UFC will not allow its fans a boring day during this summer. We have so many events scheduled in the next few days, weeks, and months. UFC Fight Night 243 is just one of them. This one will be held in the Mecca of fighting, Las Vegas. As we’re used to, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is preparing a true festival for all fans of MMA. Just like many times before the venue is going to be the famed UFC Apex facility. The countdown can start right away, as we’re just a little bit more than one month removed from August 24 which is the date designated for UFC Fight Night 243.
While smaller than some other events in the not-so-distant future, UFC Fight Night 243 already promises to be a lot of fun. Without a standout name on the card, the fighters who participate will have a unique chance to make a name for themselves. This is the best reason to make your early UFC picks before the odds start shifting. If you’re still undecided on who you want to cover, take a look at the scheduled card, and make your decision afterward.
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert
The top event scheduled for UFC Fight Night 243 is without a doubt the Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert. The event in question is also called UFC Vegas 96, and it will feature Edmen vs. Gerald as the main event. The three-round fight should be the spectacle of the evening. Both fighters confirmed their participation and if you’re a fan, prepare the popcorn. Edmen Shahbazyan had an impeccable MMA career before joining UFC with a 7:0 score. Once he stepped into the UFC octagon his fortunes changed and he’s 6:4 inside the company-organized fights. He has proven to be a hot-hand fighter, even starting his UFC career with three straight wins before accumulating three straight defeats. In the last three bouts, he’s 2:1 and has changed his gym and trainers. At the moment we can claim that he’s full of confidence after finishing AJ Dobson in the first round back in March.
Gerald Meerschaert on the other hand is the complete opposite. His career blessed him with 36 wins and 17 defeats. He is a master in the art of submission, and with 20 fights in the UFC, he has little to prove. Ten of his 20 wins came by submission and he is one of the more experienced fighters in the middleweight division. In recent years, the career of this 36-year-old battler has revolved around fighting new and upcoming fighters in the UFC leading to more than a few defeats. Because of this, bookies see Edmen Shahbazyan as a clear-cut favorite to win this match, and we believe this is something you ought to know before you decide on your UFC betting picks on platforms like Stake.com
Roman Kopylov vs. Brunno Ferreira
UFC Vegas 96 at the UFC APEX will feature a few fights that can be viewed as the main card and Roman Kopylov vs. Brunno Ferreira definitely fits the bill. Both fighters are on a good road to making a name for themselves in the middleweight division. With distinct styles that revolve around violent hits and fast cage movements, we can claim that this fight will be a treat for everyone watching.
Roman Kopylov is the favorite entering this match, and with a good reason. His career currently stands at 13:3 and with a win against Cesar Almeida at UFC 302 he proved his worth against an undefeated fighter. Roman joined UFC back in 2019 and famously started his career with two defeats. After a rocky start, he managed to win five out of his last six bouts. His style is exciting and based on heavy hitting and because of that he finished all of his fights, but one, with a KO.
Brunno Ferreira is a young lad in the world of UFC with only 4 fights under his belt and a 3:1 score. In his career he holds an impressive record of 12:1. Also, he is a master in finishing matches so he never heard the final bell when in the cage. The sole defeat of his career came in July of 2022 when he lost to Nursulton Ruziboev. Under his belt, he has names of good fighters such as Dustin Stoltzfus, Phil Hawes, and Gregory Rodrigues. Both men are hard hitters and we can’t wait for the bell to signal the start of this bout.
Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci
UFC has some of the best female fighters in the world. While strawweight doesn’t attract too much attention, UFC Apex will be home to a classic between Angela Hill and Tabatha Ricci. Both ladies have confirmed this bout and we’re talking about an amazing three-round duel that will attract many fans to small screens.
Angela Hill is a polarizing fighter. With a 17:13 score, you can tell that she loves to start fights strong and end them the same way or simply lose her bouts. After a close loss to Mackenzie Dern, she managed to win two consecutive matches against Luana Pinheiro and Denise Gomes. At the moment Hill is the #9 ranked fighter in the strawweight division, but let us not forget that she has the most matches in this category and most wins too.
Her opponent for the night is going to be a young star in the making, Tabatha Ricci. Her score is 10:2 at the moment with a 5:2 record in the UFC. She joined the promotion in 2021 and has been climbing the ladder since. At the moment Ricci is the #11 ranked fighter coming off an impressive win against Tecia Pennington back in May. With one fighter having a history to uphold and another to write a few pages of its own, we are in for a treat with this bout.
José Medina vs. Zachary Reese
Both of these prospects are hoping to climb the rankings in the UFC and see UFC Fight Night 243 as a great chance to do so. According to the latest UFC betting markets, this bout will attract plenty of bets just by looking at the spectacle it might bring. Zachary Reese had a nice start to his career and currently holds a 7:1 record. Against him, there will be Jose Medina who is presenting himself as a real threat for UFC rankings in the middleweight division with an 11:3 career score. UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 24 will be filled with quality fighting and this is not a match you want to miss out on.
Reese will be looking to continue his winning streak after beating a veteran of the game Julian Marquez after only 20 seconds in the first round of the UFC on ESPN 57 which was organized in Louisville. Reese, who is nicknamed ‘Savage’, was dominant in Louisville after suffering the first defeat of his professional career in December of last year in his UFC debut.
Medina, meanwhile, was absent from October of 2023 and his loss to Magomed Gadzhiyasulov. Dana White decided to give him another chance despite failing to impress in his last bout. Contender Series was his rock bottom as before that loss, he was on a hot streak of six wins and finished 10 out of his 11 fights up until that moment. Everything said above promises an amazing duel, and Reese vs. Medina definitely should be on your shortlist.
Michael Morales vs. Neil Magny
Welterweight never ceased to be one of the most attractive divisions in MMA. With names such as Michael Morales on the rise, it will only get better as far as UFC is concerned. So far in his professional career, the Ecuadorian master of mixed martial arts is undefeated. For a crafty battler like him, UFC has prepared a good opponent for UFC Fight Night 243 in Neil Magny.
The UFC Fight Night event on Aug. 24 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas will have quite a few interesting bouts and this one is leading the race to be the most talked about match once the event is over. Morales will enter this match as a heavy favorite due to the fact that he compiled 16 wins in his professional MMA career. Four of those came in the UFC and he’s still to experience a defeat. Michael was last in the octagon in November of 2023 when he won by UD against Jake Matthews. In the meantime, he was injured but now is healthy and more than ready to go.
Magny, as an experienced fighter, already has 40 fights to his name. One could argue that he is a litmus test for young and aspiring starts-to-be in the UFC. He is entering this bout after a nice TKO win against Mike Malott back in January. This match was dubbed as his great comeback and if it was that he would be hoping to give Morales the first defeat of his young and prosperous career. Booking outlets such as Stake do not believe that Neil has what it takes to beat Michael Morales but stranger things have happened.
Cong Wang vs. Victoria Leonardo
The women’s flyweight division always has a few interesting names that even casual fans should pay attention to. Cong Wang vs. Victoria Leonardo duel is a match that has two of them. Flyweight professional MMA fighters never fail to give fans excitement. When you have two fighters nicknamed The Joker and Fury you know that fun will not be lacking during this bout.
Cong Wang enters this duel as a clear-cut favorite and it all has to do with her current form and overall record. The Chinese fighter is a new name to the UFC and MMA in general, with only five bouts under her belt but all five of them were wins. Currently undefeated Wang is ranked as the #6 fighters in the UFC.
Victoria Leonardo is a bit more experienced with 14 matches to her name with a score of 9:5. In her last five outings she lost three matches with only two wins. The USA fighter will have a tough time against the Chinese combatant and it will be a real surprise to have her win this match. With a slightly lower weight, shorter reach, and height difference we can’t see The Fury winning this bout despite having Goku from Dragon Ball as her spirit animal. During UFC Fight Night 243, these two ladies will be battling during the preliminary card, but it’s only a matter of time before Cong Wang starts headlining UFC events and becomes a part of a main event.
Dennis Buzukja vs. Danny Silva
Here is another match from the preliminary round of the UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. Dennis Buzukja vs. Danny Silva is a duel between fighters who are yet to make a name for themselves in the UFC. It is hard to pinpoint a favorite in this duel as we’re talking about two relatively unknown fighters with similar careers.
Buzukja has a score of 12:4 from 16 professional fights and is coming from a win against Connor Matthews via TKO. It was his third win in the last five outings. Across him, in the octagon, we will have Danny Silva who has nine professional wins and only one defeat at the hands of Canaan Kawaihae. Both are young by UFC standards and are looking to rise through the division in the coming years. Danny Silva is coming off three impressive wins and is looking to add a fourth. Will it be an easy task? Find out at the UFC Vegas 96 in Las Vegas on August 24th.
Summary
As we said, we are in for a hot UFC summer. While not filled with top names in the UFC, Fight Night 243 at Las Vegas will have a few names everyone should pay attention to. Don’t miss out on this event as you could miss the rising of a star.