Las Vegas – Elite strikers converges on the Windy City as UFC® returns to Chicago for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: HOLM vs. SHEVCHENKO live on FOX from the United Center. In the main event, Holly Holm, who shocked the world in knocking out the seemingly invincible Ronda Rousey, takes on world class kickboxer and No. 9 women’s bantamweight Valentina Shevchenko. The co-main event will feature two of the most dangerous light heavyweights in the world as No. 2 Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and No. 3 Glover Teixeira collide in a bout that holds major title implications.
A former three-division world champion in boxing, Holm (10-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) is widely considered to be the best striker in her division. The former UFC champ has finished seven of her 10 professional fights by knockout, including the aforementioned second-round knockout of Rousey that earned her Performance of the Night honors. Shevchenko (12-2, fighting out of Lima, Peru) possesses lethal striking as well and is a 17-time World Muay Thai and K-1 champion. With the skillset to match Holm on the feet, the 28-year-old also has five submissions to her credit, giving Shevchenko the ability to finish the fight both on the feet or the ground.
In the co-main event, one of the most feared strikers in the entire sport, Johnson (21-5, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) hopes to solidify his spot as next in line for a shot at the winner of the light heavyweight championship bout between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, taking place at UFC 200 on July 9. Since returning to the UFC in 2014, “Rumble” is 5-1 with four knockouts, three in the first round. With equally terrifying power in his hands, Teixeira (25-4, fighting out of Danbury, Conn.) is also likely one knockout away from a shot at the 205-pound title. The Brazilian is on a three-fight winning streak that includes two knockouts and a submission, and he’s also a jiu-jitsu black belt with six submission victories to accompany his 16 career knockouts.
In addition, No. 6 lightweight and one of the flashiest knockout artists in the game, Edson Barboza (17-4, fighting out of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) welcomes former title challenger Gilbert Melendez (22-5, fighting out of San Francisco, Calif.) back to the Octagon. Brazil’s Barboza has recorded some of the most impressive knockouts in MMA history, including a spinning heel kick knockout of Terry Etim in 2012 that is widely considered the best of all-time. A champion in almost every promotion he’s fought in, Melendez is a black belt in jiu-jitsu under Cesar Gracie who also happens to have 11 knockouts to go with his slick ground game. The winner of this early “Fight of the Night” contender will take a huge step forward in the stacked lightweight title picture.
Additional bouts include:
· Hard-hitting heavyweights Francis Ngannou (7-1, fighting out of Paris, France) and Bojan Mihajlovic (10-3, fighting out of Novi Sad, Serbia) collide.
· Welterweight contender Ryan LaFlare (12-1, fighting out of Farmingdale, N.Y.) meets Sambo expert Alexander Yakovlev (23-6-1, fighting out of Fairfield, N.J.).
· UFC veterans, No. 13 Frankie Saenz (11-3, fighting out of Scottsdale, Ariz.) and No. 15 Eddie Wineland (21-11-1, fighting out of Chesterton, Ind.) battle at 135-pounds.
· Welterweight striking sensation Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira (13-3-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Tres Rios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meets national Tae Kwon Do champion James Moontasri (9-3, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.)
· Chicago area native Felice Herrig (10-6, fighting out of Crystal Lake, Ill.) meets rising strawweight prospect Kailin Curran (4-2, fighting out of Ewa Beach, Hawaii).
· No. 11 featherweight contender Darren Elkins (20-5, fighting out of Portage, Ind.) faces crafty finisher Godofredo Pepey (13-3, fighting out of Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil).
· Submission specialist Tony Martin (10-3, fighting out of Boston, Mass.) meets jiu jitsu black belt Michel Prazeres (19-2, fighting out of Belem, Para, Brazil) in the 155-pound division.
· Knockout artists Hector Urbina (25-9, fighting out of Muncie, Ind.) and George Sullivan (17-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Belmar, N.J.) meet in a welterweight duel.
· Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Luis Henrique (8-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) welcomes undefeated Dmitry Smolyakov (8-0, fighting out of Kaliningrad, Russia) to the heavyweight division.
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.