Another Ohio Valley fighter has signed with the UFC, as Indianapolis native Andrew Holbrook (10-0, 0-0 UFC) will step into the Octagon for the first time next month when he steps in for Erik Koch and faces Ramsey Nijem (9-5, 5-4 UFC) at UFC on FOX 16.
Holbrook’s fans will also won’t have to travel far to see his debut, as UFC on FOX 16 takes place July 25 at United Center in Chicago.
The 29-year-old Holbrook, who was featured in our list of 10 Ohio Valley fighters you could eventually see in the UFC back in February, makes his UFC debut on the strenth of 10 finishes in 10 fights, including nine submissions. Nine of the wins have also come inside the first round. Most recently, he picked up the first TKO win of his career when he stopped Tyler Combs in the first round at Colosseum Combat XXXII in May. He trains at Indy Boxing & Grappling in the capital of the Hoosier State.
Nijem was a lightweight finalist on The Ultimate Fighter 13, and he has had hot and cold streaks during his nine-fight UFC career. After losing to Tony Ferguson in the TUF 13 final, he reeled off three straight wins before dropping back-to-back fights. He then won two more in a row before losing a second round TKO to Carlos Ferriera in his most recent outing last August.
UFC on FOX 16 will be headlined by a bantamweight title fight featuring champion T.J. Dillashaw defending against former champion Renan Barao.
A pair of female fighters from the Ohio Valley will also be in action, as Cleveland’s Jessica Eye (11-2, 1-1 UFC) takes on Miesha Tate (16-5, 3-2 UFC) in a women’s bantamweight title eliminator in the co-main event, while Kentucky’s Jessamyn Duke (3-2, 1-2 UFC) will face Elizabeth Phillips (4-3, 0-2 UFC) in another bout.
Photo courtesy James Rice Jr.