This time, UFC officials announced Gavin Tucker vs. Doo-Ho Choi for UFC Winnipeg on April 18. A fight almost certain to be a fan-pleasing affair full of fireworks, only there was just one problem:

Tucker hadn’t signed his bout agreement, and was later reported to be retired.

The UFC’s Korean-language social media channels posted a graphic alongside the bout announcement. Choi has since stated that the promotion is looking for a replacement opponent for the fight.

News of Tucker having retired, and not signing his bout agreement, was first reported by Eurosport’s Marcel Dorff.

Sources had previously informed Cageside Press that Tucker (13-3) was being lined up for a bout at UFC Ottawa, which would have put him closer to home. “The Guv’nor” hails from Newfoundland on the east coast. Tucker last fought in 2023, losing to two-time featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes. That marked the second of back-to-back losses for the Canadian, following a setback against Dan Ige.

Tucker posted a 4-3 record in his  time with the UFC. He picked up a Performance of the Night bonus for his finish of Justin Jaynes in August of 2020.

The post The UFC Announces Match-Up Without Fighter’s Signature, Again appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tucker (13-3) will end another extended hiatus when he faces Jeong Yeong Lee (11-2) at the event at the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec on May 10, 2025.

Korean MMA was first to report news of the booking, which Cageside Press confirmed on Wednesday.

Tucker’s career has come in fits and starts since joining the UFC in 2017. He’s missed all of 2018, 2022, and 2024, and has fought just seven times since signing on with the company after a 10-0 start to his professional career.

“The Guv’Nor” was last seen in action against Diego Lopes in 2023, where he was submitted via arm-bar. Prior to that he was knocked out by Dan Ige in March of 2021. Entering what is believed to be the final fight of his contract, Tucker finds himself in must-win territory at age 38.

Jeong Yeong Lee is coming into the fight off a loss to Hyder Amil, which saw him knocked out inside of a round. A former ROAD FC champion and Road to UFC alum, he’s 2-1 in the UFC proper.

Montreal’s first UFC event in a decade is headlined by a welterweight title fight as Belal Muhammad defends his title opposite Jack Della Maddalena. The following match-ups have been announced or reported for the event:

• Belal Muhammad (c) vs. Jack Della Maddalena – for the UFC welterweight championship
• Valentina Shevchenko (c) vs. Manon Fiorot – for the UFC women’s flyweight championship
• Alexa Grasso vs. Natália Silva
• Benoît Saint Denis vs. Joel Álvarez
• José Aldo vs. Aiemann Zahabi
• Modestas Bukauskas vs. Ion Cuțelaba
• Mike Malott vs. Charles Radtke
• Jéssica Andrade vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
• Navajo Stirling vs. Ivan Erslan
• Marc-André Barriault vs. Bruno Silva
• Brad Katona vs. Bekzat Almakhan
• Gavin Tucker vs. Jeong Yeong Lee

The post Gavin Tucker Joins UFC 315, Faces Jeong Yeong Lee appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tucker (13-3) will be in hostile territory for the fight, with Jenkins (12-3) fighting at home in his native Australia. UFC 305 takes place on August 17, 2024 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

Promotion officials recently announced the featherweight match-up.

Hailing from St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador, Tucker burst on the scene in the UFC in 2017 and was lauded for his exciting style early on, posting a 4-1 record. Layoffs and injuries took their toll, however, with Tucker missing all of 2018 and all of 2022. Most recently, “The Guv’Nor” was submitted by Diego Lopes in August of 2023.

Jenkins, a 2022 Contender Series winner, was victorious in his first two outings under the UFC banner, but ran into trouble against Chepe Mariscal last September, forced to tap due to an arm injury. He has not competed since.

UFC 305 is set to be headlined by middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis defending his title against ex-champ Israel Adesanya; the following match-ups have been reported for the card thus far:

• Dricus Du Plessis (c) vs. Israel Adesanya – for the UFC middleweight championship
• Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg
• Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
• Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes
• Casey O’Neill vs. Tereza Bleda
• Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker
• Joshua Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos
• Jack Jenkins vs. Gavin Tucker

The post Gavin Tucker Returns Against Jack Jenkins at UFC 305 appeared first on Cageside Press.

What comes next for the losing side of Saturday’s main card? Read on!

Rob Font

Bostonian Rob Font was dominated in the wrestling department by Cory Sandhagen on Saturday in Nashville. Although he deserves credit for accepting the fight on two weeks’ notice, he could not get anything going in the cage and is now 1-3 in his last four fights, though all of those losses are to elite fighters. He is still 10-6 in the UFC and is ranked seventh at bantamweight until the rankings update on Tuesday, but now he has to fight down in the ranks.

One fighter Font has history with is Ricky Simón, the twelfth-ranked bantamweight in the UFC who is 5-1 since they last fought in 2019, a bout which Font won by decision. Now is a great time for that rematch. Simón was recently knocked out by the hard hitting Song Yadong and needs to test his striking against someone like Font while Rob needs to prove he can beat a wrestler like Ricky and that the listless performance against Sandhagen was an issue he can overcome. That last fight was exciting and hopefully the rematch will be as well.

Font’s Next Fight: Ricky Simón

Jéssica Andrade

A hard matchup against undefeated wrestling phenom Tatiana Suarez led to Andrade losing her third fight in a row by finish. She has never lost more than two in a row before as a professional and had never been finished in back-to-back fights before. The most violent fighter in WMMA history is only 31 but perhaps the battles have added up and caused her to pass her prime quicker than most.

Andrade needs a step down in competition; her three losses in a row have all been against elite fighters like Yan Xiaonan and Erin Blanchfield. In recent years she has flip-flopped back and forth between fighting at strawweight and at flyweight; she is ranked fifth in each division currently. At flyweight she has an old foe from her pre-UFC days that is below her in the rankings and on a winning streak, Jennifer Maia who Andrade lost to in 2012.

Maia has turned back prospects Maryna Moroz and Casey O’Neill on her current streak as she builds her resume for a second title shot in the UFC, and Andrade is the perfect opponent to put her into a number one contender fight if she wins. As for Andrade, a win would right the ship and make her once again the perennial contender that she always has been.

Andrade’s Next Fight: Jennifer Maia.

Kennedy Nzechukwu

Nigeria’s Nzechukwu was in the best form of his career going into his fight with Dustin Jacoby, a fight that could have propelled him into the rankings with a win. However Jacoby landed a perfect right hand that dropped Kennedy in the first round, allowing him to ground and pound his way to a win. Nzechukwu has to fight unranked competition once more as he works his way back up.

A fight between talented unranked light-heavyweights that could see the winner be near the rankings afterwards is Vitor Petrino vs Modestas Bukauskas. Petrino is 9-0 as a professional, 2-0 in the UFC, and has showed well-rounded skills that make him a promising prospect. As for Bukauskas, the ‘Baltic Gladiator’ was cut from the UFC following a brutal knee injury in 2021. However he quickly reeled off two wins in 2022, got back into the UFC, and then won his first two fights of his second promotional stint in 2023. The winner would be on a three-fight winning streak and ready for a near-ranked opponent like Nzechukwu.

Nzechukwu’s Next Fight: Winner of Petrino vs Bukauskas

Ignacio Bahamondes

‘La Jaula’ lost his first fight since his UFC debut, bringing his promotional record to 3-2. At only twenty-five years of age the Chilean is still a promising talent, but has some growing to do before he is ready to be come a true contender. Still, his electric striking style makes any Bahamondes fight a fun one and there are a plethora of suitably exciting opponents to match him with in the talent-rich lightweight division.

Marc ‘Bonecrusher’ Diakiese is a fourteen-fight UFC veteran with a 7-7 record in the promotion who is known for his explosive striking style, though he has turned more and more to wrestling in recent years. He is on a two-fight losing streak at present so pitting these two together would be a true turning point in each man’s career and would be a ‘Fight of the Night’ contender on any fight card.

Bahamondes’ Next Fight: Marc Diakiese

Aleksa Camur

Camur lost to Tanner Boser at UFC Nashville for his third straight UFC loss, making him fall to 1-3 in the promotion. Most fighters on debut contracts cannot lose three straight without being cut but its possible that Camur will stay with the UFC due to the shallow 205-lb division and his relationship with UFC legend Stipe Miocic.

If Camur does stick around then he should fight a fighter with a similar promotional record, like Zac Pauga. Pauga, the TUF 30 heavyweight tournament runner-up, is 1-1 in the UFC, or 1-2 if one counts his tournament finale loss to Mo Usman. Funnily enough, both men have a record of 6-2 as professional fighters, making them perfectly matched in win rate and experience going into this potential fight.

Camur’s Next Fight: Zac Pauga

Gavin Tucker

Gavin ‘Guv’nor’ Tucker returned after more than two years away from the cage to face Diego Lopes, a bout he lost by first-round submission to the BJJ ace. Tucker recently turned 37 years old and at featherweight that is near the end for most fighters. He is now on a two-fight losing streak but is still 4-3 overall in the UFC, a respectable record. If Gavin is going to stick around he deserves a decent, but not highly ranked, opponent next.

Tucker’s next fight: Fighters like Josh Culibao, Andre Fili, etc.

The post What’s Next: UFC Nashville Losers appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tucker had not been seen in action since a 2021 KO loss to Dan Ige. Lopes was coming off a spectacular performance against Movsar Evloev where, although losing, he wowed fans enough that he became a fan favorite.

Round 1 began with Tucker in close throwing front kicks to keep Lopes away, and then the worst of low blows you’ve seen in a minute. Lopes was only recovering for less than a minute before he let the ref know he was ready. Back and forth with the strikes until Tucker shot in for a takedown, but fell right into a triangle!

Try as much as he could Tucker just couldn’t get out of it! With Tucker defending the triangle Lopes was forced to go to the arm bar. When Tucker dropped to his back Lopes went back to a triangle, mounted this time, but as it turns out the arm bar was enough to send Tucker home early.

Diego Lopes got his first UFC victory of his career with the submission victory over Tucker.

Official Result: Diego Lopes def. Gavin Tucker via R1 Submission (Armbar) 1:38

The post Full Camp Diego Lopes Submits Gavin Tucker In First Round, Earns First UFC Victory appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Feeling great. Obviously having the time to prepare. This was actually 10 weeks exactly so feeling much more in peace actually having that time, and just enjoying fight week,” Lopes told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.

Lopes (21-6) comes off a short-notice fight against Movsar Evloev at UFC 288 in May. Lopes made for a very competitive fight which saw him put Evloev in trouble multiple times.

“It was so good to feel the love of the fans because it was a long time coming. I worked a lot to get there. It wasn’t a win, but I’m very happy and just happy to actually have the recognition for what I’ve done in that fight,” he said.

In Tucker he gets a scrappy fighter with good striking, but definitely a solid ground game which has fans wanting to see how their grappling matches up.

“This is a guy actually that comes in. A tough dude to fight. Someone that’s got a lot of experience and a lot to show for in the UFC,” he said.

“It’s a good matchup for me. Someone that likes to work striking, and likes to take people down. So I think I’m ready and I do think he’s a good matchup for me.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Diego Lopes above. He takes on Gavin Tucker at UFC Nashville on Saturday night.

The post Diego Lopes Felt The Love After Showing Against Evloev, Likes Tucker Matchup appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I brought in a lot of high-level jiu jitsu guys. Not to sound disrespectful. Guys who are competing at ADCC level. Competitors that are solid all the ways through,” Tucker told reporters on Wednesday.

“I’m a Renzo Gracie black belt. I’m solid all the ways through.”

Jiu jitsu accolades aside Tucker isn’t afraid of going to the ground with Lopes. In fact he’s counting on it.

“Listen, we’re going to grapple. Him and I. We are going to grapple. I’m not shying away from trickiness. I’m built like a stump. We’re going to see what that looks like,” he said.

“The preparation has been the same way I always prepare. I always look at the positions, run the positions through camp, do what I always do as far as my process goes, and focus on my game.”

Lopes jumped in against Movsar Evloev on short notice at UFC 288 and actually put Evloev in trouble in a lot of positions. Submissions, sweeps, Lopes showed he can do it all, and Tucker isn’t surprised that fans are looking at their fight as one of the highlights on the card.

“His last performance. He came out and had a really good run against, I think Movsar is top 10 right now, so he had a good showing on short notice,” he said.

“He’s coming in to scrap. It’s going to be potential for this one to get outside of athletic competition, and just stop being a sport. Turn into an absolute mud fight. I know he’s there for it, it takes one to know one, so if it turns into that….that’s what people are probably excited for.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Gavin Tucker above. He takes on Diego Lopes at UFC Nashville on Saturday night.

The post Gavin Tucker Sees A Possible Brawl With Lopes In Nashville appeared first on Cageside Press.

MMA Junkie was first to report the news that Gavin Tucker will fight Pat Sabatini on November 20 at a yet-to-be-announced UFC event. Sabatini would confirm the booking on his Instagram story.

Tucker (13-2) suffered his second professional loss in his last outing. In March at UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad, he was knocked unconscious by Dan Ige in 22 seconds. The loss snapped a three-fight win streak which included wins over Billy Quaratillo, Justin Jaynes, and Seung Woo Choi.

It took years of grinding on the regional scene, but Sabatini (15-3) has made the most of his UFC run so far. In his UFC debut at UFC 261, he snapped Tristian Connelly’s win streak by defeating him via unanimous decision. Most recently, it took him less than two minutes to submit Jamall Emmers. Sabatini is riding a four-fight win streak.

No location, venue, or broadcast plan has been announced for the November 20 event, but UFC President Dana White said that all Fight Nights will be staying at the Apex in Las Vegas, NV.

So far, the November 20 card looks like this.

• Cody Durden vs. Aoriqileng
• Alexa Grasso vs. Joanne
• Cheyanne Buys vs. Loma Lookboonmee
• Terrance McKinney vs. Fares Ziam
• Michael Chiesa vs. Sean Brady
• Rafa Garcia vs. Natan Levy
• Marcin Prachnio vs. Azamat Murzakanov
• Davey Grant vs. Adrian Yanez
• Gavin Tucker vs. Pat Sabatini

The post Gavin Tucker vs. Pat Sabatini Set For November 20 UFC Event appeared first on Cageside Press.

First, a word on the no contests. Belal Muhammad probably deserves a rematch after that ending — and he probably won’t get it. Leon Edwards called for a title shot after the fight, and it’s hard to see how the UFC would make that, given the sour taste left in everyone’s mouth. Whether the promotion books an immediate rematch remains to be seen, as Muhammad was really given the shot against Edwards due to a lack of options, which may not be the case three months from now.

A rematch of Anders vs. Stewart would be fun, as that bout was a slobber-knocker while it lasted.

Misha Cirkunov

In the co-main event, Ryan Spann was able to knock Misha Cirkunov out in the first round. Coming into the fight Cirkunov was ranked number 11 in the light heavyweight division. This loss to Spann will likely move Cirkunov towards the back part of the top 15. His next fight should be against the loser of Jamahal Hill versus Paul Craig. Either fighter would match up perfectly with Cirkunov. Hill would give Cirkunov a chance to solidify his striking. While fighting Craig will help Cirkunov prove just how good his grappling is.

Cirkunov’s next fight: Loser of Jamahal Hill vs. Paul Craig

Gavin Tucker

Canada’s Gavin Tucker was knocked out by Dan Ige in the first round of UFC Vegas 21, in all of 22 seconds. This loss makes Tucker 4-2 in the UFC. His loss to Ige was also his first time ever being finished in his professional career. Tucker holds wins over young guys like Billy Quarantillo and Justin Jaynes. His next fight should be against another young up and comer who has hit a rough patch: Doo-Ho Choi. Choi was red hot when he entered the UFC, but three consecutive defeats plus mandatory military service in his native South Korea have stalled his momentum. Choi’s last defeat came to another Canadian, Charles Jourdain, in December 2019. His last five fights have ended in post-fight bonuses, and the matching with Tucker could create some real fireworks. Tucker also holds a win over Choi’s countryman Seung Woo Choi. Lots of storylines in this one, and Doo-Ho Choi is reportedly ready to return to action later this year. The July timeframe sounds about right.

Tucker’s next fight: Doo-Ho Choi

Jonathan Martinez

Jonathan Martinez also fell victim to a knockout at UFC Vegas 21. Davey Grant was able to land a sneaky left hand that put Martinez out in the second round. The fight was extremely competitive up until the knockout. Martinez showed massive improvements in his striking on Saturday night. This loss makes Martinez 4-3 in the UFC and means he needs a win in his next fight. Just a few weeks ago Song Yadong lost a decision to Kyler Phillips. That loss makes Yadong 5-1-1 in the UFC. He won a decision over Marlon Vera that a lot of people saw the other way around and he fought to a majority draw with Cody Stamann. A lot of people thought he lost that fight as well. Yadong is another guy who could be fighting for his place in the company with his next fight.

Martinez’s next fight: Song Yadong 

Manel Kape

Manel Kape looked to have won a razor-close split decision against Matheus Nicolau, but the judges thought otherwise. Kape won the fight in every aspect of the striking, even out-striking Nicolau 50-14 in the final round. Nicolau had two takedowns though in the first and third round in which he was able to control Kape on the ground. That gave him the split decision nod. This loss makes Kape 0-2 in the UFC so he desperately needs a win in his next fight. While the prudent course of action would seem to be giving him an up-and-comer, Kape should instead try to fight the biggest name he possibly can next.

With that in mind, Kape’s next opponent should be Amir Albazi. Albazi is 2-0 in the UFC with wins over Zhalgas Zhumagulov, and Malcolm Gordon. Even though Albazi has only two fights in the UFC against non-top 15 opponents, he finds himself with a number 14 ranking next to his name. Even though Kape has lost both of his fights, the matchmakers should throw him a bone because of how his last fight was scored.

Kape’s next fight: Amir Albazi 

The post What’s Next: UFC Vegas 21 Losers appeared first on Cageside Press.

Dan Ige was supposed to have faced grappling standout Ryan Hall at UFC Vegas 21 on Saturday. Instead, he was paired up with a very different kind of fighter: Canadian featherweight Gavin Tucker.

Tucker had hit his stride after a 1-1 start to his UFC career that featured a dominant win over Sam Sicilia and a brutally one-sided loss to Rick Glenn. A lengthy layoff saw him return in 2019, and the Canadian is 3-0 since then with two submissions.

Ige debuted in the UFC back in 2018 with a competitive loss against Julio Arce. He then rattled off six straight wins with split decisions over Edson Barboza and Mirsad Bektic. Those victories earned him a main event slot against featherweight contender Calvin Kattar, but he ended up losing a unanimous decision in July.

With Ige’s heart and Tucker’s technical abilities, it was a fight that had Fight of the Night potential.

After a few feints from both fighters, Tucker came in with a left hand that Ige countered beautifully. A right straight shut Tucker down and he was out almost immediately. An incredibly quick finish for Dan Ige, who needed a big win after his last fight.

ONE AND DONE FOR 50K 🤑 #UFCVegas21 pic.twitter.com/PLs7mkJ5Ez

— UFC (@ufc) March 14, 2021

Ige immediately reminded fans why he was seen as one of the top rising contenders in the featherweight division.

Dan Ige def. Gavin Tucker by KO (Right Straight) in Round 1 (0:22)

The post UFC Vegas 21 Results: Dan Ige Silences Gavin Tucker in 20 Seconds appeared first on Cageside Press.