade again. Riddell with a combo to the body. Dober with a combo and then a leg kick. Riddell has a cut open. They both land in close. Riddell with a right hand. Dober with a body kick and Riddell counters with a massive right hand. They both land hard shots. Dober with a head kick. Riddell with a hard right hand. Riddell lands some more hard punches at the end. Fun round. 10-9 Dober.
They trade to start the second. Dober lands a left hand. Riddell with a combo and they have a wild exchange in close range. Dober with a high body kick. Riddell lands a hard right hand. Dober gets a takedown. They get to their feet. Riddell trying to get Dober down. Dober lands an elbow and they are on their feet. They break to the center as Riddell lands an elbow. Dober lands a combo and Riddell gets a takedown. They scramble to their feet. They both land wild bombs in close range. Dober with a body kick. Riddell with a right hand to the body. Riddell lands a nice left hook. Dober with a spin kick. 10-9 Riddell, 19-19.
Riddell lands a right hand to start the third. Riddell with a leg kick. Riddell lands another right hand. Dober shoots for the takedown. Riddell with the body kick. They trade in close range and Riddell lands a right hand and is circling around. Dober goes for a takedown but Riddell defends and Dober lands an elbow. Riddell lands a leg kick and some punches. Riddell with a right hand to the body. Dober lands a nice left hand. Riddell lands a big right hand and Dober is hurt. Dober backing up and Riddell after him. Dober goes for a takedown and Riddell landing punches to defend. Riddell sweeps to the top and is landing big shots as the fight ends. Great, great fight. 10-9 Riddell, 29-28 Riddell.
Official Result- Brad Riddell def. Drew Dober by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
ESPN+ PPV MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
> Paul Craig (#14, 14-4-1, 6-4-1 UFC) vs. Jamahal Hill (#15, 8-0 1 NC, 2-0 1 NC UFC) Light Heavyweights
Hill with a leg kick. Craig with a body kick. They trade body kicks. Craig gets the body lock and pulls guard. Craig trying to extend the arm and has Hill in a little trouble. Craig goes for the armbar and has it locked in and it looked like he tapped. Craig gets the triangle choke locked in and is landing big punches and Hill’s arm is flopping around as it’s clearly broken. It is finally stopped by the referee. Horrible job by the referee but Craig gets the first-round finish in a big way.
Official Result- Paul Craig def. Jamahal Hill by TKO (strikes) at 1:59 of Round 1
> Demian Maia (#9, 28-10, 22-10 UFC) vs. Belal Muhammad (#12, 18-3 1 NC, 9-3 1 NC UFC) Welterweights
Muhammad lands a right hand. Maia shoots for a takedown but Muhammad too far away. Maia lands a left hand. Muhammad with a right hand. Maia grabs a single-leg and Muhammad lands some punches as he gets to the fence. Maia still working hard for the takedown. Maia gets Muhammad briefly down. They break. Muhammad lands a right hand. Maia lands a left hand. Muhammad lands a right hand and then another. Maia gets a leg and is looking for a takedown. Maia working hard for the takedown but Muhammad defending well. They break at the end. 10-9 Muhammad.
Neither landing inside the first minute of the second round. Maia finally lands a left hand. Maia tries a takedown but Muhammad defends. Muhammad with a leg kick and then a right hand. Maia lands a couple of punches. Maia attempts another takedown but Muhammad defends. Muhammad landing the right hand more and more. Muhammad with a leg kick. Muhammad continues to land as Maia tries for a takedown but Muhammad is defending against the fence. Muhammad lands some elbows and punches at the end of the round. 10-9 Muhammad, 20-18 Muhammad.
Maia ducks under a punch and tries a takedown but Muhammad slips away. Muhammad with a high kick and then lands a jab. Muhammad lands a right hand. Maia lands a left hand. Muhammad lands a left hand. Maia tries again for a takedown but Muhammad defends. Muhammad with a combo. Maia lands a nice left hand and Muhammad lands a solid counter right. Muhammad with a head kick. Maia trying again for the takedown but Muhammad defends again. They trade punches. Maia trying again for the takedown but Muhammad defending. They end the fight there. 10-9 Muhammad, 30-27 Muhammad.
Official Result- Belal Muhammad def. Demian Maia by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
> Leon Edwards (#3, 18-3 1 NC, 10-2 1 NC UFC) vs. Nate Diaz (20-12, 15-10 UFC) Welterweights
Diaz playing possum and lands a flurry. Edwards with a leg kick. Edwards lands in close. Diaz with a leg kick and then another. Edwards lands a left hand. Edwards with a hard leg kick. Diaz with a body punch and then a jab. Diaz lands a combo. They clinch against the fence. Edwards gets a takedown and has the back of Diaz. Diaz landing left hands. Edwards just holding on but has one hook in. They scramble on the mat. Edwards lands some left hands. They get up. Edwards with a leg kick. 10-9 Edwards.
Edwards with a leg kick. They both land punches. Diaz doing more of the possum playing and then throwing as they both land. Edwards with a leg kick. They trade. Diaz with a leg kick and Edwards returns with a hard leg kick. They trade in close before clinching. Edwards gets a takedown. Diaz grabs a leg and Herb Dean warns Edwards about grabbing the fence. Edwards escapes and they get to their feet. Edwards with a hard leg kick. Edwards lands a hard left hand. They trade in close. Edwards with a leg kick. Diaz lands a left hand and they clinch. Edwards with a back elbow. 10-9 Edwards, 20-18 Edwards.
Edwards lands a big elbow after a clinch to start the third. Diaz with a body kick and Edwards lands a left hand. Edwards with a calf kick. They clinch against the fence. Diaz lands a left hand. They clinch against the fence and Diaz lands some short punches. Edwards gets Diaz down. Edwards lands from the top. Diaz is cut open. They get to their feet and Diaz lands. Edwards with a leg kick. They clinch and Edwards has body control. They go to the ground and Diaz goes for the leg and Edwards has the back. They get to their feet. Edwards with a spinning elbow. 10-9 Edwards, 30-27 Edwards.
Edwards with a body kick. Diaz lands a left hand. Diaz lands another. Edwards with a leg kick. Edwards lands a big left hand. Diaz with a kick up the middle. Edwards trips Diaz to the mat but Diaz gets up and tells him good job. Edwards with a left hand. They trade in close. Edwards with a leg kick. Diaz lands a combo and they clinch. They break. Edwards with a left hand. Edwards lands again. 10-9 Edwards, 40-36 Edwards.
Edwards trips Diaz down but Diaz gets up. They clinch. Diaz lands a right hand as they break. Edwards with a left hand. Both are throwing in close but neither landing. Edwards with a right hand. Diaz lands a left hand. Diaz pressing forward and lands another left hand as they clinch. They break. Edwards with a leg kick. They trade in close range. Edwards with a combo ending with a hard left hand. Diaz is bleeding badly. Diaz rocks Edwards with a left hand and Edwards is wobbly. Diaz with a flurry late and is trying to finish but he doesn’t have enough time as Edwards is able to make it to the end. 10-9 Diaz, 49-46 Edwards.
Official Result- Leon Edwards def. Nate Diaz by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Moreno with a leg kick. Moreno lands the jab. Moreno with a leg kick. Moreno with a combo. Moreno with a left hook. Figueiredo not doing much early. Moreno with a big combo. Figueiredo with a left hook to the body. Moreno with a leg kick. He lands another. Figueiredo lands a right hand. They trade elbows. Moreno with a combo then lands a jab. Moreno drops Figueiredo with a punch and gets on top. Figueiredo sweeps and they scramble up and break. Moreno with a body kick. 10-9 Moreno.
They trade to start the second. Moreno landing the jab at will and Figueiredo gets a takedown. Figueiredo passes over half-guard and is looking to lock his arm around the neck of Moreno. Figueiredo landing body punches. There isn’t much going on here. Moreno escapes and they get to their feet. Moreno has the back against the fence and is landing knees. Moreno gets a takedown and Figueiredo was clearly grabbing the fence. Moreno tried for a choke but Figueiredo spun out and Moreno got into the guard of Figueiredo. Moreno with short left hands. Moreno still working from the top and lands some elbows to the body. 10-9 Moreno, 20-18 Moreno.
They trade to start the third. They trade left hands. Moreno with a leg kick. Figueiredo lands a left hook. Moreno gets a takedown and has the back and has the hooks in. Moreno trying for a choke. Figueiredo is defending but in trouble. Moreno lets go. Moreno landing left hands. He has the choke locked in. It is in deep and Figueiredo taps! Moreno has submitted Figueiredo to become the new UFC Flyweight Champion. What an unreal performance.
Official Result- Brandon Moreno def. Deiveson Figueiredo by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:26 of Round 3 to win the UFC Flyweight Championship
> Israel Adesanya (C, 20-1, 9-1 UFC) vs. Marvin Vettori (#3, 17-4-1, 7-2-1 UFC) UFC Middleweight Championship
Adesanya with a leg kick. He lands a body kick and then another leg kick. He lands a couple more. Vettori gets a takedown in the guard of Adesanya. They get to their feet. Vettori trying to get it back down and Adesanya lands an elbow and they break. Adesanya with another leg kick. Vettori missing on his punches but is pressuring. Vettori lands one against the fence. Adesanya with a leg kick. Adesanya with a combo ending with a leg kick. Adesanya with a head kick. Adesanya with a leg kick. Adesanya lands an uppercut and just misses a head kick. Vettori lands a leg kick. 10-9 Adesanya.
Adesanya with a leg kick. He lands another. Adesanya with a head kick. Adesanya landing with a combo as Vettori was coming in. Adesanya with his back against the fence and dodging Vettori’s punches as he’s landing lots of leg kicks. Vettori shoots for the takedown but Adesanya defending against the fence and landing hard elbows. They break. Adesanya with a high kick. Adesanya still landing the leg kicks as he’s avoiding the punches of Vettori. Vettori drops down for the takedown but Adesanya is landing big elbows as he defends. They break. Adesanya with a high kick. Adesanya with a late head kick. 10-9 Adesanya, 20-18 Adesanya.
Adesanya with a leg kick. Vettori gets a takedown against the fence. Vettori landing and takes the back and had a choke almost locked in but Adesanya reverses out and is now in the guard of Vettori. They scramble up and Adesanya accidentally pokes Vettori in the eye and notices it and they take a break. Adesanya lands a right hand and then a leg kick. Adesanya just misses a high question mark kick. Vettori with the jab. Adesanya with another leg kick. Vettori lands a right hand. Adesanya still landing hard leg kicks. Adesanya lands a leg kick and Vettori goes to the mat and Adesanya lands a couple of punches then Vettori gets up. Adesanya then lands a kick to the groin and we have a timeout before the end of the round. 10-9 Adesanya, 30-27 Adesanya.
Adesanya with a leg kick. Vettori trying a takedown but Adesanya easily defends and lands a punch on the break. Adesanya with a high kick. Adesanya with a combo and then a leg kick. Vettori goes for a takedown and Adesanya landing elbows and punches. Vettori gets Adesanya down but Adesanya reverses to the top and stands and Vettori is ordered up. Adesanya with a leg kick. Vettori lands a right hand. Adesanya with some body kicks. Vettori lands a leg kick. They trade punches. Adesanya with a leg kick. Vettori trying to land but Adesanya slipping away. Adesanya with a head kick that just misses landing completely flush. Vettori tries for a late takedown but is just holding on. Vettori did nothing with it. 10-9 Adesanya, 40-36 Adesanya.
Adesanya with a leg kick. Vettori going for a takedown against the fence but Adesanya defending. They end up clinched and Adesanya landing ear shots. They break and Adesanya with an uppercut on the break. Adesanya with a head kick. Vettori with a leg kick. Adesanya lands a combo. Adesanya with a high kick but Vettori blocks it. Adesanya with a combo ending with a leg kick. Vettori shoots for the takedown but can’t complete it. They’re clinched against the fence. With not much happening, they are broken up by Marc Goddard. Adesanya with a high kick. Vettori tried for a takedown with seven seconds to go, don’t think that will get the finish. 10-9 Adesanya, 50-45 Adesanya.
Official Result- Israel Adesanya def. Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) to retain the UFC Middleweight Championship
Updated coverage on SummerSlam and early word on Survivor Series is the lead story on this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
We look at the location, the time of the show and why they are limited in time, the new stadium, talk about top matches plus more on Dwayne Johnson and WrestleMania, Survivor Series and a plan for an August Takeover.
Also in this issue:
Dominion, the Shingo Takagi title win, with match-by-match coverage, star ratings, poll results, business notes and booking direction.
Plans for a WWE draft, a WWE TV show on verge of being canceled, Bret Hart documentary, Stephanie McMahon talks WWE business, WWE ticket sales, Miz talks injury, UK & Canada viewing numbers, WWE looks a changes in how it does house hows, WWE autograph new rules, most watched WWE videos of the past week and WWE market value.
The next two WWE major events with lineups, notes about the Takeover crowd, matches announced and not yet announced for Hell in a Cell and more.
Full coverage of this past Saturday’s UFC show.
Cyber Fight show combining NOAH, DDT, Ganbare Pro and Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling. We look at Keiji Muto’s title loss, why he got the title in the first place, why Marufuji wasn’t the guy who should have won, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.
The death of controversial wrestler Angel o Demonio.
More into detail on the ratings than any other source, how many different viewers the shows had which is very different from the television number, breakdown of who watches the shows, how they watch, DVR numbers and how long the average fan watches.
Results of the major pro wrestling events of the past week.
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FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE
Garrett Gonzales and I will be previewing the weekend and covering the news of the past week tonight on Wrestling Observer Radio. Bryan and I will be doing shows tomorrow after UFC, Sunday after Takeover and Monday after Raw.
Want to wish our best to Bill Eadie, best known under names like Demolition Ax, Masked Superstar, Super Machine and Bolo Mongol, who was one of the top names in pro wrestling in the late 70s and through the 80s, who is suffering from heart-related issues.
Smackdown tonight has Chad Gable & Otis vs. Street Profits, Kevin Owens & Big E vs. Apollo Crews & Sami Zayn and Bayley interviewing Seth Rollins. For 205 Live is Ari Sterling & Asher Hale vs. Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari and Sunil Singh vs. Grayson Walker (formerly Matty Walhberg in Australia who played Ric Flair in an episode of Young Rock).
AEW at 10 p.m. Eastern on TNT tonight:
Appearing are Don Callis, Cody Rhodes and The Pinnacle
Lance Archer vs. ?
Nyla Rose vs. Leyla Hirsch
Adam Page & 10 vs. Brian Cage & Powerhouse Hobbs
Christian Cage vs. Angelico
Miro vs. Evil Uno for TNT title
Young Bucks & Brandon Cutler vs. Penta & Pac & Eddie Kingston
Bellator tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern on Showtime:
Demarques Jackson (170) vs. Mark Lemminger (170.5)
Aaron Pico (145.75) vs. Aiden Lee (145)
Paul Daley (175) vs. Jason Jackson (175)
Douglas Lima (169.75) vs. Yaroslav Amasov (170) for the welterweight title
On paper this looks like a very exciting show with Pico, Daley and Lima all high-action fighters and Amasov as a challenger for the title comes in at 25-0.
Invicta runs an eight-woman one-night tournament for an Atomweight title shot on AXS tonight. It will also air on YouTube live:
First round matches as voted by the fans are:
Paulina Granados (105.9) vs. Marisa Messer-Belenchia (105.4)
Jillian DeCoursey (105.5) vs. Linda Mihalec (105.9)
Lindsey VanZandt (105.8) vs. Katie Perez (105.3)
Jessica Delboni (105.6) vs. Samantha Seff (105.9)
UFC 263 is tomorrow from Phoenix:
ESPN+ at 6 p.m. Eastern:
Carlos Felipe (262.5) vs. Jake Collier (264.5)
Fares Ziam (156.5) vs. Luigi Vendramini (155.5)
Chase Hooper (145.5) vs. Steven Peterson (148.5) – Peterson forfeits 20 percent of his purse for missing weight
Matt Frevola (155) vs. Terrance McKinney (155.5)
Pannie Kianzad (135.5) vs. Alexis Davis (134.5)
ESPN at 8 p.m. Eastern:
Movar Evloev (145.5) vs. Hakemm Dowodu (145.5)
Lauren Murphy (125.5) vs. Joanne Calderwood (125)
Eryk Anders (205) vs. Darren Stewart (204.5)
Drew Dober (154) vs. Brad Riddell (155)
PPV at 10 p.m. Eastern:
Paul Craig (204.5) vs. Jamahal Hill (205.5)
Demian Maia (170.5) vs. Belal Muhammad (170.5)
Leon Edwards (170.5) vs. Nate Diaz (170) in five round non-title fight
Deiveson Figueiredo (125) vs. Brandon Moreno (125) for flyweight title
Israel Adesanya (183.5) vs Marvin Vettori (184.5) for middleweight title
Lauren Murphy tweeted that everyone was told that if they so much as touch their opponent with anything more than a fist bump, handshake or high five at the ceremonial weigh-ins that they will be pulled from the show, fined and suspended. So no more pushing and shoving.
AEW in Canada tonight is on TSN 2 even though it is listed in some cable guides as WNBA Basketball in the time slot. So this could hurt ratings since the wrong show is listed.
Stardom runs Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo with a PPV show which starts at 3 a.m. tomorrow morning Eastern time. This will be the first time they’ve offered PPVs from Japan in English. You can order the show at this link.
Utami Hayahishita vs. Syuri for the Wonder of Stardom title
Cinderella tournament finals
Mayu Iwatani & Starlight Kid & Rin Kadokura & Hanan & Koguma vs. Natsuko Tora & Konami & Saki Kashima & Fukigen Death & Ruaka
Giulia & Natsupoi vs. Momo Watanabe & AZM vs. Tam Nakano & Mina Shirakawa
Himeka vs. Saya Kamitani in a Cinderella tournament semifinal
Maika vs. Unagi Sayaka in a Cinderella tournament semifinal
Rina vs. Hina vs. Lacy C
CMLL has the first of three weeks of the Torneo Increíbles de Parejas, with the idea of tag teams of guys who usually feud with each other at Arena Mexico tonight. The teams tonight are Cuatrero & Dark Panther, Hechicero & Stuka Jr., Gran Guerrero & Mistico, Cancerbero & Espiritu Negro, Atlantis & Negro Casas, Volador Jr. & Templario, Titan & Dragon Rojo Jr. and Valiente & Gemelo Diablo I.
New Japan Strong at 10 p.m. tonight on New Japan World:
Jordan Clearwater & Misterioso vs. Fred Yehi & Wheeler Yuta
Alex Coughlin vs. Hikuleo
Rocky Romero & Lio Rush vs. The DKC & Clark Connors
Impact Against All Odds takes place tomorrow night on Impact+ and FITE TV with Kenny Omega vs. Moose for the Impact title as the main event plus Deonna Purrazzo vs. Rosemary for the Knockouts title.
PWInsider reported Ronda Rousey was filming and hosting episodes of the ESPN+ show “Peyton’s Place” at the 2300 Arena with Paul Heyman and Devon Dudley talking about ECW history.
WWE
Even though the A&E Biography series on WWE has concluded the Most Wanted Treasures show will air this weekend but a two-hour show at 8 p.m. featuring two AEW names, Mark Henry and Paul Wight, with the idea that they are looking for Andre the Giant items.
PWInsider reported that Shawn Daivari has been hired by WWE as a producer. He had worked this past week with Billy Corgan’s NWA as a producer and formerly held the job with WWE prior to the pandemic cuts.
Cesaro talked to the Hindustan Times where he said that while there are guys who can lift heavier weights in the gym than he can, that he is the strongest guy in WWE when it comes to strength inside the ring. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
Steve Austin will be doing a signing with Highspots and American Icon Autographs the first week of August in California.
The Milwaukee Brewers announced a WWE Night for their 9/25 game against the New York Met. Fans attending will get a Bob Uecker Bobblehead. Uecker was a mediocre player who became famous for being a funny announcer, and has a wrestling tie-in since he announced at WrestleMania III and was put in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.
AEW
Taz underwent undisclosed surgery earlier today.
OTHER NOTES
ROH TV this weekend has Tracy Williams & Rhett Titus defending the tag titles against Dragon Lee & Kenny King.
United Wrestling Coalition on Saturday in Wrightstown, NJ at Kelly’s Bar with shows at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. outdoors.
CWE returns to Saskatchewan for the first time in 17 months with shows on 7/21 in Prince Albert, SK, 7/22 in Saskatoon, 7/23 in Regina and 7/24 in Weyburn.
Innovate Wrestling Fire on the Mountain on 8/14 in Kingsport, TN at the Civic Auditorium.
Showtime will be airing the Floyd Mayweather vs. Jake Paul exhibition fight tomorrow night.
AAW tonight on Fite TV from 115 Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park, IL is headlined by Mance Warner vs. Jake Something for the AAW title and Kris Statlander vs. The Hyan for the women’s title. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. AAW also has announced they return to the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago on 9/2 and that the Jim Lyman Memorial tournament will be 10/29 and 10/30.
AIW on 6/18 in Cleveland at the Odeon Concert Club with Matt Cardona, Brian Myers, Mark Sterling and Swoggle.
Pro Wrestling Phoenix tonight in Omaha, NE at the Waiting Room Lounge.
DAZN and Matchroom have signed a deal where they will air a series of boxing shows live from Mexico with Canelo Promotions, with the first show on 6/26 from Guadalajara.
Pro Wrestling Australia on Sunday has a live show on FITE with Aussie Open vs. Robbie Eagles & Mat Diamond and PWWA champion Jessica Troy against Sam Osborne.
Aramis defends his Warrior Wrestling Lucha title on 7/17 in Chicago Heights, IL against Daga, his trainer, plus Lance Archer vs. Robert Ego Anthony managed by Frank the Clown. Those under 16 are admitted free.
The highly-anticipated return of Nate Diaz is being pushed back a month.
Due to an undisclosed minor injury, the Diaz vs. Leon Edwards co-main event for this Saturday’s UFC 262 has been pushed back to June 12th’s UFC 263. The fight was to be a five round affair, but it’s unknown if that will still be the case next month.
UFC 263, set for Glendale, Arizona, is headlined by middleweight Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori II and flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno II.
This was to be Diaz’s first fight since losing to Jorge Masvidal for the ceremonial BMF title at November 2019’s UFC 244. He has two fights remaining on his contract. Edwards returned after nearly 18 months of inactivity and had a short no contest with Belal Muhammad in March after he accidentally eye-poked Muhammad.
This Saturday’s main event is Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler for the vacant lightweight title. It’s assumed Tony Ferguson vs. Beneil Dariush will be the new co-main event.
The UFC will look to keep their pay-per-view hot streak going as they announced UFC 263, set for Saturday, June 15th in Glendale, Arizona.
The Gila River Arena show will feature two title fights as Israel Adesanya will look to defend his middleweight title against Marvin Vettori while flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo will once again battle Brandon Moreno.
The former is a rematch of an April 2018 fight Adesanya won by split decision in just his second Octagon encounter. He’ll be looking for the third defense of his middleweight title and is coming off his first professional MMA defeat at the hands of light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in March. Vettori rides into the fight on a five-fight win streak with his last loss being the Adesanya fight.
The co-main event is a rematch of a 2020 fight of the year candidate that ended in a majority draw. Both Figueiredo and Moreno were signed for the fight in a record turnaround time as both picked up quick wins at November’s UFC 255 and were called into action several weeks later for December’s UFC 256. The fight was among the year’s best which raises the stakes for the rematch.
The rest of the main card will feature former middleweight title challenger Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad; Paul Craig vs. Jamahal Hill, and Drew Dober vs. Brad Riddell.
Tickets will go on sale in mid-May, but it’s unknown if the arena will be at full capacity at that point. As of now, they require masks to be worn by attendees, social distancing, and “capacity reduction” according to their website. UFC has been on a roll with selling out Jacksonville, Florida; Houston, Texas; and Las Vegas, Nevada, with the three PPVs they gave put on sale in recent months.
