UFC Vegas 89 adds three new fights to lineup, but loses fan-favorite
Three fights have been added to the UFC Fight Night event March 23 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
The card is currently headlined by former UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (11-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) as she battles perennial contender Amanda Ribas (12-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a flyweight bout.
In the current co-main event, “TUF 31” lightweight winner Kurt Holobaugh (20-7 MMA, 1-4 UFC) takes on gritty veteran Trey Ogden (16-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC).
Check out the three newest additions that the promotion announced Tuesday, as well as the entire UFC Vegas 89 fight card below.
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Dusko Todorovic
The journey continues for Edmen Shahbazyan, who looks to bounce back into the win column, when he takes on Dusko Todorovic.
Shahbazyan (12-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) signed with the UFC at 20 years old. His young age garnered a lot of attention from fans, bolstered by a 4-0 start to his UFC tenure that included a head kick knockout of Brad Tavares. Since then, Shahbazyan has gone 1-4, but has largely remained confident it’s all part of a progression forward.
Todorovic (12-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) has also produced split results during his stint with the promotion. Wins in the promotions include Dequan Townsend, Maki Pitolo, and Jordan Wright. His losses have come against Puna Soriano, Gregory Rodrigues, Chidi Njokuani, and most recently, Christian Leroy Duncan (due to knee injury).
Junior Tafa vs. Karl Williams
Junior Tafa and Karl Williams will collide as they look to build off their most recent UFC victories.
Tafa (5-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Mohammed Usman in his UFC debut, but bounced back with a faceplant knockout of Parker Porter in August. Tafa is the younger brother of fellow UFC heavyweight Justin Tafa.
Williams (9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has won both of his UFC appearances since a contract-earning win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. He first defeated Lukasz Brzeski, then Chase Sherman. Both wins were by unanimous decision.
Chris Barnett out; Mick Parkin in
Many fight fans will be saddened by the withdrawal of the always-popular Chris Barnett. It’s unknown why Barnett is out, but in steps Mick Parkin to take on Mohammed Usman.
Parkin (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) earned his UFC deal with a submission over Eduardo Neves on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. Consecutive unanimous decision wins over Jamal Pogues and Caio Machado have kicked off his promotional tenure.
Usman (10-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is the younger brother of former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. He entered the UFC in style with a massive knockout of Zac Pauga and became the “TUF 30” heavyweight winner. Since then, Usman has won back-to-back unanimous decisions over Junior Tafa and Jake Collier.
The current UFC Vegas 89 fight card includes:
