UFC’s September 5th show is slowly coming together, as three bouts have been announced for the Fall event. Amoung the three is a headlining bout between Augusto Sakai and Alistair Overeem.
Augusto Sakai vs. Alistair Overeem
The five-round fight at the top of the card will be between heavyweights Sakai and Overeem. First reported by Marc Raimondi of ESPN, the matchup will be the first five-round battle for Sakai since entering the UFC.
Sakai has strung together four wins in the UFC since his 2018 debut. His most recent fight saw him get a scorecard victory over Blagoy Ivanov.
Sakai will face one of the most war-tested fighters in Overeem, who will be fighting in his fourth consecutive five-round matchup. His most recent win was a second round stoppage over Walt Harris in May. The win saw Overeem bounce back from a win in what he claims will be a campaign towards a title shot.
Michel Pereira vs. Zelim Imadaev
Flashy Brazilian fighter Michel Pereira will fight Zelim Imadaev on the show as well. Reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Pereira will get his fourth assignment in his UFC career.
Pereira will attempt to break a two-fight streak of losses, losing to Tristan Connelly and more recently Diego Sanchez. The battle against Sanchez in February had the anticlimactic ending of an illegal knee for Pereira causing the end of the competition.
Imadaev has struggled through his first two bouts in the UFC. Debuting in 2019, Imadaev lost his promotion debut against Max Griffin. In November he was finished by Danny Roberts with punches in the second round.
Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Mara Romero Borella
Both attempting to come off a loss, Mayra Bueno Silva and Mara Romero Borella look to be a fitting pairing for the show. First reported by Marcelo Barone of Combate, the matchup joined the card. Silva took her first loss as a pro in her previous outing, losing to Maryna Moroz via decision. Before, Silva got her debut UFC win over Gillian Robertson with a first round armbar.
Borella has lost her last three outings. Borella’s most recent matchup saw her get caught early by an armbar from Cortney Casey.
Here’s how the card looks in its current form.
Bout 5: Alistair Overeem (46-18) vs. Augusto Sakai (15-1-1) (Heavyweight)
Bout 4: Nicco Montano (4-3) vs. Julia Avila (8-1) (Bantamweight)
Bout 3: Montana De La Rosa (11-5) vs. Maryna Moroz (10-3) (Flyweight)
Bout 2: Michel Pereira (23-11) vs. Zelim Imadaev (8-2) (Welterweight)
Bout 1: Mayra Bueno Silva (6-1) vs. Mara Romero Borella (12-8) (Flyweight)
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