Two of Ohio’s best fighters will be part of what could be the biggest UFC card ever, as welterweight Matt “The Immortal” Brown (19-13, 12-7 UFC) and bantamweight Cody “No Love” Garbrandt (6-0, 1-0 UFC) will both compete at UFC 189: Aldo vs. McGregor in Las Vegas this July.
Brown, a native of Xenia, Ohio and current resident of Columbus, will take on Nate Diaz (17-10, 12-8 UFC) in a welterweight contest that will probably be an early favorite for fight of the night. Brown – currently ranked No. 5 in the UFC’s 170-pound division – has become a fan favorite due to his aggressive fighting style, and that style earned him a 7-fight winning streak and No. 1 contender matchup against Robbie Lawler last summer. Brown lost that fight, and then dropped a second straight in his most recent outing against former champion Johny Hendricks at UFC 185 last month.
He’ll face the outspoken younger Diaz brother, who returns to 170 pounds looking to regain his footing after losing 3 of his last 4 at lightweight.
Garbrandt, a native of Uhrichsville, Ohio, currently lives and trains in Sacramento, California with the famed Team Alpha Male camp. A former state champion wrestler in the Buckeye State, the 23-year-old made his Octagon debut at UFC 182 in January, where he picked up his sixth knockout win in as many fights by stopping veteran Marcus Brimage in the third round after dominating the entire fight.
He’ll face Briones, a Tiajuana, Mexico native who appeared on “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” before earning his eighth straight victory in his official UFC debut at UFC 180 in November.
UFC 189 is shaping up to be the biggest card in UFC history, with the headliner featuring a featherweight title tilt between longtime champion Jose Aldo and polarizing challenger Conor McGregor. The co-main event features Robbie Lawler’s first title defense against top contender Rory MacDonald, and the rest of the card is poised to be one of the deepest in UFC history.
UFC 189 takes place July 11 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will air on pay-per-view with prelims on Fox Sports 1.