UFC Fight Night 243: The Road to Glory Begins

As we’re already used to, UFC has prepared a slew of events for this summer. Just one of many that stand out is UFC Fight Night 243. Las Vegas is once again going to be the host to a night of fighting in the organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. UFC Apex facility knows how to handle events of this kind regardless of the size and you better gear up for a festival of mixed martial arts. If you want to schedule your chores around this event you need to know that it will be held at UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada on the 24th of August. 

With UFC 304 just around the corner and UFC 305 following shortly after, the eyes of the fighting world are not yet set on UFC Fight Night 243.  Soon, the attention will shift toward Las Vegas as this event promises a lot of fun. The names on the card are not world beaters but they sure aspire to become that. This is a great opportunity to make your early UFC picks and maybe recognize a future champion in the making.  Without further ado, let us take a look at the fight card designed for the UFC Fight Night 243. 

Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert

This duel is dubbed to be the main event at the UFC Fight Night 243. Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert has all the makings of a good fight and we can only hope that they will meet expectations at the UFC Vegas 96 which is what Fight Night 243 is also called. The three-round festival of fists is confirmed by both fighters and if you’re a fan of fighters on the rise you shouldn’t miss this bout. Edmen Shahbazyan is one of those guys who attracted the attention of the folks from the UFC by being undefeated in his professional career (7-0). Since joining UFC his luck has been mixed and he holds a 6-4 score in the company. Hot hands are his main treat because when he’s on the run he can’t be stopped. His UFC career started with three wins before he lived through a slump with three straight defeats. Since those three losses, he changed gyms and is now on a 2-1 run. His latest bout was back in March when he won against AJ Dobson. 

Meerschaert couldn’t be more different than Edmen. An experienced fighter with 36 career wins and 17 losses. A proud fighter with a sublime touch for submissions he managed to win 20 wins during his tenure at the UFC. He is a fighter that has nothing left to prove and the only way for him from this point of view is up. When it comes to the middleweight division, rare are those fighters who are more experienced than him. With 10 of his wins coming by the way of submissions, Edmen knows from where the danger is coming. In recent years Gerald was a pillar of old-school UFC standing in the way of many aspiring fighters in the company. Because of the positions of both fighters Edmen Shahbazyan is seen as a clear-cut favorite and bookies see him as one of the must-have UFC picks on upcoming fights. 

Roman Kopylov vs. Brunno Ferreira

While not a main event at the UFC Vegas 96 the Roman Kopylov vs. Brunno Ferreira duel can be seen as the co-main event at the UFC Apex on Aug. 24th. The Middleweight division is going to be a lot of fun in the future and it’s all thanks to the guys such as Roman and Brunno. Both men are basing their fighting styles on quick exchange of hits and fluid octagon movement, which is a recipe for an interesting match. 

While fans of both fighters will enjoy this duel, at the moment Roman Kopylov is seen as a favorite. He turned the eyes of the MMA world unto himself after he defeated Cesar Almeida at UFC 302 ending his undefeated run and bringing his professional tally to 13-3. Roman, who entered the world of UFC five years ago, started his adventure slowly with two defeats. What followed was a resurrection and he now has five wins in the last six matches. Kopylov, a heavy-hitter, with an eye for a KO, ended all of his fights minus one via knockout. 

Across him, from the opposite angle, there will be an aspiring fighter in Brunno Almeida. UFC was kind to him and since going pro in this company he holds a record of 3-1. Professionally, he is currently at 12 wins with only one professional defeat. Also, here we have another excellent finisher, so hearing the ring bell after three rounds will be nothing short of a miracle. The thorn in his skin is Nursulton Ruziboev who gave Almeida his only professional defeat back in 2022. Those who failed to stand up to him in the remaining three UFC bouts are Gregory Rodrigues, Phil Hawes, and Dustin Stoltzfus. It is a shame that one of Kopylov and Almeida will have to lose the match, but that’s a reason to look forward to this duel. 

Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci

UFC is home to some of the most attractive fighters in the world and more than a few of them are ladies. Usually, strawweight doesn’t attract too many fans but that will change with Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci’s duel. UFC Apex will witness a classic between Ricci and Hill and it will be a fight for the ages. Both fighters made it clear that they’re in and are fully committed to UFC Fight Night 243. 

On one side of the octagon, we have the duality of Angela Hill. She is a fighter who either wins dominantly or loses carelessly. Her 17-13 score is a proof of this. In her last two matches, he took the crown from Luana Pinheiro and Denise Gomes and lost to Mackenzie Dern in the match before these two bouts. Right now, the rankings have her at the spot #9 in the strawweight division but that number doesn’t show the full picture. When it comes to UFC and this division no other fighter has more duels than her nor more wins. 

Tabatha Ricci is a player with different aspirations. She’s new to the world of UFC and currently holds a 5-2 record. During her professional career, she amassed 10 wins paired with those two defeats. Right now, she holds the #11 spot in the rankings but is on the rise. She’s been in the UFC since 2021 and after a win against Tecia Pennington in May we can say that she’s here to stay. Old school representative in Angela Hill against a new and upcoming star in Tabatha Ricci has all the makings of a future classic and we can’t wait enough to see those two square off in the octagon. 

José Medina vs. Zachary Reese

According to the latest UFC betting markets, we are looking at two fine prospects who will soon become household names in the world of MMA. We are convinced of this, as both men show the much-needed eagerness to win and are on a good trajectory early in their careers. For one, Zachary Reese currently stands at 7 wins and 1 loss in his professional career. His opponent for the night is going to be Jose Medina who is also quite an impressive fighter with an 11-3 score. If you plan to watch UFC Fight Night 243 in Las Vegas make sure this bout is on your schedule. 

Reese is entering this bout full of confidence after beating the veteran of the game, Julian Marquez in just twenty seconds during their UFC on ESPN 57 bout in Louisville. Last year, in December Reese suffered his first professional defeat and the fighter nicknamed Savage was on the ropes. Now, he’s back again and more than eager to continue to prove himself in the UFC. 

His opponent, Medina, is coming off a hard defeat at the hands of Magomed Gadzhiyasulov which occurred last year in October. Now, almost one year later, he’s more than eager to get back to winning ways and impress the UFC overlord, Dana White. This outcome might be on the card, because before his loss during the Contender Series he was on a six-win streak, and even closed out 10 out of his last 11 duels. When you take a look at what these two men are capable of doing in the octagon you get the idea of what awaits you during UFC Vegas 96.

Michael Morales vs. Neil Magny

Many fans of the game argue that MMA is best experienced in the welterweight division. UFC already has plenty to offer in this category and with the rise of the likes of Michael Morales the situation only appears to be brighter than ever. At the moment, the Ecuadorian prodigy is one of the rare undefeated fighters in the UFC. He plans to leave it once his bout against Neil Magny at UFC Fight Night 243 is over. 

While not one of the main events at the UFC Apex on August 24th, when it’s all said and done, we are sure it will be the most talked about nonetheless. If you want to bet on UFC and MMA you should know that Morales is favored to win this one by a wide margin. His 16-0 record looks impeccable and we’re sure he will continue similarly.  In the UFC he has 4 wins with his most recent bout being a duel against Jack Matthews last year in November. In recent months he was resting and healing, but in one month, he’ll be gearing up to tear it up against Magny. 

Despite an impressive career so far, Morales won’t be having it easy against Neil Magny. Neil has plenty of experience and 40 battles under his belt. At the moment he is seen as one of the fighters who will always be put in front of younglings as a test of their maturity. We also shouldn’t neglect that he’s entering this bout on the wings of an impressive TKO win against Mike Malott in January. He will be looking to continue his positive streak, but the reins of this chariot will certainly be in the hands of Michael Morales if we’re to believe betting outlets such as Stake. 

Dennis Buzukja vs. Danny Silva

While only a preliminary bout, Dennis Buzukja vs. Danny Silva promises a lot to all fans of MMA. UFC Fight Night 243 in Las Vegas is a great opportunity for new and upcoming fighters such as Dennis and Danny. Both offer those of mystery to new fighters where you don’t know what to expect. Because of this, we can’t single out the favorite to win this one. So far, their careers have been going in similar directions. 

Buzukja has 16 pro fights to his name and he won 12 of those. Connor Matthews was his latest victim and he fell via TKO. In his last five bouts, Dennis has three wins and he will be looking to make it four out of six in one month. Danny Silva started his career a little bit more impressively, and he has 9 wins with only one defeat which came against Canaan Kawaihae. UFC likes these new and exciting battlers who still have plenty to prove and this matchup appears to be ideal for both men. Silva will be looking to continue his hot streak that saw him win all three of his last bouts. Will he manage to do it? Tune in to UFC Vegas 96 and find out. 

Summary

UFC plans to hold all fans hostage with the number of events it has scheduled in the coming weeks and months. UFC Fight Night 243 will be a nice opportunity for a few young and upcoming fighters to make a name for themselves and for a few experienced lads to hold their ground at the sight of young guns of MMA fighters.