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The UFC’s return to Portland will include this surefire banger of a welterweight fight.
This news has slipped under the radar for a few days, but it’s such a good fight that it needs to resurface.
MMA Junkie and ESPN both reported that a welterweight contest between Niko Price and Muslim Salikhov is headed for UFC Fight Night in Portland, Oregon this spring. The card streams live on ESPN+ from the Moda Center, which hasn’t hosted a UFC event since 2016.
Price (14-3, 1 NC) is about as dangerous a finisher as there is in the UFC. He’s shown an ability to stop fights standing and on the ground, including two spectacular stoppage victories from his back. He axe kick KO’d James Vick at UFC Tampa last October, and famously won via hammerfists from the bottom against Randy Brown at UFC Boise in 2018. With that said, all of his losses have been by stoppage as well, so judges usually aren’t required when he’s around.
Salikhov (16-2), better known as the “King of Kung Fu,” is riding a three-fight winning streak at the moment. The native of Dagestan lost his UFC debut to Alex Garcia in 2017, but responded with a big KO of Ricky Rainey. After serving a reduced USADA suspension for turinabol, Salikhov wiped out Nordine Taleb at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi, and most recently won a decision over Laureano Staropoli at UFC Singapore.
UFC Portland takes place on Saturday, April 11th. The entire card streams live on ESPN+ and is headlined by a heavyweight battle between Walt Harris and Alistair Overeem.