Tag Archives: UFC 319

Anthony Hernandez to Fight Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night in October

Posted on by
Reply

Anthony Hernandez has lined up his next opponent…

The 31-year-old Latino American mixed martial artist will face off against Reinier de Ridder in UFC‘s middleweight division on October 18 as they pair headline UFC Fight Night in Vancouver.

Anthony HernandezUFC CEO Dana White announced the matchup, just three days after Khamzat Chimaev claimed the middleweight belt over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago.

De Ridder (21-2), of the Netherlands, has already had a spectacular 2025. He is 3-0 this year, defeating fan favorite Kevin Holland, super prospect Bo Nickal and former champion Robert Whittaker.

Going back to July 2024, de Ridder, 34, is 5-0 with four finishes.

Hernandez (15-2) has been equally as impressive, with an eight-fight winning streak. Hernandez, nicknamed “Fluffy,” is coming off a performance bonus-worthy showing against Roman Dolidze on Aug. 9.

De Ridder and Hernandez are the Nos. 5 and 6-ranked middleweights, respectively.

The middleweight division will be on full display in the coming months, as No. 2-ranked Nassourdine Imavov will face No. 7-ranked Caio Borralho on September 6.

In addition to the main event, White announced a bantamweight fight between Marlon Vera and Aiemann Zahabi, a middleweight matchup between Holland and Mike Mallott and a women’s flyweight bout.

Aaron Pico to Make UFC Debut Against Lerone Murphy This August

Posted on by
Reply

Aaron Pico is preparing to hit The Octagon.

The 28-year-old Latino American mixed martial artist’s highly anticipated debut in the UFC will now take place against Lerone Murphy at UFC 319 in Chicago.

Aaron PicoPico (13-4) was supposed to make his first UFC appearance opposite Movsar Evloev (19-0) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, but Evloev was forced to withdraw earlier this month.

Pico, a longtime standout at Bellator MMA, publicly asked the UFC to rebook him as soon as possible. His 145-pound bout against Murphy (16-0-1) will serve as the UFC 319 co-main event on August 16 in Chicago.

It’s an interesting change for the entire featherweight division. Pico never held a championship in Bellator but has long been viewed as one of the best fighters in the world outside of the UFC.

Pico was once considered arguably the greatest prospect in MMA history, with extensive accolades in amateur wrestling and boxing.

In Evloev, he would’ve been facing the No. 1-ranked contender in the division. He will now turn his attention to Murphy, who is undefeated but ranked lower than Evloev.

Current featherweight champion Alexander