The Octagon® will touch down in Tennessee for the fourth time on Saturday, August 8with a battle of top-10 light heavyweights when fifth-ranked Glover Teixeiracollideswith former University of Tennessee football player, No. 6 OvinceSaint Preux. UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: TEIXEIRA vs. SAINT PREUX marks thepromotion’s third trip to Nashville and first since January 2012.
With new champion Daniel Cormier sitting atop the UFC® light heavyweight division,the stakes are high and both Teixeira (22-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro,Brazil) and Saint Preux (18-6, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) are withinstriking distance of a shot at Cormier’s world title. Having trained under Hall ofFamer Chuck Liddell, Teixeira is a double threat with striking and a black belt inBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The dynamic style and punching power of the ever improvingSaint Preux makes him a threat wherever the fight goes.
In addition, two of the lightweight division’s brightest young stars will clash in theireffort to make a name for themselves in one of the most talent-rich weightclasses. Fifth-ranked Michael Johnson (17-8, fighting out ofBoca Raton, Fla.)looks for his fifth-straight win when he meets submission ace Beneil Dariush (11- 1, fightingout of Yorba Linda, Calif.). The No. 14 lightweight is a world championjiu-jitsu player and will look to counterJohnson’s devastating striking withhis feared ground game.The event will also feature a showdown between two ofthe top female fighters in the world when No. 4 SaraMcMann (8-2, fighting out ofGaffney, S.C.) and No. 8 Amanda Nunes (10-4, fighting out of Miami, Fla.)meet.McMann is an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling,while Nunes is a highlydecorated jiu-jitsu black beltwho has finished all 10of her professionalvictories, eight in the first round.
Additional bouts include:
Knoxville native and undefeated lightweight Scott Holtzman (7-0, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.)makes his UFC debut against Greece’s Anthony Christodoulou (12-5, fighting out of Athens, Greece).
Bantamweight submission specialist Marlon Vera (6-2-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) meetsRoman Salazar (9-3, fighting out of Scottsdale, Ariz.), who will be making his fourth appearance underthe UFC banner.
Knockout artist Jared Cannonier (7-1, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.), who has finished six of hisseven victories, will meet UFC light heavyweight newcomer Jonathan Wilson (6-0, fighting out of SanBernardino, Calif.).
Former Oklahoma State University NCAA Div. 1 wrestler Jared Rosholt (12-2, fighting out ofArlington, Texas) vs. hard hitting heavyweight Timothy Johnson (9-1, fighting out of Fargo, N.D.)who is two months removed from a first-round KO victory in his UFC debut.
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. *All bouts live and subjectto change.
