Ranked middleweights will sound the Ultimate Fighting Championship trumpet when Jared Cannonier toes the line against Sean Strickland in the UFC Fight Night 216 headliner. Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan confronts former M-1 Global champion Damir Ismagulov in the three-round lightweight co-main event at 155 pounds.
Date, Time, Location for UFC Fight Night 216
UFC Fight Night “Cannonier vs. Strickland” goes down on Saturday, Dec. 17 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card kicks off at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The prelims start at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
How to Watch UFC Fight Night ‘Cannonier vs. Strickland’ Online
Anyone wishing to live stream UFC Fight Night 216 online will need to purchase an ESPN+ membership. The ESPN-owned streaming service has exclusive rights to UFC live streams, making ESPN+ the only way to view UFC Fight Night “Cannonier vs. Strickland” online in the United States. The main card can be viewed on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, while the prelims can be seen on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. Meanwhile, BT Sport is the lone broadcaster showing UFC Fight Night 216 live in the United Kingdom. Coverage for preliminary fights begins at 11 p.m. BST, with the main card scheduled to start at 1 a.m. BST. Finally, Foxtel TV customers in Australia can stream UFC Fight Night “Cannonier vs. Strickland” online by using the Foxtel Go app and may also sign up for Kayo to watch ESPN online.
UFC Fight Night 216 Card, Odds
BetUS.com taps the Cannonier-Strickland main event as a toss-up, with both men at -115 odds. In the co-headliner, Tsarukyan is favored at -190, with Ismagulov coming back at +155.
Cannonier has rattled off five victories across his past seven assignments. The 38-year-old MMA Lab representative last competed at UFC 276, where he dropped a five-round unanimous decision to Israel Adesanya in a failed bid to capture the undisputed middleweight crown on July 2. Wins over Derek Brunson, Kelvin Gastelum, Anderson Silva and Jack Hermansson anchor the Cannonier resume.
Strickland, 31, has won six of his previous seven bouts. The Xtreme Couture export last appeared on July 2, when he succumbed to punches from Alex Pereira in the first round of their UFC 276 pairing. Strickland has delivered 14 of his 25 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.
UFC Fight Night “Cannonier vs. Strickland” also features flyweight confrontation slotting Amir Albazi (-400) opposite Alessandro Costa (+300), a featherweight affair pairing Julian Erosa (-165) with Alex Caceres (+135), a lightweight tilt pitting Drew Dober (-155) against Bobby Green (+125) and a middleweight encounter matching Michal Oleksiejczuk (-300) with Cody Brundage (+220). Women’s strawweights highlight the seven-fight undercard, where Cheyanne Vlismas (-190) awaits Cory McKenna (+155) at 115 pounds.
More Coverage »
• Preview: The Main Card
• Preview: The Prelims
• Prime Picks
• Scouting Report: Jared Cannonier
• Scouting Report: Sean Strickland
• By The Numbers: Tsarukyan vs. Ismagulov
• Rivalries: Bobby Green
• 5 Defining Moments: Alex Caceres
• 5 Things You Might Not Know About Amir Albazi