Up-to-the-minute news about the third UFC on FOX Sports 1 event, taking
place Wednesday, September 4 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Fights below have been
verbally agreed upon and are subject to change.
In a featherweight matchup, Felipe “Sertanejo” Arantes will face heavy-hitting TUF Live alum Sam Sicilia at UFC Fight Night in Belo Horizonte. Arantes replaces TUF Brasil fan favorite Godofredo Pepey, who was originally announced as Sicilia’s opponent but forced off due to injury.
updated July 15Brazil's Best Booked for Belo Horizonte
Four Brazilian fighters from throughout the country will converge in Belo Horizonte to take on comers from all corners of the globe, with four new fights announced for the September 4th card.
Indiana's Keith Wisniewski meets Marcelo Guimaraes in a welterweight showdown between accomplished submission artists.
At featherweight, BJJ whiz Godofredo Pepey goes against Washington State's power punching Sam Sicilia; at bantamweight, Minas Gerais' own Lucas Martins will drop two weight classes and welcome fellow knockout artist Junior Hernandez of Iowa to the UFC Octagon.
Plus, 10-2 Russian prospect Ali Bagautinov takes on TUF Brasil's Marcos Vinicius in a flyweight bout.
Natal Looks for Three Straight against Troeng
updated July 12
Middleweight standout Rafael Natal will look to make it three straight on September 4th in Belo Horizonte, Brazil when he squares off with the Ultimate Fighter 17's Tor "The Hammer" Troeng.
UFC Fight Night in Brazil Builds
updated July 10
Welterweights Sean Spencer and Yuri Villefort will clash in Belo Horizonte at UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Bader.
UFC Back to Belo Horizonte with Teixeira-Bader
updated June 25
After a successful visit to Brazil's Belo Horizonte last summer for UFC 147, the UFC will return on September 4 with its first Brazilian event to be broadcast on FOX Sports 1. Look for September 5 to bring a new batch of top contenders, as the initial bouts announced for the card all feature top-ten fighters hoping to make a case for a title shot.
Headlining the event will be surging light heavyweight Glover Teixeira, who will be fighting in his home state of Minas Gerais in search of his 20th straight victory. Across the Octagon will be TUF 8 season winner Ryan Bader in what will be his first fight in Brazil.
In the co-main event, former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza will follow up his electrifying UFC debut with a bout against perennial middleweight contender Yushin Okami.
Also confirmed for the fight night is a flyweight showdown between Brazilian Jussier Formiga and Sacramento, California's Joseph Benavidez. The two are currently ranked number five and number one in the UFC, respectively.
In the US, the two-hour main card broadcast will lead in to the season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate on the FOX Sports 1 network, which launches August 17.
More details, including the venue and ticket on-sale information, will be released in coming weeks on UFC.com.