One day out from UFC Vegas 31, we’ve got your fighter face-offs along with the final preview for tomorrow’s event!
Earlier today, the official weigh-ins were held, and every fighter successfully made weight, which Michael “The Count” Bisping thinks is a model for other fights to take heed of.
“Take notice all you ‘pros’ that miss weight,” Bisping wrote.
You can find the full weigh-in results here. Be sure to also check out our predictions for the co-main event and main event courtesy of our very own Doug Murray to get you even more ready for tomorrow night’s event.
Below, you can find the final face-offs along with a snapshot preview of the feature fights on tomorrow night’s card!
Jeremy Stephens vs. Mateusz Gamrot
One of the under-the-radar stories heading into tomorrow night’s event is the fact that after 14 years in the UFC, Jeremy Stephens might be in a must-win situation here in order to remain in the promotion. A loss here would be a fifth straight for Stephens, who at 35 years old is no longer the young whippersnapper that came into the UFC back in 2007.
His opponent will be Mateusz Gamrot, who currently only has two fights with the UFC and a 1-1 record. Gamrot’s most recent performance that featured a KO of another UFC vet, Scott Holtzman, is what earned him this major opportunity to be one of the select few to knock out Jeremy Stephens, and in this case, potentially knock him out of the UFC altogether.
During the faceoffs, Stephens refrained from delivering a “primal push” to his opponent for tomorrow, so we should be all clear from any last-minute cancellations this time out.
Marion Reneau vs. Miesha Tate
One veteran retires as another returns, as Marion Reneau will compete in her final career bout against the legendary Miesha Tate, who will be competing for the first time in nearly five years.
Miesha Tate has already detailed some of her motivations to return, which includes the extra push motherhood has given her prior to her comeback. Her opponent, Marion Reneau, told MMA News recently that she plans to have her son in her corner for the very first time as she bids farewell to the sport she’s been competing in for over a decade, so the flame kindled from motherhood is not something foreign to The Belezian Bruiser.
Miesha Tate has big plans and is not taking part in a sentimental farewell tour. She has every intention of lying in wait to challenge Amanda Nunes if one of her former pupils from The Ultimate Fighter, Julianna Peña, doesn’t get it done first.
You can check out the face-off of our co-main eventers below.
Islam Makhachev vs. Thiago Moisés
Islam Makhachev is as highly touted as you get. Currently straddling the line between “dark horse” and “inevitable contender,” Makhachev will have an opportunity to officially put the lightweight division on notice in his very first main event.
A win for Makhachev will begin to allow him to exit the shadow of his mentor and lifelong friend Khabib Nurmagomedov. Despite the ongoing comparisons between Makhachev and Nurmagomedov, Moisés believes the younger Dagestani isn’t on the same level as the consensus lightweight GOAT Nurmagomedov.
Furthermore, despite the hype, the Brazilian also believes his skills match up quite well against Makhachev’s and that everyone who has contributed to Makhachev being a -650 betting favorite are in for a big surprise.
You can check out the face-off of the two main eventers below.
UFC Vegas 31 takes place live tomorrow night, Saturday, July 16, 2021 from the UFC APEX. The main card kicks off at 10:00 PM EST, and the prelims begin at 7:00 PM EST. The full card will be simulcast on ESPN and ESPN+. You can check out the full card below!
UFC VEGAS 31 MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+ 10:00 PM EST)
Main Event – Lightweight Bout: Islam Makhachev vs Thiago Moisés
Co-Main Event – Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Marion Reneau vs Miesha Tate
Lightweight Bout: Jeremy Stephens vs Mateusz Gamrot
Middleweight Bout: Rodolfo Vieira vs Dustin Stoltzfus
Featherweight Bout: Gabriel Benitez vs Billy Quarantillo
UFC VEGAS 31 PRELIMS (ESPN/ESPN+ 7:00 PM EST)
Welterweight Bout: Daniel Rodriguez vs Preston Parsons
Strawweight Bout: Amanda Lemos vs Montserrat Conejo
Bantamweight Bout: Khalid Taha vs Sergey Morozov
Bantamweight Bout: Miles Johns vs Anderson Dos Santos
Flyweight Bout: Francisco Figueiredo vs Malcolm Gordon
Heavyweight Bout: Alan Baudot vs Rodrigo Nascimento
