UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić

UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić (also known as UFC Fight Night 175, UFC on ESPN+ 33 and UFC Vegas 8) was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 29, 2020, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.[2]

UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić
The poster for UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić
Information
PromotionUltimate Fighting Championship
DateAugust 29, 2020 (2020-08-29)
VenueUFC Apex
CityEnterprise, Nevada, United States
AttendanceNone (behind closed doors)[1]
Event chronology
UFC on ESPN: Munhoz vs. Edgar UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Sakai

Background

Promotion officials were originally targeting a featherweight bout between The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America featherweight winner Yair Rodríguez and Zabit Magomedsharipov to serve as the event headliner.[3] However, Rodríguez pulled out of the bout on August 5 with an ankle injury and Magomedsharipov announced he would not fight at the event.[4][5] The pairing was first scheduled to take place at UFC 228 in September 2018, but Rodríguez also pulled out of that event with an injury.[6] The pairing was rescheduled for UFC 254.[7]

On August 15, it was announced that a light heavyweight bout between former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship challenger Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakić would serve as a three-round main event.[8]

Emily Whitmire was scheduled to face Polyana Viana in a women's strawweight bout at UFC 248 earlier this year.[9] However, Whitmire weighed in at 117.5 pounds, one and a half pounds over the strawweight non-title fight limit. She was subsequently hospitalized the day of the event, thus cancelling the fight.[10] The pairing was rescheduled for this event instead.[11] It was reportedly rescheduled as a women's flyweight bout, but ultimately took place as a women's strawweight contest.[12]

A featherweight bout between former UFC Featherweight Championship challenger Ricardo Lamas and The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber lightweight winner Ryan Hall was also scheduled to initially take place earlier this year at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Weidman, but the event was cancelled in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [13] The pairing was rescheduled for this event.[14] In turn, Hall pulled out due to undisclosed reasons a week before the event.[15] He was replaced by promotional newcomer Bill Algeo.[16]

A welterweight bout between Neil Magny and Geoff Neal was scheduled to take place at this event. However, Neal withdrew from the event on August 9 due to a severe case of pneumonia that evolved to sepsis.[17] He was replaced by former UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler. The original pairing is now expected to take place at UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs. Waterson[18]

A light heavyweight rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Ion Cuțelaba was expected to take place at this event.[19] The pair first met at UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo, where Ankalaev won via controversial knockout.[20] The bout was originally expected to take place at UFC 249, on its original April 18 date. However, Ankalaev was forced to pull out of the event due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21] They were later rebooked for UFC 252, but Cuțelaba then pulled out after he tested positive for COVID-19 and the bout was rescheduled for this event.[22] Cuțelaba tested positive yet again on the day of the event, resulting in another cancellation of this fight.[23]

A featherweight bout between Alex Caceres and Giga Chikadze was initially scheduled to take place three weeks earlier at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik, but was pushed back to this event due to undisclosed reasons.[24] In turn, Chikadze withdrew from the bout on August 26 after testing positive for COVID-19 and was briefly replaced by promotional newcomer Kevin Croom.[25][26] Subsequently on the following day, Croom was removed and replaced by fellow newcomer Austin Springer.[27]

A middleweight bout between Maki Pitolo and promotional newcomer Impa Kasanganay was briefly linked to UFC on ESPN: Munhoz vs. Edgar a week earlier.[28] However, promotion officials elected to move the pairing a week later to this event.[29]

A middleweight bout between Saparbek Safarov and Julian Marquez was scheduled for this event.[30] However, the bout was moved to UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis in November after Safarov faced travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[31]

At the weigh-ins, Hannah Cifers and Austin Springer missed weight for their respective bouts. Cifers weighed in at 117 pounds, one pound over the strawweight non-title fight limit. Springer weighed in at 151 pounds, five pounds over the featherweight non-title fight limit. Both of their bouts proceeded at catchweight and they were each fined 20% and 30% of their individual purses respectively, which went to their opponents Mallory Martin and Alex Caceres.[32]

Results
Main card (ESPN+)
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Light Heavyweight Aleksandar Rakić def. Anthony Smith Decision (unanimous) (30–26, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Welterweight Neil Magny def. Robbie Lawler Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Women's Flyweight Alexa Grasso def. Ji Yeon Kim Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Featherweight Ricardo Lamas def. Bill Algeo Decision (unanimous) (29–27, 29–27, 29–27) 3 5:00
Preliminary card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Middleweight Impa Kasanganay def. Maki Pitolo Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Middleweight Zak Cummings def. Alessio Di Chirico Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27) 3 5:00
Catchweight (151 lb) Alex Caceres def. Austin Springer Submission (rear-naked choke) 1 3:38
Welterweight Sean Brady def. Christian Aguilera Submission (guillotine choke) 2 1:47
Women's Strawweight Polyana Viana def. Emily Whitmire Submission (armbar) 1 1:53
Catchweight (117 lb) Mallory Martin def. Hannah Cifers Submission (rear-naked choke) 2 1:33

    [33]

    Bonus awards

    The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses.[34]

    • Fight of the Night: Ricardo Lamas vs. Bill Algeo
    • Performance of the Night: Sean Brady and Mallory Martin

    See also

    References
    1. Dana Becker (2020-08-24). "UFC concludes August with Anthony Smith-Aleksandar Rakic". themix.com. Retrieved 2020-08-29.
    2. Farah Hannoun and Mike Bohn (2020-06-19). "UFC adds Aleksandar Rakic vs. Anthony Smith to Aug. 29 lineup". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
    3. David Tees (2020-07-30). "Report: Yair Rodriguez faces Zabit Magomedsharipov at August 29 UFC event". fightful.com. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
    4. Nolan King (2020-08-04). "Dana White confirms Yair Rodriguez injured, out of fight vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
    5. Damon Martin (2020-08-10). "Zabit Magomedsharipov announces he will not fight on Aug. 29, returning to Russia for now". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
    6. Harry Davies (2018-08-23). "Injury forces Yair Rodriguez out of UFC 228 fight vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
    7. Cole Shelton (2020-08-14). "Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Yair Rodriguez rescheduled for UFC 254". bjpenn.com. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
    8. Nick Baldwin (2020-08-15). "Smith-Rakic promoted to UFC main event on Aug. 29". thescore.com. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
    9. Staff (2019-12-28). "Emily Whitmire faces Polyana Viana at UFC 248 in Las Vegas". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-07-10. (in Dutch)
    10. Staff (2020-03-07). "UFC 248 preliminary bout scratched last minute due to medical concerns". yahoo.com. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
    11. Farah Hannoun (2020-07-10). "Emily Whitmire vs. Polyana Viana rescheduled for UFC's Aug. 29 event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
    12. Staff (2020-07-10). "Second try for Emily Whitmire vs. Polyana Viana, this time in the Flyweight division". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-07-10. (in Dutch)
    13. Damon Martin (2020-04-09). "UFC 249, upcoming events postponed due to coronavirus pandemic, Dana White promises 'Fight Island' will proceed". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
    14. Mike Heck (2020-07-03). "Ryan Hall vs. Ricardo Lamas rebooked for UFC event on Aug. 29". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
    15. Mike Bohn (2020-08-20). "Ryan Hall out of Ricardo Lamas fight at UFC's Aug. 29 event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
    16. Farah Hannoun (2020-08-24). "With Ryan Hall out, Bill Algeo steps in to face Ricardo Lamas at UFC on ESPN+ 33". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
    17. Steven Marrocco (2020-08-10). "Coach: Geoff Neal expected to recover after mysterious ailment that caused staphylococcal pneumonia, sepsis". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
    18. Nolan King and Mike Bohn (2020-08-09). "Neil Magny vs. Robbie Lawler booked for Aug. 29 UFC event after Geoff Neal suffers health scare". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
    19. Staff (2020-06-12). "Rematch after controversial first game between Magomed Ankalaev and Ion Cutelaba at UFC 252". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-06-12. (in Dutch)
    20. Damon Martin (2020-02-29). "UFC Norfolk results: Magomed Ankalaev earns KO over Ion Cutelaba in highly controversial stoppage". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
    21. Damon Martin (2020-03-05). "Ion Cutelaba vs. Magomed Ankalaev re-booked for UFC 249 following controversial stoppage". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
    22. Steven Marrocco and Damon Martin (2020-08-11). "Ion Cuțelaba tests positive for COVID-19, rematch against Magomed Ankalaev bumped from UFC 252 to August 29 event". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
    23. Mike Bohn (2020-08-29). "Ion Cutelaba tests positive for COVID-19, Magomed Ankalaev rematch off UFC on ESPN+ 33". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-29.
    24. Staff (2020-07-17). ""Bruce Leeroy" meets Giga Chikadze at UFC event on August 8". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-07-18. (in Dutch)
    25. Staff (2020-08-26). "Alex Caceres has new opponent in Kevin Croom". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-08-26. (in Dutch)
    26. Alexander K. Lee (2020-08-28). "Giga Chikadze withdrawal from UFC Vegas 8 was due to positive COVID-19 test". mmafighting. Retrieved 2020-08-29.
    27. Farah Hannoun (2020-08-27). "With Kevin Croom out, Austin Springer steps in to face Alex Caceres at UFC on ESPN+ 33". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
    28. Mike Heck (2020-08-11). "Maki Pitolo to welcome DWCS contract winner Impa Kasanganay at UFC event on Aug. 22". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
    29. Staff (2020-08-17). "Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Aug. 10-16)". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
    30. Farah Hannoun (2020-07-13). "Julian Marquez vs. Saparbeg Safarov joins UFC's Aug. 29 lineup". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
    31. David Tees (2020-08-20). "Report: Julian Marquez vs. Saparbeg Safarov moved to November 14 UFC card". fightful.com. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
    32. Staff (2020-08-28). "UFC on ESPN+ 33 weigh-in results: Two fighters miss, but headliner set". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
    33. "UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić". Ultimate Fighting Championship. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-29.
    34. Dan Hiergesell (2020-08-30). "UFC Vegas 8 bonuses: Sean Brady's scary submission finish banks Performance of the Night". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
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