Las Vegas – UFC® debuts at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, headlined by a high-stakes bantamweight matchup that will see No. 2 ranked contender Petr Yan collide with No. 3 Merab Dvalishvili. Fireworks are guaranteed in the co-main event as No. 8 ranked heavyweight Alexander Volkov battles No. 13 Alexandr Romanov.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: YAN vs. DVALISHVILI takes place Saturday, March 11 in Las Vegas with the entire card available exclusively on ESPN+ in English and Spanish.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: YAN vs. DVALISHVILI tickets will go on sale Friday, Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. PT and are available for purchase at axs.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Jan. 26 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
Media members wishing to apply for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: YAN vs. DVALISHVILI fight week credentials may sign up here.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Yan (16-4, fighting out of Omsk, Russia) sets forth to deliver a statement performance and find his way back to the championship . A Master of Sport in Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts, Yan has secured dominant victories over Cory Sandhagen, former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo, and UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber. He now looks to rkick off 2023 in style by halting surging contender Dvalishvili.
Dvalishvili (15-4, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y. by way of Tbilisi, Georgia) intends to make the most of his first UFC main event by defeating another former champion. The recordholder for most takedowns landed at 135 pounds (50), Dvalishvili has claimed wins over José Aldo, Marlon Moraes and Cody Stamann. The Georgia native now has his eyes set on adding Yan to his already impressive resume and staking his claim for a title shot.
Knockout artist Volkov (35-10, fighting out of Moscow, Russia)aims on breaking into the top five by delivering another highlight finish. Proven to be a dangerous striker, he has put away formidable opponents such as Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alistair Overeem, and former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. Volkov looks to add Romanov’s name to his long list of impressive knockouts and find himself in the mix for a title shot.
Rising contender Romanov (16-1, fighting out of Comrat, Moldova)enters the Octagon determined to secure the biggest win of his career in undeniable fashion. A versatile heavyweight, Romanov put the division on notice when he secured notable wins against Chase Sherman, Jared Vanderaa, and Juan Espino. Romanov now plans on starting a big 2023 season by delivering a statement victory over top contender Volkov.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Ricardo Ramos (16-4, fighting out of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil) takes on Taekwondo black belt Austin Lingo (9-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) in a stylistic thriller at featherweight
- Raphael Assunção (28-9, fighting out of Alpharetta, Ga.) clashes with Kyler Phillips (10-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) in an intriguing bantamweight tilt
- Kicking off the main card, Vitor Petrino (7-0, fighting out of Santa Luzia, Minas Gerais, Brazil) puts his perfect record on the line against Anton Turkalj (8-1, fighting out of Göteborg, Sweden) in an exciting light heavyweight bout
- Dana White’s Contender Series alums Karl Williams (7-1, fighting out of Atlanta, Ga.) and Lukasz Brzeski (8-2-1, fighting out of Kraków, Poland) meet in a heavyweight clash
- Mario Bautista (10-2, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) looks to extend his winning streak to four when he collides with Guido Cannetti (10-7, fighting out of Buenos Aires, Argentina) at bantamweight
- Victor Henry (22-6, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) goes toe-to-toe with Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus Tony Gravely (23-8, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) in a bantamweight bout
- Undefeated Dana White’s Contender Series signee Sedriques Dumas (7-0, fighting out of Pensacola, Fla.) has his sights set on securing his first UFC win against Abu Azaitar (14-3-1, fighting out of Rabat, Morocco) at middleweight
- Bantamweights look to steal the show as Ariane Lipski (14-8, fighting out Curitiba, Parana, Brazil) faces JJ Aldrich (11-5, fighting out of Denver, Colo.)
- A thrilling flyweight contest sees Tyson Nam (21-12-1, fighting out of Portland, Ore.) lock horns with Bruno Silva (22-8, fighting out of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil)
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change. Please click here to apply for the event.
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About UFC®
About The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Exclusively booked and managed by AEG Presents, The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is a premier live entertainment venue featuring the most highly regarded talents in music and comedy. Formerly The Joint, the venue has hosted some of the top names in entertainment across countless genres since its inception, including iconic acts such as Paul McCartney, Bert Kreischer, Blink-182, Drake, Guns N’ Roses, Imagine Dragons, Journey, Karol G, Kenny Chesney, The Killers, Machine Gun Kelly, Nine Inch Nails, Prince, Rex Orange County, Santana, The 1975, and countless others.
The Theater provides an immersive setting for guests to experience both legendary and groundbreaking artists on a variety of levels, from intimate performances with 1,800 guests to large-scale, full-capacity experiences with 4,600 guests. Setting the bar for the most luxury in-venue concert experience, The Theater offers exclusive VIP offerings, including luxury private suites tended by dedicated VIP hosts, top-shelf spirits, a private expedited entry, in-venue merchandise delivery, custom swag, VIP social lounges and more, guaranteed to give guests an unparalleled live entertainment and VIP experience at every touchpoint. To learn more about the venue’s VIP service or to book, please email TheTheaterVIP@aegpresents.com. For tickets or more information on The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, visit virginhotelslv.com/venue/the-theater.
About Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is a reimagined and re-conceptualized casino resort. The property is part of Curio Collection by Hilton and has been awarded the AAA Four Diamond Award in its first year of operation. The integrated resort intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture and features three hotel towers totaling over 1,500 Chambers and suites; the 60,000 sq. ft. Mohegan Casino Las Vegas, operated by Mohegan; a five-acre desert pool oasis including Élia Beach Club and a multi-functional event lawn; live music and entertainment theater with 4,600 capacity operated by AEG Presents; 24 Oxford showroom accommodating 650 guests; immersive sports viewing venue Skybox and an exclusive portfolio of twelve food and beverage venues including Todd English’s Olives, Kris Yenbamroong’s Night + Market, the legendary Nobu, Michael Morton and David Morton’s ONE Steakhouse, Kassi Beach House from restauranteur Nick Mathers, Casa Calavera by global hospitality company TAO Group, famous Afters Ice Cream, Pizza Forte by the Ferraro Family and signature Virgin Hotels restaurants and bars including The Kitchen at Commons Club, The Bar at Commons Club, The Shag Room and Funny Library Coffee Shop. The property is owned by JC Hospitality, LLC, in partnership with Juniper Capital Partners, Virgin Group, LiUNA, Fengate Asset Management, Dream and Orlando Development. The off-Strip playground is located at 4455 Paradise Road. For more information, visit www.virginhotelslv.com.
About Curio Collection by Hilton
Curio Collection by Hilton is a global portfolio of more than 120 one-of-a-kind hotels and resorts handpicked for their distinct character. Curio Collection properties offer guests the ability to experience independent hotels, offering authentic, curated experiences through local offerings and elevated amenities, while providing the benefits of Hilton and its award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors. Experience Curio Collection by Hilton by booking at curiocollection.com or through the industry-leading Hilton Honors app. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits. Learn more about Curio Collection by Hilton at stories.hilton.com/curio, and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.8 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.
