Everybody wants to s—t on Pat Barry – Rose Namajunas explains missing coach at UFC Paris

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• Ex-UFC champ Rose Namajunas explains Trevor Wittman’s absence
• Trevor Wittman’s ONX Sports brand
• Join the new Bloody Elbow

There’s a strong argument that the most important fight at UFC Paris this last weekend didn’t take place in the evening’s main event. Before Ciryl Gane and Sergey Spivac battled it out in front of a roaring crowd, Rose Namajunas stepped into the Octagon against potential flyweight title challenger Manon Fiorot.

Fresh off her strawweight championship loss to Carla Esparza, and with a long career of battling for UFC gold already under her belt, Rose Namajunas made her debut in a whole new weight class this last Saturday—with the likelihood that a victory would see her in title contention once again. For such a high-stakes fight, however, there was a notable absence in the corner of ‘Thug Rose.’

Ex-UFC champ Rose Namajunas explains Trevor Wittman’s absence

When Rose Namajunas entered the cage on September 2nd at the Accor Arena, she did so without a foundational piece of her MMA career. Coach Trevor Wittman has been a constant force for the Milwaukee native, having cornered her in every single fight of her run in the UFC. From her debut at the Ultimate Fighter Season 20 Finale in 2014, all the way through her title fights against Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Jessica Andrade, and Weili Zhang, Trevor Wittman and Rose Namajunas have been an inseparable pair.

So where was the famed trainer last weekend in Paris? In a recent video uploaded to her social media, Rose Namajunas gave something of an explanation. By her account, it seems she didn’t want to take any focus away from Wittman’s work with Justin Gaethje ahead of Gaethje’s recent clash for the BMF title.

“And so, of course, because everybody wants to shit on Pat [Barry], and just makes assumptions, because that’s the way things are no matter what,” Rose Namajunas stated, responding to a question about why Wittman wasn’t in her corner, “people are just going to assume that, ‘Oh, he’s the reason why [Wittman] wasn’t in my corner.’ That has nothing to do with Pat, that has everything to do with me and [Justin] Gaethje, and him having a fight—with the BMF and all that stuff. And I did not want to interfere and I stayed back.

“There’s more to it than that,” she added. “But, for the most part that’s all that I think I wanna say about that. Because I think our relationships are very—you know, we’re very close people, and that’s nobody’s business, you know what I mean? And so everybody makes it their business.

“But, I understand that people are wondering. And obviously, I love Trevor.”

Rose Namajunas talks about the absence of Trevor Wittman at UFC Paris and reveals he wasn’t in her corner pic.twitter.com/qxLKMpCyPS

— MMA Mania (@mmamania) September 4, 2023

“The timing for this fight, when I got offered this fight, just so happened to be in the middle of his training camp,” Rose Namajunas continued. “And, the state of mind that I was in, I couldn’t bring that around him. And the fact that I could contribute to [Gaethje] not doing well has not sit right with me since that Carla [Esparza] fight. So, I took it upon myself to stay back.

“And it just so happens also, after Gaethje’s fight, Trevor—he does not have a gym right now. He’s moving his gym to a different location. So, there wouldn’t even be a place to train anyways.

“And, after a fight like that—most of y’all wouldn’t know—but that’s a super high of a high that nobody knows what that’s like. And to come down from that? That’s like, ‘Dude, I’m not gonna bother anybody with my little side mission right now.’ Of course, when things are a little calmer and when there’s a gym to train at—and when the dust has settled and my mind is a little bit better—yes, we’re all going to reunite and stuff like that.”

Trevor Wittman’s ONX Sports brand

Originally hoping to be a professional boxer, Wittman had to step away from competition early on in his career due to lung problems. After opening T’s K.O. Fight Club boxing gym back in 1998, Wittman eventually opened the much larger and more broadly focused Grudge Training Center in 2009. That facility played home to not just Justin Gaethje and Rose Namajunas, but also the likes of Shane Carwin, Nate Marquardt, Brandon Thatch, and a large number of other elite level MMA fighters.

However, just seven years later, Wittman closed down the facility to focus more of his time on his ONX combat sports equipment company. A company that most notably included a redesign of the classic MMA gloves. Something that the UFC (and most notably broadcast team member Joe Rogan) have been searching out for years.

“Trevor [Whitman] makes the best fuckin’ equipment,” Rogan explained in a 2022 podcast episode. “His MMA gloves should adopted by all organizations. The fact that the UFC and him haven’t come to some sort of an agreement doesn’t make any sense to me.

“Because the UFC gloves that they use are so inferior to the gloves that Trevor makes. Those ONX MMA gloves—I think we would have less eye pokes because they make your hand curve—forces your hand to curve. I think we’d have less hand breaks because I think it offers better support for your hands.”

Apparently the UFC and Wittman have failed to reach any sort of deal on making his gloves a part of the promotion’s uniform, because Wittman wants to retain the rights to the design and technology involved, an idea that Dana White & Co aren’t willing to entertain and which neither side seems willing to budge on. As for coaching? Wittman still works with a few core students, Rose Namajunas among them. But if her explanation is any indication his training time is currently at a premium.

UFC headliner gets robbed

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• UFC headliner Ciryl Gane victim of fight night robbery
• What’s next for Ciryl Gane?
• Join the new Bloody Elbow

One of the most unfortunate parts of gaining celebrity status is the target it paints on a person’s back for con men, grifters, and plain old-fashioned thieves. Whether it’s athletes, musicians, or actors, celebrities tend to have money and the kinds of luxury goods than money can buy.

That’s an unfortunate reality that recent UFC headliner Ciryl Gane appears to have experienced, with reports that while the heavyweight top contender was busy busting up Sergey Spivac in the Octagon this past Saturday criminals were breaking in to his Paris apartment.

UFC headliner Ciryl Gane victim of fight night robbery

The second ever event in France for the world’s largest MMA promotion provided a perfect platform for ‘Bon Gamin’ to return to his winning ways. Following a shockingly one-sided defeat at the hands of Jon Jones back in March, MMA Factory star Ciryl Gane returned to action for the first time on September 2nd, dishing out one-and-a-half rounds of punishment to keep his name firmly among the ranks of future title challengers.

At the same time, Le Parisien reports that Gane’s apartment in the Nogent-sur-Marne neighborhood of Paris was getting ransacked by thieves who clearly must have had the UFC fighter’s schedule scoped out in advance. According to police reports, the criminals made off with more than €150,000 in property, made up mostly by the theft of a Rolex watch and “various jewels.” Access to the apartment was gained by forcing the front door.

At this time, no arrests have been made. However a source close to the investigation reports that “it is possible that the thugs have carried out scouting or that someone from the sportsman’s entourage has informed them about his schedule.” The report also states that police found possible evidence connected to the burglars at the scene of the crime.

We may not know exactly what Gane made from his UFC fight purse—his last publicly disclosed payday was $500k for his title challenge against Francis Ngannou at UFC 270—but we do know that the 33-year-old Frenchman walked away from the night with an extra $50k in his pocket. Not enough by itself to replace his stolen goods, but hopefully those were insured.

What’s next for Ciryl Gane?

After Ciryl Gane’s victory, the heavyweight was asked about the possibility of fighting Tom Aspinall, who had called for the winner of this bout, and was seated Octagon side for the occasion. Gane wasn’t exactly evasive in his answer, but made it clear that he’s more focused on getting a title shot than matching up against other contenders.

“No matter where, no matter who, I just want to go back to the belt,” Gane stated flatly during his post-fight press conference.

At the moment, the title is set to be on the line for UFC 295 on November 11th at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. There Jon Jones will defend his belt against former multiple time champion Stipe Miocic. What will be next for the belt once that fight is in the books very much remains to be seen.

UFC Paris: Gane vs. Spivac – Fights to make

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• UFC Paris: Fights to Make
  • Ciryl Gane
  • Sergey Spivac
  • Manon Fiorot
  • Benoit Saint-Denis
  • Volkan Oezdemir
  • Farid Basharat
• Join the new Bloody Elbow

UFC Paris wasn’t all that special an event when it came to actual in-cage performances. Ciryl Gane got an easy-breezy win in the main event; Manon Fiorot scraped by a one-handed Rose Namajunas; and Benoit Saint-Denis looked every part of a future top-10 lightweight against Thiago Moises. But what made it something more was an electric crowd with lots of home-grown talent to root for and the joys of a morning fight card for US fans.

So, is there any other fight out there other than Tom Aspinall for Gane? Is there a better argument for Manon Fiorot as a title challenger than Erin Blanchfield? And is Benoit Saint-Denis really going to get a ranked lightweight next time out?

To answer those questions—but not much else—I’ll be using the classic Silva/Shelby fight booking methodology from the UFC of years past. That means pitting winners against winners, losers against losers, and similarly tenured talent up against one another. Hopefully, by following that model, a few of these bout ideas will actually make it off the page and into the Octagon. Now, let’s get to the fights!

UFC Paris: Fights to Make

CIRYL GANE

Ciryl Gane delivered a great reminder on Saturday, that while his wrestling and grappling skills may not be at an elite level in comparison to the likes of Jon Jones, they’re still plenty good enough to stay ahead of most other heavyweights. Sergey Spivac likely waited too long and through too many low kicks before getting in on his first takedown, but he had some good chances to take Gane to the mat and couldn’t get anywhere close.

Otherwise, on the feet, Gane reasserted why he’s such a difficult task for many heavyweights to handle. Namely, he’s still one of the best fighters in the division at maintaining his range and at picking multiple targets to attack. Gane did well to chop the legs, and jab up top to stop Spivac from pressuring. The moment Spivac took to the back foot instead, Gane started crushing him to the body to force his hands away from his head. The end result was a thoroughly one-sided thrashing.

There may not be any clear path to a Jon Jones rematch as a result, but there’s also a lot of reason to wonder if Jones is even going to keep fighting long term. Gane is still very much primed as a top contender for some future version of the heavyweight title. And while he didn’t jump on the idea after his UFC Paris win, the most likely path to keeping that spot will be a fight with top rising newcomer Tom Aspinall.

A must-see striker vs. striker battle. – Scott Garfitt IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

Otherwise, I have to assume that Sergei Pavlovich is getting the next title shot, whether that’s for a vacant belt or against the Jones/Miocic winner. That leaves the upcoming bout between Curtis Blaydes & Jailton Almeida as the division’s other top fight. While that winner would unquestionably be an interesting test for ‘Bon Gamin’ no matter who wins, it’s not nearly as thrilling as the Aspinall matchup. Ciryl Gane vs. Tom Aspinall seems too easy a good fight to ignore.

SERGEY SPIVAC

I don’t know if it’s for better or worse that this was the fight I expected from Sergey Spivac against Ciryl Gane. On the one hand, he certainly didn’t exceed any expectations. But, I’d also argue he didn’t really fail many either. Spivac has never really, truly had a functional striking game, he’s never been one of the division’s most durable fighters, and he’s only rarely been a real lockdown wrestler. His great assets have been his top control grappling and his cardio. Once he could find an easy way to get Gane to the mat, things turned to one-way traffic in a hurry.

One of these two needs to show something extra. – Ron Chenoy IMAGO/USA Today

Fortunately for the ‘Polar Bear’ however, there are plenty of heavyweights out there still who don’t have the quickness or technique to stop Spivac from dragging them to the mats. There’s no reason he can’t keep being a competitive top-10 fighter. Bouts against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexander Romanov, Marcos Rogerio de Lima, or even a rematch with Marcin Tybura would all be worthwhile bookings. If the UFC really believes that Spivac should be part of the top 5 they could put him in against the loser of Almeida vs. Blaydes.

I think the Romanov fight makes the most sense. Two men working one-dimensional games who need to find more tools if they’re ever going to make a title run. Romanov vs. Spivac is a strong wrestler/grappler battle.

MANON FIOROT

Beating Rose Namajunas is nothing to be sneezed at, but this fight could have been a much more definitive declaration of Manon Fiorot’s position as the no. 1 contender. It was pretty clear that ‘Thug’ Rose broke her finger on her right hand early on, and spent most of the fight working solely off her left. But even with that obvious handicap she managed to win the 3rd round with a tiring/coasting Fiorot. The Frenchwoman is mostly just lucky that Erin Blanchfield didn’t look any more dominant, herself, last time out—so neither woman is really the fighter to compete for gold next time out.

Champ’s gonna need a new contender soon. – Louis Grasse IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

Ideally it seems like the fight to make, then, would be Blanchfield vs. Fiorot. See if one of these women can’t make themselves look like one of the best in the world against the other. Realistically, however, with a title fight just around the corner, we’re going to need someone to fight for the belt in the next 6 months. My gut says Fiorot will get the chance. Manon Fiorot vs. the Shevchenko/Grasso 2 winner seems likely.

BENOIT SAINT-DENIS

Exactly the kind of fight Benoit Saint-Denis needed to take to an opponent like Thiago Moises. The Brazilian’s willingness to fight off the back foot and look for counters or to try and win out scrambles on the mat meant that Saint-Denis would always get a lot of chances to initiate his own game if he was willing to stay on aggressive and keep the offensive output high. That’s exactly what he did, with a nice steady diet of brawling punches and smothering wrestling, to sap Moises’ will and get the TKO.

After the fight he called for the loser (???) of Mateusz Gamrot vs. Rafael Fiziev, which is very practical—but also kind of lame. Why would a fighter want to set themselves up to take on someone riding a potentially crushing loss? Who knows what frame of fitness—mentally or physically—someone’s going to be in after a defeat. It especially seems nonsensical given how many top 15 lightweights there are out there right now, coming off wins, without a next fight booked.

Matchups with L’udovit Klein, Joel Alvarez, or even Grant Dawson, Renato Moicano, Matt Frevola, or Dan Hooker all seem more reasonable. Hell even Carlos Diego Ferreira has a ranking over Benoit Saint-Denis. That really needs to change. Carlos Diego Ferreira vs. Benoit Saint-Denis is a great fight to get a number next to the Frenchman’s name, and set him up for bigger fights.

VOLKAN OEZDEMIR

Something of a ‘must win’ spot for ‘No Time.’ Oezdemir had a seriously tough challenge in front of him with Azamat Murzakanov, but when Murzakanov had to step out due to injury, the 33-year-old got a pretty one-dimensional newcomer in Bogdan Guskov. Guskov looked dangerous for a minute or two trading punches, but once Oezdemir started throwing in some takedowns and getting the Uzbek fighter to think about more than just hands, the Kill Cliff talent started lighting him up everywhere. The finish wasn’t far behind.

That should put Oezdemir back in the path of a top 15 light heavyweight. And if that’s the case, then re-booking Murzakanov wouldn’t be the worst idea. But fights with Dustin Jacoby, Alonzo Menifield, Khalil Rountree, or even an Anthony Smith rematch wouldn’t be a bad idea. Part of me thinks that this would be a good opportunity for Jacoby, just because I can’t think of another great fight for the American, but the reality is that Oezdemir vs. Rountree is just a much much cooler fight. The UFC should make it happen.

FARID BASHARAT

An absolutely overwhelming performance from Farid Basharat. Kleydson Rodrigues has some serious speed and power, but he was far too willing to let Basharat in on his legs. The more time ‘Ferocious’ had to work there, the more likely he was going to drag the Brazilian into scrambles where his superior technique would win out. That arm triangle he hit to finish the fight was a real thing of beauty. Pure power and pressure with no time at all to fight it off.

The UFC usually likes to protect their TUF winners a bit, but with Brad Katona being in his second stint with the promotion now, I would love to see him take on someone like Basharat. Otherwise, if he wants a really big step up, there’s opponents like Mario Bautista and Kyler Phillips. I’ll stick with Katona vs. Basharat. A solid challenge for both men to see if they can capitalize on high expectations.

Rose Namajunas is taking a big risk tonight at UFC Paris

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• Rose Namajunas’ struggle with motivation
• Rose Namajunas wants to bring excitement back
• Erin Blanchfield has gut feeling Rose Namajunas will lose
• Join the new Bloody Elbow

In a lot of ways, it could be argued that Rose Namajunas is the only really suitable title challenger in the strawweight division right at this exact moment. Her other principal competition can’t come close to matching her resume at the highest level, even if Tatiana Suarez seems like she’s rolling toward her first UFC title shot in a hurry, and Yan Xiaonan is currently in her fighting prime.

With just an 11-5 record in MMA, it’s not the numbers that make the case for ‘Thug Rose,’ rather it’s the history of high profile performance. In her near decade of time in the UFC, Namajunas has lost just four fights, three of those have been for UFC gold—her only other loss a scrappy and well contested split decision to future title contender Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

She has multiple wins over strawweight’s first historically great champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, as well as victories over former champion Jessica Andrade and, most importantly, back-to-back wins over current champion Weili Zhang. With Zhang once against holding gold, after losing her title to Namajunas, it seems only right that the Trevor Wittman disciple be at the front of the line for next contenders.

Rose Namajunas’ struggle with motivation

Having had two stints as champion already under her belt, however, it’s become clear (at least from the outside) that the accolades in MMA don’t hold as much meaning as fans might expect for Rose Namajunas. When she lost her belt in a terrible showing against Carla Esparza, her post fight statements seemed like more of a shrug than a lament.

“I definitely got what I needed out of that fight,” Namajunas explained in an interview at the time. “I know that for the fans it was terrible. And I definitely pride myself on being a very exciting fighter and I’ve always had exciting fights. But I realized that being a mixed martial artist, I am an artist. And, you know, you don’t always have a Mona Lisa, right, sometimes you just have like splotches and you know abstract art pieces.”

If that doesn’t sound like the voice of a fighter filled with competitive fire to win, then the necessity to find that fire might better explain why Namajunas is making a move to flyweight that, by all appearances she doesn’t need to make.

“Weili’s the champ now, so what, I fight her a third time? I don’t know, it’s just not every interesting,” Namajunas told MMA Fighting back in August. “I’ve already fought Andrade and this and that and now she’s gone back down… Weili’s the champ, so then I could just beat her again, but I don’t know, to me it’s more than that. I want something that scares me.

“I want to face my fears. It’s just always been a part of the plan and yeah, I could keep doing the same old thing, but as soon as this game gets redundant, I can get bored really quick and that’s not good for nobody. So I need to keep it fresh and interesting.”

Rose Namajunas wants to bring excitement back

Hopefully that new found potential for fear and challenge brings back the kind of performances that first made Rose Namajunas a star. The 31-year-old first rose to prominence way back in 2014, with a string of submission victories on the Ultimate Fighter. Coupled with a slow and steadily built reputation as one of the best boxers at 115 lbs in MMA, the result across her career has been that of a fighter capable of finishing opponents at any given moment.

That kind of reputation is what made her fight against Esparza so ridiculously frustrating. The two women, locked largely in a battle of distance striking that should have heavily favored Namajunas, spent the majority of the bout in a high stakes staring contest—with the Wisconsin native landing just 38 of her attempted 137 strikes over five rounds.

Fans could argue that she didn’t technically deserve to lose the fight, but from a performance aspect it certainly wasn’t a winning effort. Speaking recently to the NY Post, Namajunas explained the lessons shes taken from the loss. Most notably that professional fighting is supposed to be entertaining.

“It is part of my job,” Namajunas said, with respect to being an entertainer. “I’m not gonna take for granted that I have a special gift in that that’s what people watch me for. I want to give a little more appreciation to that and not just be like, ‘Screw you guys.’”

Between moving up in weight, trying to reignite her passion for fighting with aggression, and knowing that she needs to entertain as well, it’s a combination of factors that seems primed to put a lot of pressure heading into UFC Paris. Never mind the fact that she’s also got a dangerous opponent to beat.

Erin Blanchfield has gut feeling Rose Namajunas will lose

Maybe some of those factors were playing a part in Erin Blanchfield’s mind when she recently gave her thoughts about Rose Namajunas’ upcoming battle with Manon Fiorot. The New Jersey Native has found herself among the top contenders at flyweight, coming off her latest victory over former title contender Taila Santos at UFC Singapore this last weekend.

In a recent post-fight interview (transcribed by MMA Fighting) she spoke about why she feels she’s already the surefire contender for the belt, as well as why she doesn’t feel like Namajunas will walk away from this weekend’s contest with a victory. While other factors could be at play, it seems ‘Cold Blooded’ is mostly counting on the size factor.

“This definitely can make me the No. 1 contender for the title shot next,” Blanchfield explained, speaking of her victory over Santos. “I know Manon [Fiorot] and Rose [Namajunas] are fighting as well. But you know, Taila, people arguably thought she won that fight against Valentina [Shevchenko], and Rose and Manon, neither of them ever fought Valentina.

“Rose is new to the division, so I feel like this is my sixth win at flyweight and my last win was against a former champ, and this one was against someone who almost beat the champ, so I feel like I’m definitely next in line.”

“I have a feeling Manon’s going to win,” she added, when asked about the potential outcome of Namajunas vs. Fiorot. “She’s just a little bit bigger girl. I think Rose is a great fighter and you never know, either girl can win, but if I had a pick, I’d pick Manon.”

Fiorot does have two inches of height on Namajunas, while both women come in with a recorded 65″ reach. Still, Fiorot started her career competing at bantamweight before dropping down to the flyweight division, where she’s looked like a notably powerful physical force.

All of which circles back around to the original point here. A strawweight title shot seems like it would be right there, on the table, if that’s what Namajunas was interested in chasing. Instead, however, she’s taking a dive into a new division, with new challengers, and a potential to add an entirely different chapter to her legacy. Whether or not the risk will be worth the reward remains to be seen.

Fight cancellations hit UFC Paris *UPDATED

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• Taylor Lapilus needs a new opponent for UFC Paris
• William Gomis also in need of new opponent
• Join the new Bloody Elbow

It’s fight week (again) for the UFC, which means it’s also time for the last minute fight cancellations to start rolling in. Who’s come down with a sudden illness, who has visa troubles, who had the nagging injury that just didn’t heal the way it should have? And of course, who just picked up a devastating injury in their final training sessions?

With the world’s largest MMA promotion gearing up for what’s only their second event ever in France (and their first of 2023) we’ve got news of a couple unfortunate cancellations that have hit the card.

Taylor Lapilus needs a new opponent for UFC Paris

At one point Taylor Lapilus was one of the hottest prospects in the UFC’s bantamweight division, running out to a 3-1 record with the promotion before making the decision to return to the regional MMA scene. In a move that surprised practically everyone, however, the then-25-year-old Frenchman decided to fight out his contract in the Octagon and make the jump over to boxing instead.

“I will probably be back in the UFC at some point of my career,” Lapilus explained in a 2017 interview. “But for now, I will stick to boxing and keep my focus in my new professional career for a couple fights and see how things go.”

The boxing career lasted just one fight, a 2017 win over journeyman Heri Andriyanto, before Lapilus decided to return to MMA full time. Getting back to the UFC would take more than half a decade (and a 7-1 record on the European regional scene) but Lapilus is finally set make his comeback this Saturday. Or, at least he was…

Lapilus had been set to take on former ONE FC talent Muin Gafurov at the Accor Arena in Paris on the undercard of this weekend’s heavyweight top contender’s bout between Ciryl Gane and Sergey Spivak. Unfortunately, French fight promotion and MMA news source La Sueur has reported that Gafurov has been forced out of the fight. Apparently visa issues were the culprit.

MMA Fighting has since confirmed the report, noting that the UFC is searching for a late notice replacement to keep Lapilus on the card. It’s an especially unfortunate set of circumstances for ‘Double Impact’ who was actually signed for his Octagon return back in 2022, for the UFC’s debut in Paris. Unfortunately an injury sustained in training forced Lapilus to withdraw from that bout.

William Gomis also in need of new opponent

It turns out that Lapilus isn’t the only Frenchman in sudden need of a new dance partner this week. Joining him in the struggle is a featherweight who did manage to make his debut on last year’s Paris card, former 100% Fight champion William Gomis.

Gomis has run out to a decent 2-0 start to his career in the UFC, with victories over Jarno Errens and Francis Marshall. The 26-year-old had been expected to take on former Jungle Fight champion Lucas Almeida. Unfortunately, the Brazilian announced the fight’s cancellation in a post to his Instagram stories on Monday, August 28th.

“Good morning everyone my fight was canceled, God is in charge. He has huge plans for me, I have faith in him. The work continues, let’s go! Thank you all for the messages.”

MMA Fighting has since confirmed that an injury has forced Almeida to withdraw from the bout, and that there is currently no word from the UFC as to whether Gomis will remain on the card with a new opponent, or not.

Other earlier cancelled fights include Volkan Oezdemir against Azamat Murzakanov (Murzakanov has been replaced by newcomer Bogdan Guskov), Zara Fairn vs. Hailey Cowan (Cowan has been replaced by Jacqueline Cavalcanti), and Nasrat Haqparast vs. Sam Patterson (Haqparast has been moved to UFC 293 against Landon Quinones). Hopefully that will mark an end to the cancellations and we can get to Fight Night with the rest of the bouts intact.

Update: Instead of finding two new faces to fill the card this weekend, the UFC has decided to match Taylor Lapilus and William Gomis against two newcomers who were already scheduled to meet each other on the card. Lapilus is now scheduled to fight Caolan Loughran and Gomis is matched with Yanis Ghemmouri.