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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to free television tonight (Sat., Aug. 8, 2015) for a FOX Sports 1 mixed martial arts (MMA) event as UFC Fight Night 73: "Teixeira vs. Saint Preux" goes down live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
Catch all the action LIVE with a main card start time of 10 p.m ET (for up-to-date UFC Fight Night 73 results click here).
Below is everything you need to know to stay on top of the Fight Night event in "The Volunteer State."
Who: Glover Teixeira vs. Ovince Saint Preux
What: UFC Fight Night 73
When: Sat., August 8, 2015, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass
Where: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee
How To Watch: FOX Sports 1 main card at 10 p.m. ET; FOX Sports 2 "Prelims" under card at 8 p.m. ET.
Live UFC Fight Night 73 results: Play-by-play coverage stream right here
Why It Matters: In case you hadn't realized, the large majority of UFC's Light Heavyweight division is a barren wasteland of washed-up contenders and fighters who probably won't ever get a crack at UFC gold. With that being said, Ovince St. Preux is one of the very few up-and-coming contenders, but at 32-years old, he needs to take out Glover Teixeira tonight if he hopes to fight for the title during his UFC career.
What's Hot: The co-main event of the evening will deliver a barn-burner of a Lightweight affair pitting No. 5-ranked Michael Johnson against the upstart Beneil Dariush. "The Menace" has become a completely different -- and far superior -- fighter than he was on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), and a win tonight could catapult him into a No. 1 contender's bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov. As for Dariush, the Kings MMA product has show incredible growth inside the Octagon, continuing to get better during his four fight winning streak. Don't miss this fight.
What's Not: Overall I am pretty satisfied with this Fight Night event, but I am flabbergasted Anthony Christodoulou is set to battle inside the Octagon again tonight. In his UFC debut, the Greece native was completely outclassed by Mairbek Taisumov, leading to a vicious second round knockout. Octagon jitters or not, Christodoulou proved he has no place on UFC's roster, and yet Sean Shelby and Joe Silva are sending him to the slaughter once again. This time, UFC debutant Scott Holtzman will be the one swinging the hammer.
Original Card vs Actual Card:
The only major loss to UFC Fight Night 73 was Ian McCall pulling out of his scheduled battle against Dustin Ortiz. In "Uncle Creepy's" place is Willie Gates, who just won his first UFC bout on July 12th at the TUF 21 Finale.
The other changes were minor.
Joe Riggs was set to face Uriah Hall, but an injury to Riggs gave Oluwale Bamgbose the chance to step into the Octagon against "Primetime."
Both Matt Van Buren and Jared Cannonier were scheduled to face off against Jonathan Wilson tonight, but with both men pulling out due to injuries, Chris Dempsey stepped up on short notice.
New Blood:
Scott Holtzman (vs. Anthony Christodoulou): "Hot Sauce" makes his UFC debut at 7-0, featuring three victories via (technical knockout). Holtzman was the XFC Lightweight champion, but he has yet to fight anyone of note at this point in his career.
Geane Herrera (vs. Ray Borg): "La Pulga" is another undefeated prospect from RFA, although he only competed once in the organization. Herrera boasts an 8-0 record, with five career submissions to his credit.
Oluwale Bamgbose (vs. Uriah Hall): "The Holy War Angel" makes his UFC debut on short notice, boasting a 5-0 record, with all five victories coming via first round knockout. Bamgbose was the Ring of Combat (ROC) Middleweight champion, and he is ironically fighting a fellow ROC veteran in Hall.
Jonathan Wilson (vs. Chris Dempsey): As previously mentioned, the Light Heavyweight division is starving for contenders, so make sure to give a warm welcome to "Johnny Bravo" this evening. Coming into his UFC debut undefeated at 6-0, Wilson has earned five victories by knockout, and will look for his sixth against Chris Dempsey.
How The "Prelims" Look: Mediocre.
The "Prelims" tonight don't really offer much in terms of consequential bouts, but a handful of UFC veterans and intriguing debutants make the under card watchable.
The Fight Pass "Prelims" are lackluster, but fight fans may want to tune in for Scott Holtzman's debut in the night's opening bout.
Other than "Hot Sauce," you won't want to miss Uriah Hall vs Oluwale Bamgbose, or Dustin Ortiz vs Willie Gates.
Interest Level: 5/10
This isn't the best or worst UFC Fight Night card we've seen, but it definitely lacks major name value that would otherwise make the FOX Sports 1 event a must watch.
The main event is somewhat intriguing, but the likelihood that St. Preux or Teixeira ever become UFC champion -- or even vie for a title again -- is slim.
The most important fight tonight is unquestionably the Lightweight co-main event between Michael Johnson and Beneil Dariush. Both men are on incredible hot streaks, and have the opportunity to claim a spot in a No. 1 contender's fight later this year.
The event offers little outside of the featured fights, but a handful of battles could result in some highlight-reel violence in Nashville tonight.
Check out the full UFC Fight Night 73 card right here:
Main Event:
205 lbs.: Glover Teixeira vs. Ovince Saint Preux
FOX Sports 1 Main Card (10 p.m. ET):
155 lbs.: Beneil Dariush vs. Michael Johnson
185 lbs.: Sam Alvey vs. Derek Brunson
265 lbs.: Timothy Johnson vs. Jared Rosholt
185 lbs.: Chris Camozzi vs. Tom Watson
125 lbs.: Ray Borg vs. Geane HerreraFOX Sports 2 "Prelims" (8 p.m. ET):
185 lbs.: Oluwale Bamgbose vs. Uriah Hall
135 lbs.: Sara McMann vs. Amanda Nunes
125 lbs.: Willie Gates vs. Dustin Ortiz
135 lbs.: Sirwan Kakai vs. Frankie SaenzUFC Fight Pass "Prelims" (7 p.m. ET):
205 lbs.: Jonathan Wilson vs. Chris Dempsey
135 lbs.: Roman Salazar vs. Marlon Vera
155 lbs.: Anthony Christodoulou vs. Scott Holtzman
See you then!
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