UFC Fight Night 202: Makhachev vs. Green Fight Card and Start Times
Las Vegas – UFC continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with an intriguing matchup in a 160-pound catchweight bout, as No. 4 ranked lightweight contender Islam Makhachev aims to halt the momentum of fan-favorite Bobby Green, who fills in on short notice to replace the injured Beneil Dariush. In the middleweight co-main event, renowned finisher Misha Cirkunov looks to secure his first victory in the weight class as he takes on Wellington Turman.
UFC Fight Night 202: Makhachev vs. Green will take place Saturday, Feb. 26 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will stream on ESPN+, with the prelims beginning at 1 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. ET and the main card at 4 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. ET.
Makhachev (20-1) fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia looks to extend his nine-fight win streak in the UFC. During his run-up of the rankings, Makhachev proved he is one of the best lightweights with dominant wins over Dan Hooker, Drew Dober, and Thiago Moises. He now aims to secure a possible shot at UFC gold by defeating the veteran Green.
Green (29-12-1) fighting out of Fontana, California steps into the Octagon on 10 days’ notice after a dominating performance over Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 271. A lightweight bruiser who has nine knockouts and eight submissions to his name, Green continues to rise in the division after victories over Alan Patrick, Clay Guida, and Al Iaquinta and he now looks to make a statement and derail the Russian phenom Makhachev and break into the Top 15.
Former light heavyweight contender Misha Cirkunov (15-7) fighting out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada by way of Riga, Lativa seeks to start a winning streak at 185-pounds. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist has an impressive 11 first-round finishes, with three coming in under a minute. Some of his stoppage victories include Jimmy Crute, Nikita Krylov, and Ion Cutelaba. Cirkunov now has his sights set on making a splash in his second fight at middleweight and sending a message to the rest of the division.
Wellington Turman (17-5) fighting out of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil intends to make the most of his first UFC co-main event opportunity. Coming off a split decision win over UFC veteran Sam Alvey, the jiu-jitsu expert now intends to make it two in a row by taking out Cirkunov and beginning his climb up the middleweight ladder.
Ji Yeon Kim (9-4-2) fighting out of Incheon, South Korea looks to dominate against Priscila Cachoeira (10-4) fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in a women’s flyweight bout. No. 13 ranked UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan (16-2) fighting out Krasnodar, Russia faces submission specialist Joel Alvarez (19-2) fighting out of Asturias, Spain.
Dana White’s Contender Series alum Armen Petrosyan (6-1) fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia by way of Krasnoyarsk, Russia meets streaking Gregory Rodrigues (11-4) fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Florida by way of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil at middleweight. Rong Zhu (18-4) fighting out of Sichuan, China takes on young knockout artist Ignacio Bahamondes (12-4) fighting out of Chicago, Illinois by way of Santiago, Chile at lightweight.
Josiane Nunes (8-1) fighting out of Fazenda Rio Grande, Parana, Brazil looks to spoil the UFC debut of Ramona Pascual (6-2) fighting out of Hong Kong in a women’s bantamweights clash. Lightweight action sees Terrance McKinney (11-3) fighting out of Spokane, Wash. facing off with Fares Ziam (12-3) fighting out of Givors, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, FranceVénissieux, France.
Women’s strawweight Jinh Yu Frey (11-6) fighting out of Arlington, Tex. battles Hannah Goldy (6-2) fighting out of Orlando, Fla. Bantamweight veterans meet as Alejandro Perez (22-8-1) fighting out of San Jose, Calif. by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico takes on Jonathan Martinez (14-4) fighting out of Plainview, Tex.
Welterweights Ramiz Brahimaj (9-4) fighting out of Dallas, Texas, and Micheal Gillmore (6-4) fighting out of Lansing, Mich. lock horns. Flyweights Victor Altamirano (10-1O) fighting out of Fort Worth, Tex. and Carlos Hernandez (7-1) fighting out of Chicago, Ill. face off as they look to make a name for themselves in their first trip to the Octagon.
Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.
