Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to the hurt business today (Sat., June 17, 2017) for UFC Fight Night 111 live from inside Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. The UFC Fight Pass event, which will be headlined by a hard-hitting women’s Bantamweight scrap between former division champion Holly Holm taking on one-time title contender, Bethe Correia, will also feature a co-main event between Andrei Arlovski and Marcin Tybura, which will be contested at Heavyweight.
Who is fighting tonight at UFC Fight Night 111? Holly Holm vs Bethe Correia is the main event.
When does UFC Fight Night 111 start? Today (Sat., June 17, 2017), beginning at 4 a.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass.
Where will UFC Fight Night 111 take place? Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore.
How can I watch UFC Fight Night 111? Main card start time at 8 a.m ET on Fight Pass. “Prelims” undercard on Fight Pass start time at 4 a.m. ET.
Where can I get UFC Fight Night 111 updates and results? Get full play-by-play coverage and live updates here!
What’s Hot:
Holly Holm is a star, and despite suffering a three-fight losing streak, “The Preacher’s Daughter” managed to nab headlining duties; for better or worse. If you ask me, it’s for the best. Holm is indeed a much better fighter than her current skid shows, and since Ronda Rousey is likely done with fighting, the women’s 135-pound weight class needs as many stars as it can get. Furthermore, since current women’s Featherweight champion Germain de Randamie — who defeated Holm, in her last outing refuses to defend her belt against Cris Cyborg — Holly is looking pretty good, as she would’ve likely taken the bout against the fearsome striker. An impressive win against Correia will breathe life into Holly’s combat career, and if her coach had his way, another shot at reclaiming her strap.
One of the bouts I’m most looking forward to on this card is the Welterweight matchup between Colby Covington and Dong Hyun Kim. Covington is one of the brightest prospects in the game today, though he hasn’t exactly been given the chance to show it all (according to this). Winner of three straight and 11 of 12 overall, “Chaos” has the chance to put his money where his mouth is as he faces off against longtime a veteran like Kim. “Stun Gun” has somewhat fallen off people’s radars in a very busy 170-pound weight class. But, the fact remains, Kim’s last defeat came against current division champion Tyron Woodley. With that loss, Kim has gone 7-1 in his last eight fights, which is good enough to keep him warm a the No. 7 spot on he official rankings. A win for either man will give them a big career boost, as Dong can soar up the rankings, while Colby can perhaps finally earn a spot in the top 15.
What’s Not:
Timing is everything, and the fact that this fight card starts so early in the morning doesn’t do it any favors, and it’s on Fight Pass. That means, unfortunately for the promotion, not a ton of people will be tuning in to catch the live broadcast, in my opinion.
Original Card vs. Actual Card:
Jonathan Meunier was lined up to face Li Jingliang. But, Meunier suffered an injury, was removed from the card and then replaced by Octagon newcomer Frank Camacho. Other than that, the Fight Pass event didn’t change too much since it was announced.
Injuries:
Other than Meunir’s setback, all other fighters scheduled to take part at the event somehow managed to avoid the injury bug.
New Blood:
Rolando Dy, Frank Camacho and Ji Yeon Kim will all make their promotional debuts at the Fight Pass event, but the intriguing bout is one between Naoki Inoue (10-0) and Carls John de Tomas (6-0), who will put their undefeated streaks on the line when they face off against one another in their Octagon debuts.
How The “Prelims” Look:
We have a lot of newcomers on the undercard, with a couple of name veterans sprinkled in to make it interesting. Chief among them is Takanori Gomi, who will look to end his three-fight losing streak when he faces off against a very game Jon Tuck. Alex Caceres will also look to get back into the win column when he welcomes Rolando Dy into the Octagon. As mentioned above, Naoki Inoue and Carls John de Tomas will put their respective undefeated streaks on the line in a battle of proven flyweights. Rarely do you get two newcomers going up against each other, it’s even more rare that they are both perfect in their MMA careers.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
When you look at the main card, there are plenty of athletes who could use a victory. Andrei Arlovski, however, needs a win in the worst way. After returning to UFC back in 2014 with four straight victories, “The Pitbull” has dropped four in a row. Sure, it’s been against some of the best the division has to offer, but losing four in a row is never good for anyone, especially an aging veteran who is hanging on by a thread. What’s worse, Arlovski has been finished — violently — in all four defeats.
Interest Level: 6/10
The main card is average at best, but we do get to see former UFC Lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos makes his 170-pound debut when he takes on standup specialist Tarec Saffiedine. Both men need a win, and bad, as they have each suffered back-to-back losses, so you know they’re going to come out firing.
Holm will look to show that she is far from done and potentially earn herself yet another shot at the strap. For Bethe, a win over a former champion could be the signature win she’s been looking for. As for Arlovski, his UFC career is barely hanging on, and if he suffers his fifth straight defeat I wouldn’t be shocked if UFC parts ways with him one final time. There are a lot of reasons for fighters to get a win, other than the obvious, which could make for another unexpected interesting night of fights.
Full UFC Fight Night 111 Fight Card:
UFC Fight Night 111 Fight Pass Main Event:
135 lbs.: Holly Holm vs. Bethe Correia
UFC Fight Night 111 Fight Pass Main Card (8 a.m. ET):
265 lbs.: Andrei Arlovski vs. Marcin Tybura
170 lbs.: Colby Covington vs. Dong Hyun Kim
170 lbs.: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Tarec Saffiedine
UFC Fight Night 111 Fight Pass Preliminary Card (4 a.m. ET):
155 lbs.: Takanori Gomi vs. Jon Tuck
265 lbs.: Cyril Asker vs. Walt Harris
145 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Rolando Dy
125 lbs.: Ulka Sasaki vs. Justin Scoggins
170 lbs.: Frank Camacho vs. Li Jingliang
135 lbs.: Russell Doane vs. Kwan Ho Kwak
125 lbs.: Carls John de Tomas vs. Naoki Inoue
135 lbs.: Ji Yeon Kim vs. Lucie Pudilova
For much more on UFC Fight Night 111 click here.