An injury to one of the headliners can’t stop the UFC. Some of the best fighters in the world will return to Nashville this weekend, including a bantamweight contender who stepped up on short notice to fill in for the main event. It’s sure to be an exciting night of fights.
Two top-ranked bantamweight contenders will square off in a catchweight main event that could have title implications for the future. Plus, women’s strawweight contenders will meet for a chance to stake their own claim for a title shot and two very tough light heavyweights will look to move up the rankings.
Light heavyweight bout: Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Talk about hanging on by a thread. The 15th-ranked light heavyweight contender Dustin Jacoby is coming off of back-to-back decision losses, which snapped a four-fight winning streak. With those losses, his record stands at 18-7-1, with 11 knockouts. Despite the impressive record though, Jacoby almost certainly needs a win here if he wants to keep his spot in the light heavyweight rankings. To do that, he needs to open up his striking and keep his opponent on his toes.
Of course, Nzechukwu is no stranger to striking battles himself. Riding a three-fight winning streak, in which he has finished all of his opponents, Nzechukwu’s record stands at 12-3 with eight knockouts, including a highlight reel flying knee on Ion Cutelaba. There’s no doubt Nzechukwu will be looking to take Jacoby’s spot in the rankings and he’ll likely be looking to do so in spectacular fashion.
Women’s strawweight bout: Jessica Andrade vs. Tatiana Suarez
There are few women in the UFC who have accomplished what Jessica Andrade has. Debuting all the way back in 2013, she has faced off against some of the best in the world and holds a UFC record of 15-9. She has been struggling a bit as of late though, dropping her last two fights in February and May of this year. Still, there is no question Andrade is one of the most dangerous and respected fighters in the UFC and with the number five ranking in the strawweight division, she’s just a win away from being right back in that championship picture.
That won’t be easy though as she faces off against the undefeated Tatiana Suarez. At a perfect 9-0 with two knockouts and four submissions, Suarez has earned both the number 10 next to her name and this big co-main event. She has already proven she can beat the best, with wins over current champion Alexa Grasso and former champion Carla Esparza. A victory of Andrade would be another huge feather in her cap and would likely vault her right up into that same championship picture. There is a lot at stake in this fight.
Catchweight bout: Cory Sandhagen vs. Rob Font
The UFC’s bantamweight division continues to be one of the hardest to lock down. While champion Aljamain Sterling seems to have cemented himself as a fixture atop the class, the contenders chasing him are constantly moving up and down. This main event was set to be a big opportunity for 11th-ranked Umar Nurmagomedov, but after he withdrew for undisclosed reasons, the seventh-ranked Rob Font stepped in.
It’s also a big opportunity for the fourth-ranked Cory Sandhagen, who will be looking to score his third straight victory over a ranked opponent. With a 16-4 record and seven knockouts, including a devastating one against UFC legend Frankie Edgar, Sandhagen will be very tough to deny a title shot if he were to win this main event. An explosive athlete and very skilled striker, Sandhagen can end any fight in a blink, so don’t.
One way to move quickly up the rankings and get on the UFC’s good side, is to step in on just a few weeks notice to main event a card. Rob Font has been steadily hanging around the middle of the bantamweight division for what feels like forever, but now a win could certainly move him up considerably. Coming off of a knockout win in April, his record stands at 20-6 with nine knockouts. Font is a very crisp and technical striker who could cause some problems for Sandhagen. This will be a very interesting main event with a lot on the line for both fighters.
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Font will be held Saturday, August 5 at 9:00 PM ET. Fight fans can watch live on ESPN+.