Another Tennessee native has been added to the upcoming UFC Fight Night event in Nashville, as flyweight Dustin Ortiz (14-4, 3-2 UFC) becomes the third fighter with ties to the Volunteer State on the card.
Ortiz is set to take on fellow flyweight Ian McCall (13-5-1, 2-3-1 UFC) in a pivotal bout in the increasingly competitive 125-pound division. Both fighters are ranked in the top 15 in the division, with Ortiz occupying the No. 11 spot and McCall checking in at No. 4.
Ortiz hails from Franklin, Tennessee, which is just 21 miles south of Nashville. He was a high school wrestling standout at Franklin High School before moving to MMA. He now lives and trains in Milwaukee where he is a part of the Roufusport team. Prior to entering the UFC Ortiz competed for Strikeforce, Tachi Palace Fights, King of the Cage, and RFA. He signed with the UFC in 2013 and made his Octagon debut with a victory over Jose Maria Tome at UFC Fight Night 32. He then dropped a split decision to John Moraga before earning victories with split decisions over Ray Borg and Justin Scoggins. Most recently, he dropped a unanimous decision to No. 2 ranked Joseph Benavidez in November.
Ortiz will get his shot at redemption, as he dropped a decision to “Uncle Creepy” at Tachi Palace Fights 9 in 2011. McCall has had an up and down UFC career, opening up with a draw against current champion Demetrious Johnson in the opening round of a four-man flyweight tournament to determine the inaugural champion. He came up short against Johnson in the rematch and then dropped to 0-2-1 with a loss against Benavidez in his next outing. He rebounded with a pair of wins to get back on track, but most recently he lost a decision to John Lineker at UFC 183 in January.
Ortiz joins fellow Tennessee natives Ovince St. Preux (18-6, 6-1 UFC) and Scott Holtzman (7-0, 0-0 UFC) on the UFC’s third event in Music City. St. Preux will take on Glover Teixeira (22-4, 5-2 UFC) in the headliner while Holtzman makes his debut against Anthony Christodoulou (12-5, 0-1 UFC).
A middleweight bout between fighters who could be competing to avoid a UFC pink slip was also recently added, as Chris Camozzi (21-10, 6-7 UFC) and Tom Watson (17-8, 2-4 UFC) will square off at 185 lbs.
The fight card is nearing completion and now features nine bouts.
UFC Fight Night: St. Preux vs. Teixeira takes place on August 8 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The main card airs on Fox Sports 1 at 10pm ET following prelims on Fox Sports 2 and UFC Fight Pass.
Official UFC Fight Night: Nashville card
205 lbs: Ovince Saint Preux vs. Glover Teixeira
155 lbs: Beneil Dariush vs. Michael Johnson
135 lbs: Sara McMann vs. Amanda Nunes
135 lbs: Roman Salazar vs. Marlon Vera
205 lbs: Jared Cannonier vs. Jonathan Wilson
265 lbs: Timothy Johnson vs. Jared Rosholt
155 lbs: Anthony Christodoulou vs. Scott Holtzman
185 lbs: Chris Camozzi vs. Tom Watson
125 lbs: Ian McCall vs. Dustin Ortiz
Photo credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com