NEW ORLEANS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday's UFC 318 fighter weigh-ins. The early weigh-ins take place at the UFC host hotel in New Orleans and precede the ceremonial weigh-ins for the fans, which take place at 6 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center. The same venue hosts Saturday's event (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

Former UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard hasn’t won in 11 years. At his prime, the 60-fight veteran, nicknamed ‘Young Assassin’, was on a five-fight win streak in the premier promotion’s deepest division.

New Orleans rapper Alfred Banks celebrates his birthday on Saturday, July 19, with a show at Gasa Gasa. He’ll be joined by La Reezy, who recently has been catching some national attention, and gifted lyricist Kaye the Beast. Music starts at 9 p.m., and tickets are $19.29 via gasagasanola.com.

The entire UFC 318 main card, along with Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier, had faceoffs at the press conference.

The UFC is coming to New Orleans, and the Crescent City may have already cemented itself as a go-to destination for the combat sport and other related events under the same ownership umbrella

"The Italian Dream" takes on bitter rival Brendan Allen on the preliminary card of Saturday's UFC pay-per-view event at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Vettori (19-7-1 MMA, 9-6-1 UFC) and Allen (24-7 MMA, 12-4 UFC) have plenty of history, more infamously getting into a brawl on the casino floor of the Hard Rock Hotel in South Florida.

The fatal mistake wasn't nerves or jitters, no. It was quite the opposite. Freire (36-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC) said his UFC 314 loss to Yair Rodriguez was the result of being too calm.