Sonnen, Rua to fight on FOX Sports 1
Chael Sonnen and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua have been tapped to headline the first UFC on FOX Sports 1, one of several fights announced on "UFC Tonight" on Tuesday.
The five-round Sonnen-Rua middleweight bout will take place in Boston on Aug. 17, the same day that FOX Sports 1 — the new nationwide sports network — launches.
The headliner for another card — UFC 164 at BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee on Aug. 31 — was also announced. Benson Henderson will defend his UFC lightweight title against TJ Grant in the featured bout of that event.
That announcement of the fight was expected after Grant knocked out Gray Maynard at UFC 162 last month. UFC president Dana White told reporters afterward that Grant would face Henderson, who is is coming off a split decision victory over Gilbert Melendez in April.
The other announcements included:
- A bantamweight fight between Brad Pickett vs. Michael McDonald was added to the UFC debut on FOX Sports 1 on Aug. 17.
- Sara McMann will take on Sarah Kaufman on the second FOX Sports 1 show on Aug. 28.
- Robert Drysdale will make his UFC debut at UFC 163. The Las Vegas Review-Journal previously reported Drysdale would fight Ednaldo Oliveira.
Also on the broadcast, FUEL TV’s Ariel Helwani reported that BJ Penn isn’t retiring and plans next to fight at 155 pounds, and Michael Bisping had a successful surgery to repair a detached retina.
