CHICAGO — The Madhouse on Madison will be a dojo of destruction Saturday night when the Ultimate Fighting Championship brings its octagon and a loaded fight card to Chicago.
The UFC Fight Night, both the preliminary bouts and main card, will be broadcast on Fox. Tickets to the United Center event still are available through Ticketmaster and secondary outlets.
The main event features a high-profile rematch between American T.J. Dillashaw and Brazilian Renan Barao for the bantamweight world championship. Dillashaw brutalized Barao in their first title fight 14 months ago, halting a 32-bout winning streak and taking the Brazilian’s championship belt in stunning fashion.
Both fighters' teams — Alpha Male for Dillashaw, and Nova Uniao for Barao — are extremely familiar with one another and, as the saying goes, that breeds contempt.
“Nova Uniao and Alpha Male rivalry works on a couple of levels,” said Tom Grant of Bloody Elbow, a mixed martial arts and UFC news site. “The two camps have crossed paths on several occasions in title fights, and historically Nova Uniao has gotten the better of them until the Dillashaw fight. So now there’s a serious element of revenge on both sides."
Scheduled just before the main event is a compelling co-main event between two top-ranked female bantamweights in Miesha Tate and Jessica Eye. Tate, a submission fighter who has been twice crushed by world champion Ronda Roussey, wants to prove she deserves a third shot at the champ, while Eye is a rising fighter reaching a critical stage in her career.
“The fight is a measuring stick for both fighters,” Grant said. “Eye is a powerful striker and a great athlete who brings intense aggression into the cage. Eye is reaching a point in her career where it is officially time for her to step to that next level. If she can beat an accomplished veteran like Tate, then title shots are in her future. If Tate can beat a cresting fighter like Eye, it is a statement that she is still a force in the division.”
The UFC has scheduled several free public events in the run up to the fights. On Thursday all four fighters in the main and co-main events will put on an open workout from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at the UFC Gym-River North, 644 N. Orleans St.
Friday night’s weigh-ins will take place inside the United Center beginning at 3 p.m., followed by a Q&A session with current UFC fighter and former WWE wrestler C.M. Punk.
On Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. the UFC Fan Village will open outside the United Center. A lineup of UFC fighters will appear in booths to sign autographs and chat with fans, while beer gardens, games and giveaways will be staged across the village grounds.
Whether you're attending the fights or watching at home, there’s a general consensus amongst fight watchers that the full card, which includes eight bouts, should be exciting.
“Dillashaw versus Barao 1 was crackling,” Grant said. “And this card is stacked with ‘action fighters.’ Athletes who have really aggressive, fan-friendly styles. A little bit of everything should occur in the cage Saturday night; some exciting knockouts, a few amazing submissions and some back and forth rollercoasters.”
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