Sioux Falls and Chicago Headliners Announced

The summer of UFC continues to heat up, with two July shows getting intriguing main events that were announced Sunday.

Just four days after UFC 200, the Octagon will set down in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the first time on July 13, and the UFC Fight Night card at the Denny Sanford Premier Center will be headlined by a lightweight battle between former Ultimate Fighter winners Tony Ferguson and Michael Chiesa.

With seven wins in a row, Ferguson is showing the best form of his career, and while a recent main event against Khabib Nurmagomedov was scrapped due to injury, “El Cucuy” has another chance to make his case for a world title shot against Spokane’s Chiesa, who has won three straight, most recently submitting Beneil Dariush in April.

Next, it’s off to the Windy City on July 23, and the UFC on FOX card at United Center in Chicago will see the return of former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm, as she faces rising star Valentina Shevchenko in a five-round main event.

A three-division world boxing champion who struck UFC gold when she knocked out Ronda Rousey last November, Albuquerque’s Holm will be making her first start since an upset submission loss to Miesha Tate in March. Looking to hand “The Preacher’s Daughter” her second consecutive defeat will be Peru’s Shevchenko, winner of five of her last six, including a victory over Sarah Kaufman in her UFC debut in December.