UFC Fight Night 94 start time, TV schedule, who is fighting tonight at 'Poirier vs Johnson' in Hidalgo

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will return to free television tonight (Sat., Sept. 17, 2016) as the promotion presents UFC Fight Night 94 from inside State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, which airs on FOX Sports 1. The event will be headlined by an interesting Lightweight bout, as Dustin Poirier looks to continue his hot streak when he faces the ever-dangerous Michael Johnson. In the co-main event, Uriah Hall and Derek Brunson will finally settle their differences in a Middleweight bout that could catapult the victor to the next level.

Who: Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Johnson
What: UFC Fight Night 94
When: Sat., Sept. 17, 2016, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass
Where: Hidalgo, Texas inside State Farm Arena
How To Watch: PPV main card at 10 p.m ET on FOX Sports 1; FOX Sports "Prelims" undercard at 8 p.m. ET; and UFC Fight Pass early "Prelims" at 7 p.m. ET. Live UFC Fight Night 94 Play-by-play coverage here!

What's Hot:

Dustin Poirier has been a man on a mission since losing to Conor McGregor in his last bout in the Featherweight division. Since moving up to 155 pounds, "Diamond" has won four in a row, including taking out Bobby Green and Yancy Medeiros. The pairing against Johnson raised a few eyebrows, however, as he has lost his last two. A streaking contender against a slumping scrapper? Sure, it's questionable matchmaking, but lock these two men inside the cage and fireworks are bound to happen.

Original Card vs. Actual Card:

Alejandro Perez and Manny Gamburyan were set to throw down before Manny was forced out of the bout for personal reasons and replaced by Alejandro Perez. An interesting bout between Able Trujillo and Evan Dunham was scrapped as Trujillo was forced out with an injury just last week. Now, newcomer Rick Glenn -- the ex- World Series of Fighting (WSOF) Featherweight kingpin --  has been tasked to step in to face Dunham on just a few days notice.

New Blood:

As mentioned above, Glenn will finally make his Octagon debut after plying his trade and knocking heads under the WSOF banner for the past three years. His debut isn't coming under the most ideal circumstances, stepping in on a little over a week's notice to take on Dunham. But, when opportunity knocks, you must answer the door.

Injuries:

Abel Trujillo and Manny Gamburyan were both forced out of the event with untimely injuries, though it is unclear as to the reason "Anvil" bowed out.

How The "Prelims" Look:

I mean, they're not completely terrible, but they won't exactly break the ratings record, either. Filled with up-and-coming contenders, the "Prelims" don't have a big -- or even a semi-big -- name bout to cap them off. That's probably because all the good fights will be on FOX Sports 1's main card, anyway.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

This portion is typically reserved for fighters who could be fighting for their jobs today, rather than contenders or title challengers needing victory.

Michael Johnson's MMA career has been rather lukewarm. Yes, he's had his flashes of brilliance, but after reeling of three straight, he then went on tow drop two in a row. He bounced back nicely in 2013, winning four in a row including handing Edson Barboza a tough loss. But, again he dropped two straight. And if he makes it three straight defeats at the hands of Poirier, "The Menace" will be at a crossroads in his combat career.

Interest Level: 6/10

Other than the main- and co-main event, I personally don't see another bout on the card that excites me. And I get it, not every card can be riddled with stars from top to bottom, but this one is lacking extremely. But, that's what happens when the promotion decides to go crazy and stage an event nine weeks in a row. You gotta' spread the love ... and talent.

UFC Fight Night 94 Full Fight Card

FOX Sports 1 Main Event:

155 lbs.: Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Johnson

FOX Sports 1 Co-Main Event:

185 lbs.: Uriah Hall vs. Derek Brunson

FOX Sports 1 Main Card (10 p.m. ET):

155 lbs.: Evan Dunham vs. Rick Glenn
135 lbs.: Albert Morales vs. Alejandro Perez
170 lbs.: Roan Carneiro vs. Kenny Robertson
155 lbs.: Chris Wade vs. Islam Makhachev

FOX Sports "Prelims" (8 p.m. ET):

145 lbs.: Gabriel Benitez vs. Sam Sicilia
170 lbs.: Augusto Montano vs. Belal Muhammad
135 lbs.: Joey Gomez vs. Jose Quinonez

UFC Fight Pass "Prelims" (7 p.m. ET):

170 lbs.: Randy Brown vs. Erick Montano
145 lbs.: Maximo Blanco vs. Chas Skelly

For much more on the upcoming UFC Fight Night 94 event click here.