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UFC Fight Night 86 start time, TV schedule, who is fighting today at ‘Rothwell vs Dos Santos’
Check out our full “Fight Day” preview for UFC Fight Night 86: “Rothwell vs Dos Santos,” which takes place TODAY (Sun., April 10, 2016) live on FOX Sports 1 from Arena Zagreb in Croatia, featuring former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos taking on the heavy-handed Ben Rothwell.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns from a two-week layoff today (Sun., April 10, 2016), as the company debuts in Zagreb, Croatia, with UFC Fight Night 86: “Rothwell vs. Dos Santos” live on FOX Sports 1.
Below is everything you need to know to stay on top of the Fight Night event.
Who: Ben Rothwell vs. Junior dos Santos What: UFC Fight Night 86 When: Sun., April 10, 2016, beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass Where: Arena Zagreb in Croatia
How To Watch: Main card at 2 p.m ET on FOX Sports 1; FOX Sports 1 “Prelims” at 12 p.m ET, and UFC Fight Pass early “Prelims” under card at 10:30 a.m ET
Why It Matters: Anytime UFC debuts in a new market, it is a big deal for the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) as a whole.
Nothing indicates the sport’s growth quite like a new market showing major interest in MMA, and while Croatia may not be loaded with talent right now, this could potentially be the start of a new wave of international fighters.
Is this card stacked by any means? No.
Is this card still important to the sport? Absolutely.
What’s Hot: The only consequential bout at UFC Zagreb is the Heavyweight main event pitting Junior Dos Santos vs. Ben Rothwell.
Heading into this fight, the two Heavyweights are moving in the complete opposite trajectory, as Rothwell has won four straight via finish, while the former Heavyweight kingpin has lost three of his last five.
Unbelievable as it may have seemed just a few years ago, Rothwell is the overwhelming favorite to earn a UFC title shot with a victory in Zagreb.
As for Dos Santos, the Brazilian has clearly lost a step as of late, struggling to find his timing and thunderous power that made him such a force during his impressive title run.
It has only been about four months since the former champ was knocked out by Alistair Overeem, so it will be interesting to see if Dos Santos shows any ill effects on fight night.
Will tonight be the night Rothwell finally reaches the pinnacle, or will a resurgent Dos Santos prove he still has a lot to offer in the Heavyweight division?
What’s Not: Truthfully, I feel for Jon Anik and Brian Stann tonight.
Every so often, UFC puts together an international event featuring some very unique names and tongue twisters that poor ole’ Anik and Stann fumble and butcher throughout the show.
UFC Zagreb may feature the most difficult surnames in the promotion’s history.
Veličković, Hadzović, Taisumov, Ngannou, Błachowicz, and more…
Yikes!
Original Card vs. Actual Card: Not too much changed from the original UFC Zagreb event, but as usual, there were a few injury replacements.
Bartosz Fabiński was slated to battle Nicolas Dalby this afternoon, but once Fabiński was pulled from the card, Zak Cummings stepped in on short notice.
Bojan Mihajlović was set to make his UFC debut against Francis Ngannou today, but an injury forced him off the event and gave Curtis Blaydes the chance to make his debut.
The major change on the card was Ruslan Magomedov’s knee injury that forced him out of his co-main event against Gabriel Gonzaga. UFC brass was able to salvage the fight, calling up the heavy-handed Derrick Lewis on short notice.
New Blood:
Eight fighters will make their Octagon debut in Zagreb today, as a handful of prospects and late injury replacements are littered throughout the card.
The most notable debutant in my opinion is Bojan Velickovic. The 13-3 Serbian is the former RFA Welterweight champ, and has won four straight bouts.
Velickovic actually made it to The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), but was finished by Tim Williams on TUF 19 in the fight to get into the house.
Taking on Velickovic is fellow debutant and prospect, Alessio Di Chirico. “Manzo” is 9-0 in his professional career, finishing eight of his nine opponents. While he has yet to take on a formidable foe, it will be intriguing to see how Di Chirico performs against a fellow tough prospect.
Other debutants to watch out for in Zagreb include 7-1 Cyril Asker, 13-1 Heavyweight Marcin Tyrbura, and the undefeated Curtis Blaydes.
How The “Prelims” Look: If you are craving UFC fights following two weeks off, then it shouldn’t really matter whether or not you recognize any names on the UFC Fight Night 86 undercard.
As previously mentioned, eight fighters will debut in Zagreb, and five of them will do so on the undercard.
Overall, these fighters are well paired, and should deliver some outstanding fights and finishes early on. As an added bonus, the always exciting Nicolas Dalby is set to battle the venerable Zak Cummings in the “Prelims” main event.
Interest Level: 6/10
UFC Zagreb is obviously not the strongest card in recent memory, but after a two week sabbatical, I’m excited for just about any MMA action.
Truth is, there is some very talented fighters set to throw down today, including a bundle of prospects that could be generating major highlights for years to come.
With the Heavyweight main event anchoring what should be a fun undercard of midday action, UFC Fight Night 86 has the chance to be a “diamond in the rough” type event for MMA fans around the world.
Check out the full UFC Fight Night 86 fight card right here:
FOX Sports 1 Main Event:
265 lbs.: Ben Rothwell vs. Junior dos Santos
FOX Sports 1 Co-Main Event:
265 lbs.: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Derrick Lewis
FOX Sports 1 Main Card (2 p.m. ET):
265 lbs.: Francis Ngannou vs. Curtis Blaydes 265 lbs.: Timothy Johnson vs. Marcin Tybura 205 lbs.: Jan Blachowicz vs. Igor Pokrajac 115 lbs.: Maryna Moroz vs. Cristina Stanciu
FOX Sports 1 “Prelims” (Noon ET):
170 lbs.: Zak Cummings vs. Nicolas Dalby 155 lbs.: Damir Hadzovic vs. Mairbek Taisumov 135 lbs.: Ian Entwistle vs. Alejandro Perez 135 lbs.: Filip Pejic vs. Damian Stasiak
UFC Fight Pass “Prelims” (10:30 a.m. ET):
145 lbs.: Lucas Martins vs. Robert Whiteford 265 lbs.: Cyril Asker vs. Jared Cannonier 185 lbs.: Alessio Di Chirico vs. Bojan Velickovic
For more information on UFC Fight Night 86, including the full fight card, results, news, and more, click here.
Check out our full “Fight Day” preview for UFC Fight Night 86: “Rothwell vs Dos Santos,” which takes place TODAY (Sun., April 10, 2016) live on FOX Sports 1 from Arena Zagreb in Croatia, featuring former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos taking on the heavy-handed Ben Rothwell.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns from a two-week layoff today (Sun., April 10, 2016), as the company debuts in Zagreb, Croatia, with UFC Fight Night 86: “Rothwell vs. Dos Santos” live on FOX Sports 1.
Below is everything you need to know to stay on top of the Fight Night event.
Who: Ben Rothwell vs. Junior dos Santos What: UFC Fight Night 86 When: Sun., April 10, 2016, beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass Where: Arena Zagreb in Croatia
How To Watch: Main card at 2 p.m ET on FOX Sports 1; FOX Sports 1 “Prelims” at 12 p.m ET, and UFC Fight Pass early “Prelims” under card at 10:30 a.m ET
Why It Matters: Anytime UFC debuts in a new market, it is a big deal for the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) as a whole.
Nothing indicates the sport’s growth quite like a new market showing major interest in MMA, and while Croatia may not be loaded with talent right now, this could potentially be the start of a new wave of international fighters.
Is this card stacked by any means? No.
Is this card still important to the sport? Absolutely.
What’s Hot: The only consequential bout at UFC Zagreb is the Heavyweight main event pitting Junior Dos Santos vs. Ben Rothwell.
Heading into this fight, the two Heavyweights are moving in the complete opposite trajectory, as Rothwell has won four straight via finish, while the former Heavyweight kingpin has lost three of his last five.
Unbelievable as it may have seemed just a few years ago, Rothwell is the overwhelming favorite to earn a UFC title shot with a victory in Zagreb.
As for Dos Santos, the Brazilian has clearly lost a step as of late, struggling to find his timing and thunderous power that made him such a force during his impressive title run.
It has only been about four months since the former champ was knocked out by Alistair Overeem, so it will be interesting to see if Dos Santos shows any ill effects on fight night.
Will tonight be the night Rothwell finally reaches the pinnacle, or will a resurgent Dos Santos prove he still has a lot to offer in the Heavyweight division?
What’s Not: Truthfully, I feel for Jon Anik and Brian Stann tonight.
Every so often, UFC puts together an international event featuring some very unique names and tongue twisters that poor ole’ Anik and Stann fumble and butcher throughout the show.
UFC Zagreb may feature the most difficult surnames in the promotion’s history.
Veli?kovi?, Hadzovi?, Taisumov, Ngannou, B?achowicz, and more…
Yikes!
Original Card vs. Actual Card: Not too much changed from the original UFC Zagreb event, but as usual, there were a few injury replacements.
Bartosz Fabi?ski was slated to battle Nicolas Dalby this afternoon, but once Fabi?ski was pulled from the card, Zak Cummings stepped in on short notice.
Bojan Mihajlovi? was set to make his UFC debut against Francis Ngannou today, but an injury forced him off the event and gave Curtis Blaydes the chance to make his debut.
The major change on the card was Ruslan Magomedov’s knee injury that forced him out of his co-main event against Gabriel Gonzaga. UFC brass was able to salvage the fight, calling up the heavy-handed Derrick Lewis on short notice.
New Blood:
Eight fighters will make their Octagon debut in Zagreb today, as a handful of prospects and late injury replacements are littered throughout the card.
The most notable debutant in my opinion is Bojan Velickovic. The 13-3 Serbian is the former RFA Welterweight champ, and has won four straight bouts.
Velickovic actually made it to The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), but was finished by Tim Williams on TUF 19 in the fight to get into the house.
Taking on Velickovic is fellow debutant and prospect, Alessio Di Chirico. “Manzo” is 9-0 in his professional career, finishing eight of his nine opponents. While he has yet to take on a formidable foe, it will be intriguing to see how Di Chirico performs against a fellow tough prospect.
Other debutants to watch out for in Zagreb include 7-1 Cyril Asker, 13-1 Heavyweight Marcin Tyrbura, and the undefeated Curtis Blaydes.
How The “Prelims” Look: If you are craving UFC fights following two weeks off, then it shouldn’t really matter whether or not you recognize any names on the UFC Fight Night 86 undercard.
As previously mentioned, eight fighters will debut in Zagreb, and five of them will do so on the undercard.
Overall, these fighters are well paired, and should deliver some outstanding fights and finishes early on. As an added bonus, the always exciting Nicolas Dalby is set to battle the venerable Zak Cummings in the “Prelims” main event.
Interest Level: 6/10
UFC Zagreb is obviously not the strongest card in recent memory, but after a two week sabbatical, I’m excited for just about any MMA action.
Truth is, there is some very talented fighters set to throw down today, including a bundle of prospects that could be generating major highlights for years to come.
With the Heavyweight main event anchoring what should be a fun undercard of midday action, UFC Fight Night 86 has the chance to be a “diamond in the rough” type event for MMA fans around the world.
Check out the full UFC Fight Night 86 fight card right here:
FOX Sports 1 Main Event:
265 lbs.: Ben Rothwell vs. Junior dos Santos
FOX Sports 1 Co-Main Event:
265 lbs.: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Derrick Lewis
FOX Sports 1 Main Card (2 p.m. ET):
265 lbs.: Francis Ngannou vs. Curtis Blaydes 265 lbs.: Timothy Johnson vs. Marcin Tybura 205 lbs.: Jan Blachowicz vs. Igor Pokrajac 115 lbs.: Maryna Moroz vs. Cristina Stanciu
FOX Sports 1 “Prelims” (Noon ET):
170 lbs.: Zak Cummings vs. Nicolas Dalby 155 lbs.: Damir Hadzovic vs. Mairbek Taisumov 135 lbs.: Ian Entwistle vs. Alejandro Perez 135 lbs.: Filip Pejic vs. Damian Stasiak
UFC Fight Pass “Prelims” (10:30 a.m. ET):
145 lbs.: Lucas Martins vs. Robert Whiteford 265 lbs.: Cyril Asker vs. Jared Cannonier 185 lbs.: Alessio Di Chirico vs. Bojan Velickovic
