UFC’s still far away June 26th show has two new bouts that can be considered part of the lineup. The new pairings join a show that does not have a confirmed location currently.
Barcelos To Wager Long Win Streak Against Valiev
Wagering a nine-fight win streak that includes five UFC bouts, Raoni Barcelos will fight fellow bantamweight Timur Valiev in June, as first reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN.
Barcelos has seen success since joining the UFC in 2018. He earned his last victory in November, fighting to a decision win over Khalid Taha. He has struggled to find a fight since then, as numerous bouts have been cancelled for various reasons.
Valiev also enters the fight with a strong resume, having been unbeaten since 2016 now. The 31-year-old picked up his first UFC win in February, defeating Martin Day via unanimous decision. Valiev lost his UFC debut in August to Trevin Jones, although that fight was later overturned to a no contest after a drug test to Jones found marijuana in his system.
Undefeated Rakhmonov To Fight UFC Vet Prazeres
Coming back after winning his UFC debut last year, Shavkat Rakhmonov will fight returning UFC veteran Michel Prazeres. Natassia del Fischer of AgFight broke the story first.
Rakhmonov earned his UFC debut in the fall, submitting Alex Oliveira within a round a guillotine choke. The former M-1 Welterweight Champion entered UFC with 12 pro wins from 2014 to 2019.
Prazeres will be competing in his first bout since 2019. He had an impressive eight-fight UFC win streak broken in his 2019 fight, as Ismail Naurdiev defeated him on scorecards.
Heavyweights Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov are currently expected to main event UFC’s June 26th show. Here is the updated lineup.
Bout 6: Alexander Volkov (33-8) vs. Ciryl Gane (8-0) (Heavyweight)
Bout 5: Ovince St. Preux (25-15) vs. Maxim Grishin (31-9-2) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 4: Anthony Hernandez (8-2) vs. Punahele Soriano (8-0) (Middleweight)
Bout 2: Tim Elliott (17-11-1) vs. Su Mudaerji (14-4) (Flyweight)
Bout 3: Michel Prazares (26-3) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov (13-0) (Welterweight)
Bout 2: Raoni Barcelos (16-1) vs. Timur Valiev (17-2) (Bantamweight)
Bout 1: Michel Prazeres (26-3) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov (13-0) (Welterweight)
