UFC Fight Night 105, also known as UFC Halifax takes place at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia and is headlined by a huge heavyweight encounter as rising prospect Derrick Lewis takes on Travis Browne in a must-win fight for the Hawaiian.
After last week’s lone debutant fizzled out prior to fight night at UFC 208, this week makes up for lost time as three new faces make their first walks to the Octagon in Halifax. Unfortunately nobody qualifies for Something Old this week so the focus will stay on the trio of newcomers
Something New: UFC Halifax
Gavin “Guv’nor” Tucker (9-0) – Featherweight
Undefeated Canadian prospect Gavin Tucker enters the Octagon at UFC Halifax for the first time this weekend after impressing for local Halifax promotion Extreme Cage Combat and will face struggling veteran Sam Sicilia in his UFC debut.
Having grown up in the small and remote village of Ship Cove in Newfoundland, Tucker would originally leave home to study jazz however quickly found MMA and has travelled to Thailand to study Muay Thai. It’s this experience which has shaped most of his dangerous striking arsenal. Not a one trick pony however, “The Guv’nor” is also a BJJ purple belt and an accomplished boxer and grappler.
Having won all nine of his professional bouts so far on his way to becoming ECC featherweight champion, the Titans MMA fighter has also spent some time at Tristar for camps in both their Halifax and Montreal gyms. With eight of his nine wins coming inside the distance, the 30-year-old would no doubt like a similar ending in front of the town he now calls home.
Gina “Danger” Mazany (4-0) – Bantamweight
Having returned to the sport last May after a three-year hiatus, Gina Mazany has been given the opportunity to make her UFC debut as she replaces Liz Carmouche on short notice to face Olympic silver medallist and former bantamweight challenger Sara McMann.
The Alaska native will perhaps be familiar to some fans after appearing on TUF 18 where she lost to Julianna Pena in the elimination round and never made it into the house. Training out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Mazany returned at Alaska FC 124 where she defeated Katie Halley via first round TKO.
With only four professional fights under her belt, “Danger” has the potential to cause an upset on the night if she takes out tough veteran McMann.
Aiemann Zahabi (6-0) – Bantamweight
The younger sibling of Tristar MMA head coach Firas, Aiemann Zahabi makes his long-awaited debut at UFC Halifax against former TUF: Brazil winner Reginaldo Vieira.
Training under his world-renowned older brother in Montreal, Zahabi is currently undefeated but carries a lot of expectation on his shoulders. Having fought around the Canadian regional scene, most recently for Prestige FC, Zahabi has finished all six of his previous opponents in the first round.
Working with some of the best names at Tristar including Georges St. Pierre, the 29-year-old bantamweight will have significantly more eyes on him than most debutants. This along with his family name only adds more pressure for him to make a statement against his Brazilian opponent at UFC Halifax.
