Bengaluru, November 24: After three previous visits to Macau, the UFC will mark its first event in Mainland China with UFC Fight Night: Bisping Vs Gastelum at Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai on Saturday (November 25).
A middleweight bout between former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones Vs Team Sonnen middleweight winner Kelvin Gastelum had been booked as the main event.
However, on November 10, it was announced that Silva had failed an out of competition drug test stemming from a sample collected on October 26 and as a result was pulled from the card.
Michael @Bisping invites you to watch him live this Saturday on Sony ESPN.#UFCShanghai pic.twitter.com/yWJCv1EXMg
— UFC India (@UFCIndia) November 23, 2017
A day later, former middleweight champion and The Ultimate Fighter 3 light heavyweight winner Michael Bisping was named as a replacement opponent for Gastelum.
Middleweight barnburner going down at #UFCShanghai!
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) November 23, 2017
Who YOU got?! 🤜 🤛 pic.twitter.com/2DPnsI5eYg
Bisping had fought just 21 days prior to this event at UFC 217, where he lost the championship to former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre.
A pair of Welterweight bruisers, Li Jingliang and Zak Ottow collide in the co-headliner in Shanghai. While in a featherweight bout, Wang Guan tackles Alex Caceres and to kick off the main card Muslim Shakov takes on Alex Gracia in a welterweight bout.
In the prelims, a pair of promotional newcomers, Liu Pingyuan and the first India-born MMA fighter Bharat Khandare were expected to face each other at the event. However, Pingyuan pulled out in early November and was replaced by fellow newcomer Yadong Song.
Hey India, we've got some good news👊🇮🇳️@KandareBharat's fight against Yadong Song this Saturday will be broadcasted live on Facebook. Be sure to tune in. #AllEyesOnBharat pic.twitter.com/sJODZTkw4q
— UFC India (@UFCIndia) November 22, 2017
Here is the scheduled fight card for UFC Fight Night 122:
Main Card (Sony ESPN)
1. Middleweight bout: Michael Bisping Vs Kelvin Gastelum
2. Welterweight bout: Li Jingliang Vs Zak Ottow
3. Featherweight bout: Wang Guan Vs Alex Caceres
4. Welterweight bout: Muslim Salikhov Vs Alex Garcia
Preliminary Card (Fight Pass)
1. Featherweight bout: Zabit Magomedsharipov Vs Sheymon Moraes
2. Welterweight bout: Kenan Song Vs Bobby Nash
3. Women's Strawweight bout: Kailin Curran Vs Yan Xiaonan
4. Bantamweight bout: Yadong Song Vs Bharat Khandare
5. Heavyweight bout: Chase Sherman Vs Shamil Abdurakhimov
6. Women's Bantamweight bout: Yanan Wu Vs Gina Mazany
7. Featherweight bout: Wuliji Buren Vs Rolando Dy
8. Heavyweight bout: Cyril Asker Vs Yaozong Hu
The live telecast of the main card in India will be available via Sony ESPN on Saturday (November 25) from 5.30 PM (IST) onwards. While the prelims can be streamed using UFC Fight Pass.
To see the Indian-born Khandare in action you can tune into UFC India Facebook page on Saturday (November 25) around 4 PM IST.