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The Octagon returns to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas for the UFC's first ESPN main card of the year: UFC on ESPN 53.

The main event is a five-round battle in the women's flyweight division as Amanda Ribas competes in her first main event against former two-time UFC women's strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas. Ribas is looking to score her second straight win while Namajunas looks to end a two-fight losing skid.

In the co-main event, it will be a battle of heavyweights as Karl Williams battles Justin Tafa. 

Also on the main card is a middleweight bout between Edmen Shahbazyan and AJ Dobson; a battle of bantamweight prospects as Payton Talbott squares off against Cameron Saaiman; and a featherweight fight pitting Billy Quarantillo against Youssef Zalal.

ESPN+ PRELIMS | 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

> Heavyweights- Mohammad Usman (10-2, 3-0 UFC) vs. Mick Parkin (8-0, 2-0 UFC)

> Flyweights- Igor Severino (8-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Andre Lima (7-0, 0-0 UFC)

> Women's Bantamweights- Montserrat Rendon (6-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Dariya Zheleznyakova (8-1, 0-0 UFC)

> Featherweights- Jarno Errens (13-5-1, 0-2 UFC) vs. Steven Nguyen (9-1, 0-0 UFC)

> Bantamweights- Miles Johns (13-2 1 NC, 4-2 UFC 1 NC) vs. Cody Gibson (19-9, 1-4 UFC)

> Featherweights- Ricardo Ramos (16-5, 7-4 UFC) vs. Julian Erosa (28-11, 6-7 UFC)

> Lightweights- Kurt Holobaugh (20-7 1 NC, 1-4 UFC) vs. Trey Ogden (16-6 1 NC, 1-2 1 NC UFC)

ESPN MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT

> Featherweights- Fernando Padilla (15-5, 1-1 UFC) vs. Luis Pajuelo (8-1, 0-0 UFC)

> Featherweights- Billy Quarantillo (18-5, 6-3 UFC) vs. Youssef Zalal (13-5-1, 3-3-1 UFC)

> Bantamweights- Payton Talbott (7-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Cameron Saaiman (9-1, 3-1 UFC)

> Middleweights- Edmen Shahbazyan (12-4, 5-4 UFC) vs. AJ Dobson (7-2 1 NC, 1-2 UFC)

> Heavyweights- Karl Williams (9-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Justin Tafa (7-3 1 NC, 4-3 1 NC UFC)

> Women's Flyweights- #8 Amanda Ribas (12-4, 7-3 UFC) vs. Rose Namajunas (11-6, 9-5 UFC)

This article first appeared on F4WOnline.com and was syndicated with permission.

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