The United Fight League will be back to action Friday, Aug. 30, live from the Gila River Resorts and Casino in Chandler, Ariz. The event will feature a team concept with a team from Phoenix taking on a team from Las Vegas, Nev.
Team Phoenix will be headed up by Olympic gold medalist and former two-division UFC champion, Henry Cejudo, while Team Vegas will be led by former UFC heavyweight champion and UFC heavyweight submission recordholder Frank Mir. Both legends will captain their own squad of five fighters in five bouts where the winning team will take home $50,000 to be evenly split among its members.
The winning team will be decided through a points system that has been designed to encourage action and finishes:
Round 1 Finish = 4 points
Round 2 Finish = 3 points
Round 3 Finish = 2 points
Decision Win = 1 point
However, since the main event will be a five-round title fight, more points will be available to add to the team total:
Round 1 Finish = 6 points
Round 2 Finish = 5 points
Round 3 Finish = 4 points
Round 4 Finish = 3 points
Round 5 Finish = 2 points
Decision Win = 1 point
If the team scores are even after all five bouts, the amount of cage time it took for each side to achieve their total will be added up. The team achieved their number of points in the shortest time will be declared the winner.
The UFL presents itself as a fighter-first organization. Longtime MMA legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is a brand ambassador who ensures decisions are made in the best interests of the athletes. The promotion offers all fighters multi-fight contracts with health insurance and shares in the company.
The main event will feature UFL bantamweight champion and UFC veteran Hunter Azure, as he attempts to defend his title against fellow UFC veteran Vince Morales. In the co-main event, Brazilian PFL alum Sheymon Moraes represents Phoenix against dangerous finisher Canaan Kawaihae at featherweight.
Also in the spotlight is a middleweight bout showcasing two interesting prospects in Marcus Nash and Trent Miller. Nash is a very aggressive fighter with a Muay Thai background and is 5-0 in his combined pro and amateur careers with all wins by knockout. Miller is 5-1 as a pro with all first-round finishes.
UFL 5: Phoenix vs. Las Vegas will air live and free on KICK, Rumble and YouTube on Friday, Aug. 30, at 8 p.m. ET.
Sheymon Moraes (15-6) vs. Canaan Kawaihae (9-2-1)
Marcus Nash (1-0) vs. Trent Miller (5-1)
Angel Atoigue (2-0) vs. Desmond Manabat (3-5)
Alex Gonzalez (6-4) vs. Adam Ortiz (5-3)
Ray Waters (4-0) vs. William Gibson (3-1)
Jackson Santa Cruz (7-4) vs. Anvar Boynazarov (5-3)
Yevgeni Shinkarevsku (1-0) vs. Richard Mahan (2-0)[/su_box]