Gian Villante To Face Ben Rothwell In Heavyweight Bout on UFC 249 Card

Fighting at the 265 pound weight class for the first time since 2011, Gian Villante will face Ben Rothwell at UFC 249, on April 18th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Broken by Mark La Monica of Newsday, it was revealed on Monday night that the matchup would be added to the undercard of the pay-per-view event.

Villante’s sole fight last year was a first-round loss to Michael Oleksiejczuk. The UFC veteran has a 7-8 record in the promotion, with his longest winning streak being two-fights long.

Rothwell recently got out of his three-fight losing streak, prevailing over Stefan Struve in December with a second-round finish.

Currently set to main event the card is Khabib Nurmagomedov defending his UFC Lightweight Championship against Tony Ferguson, a fight which has been sought after for years.

Here’s the full card for UFC 249 so far:

Bout 1: Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0) vs. Tony Ferguson (25-3) (UFC Lightweight Championship)

Bout 2: Jacare Souza (26-8) vs. Uriah Hall (15-9) (Middleweight)

Bout 3: Jessica Andrade (20-7) vs. Rose Namajunas (8-4) (Strawweight)

Bout 4: Ben Rothwell (37-12) vs. Gian Villante (17-11) (Heavyweight)

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson Set For April 18

After reports surfaced earlier this week of a clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, it was confirmed on Friday night. The meeting between the fighters will take place on April 18th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN, it was made official last night that Nurmagomedov would defend his UFC Lightweight Championship against Ferguson. The report details a meeting between Ferguson’s team and the UFC yesterday, where they signed the contract for the fight.

Nurmagomedov’s side signed off on the fight earlier in the week, as his manager Ali Abdelaziz tweeted a photo of the contract.

Nurmagomedov has held the UFC’s Lightweight Championship since early 2018, defeating Al Iaquinta to get the vacant belt. Since then he has bested Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.

Ferguson currently carries a 12-fight winning streak, recently prevailing over Donald Cerrone in June.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson In The Works For April

The highly anticipated matchup between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson could happen on April 18th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, USA, sources say.

First reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN and further backed up by Damon Martin at MMAFighting, it has been reported that the two lightweights will headline a card on that date. An official announcement by the UFC has yet to be made.

On Monday, Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz tweeted a photo of a contract, saying “The champ signed his bout agreement against Tony Ferguson.”

Ferguson and Nurmagomedov were first supposed to face off at UFC 223, although a torn knee ligament for Ferguson soiled the plans.

He returned from his injury in late 2018, defeating Anthony Pettis on UFC 229, a card which Nurmagomedov headlined against Conor McGregor.

Nurmagomedov made his second defence of his UFC Lightweight Championship in September, defeating Dustin Poirier with a third-round rear naked choke.

Ferguson is riding a 12-fight winning streak that dates back to 2013. Most recently, he prevailed over Donald Cerrone after a doctor’s stoppage before round three.

Deontay Wilder KOs Dominic Breazeale In One Round

The “Bronze Bomber” Deontay Wilder made his return to the win column on Saturday, getting a first round KO victory over Dominic Breazeale, retaining his WBC Heavyweight Championship in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. The win came after the Heavyweight Champion’s draw against Tyson Fury back in December, the first time Wilder saw a result that wasn’t a victory, and only the second time he finished a fight without a stoppage.

The victory came in the third minute of the initial round. After the referee separated the two fighters from a clinch, Wilder stuck out his left arm and then came around with a right hook that dropped Breazeale. He did not answer to the 10 count, making the referee end the contest.

People wonder what’s next for Wilder as the Heavyweight division is still divided. Anthony Joshua, the WBO, IBF, WBA and IBO Heavyweight Champion is set to take on Andy Ruiz Jr. on June 1st, putting all four belts on the line in his American debut at Madison Square Garden. Lineal champion Tyson Fury will have to defeat Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas on June 15th before he can try for a rematch. The heavyweight division has the potential for a superfight on the horizon, but whether that may actually happen won’t be found out for a little more time.