UFC Nashville struggle week is right here. This Saturday night time, every week faraway from a uncommon Saturday the place MMA’s No. 1 promotion went darkish because of the prolonged Fourth of July weekend inside the USA of America, Dana White’s group is again in motion for 3 straight weeks to shut out the month.
This week’s present, originating from Bridgestone Area, the house ice of the NHL’s Nashville Predators, serves as the start of seven consecutive Saturday nights with a present, taking the UFC’s schedule by way of the weekend of Aug. 23. UFC Nashville serves because the kickoff to an thrilling stretch run of motion for the summer time season.
Reside protection of Saturday night time’s motion is seen wall-to-wall on ESPN (linearly) and ESPN+ (streaming media.) Prelims start the night at 6 pm ET/ 3 pm PT, with the principle card following at 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT. Our concentrate on at the present time is the undercard.
UFC Nashville Featured Prelim: Max Griffin vs. Chris Curtis
On the high of the invoice on the UFC Nashville undercard this Saturday night is a conflict contained in the UFC’s welterweight division pitting Max Griffin (20-11 MMA, 8-9 UFC) in opposition to “The Motion Man”, Chris Curtis (31-12, 1 NC MMA, 5-4, 1 NC UFC.) All prelims on the present Saturday night time might be an marketed most of three rounds at 5 minutes per spherical.
Griffin might be making the stroll this weekend in The Music Metropolis with a document of 2-3 over the course of his final 5 fights within the UFC. Final day out, he was on the shedding finish of a third-round submission by the use of rear-naked choke in opposition to Michael Chiesa (19-7 MMA, 14-7 UFC) on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas throughout UFC 310’s featured early prelim.
To search out the final time that he had a sustained profitable streak, you’d have to journey again in time to between November of 2020 and July of 2021, when he received his hand raised three consecutive instances.
What’s going to occur when Max Griffin makes his first stroll of 2025? Solely time will inform.
In the meantime, Chris Curtis enters the Octagon at UFC Nashville this coming weekend having posted a mark of 2-2 with one no-contest in his final 5 appearances. At present, he’s dropped two fights in a row.
Again on Jan. 11, he was knocked out by the use of head kick versus Roman Kopylov (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) with one second remaining on the third-round clock. It is a man who retired from energetic competitors twice in a single night through the 2019 PFL playoffs after initially ending his profession upon being rejected on Contender Collection. Will Chris Curtis get again within the win column this time?
UFC Nashville Co-Featured Prelim: Jake Matthews vs. Chidi Njokuani
Instantly beforehand, you’ll be handled to a different welterweight fixture within the UFC Nashville co-featured prelim when Jake Matthews (21-7 MMA, 14-7 UFC) meets up with Chidi Njokuani (25-10, 1 NC MMA, 5-3 UFC.) Matthews touches down in Nashville sporting a mark of 3-2 in his final 5 bouts.
At present, he’s gained two fights in succession. Most not too long ago, he outpaced Francisco Prado (12-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) on Feb. 8 in UFC 312’s essential card from Sydney. One other victory right here will mark three wins in a row for a seasoned veteran of the world of aggressive violence.
He’ll be making his twenty ninth profession stroll to the cage on Saturday night time in his twenty second UFC promotional look. Statistically talking, Matthews has scored 16 wins inside the gap and has gained half of his UFC fights by stoppage. Tune into see if he provides to his spotlight reel.
Throughout the best way, Chidi Njokuani has gone 3-2 in his most up-to-date 5 contests. In the intervening time, he’s scored three successive victories.
4 months in the past in UFC London, he completed off Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (25-9-1 MMA, 11-5-1 UFC) with knees and elbows contained in the second spherical of a scheduled three. Any time {that a} fighter is on a sustained profitable streak, as Njokuani is correct now, he’s at his most harmful. Can he run his streak to 4 in a row?
UFC Nashville: Lauren Murphy vs. Eduarda Moura
Additionally on the UFC Nashville undercard, motion takes place within the girls’s flyweight division as Lauren Murphy (16-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) takes on Eduarda Moura (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC.) Murphy makes her first stroll to the Octagon in additional than two years on Saturday night time after going 3-2 in her final 5 bouts.
In January of 2023, she was on the shedding finish of a unanimous choice by the hands of Jessica Andrade (26-14 MMA, 17-12 UFC) after three rounds on the UFC 283 essential card. She’s had near 30 months between fights, so how a lot ring rust does she have going into UFC Nashville?
What has she been in a position to do in her coaching camp to shake that ring rust off? Watch the struggle for the solutions.
Within the different nook, Eduarda Moura has gone 4-1 in her final 5 appearances contained in the cage. The previous Demo Battle Strawweight Champion and 2023 graduate of Contender Collection emerged victorious from her Nov. 16 struggle versus Veronica Hardy (9-5-1 MMA, 4-5 UFC) by the use of unanimous choice inside Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis.
Moura’s UFC profession continues to be in its early days, and a victory right here in opposition to Lauren Murphy can be a resume-builder. Get your popcorn prepared for this one.
Closing Ideas
Which of the UFC Nashville prelims are you wanting ahead to on Saturday night time? Tell us within the feedback.
