The UFC has confirmed four new matchups for its May return to New York and debut in the city of Rochester.
UFC on ESPN+ 9 takes place May 18 at Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial. The event streams on ESPN+.
In a featured bout, lightweights Charles Oliveira (26-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) and Nik Lentz (30-9-1 MMA, 14-6-1 UFC) will face off a third time in a rivalry that stretches over eight years and two fights. Oliveira is on a tear that includes four consecutive submission victories, while Lentz has won his past two. The last time they met, in 2015, Oliveira got the third-round tap.
Other fights confirmed include a welterweight bout between Danny Roberts (16-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and UFC newcomer Michel Pereira (22-9 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who steps in to replace New York native Randy Brown. Roberts is coming off a submission loss to Claudio Silva in a hotly contested bout this past month, while Pereira arrives with a 41-second KO on the international circuit this past December.
Featherweights Julio Arce (15-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Julian Erosa (22-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) hope to kick recent setbacks in the octagon. Erosa put up a good fight against Grant Dawson, but dropped a unanimous decision for his second straight loss. Arce lost a split decision to Sheymon Moraes that snapped a seven-fight winning streak.
Lightweight Davi Ramos (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), a highly decorated jiu-jitsu specialist, attempts to build on a three-fight winning streak that includes back-to-back first round submissions. He faces newcomer Austin Hubbard (10-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who’s won his past three on the regional circuit.
With the additions, the latest UFC on ESPN+ 9 lineup includes:
- Rafael dos Anjos vs. Kevin Lee
- Vicente Luque vs. Neil Magny
- Ian Heinisch vs. Antonio Carlos Junior
- Sijara Eubanks vs. Aspen Ladd
- Zak Cummings vs. Trevin Giles
- Patrick Cummins vs. Ed Herman
- Grant Dawson vs. Mike Trizano
- Megan Anderson vs. Felicia Spencer
- Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira
- Michel Pereira vs. Danny Roberts
- Julio Arce vs. Julian Erosa
- Austin Hubbard vs. Davi Ramos
For more on UFC on ESPN+ 9, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
