DILLASHAW AND BARAO COLLIDE IN LONG-AWAITED CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH AT CHICAGO’S UNITED CENTER

Las Vegas – In one of the most highly anticipated rematches in recent memory, UFC^® bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw will meet former champ Renan Barao when the Octagon^® returns to United Center in Chicago on Saturday, July 25. UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: DILLASHAW vs. BARAO 2 marks the seventh UFC championship title bout to air on FOX.

After pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport by dethroning then-champ Barao at UFC 173, Dillashaw (12-2, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) will put the 135-pound strap on the line against the very man he took it from. Barao (35-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), whose record includes eight wins by knockout and 15 by submission, looks to reclaim the title he held for almost two years. With more than 30 finishes between them, this championship rematch could be one of the best fights of the year.

Also, No. 2 women’s bantamweight Miesha Tate (16-5, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) will clash with fifth-ranked Jessica Eye (11-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio). With both women’s eyes set on a shot at champion Ronda Rousey’s title, Tate and Eye will be in a high-stakes battle. As the only woman to take Rousey out of the first round of competition, Tate hopes a dominant performance over Eye will secure a trilogy matchup against the champ. For Eye, she looks to earn her first shot at the world title; something she feels is already rightfully hers.

In addition, the main card will feature a classic striker vs. grappler matchup as No. 7 lightweight contender Edson Barboza (15-3, fighting out of Nova Fridurgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meets eighth-ranked Myles Jury (15-1, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.). Barboza’s elite striking has earned him victories over veterans Bobby Green and Evan Dunham, while Jury is known for his slick jiu-jitsu submissions and finishing prowess.

Additional bouts include:

• Fan favorite Joe Lauzon (24-11, fighting out of Bridgewater, Mass.) meets Japan’s Takanori Gomi (35-10, 1 NC, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan) in a lightweight showdown.
• Former WEC^® bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland (21-10-1, fighting out of Chesterton, Ind.) takes on No. 10 bantamweight Bryan Caraway (19-8, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.).
• No. 15 light heavyweight contender Gian Villante (13-5, fighting out of Bellmore, N.Y.) welcomes Tom Lawlor (9-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Providence, R.I.) back to the Octagon.
• In a battle of lightweight strikers, Daron Cruickshank (16-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Detroit, Mich.) clashes with James Krause (21-7, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.).
• The Ultimate Fighter^® Season 13 finalist Ramsey Nijem (10-4, fighting out of San Francisco, Calif.) takes on submission specialist Erik Koch (14-4, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) in a 155-pound bout.
• Lightweight takedown artist Rustam Khabilov (17-3, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M. by way of Dagestan, Russia) meets Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Danny Castillo (17-8, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.).
• In a middleweight battle, jiu-jitsu specialists Zak Cummings (17-4, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) and Antonio Braga Neto (9-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) square off.
• Looking to make it four consecutive victories, Illinois’ own Kenny Robertson (15-3, fighting out of Washington, Ill.) squares off against welterweight veteran Ben Saunders (18-6-2, fighting out of Orlando, Fla.).
• Jessamyn Duke (3-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Glendale, Calif.) of ‘The Four Horsewomen’, a quartet of fighters led by UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, meets Elizabeth Phillips(4-3, fighting out of Spokane, Wash.) in a women’s 135-pound scrap.

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

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Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: DILLASHAW vs. BARAO 2 on sale Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $253, $178, $128, $93, $78, $53 and $43. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at United Center box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, June 3 at 10 a.m. CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, June 4 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: DILLASHAW vs. BARAO 2 will air live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Saturday, July 25, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.