Welcome to Sports Illustrated’s weekly guide to MMA viewing, a central location for fans to find out what live events are available to check out this week – and just as importantly, where to find them.
The sport’s biggest players are still on hiatus from a holiday break, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other key events worth a watch.
Here’s what’s on tap for the first full week of 2023.
Friday, January 6
“LFA 149: Bunes vs. Horiuchi”
Location: Chandler, Arizona
Broadcast: UFC Fight Pass, 9 p.m. ET
Main event: Felipe Bunes (12-6) vs. Yuma Horiuchi (10-5) – for vacant flyweight title
Brazil’s Bunes and Japan’s Horiuchi clash with LFA’s vacant 125-pound title on the line after Carlos Mota vacated the belt to sign with the UFC.
Bunes is a dangerous grappler, earning eight of his 12 career wins by submission and most recently scored a split-decision win over Wascar Cruz at July’s LFA 135. Meanwhile, Horiuchi is equally adept on the ground, with five of his 10 career victories coming via tapout, including an October rear-naked choke win over Juan Puerta at LFA 144, and is currently ranked as the No. 71 best flyweight fighter in the world at Tapology.com.
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Muradov Professional Fight League 7
Location: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Broadcast: UFC Fight Pass, 10 a.m. ET
Main event: Shokhasan Mirzamatov (9-2) vs. Khamzat Chapanov (12-3)
Uzebekistan’s Mirzamatov and Russia’s Chapanov meet in a key welterweight matchup that headlines Muradov Professional Fight League’s debut event on UFC Fight Pass. The promotion was founded by UFC middleweight contender Makhmud Muradov, the UFC’s first fighter from Uzbekistan.
Mirzamatov fought most recently in May, suffering a decision loss that brought an end to an eight-fight winning streak. The 32-year-old Muradov Legion Team member now seeks to build a new streak as he takes on Chapanov, who is riding a five-fight winning streak, with four of those results coming in the opening round. The matchup should provide fireworks, with Mirzamatov and Chapanov combining for 18 stoppage victories among their 21 career professional wins.
