Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. A beloved Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight is
getting a chance to fight in front of a home crowd for the first
time in 2014. The news first broke from
MMA Fighting on Thursday, announcing that Matt Brown
(23-18) will be squaring off with Bryan
Barberena (16-8) at the
UFC on ESPN event on March 26. The currently unnumbered fight
card on the flagship network of the UFC’s broadcast partner will go
down inside of the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The two were
previously booked against one another in December, but the pairing
fell through when Brown contracted COVID-19.
Brown, who has since confirmed this matchup on his
Instagram account, rebounded from a pair of defeats to Miguel
Baeza and Carlos
Condit by starching Dhiego Lima
in June. The 40-year-old Ohioan has seen tough sledding the last
several years, winning only four times in 11 appearances. Dating
back to June 2012, all nine victories for “The Immortal” have come
by stoppage, who proudly celebrates a finish rate of 91% in his
storied career. Brown last competed in Ohio when he headlined
UFC Fight Night 40 against Erick Silva
in Cincinnati in May 2014.
Minnesota’s Barberena has alternated wins and losses in his last
four, with triumphs over Anthony Ivy
and Darian
Weeks interspersed by setbacks against Randy Brown
and Jason Witt.
Although not as high as his opponent, “Bam Bam” brings with him a
75% stoppage rate in his own right, with his last two victories on
the scorecards accounting for half of his decision wins. Of note,
Barberena is the only fighter in the sport to ever defeat both
Jake
Ellenberger and his brother Joe
Ellenberger, doing so against both inside the Octagon.
The UFC on ESPN card on March 26 will take place at the Nationwide
Arena in Columbus, Ohio, in what should be the first
non-pay-per-view offering in a U.S. city besides Las Vegas. Helming
the card is a pivotal light heavyweight rumble pitting former champ
Jan
Blachowicz against rising star Aleksandar
Rakic. Other key tilts on the show include a flyweight contest
between Kai Kara
France and Askar
Askarov, as well as a strawweight tilt pitting Amanda
Ribas against Michelle
Waterson.
