UFC Vegas 79 to be Headlined by Electrifying Welterweight Showdown

Las Vegas, July 21: UFC returns to the UFC APEX with UFC Vegas 79: Luque vs. Dos Anjos, which will be headlined by an electrifying welterweight showdown on Saturday, August 12, 2023.

In the main event of UFC Vegas 79: Luque vs. Dos Anjos, as the event name suggests, No. 10 ranked contender Vicente Luque takes on former UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos in a welterweight bout.

The always exciting Luque (21-9-1, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil) looks to secure the biggest win of his career with a signature performance. Luque is a well-rounded competitor who has finished 19 of his 21 victories.

"The Silent Assassin" Luque has delighted fans with wins over Michael Chiesa, Tyron Woodley and Mike Perry. Luque now intends to defend his spot in the rankings by stopping Dos Anjos in emphatic fashion.

Former UFC lightweight champion Dos Anjos (32-14, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) plans to secure another memorable win in the 170-pound division. He is the record holder for the most fight time in UFC history with over eight hours spent in the Octagon.

Dos Anjos has defeated some of the best to ever compete in MMA, including former UFC champions Robbie Lawler, Anthony Pettis and Benson Henderson. He now seeks to make another run up the welterweight ranks by taking out Luque.

Also on the UFC Vegas 79 card, fan favorite Cub Swanson looks to deliver another exciting performance against Hakeem Dawodu in a featherweight bout that is expected to co-headline the event.

A member of the UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing for his epic battle with Dooho Choi, Swanson (28-13, fighting out of Palm Springs, Calif.) returns to action aiming to secure a record-breaking 10th post-fight bonus at featherweight.

A staple of the 145-pound division since 2011, he holds thrilling victories over Daniel Pineda, Darren Elkins and Kron Gracie. Swanson now seeks to start his 2023 campaign by becoming the first man to KO Dawodu.

Dawodu (13-3-1, fighting out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada) looks to steal the show and announce himself as the next contender to watch in the stacked featherweight division.

A former Muay Thai champion, Dawodu has shown off his skills in victories over Michael Trizano, Zubaira Tukhugov and Yoshinori Horie. He now hopes to break into the Top 15 ranks and begin his run towards a title shot.

Additional bouts on the UFC Vegas 79 card include:

• No. 13 ranked light heavyweight contender Khalil Rountree Jr. (12-5 1NC, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) aims for another signature KO against former heavyweight standout Chris Daukaus (12-6, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.).

• Lando Vannata (12-7-2, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) battles Mike Breeden (10-5, fighting out of Blue Springs, Mo.) in an exciting lightweight matchup.

• Thrilling strawweights meet as Polyana Viana (13-5, fighting out of State of Para, Brazil) faces Iasmin Lucindo (14-5, fighting out of State of Bahia, Brazil).

• Heavyweights collide as Josh Parisian (15-6, fighting out of Howell, Mich.) returns against Martin Buday (12-1, fighting out of Nitra, Slovakia).

• Josh Fremd (10-4, fighting out of Westminster, Colo.) takes on Jamie Pickett (13-9, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.) in a middleweight matchup.

• The Ultimate Fighter season 30 flyweight winner Juliana Miller (4-2, fighting out of Lakeside, Calif.) seeks to spoil the UFC debut of Luana Santos (5-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil).

• AJ Dobson (6-2 1NC, fighting out of Columbus, Ohio) and Tafon Nchukwi (6-3, fighting out of Temple Hills, Md.) clash in a middleweight contest.

• JP Buys (9-5, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) returns to bantamweight to face Marcus McGhee (7-1, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.).

• Featherweights Francis Marshall (7-1, fighting out of Freehold Township, N.J.) and Isaac Dulgarian (5-0, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) lock horns.

• Jaqueline Amorim (6-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) intends to impress against Montserrat Conejo (10-2, fighting out of El Paso, Texas) at strawweight.

• A gritty bantamweight matchup sees Da'Mon Blackshear (13-5-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) face off with Brady Hiestand (8-2, Spokane, Wash.).

UFC Vegas 79 Broadcast Information

UFC Vegas 79 (also known as UFC Fight Night: Luque vs dos Anjos) entire event will air on ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (English and Spanish) in the United States with the main card starting at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT. The prelims will begin at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT on Saturday, August 12.

In India, the main card of UFC Vegas 79 will air on Sony Sports Network via Sony TEN 2 and Sony TEN 3 channels as well as stream live on Sony LIV app or website on Sunday, August 13 from 4:30 AM IST.

Source: Press Release