By:  | July 27, 2023 10:08 am

Toshiomi Kazama has been added to the UFC on ESPN 52 card. The Japanese bantamweight has been matched with Garrett Armfield at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on August 26th.

Kazama (10-3) was stopped by Rinya Nakamura at UFC Vegas 68. It was the second time in three fights that the Japanese grappler had been knocked out in the opening minute of a match.

Armfield (8-3) was also stopped on his UFC debut although he did at least make it to the second round. The American also has extensive amateur experience.

Featherweight veterans

The event looks set to be headlined by a featherweight fight between two veterans with former champion Max Holloway taking on The Korean Zombie.

Chan Sung Jung was scheduled to fight at UFC Seoul earlier this year but was forced to withdraw after suffering a shoulder injury. The entire event was subsequently moved to Las Vegas.

He is coming off a damaging defeat at the hands of Alex Volkanovski at 273. Afterwards he openly discussed the possibility of retirement but the 36 year old appears to have had second thoughts.

Holloway has won three out of his last four and is currently ranked at #12. His last three losses have all come at the hands of Volkanovski, who is regarded by many as being the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

Earlier this year Holloway called out the Korean Zombie. Both men are veterans but Holloway is five years younger and is a former UFC featherweight champion.

Superb start

Rinya Nakamura will be looking to build on his superb start to life in the octagon when he faces Fernie Garcia at a UFC event on August 26th. The two bantamweights will face off at an event which doesn’t currently have a venue or a name.

Nakamura earned a $50,000 USD bonus for his victory over Kazama. The former wrestling champion won the Road to UFC bantamweight tournament, beating his compatriot in the final.

He faces a Mexican opponent who has not made such a promising start to his UFC career. Garcia earned his opportunity after impressing on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Welterweight fight

A welterweight fight between Yusaku Kinoshita and Billy Goff has also been added to the UFC Singapore card. Both men will be looking to secure their first win inside the octagon.

Like many of the fighters on the current UFC roster they secured a spot on the promotion after impressing on Dana White’s Contender Series. Kinoshita is coming off a loss while Goff has won his last six.

UFC Fight Night TBA, Singapore, August 26th
Chan Sung Jung vs. Max Holloway (Featherweight)
Erin Blanchfield vs. Taila Santos (Flyweight)
Rinya Nakamura vs. Fernie Garcia (Bantamweight)
Na Liang vs. JJ Aldrich (Flyweight)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Łukasz Brzeski (Heavyweight)
Kenan Song vs. Rolando Bedoya (Welterweight)
Junior Tafa vs. Parker Porter (Heavyweight)
Yusaku Kinoshita vs. Billy Goff (Welterweight)
Toshiomi Kazama vs. Garrett Armfield (Bantamweight)