The possible first UFC event on Fight Island has added an intriguing light heavyweight bout between Ion Cutelaba and Ovince Saint Preux.
MMA Fighting first reported the addition to UFC Fight Night 173, the first fight night event expected to take place after three were canceled due to the coronavirus.
This bout was a makeshift fight after two were canceled. Ion Cutelaba was originally set to fight Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 249, and Ovince Saint Preux was going to fight Shamil Gamzatov at this April 25 event. Both of their opponents were removed from the bouts due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Ovince Saint Preux has finished five of his last eight opponents, with three of those coming by his patented Von Flue choke (or Von Preux choke, if you will). He recently snapped a two-fight losing streak at UFC Copenhagen with one of those chokes in September against Michal Oleksiejczuk. Saint Preux was later suspended for three months due to a tainted supplement.
Ion Cutelaba has consistently been one of the most exciting light heavyweights around, winning by knockout in his last three victories. He is coming off an unfortunate loss, when a wild firefight against Magomed Ankalaev was stopped too soon while Cutelaba was still on his feet just 40 seconds in. The pair were scheduled to fight at UFC 249, but as mentioned earlier, Ankalaev will not be able to make it to the United States.
UFC Fight Night 173 is expected to be the first event to take place from Dana White’s Fight Island (if he follows through with the idea), kicking off a string of weekly events from the venue. The card is headlined by another light heavyweight bout between former title challengers Anthony Smith and Glover Teixeira.
