It’ll be a homecoming for a longtime UFC fighter Ovince Saint Preux when he steps into the cage for his bout.
At a UFC Fight Night event Aug. 5, expected to take place in Nashville, Tenn., Saint Preux (26-17 MMA, 14-12 UFC) will return for his 26th promotional appearance when he takes on Ion Cutelaba (17-9-1 MMA, 6-8-1 UFC) in a light heavyweight bout.
Two people with knowledge of the booking recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Saint Preux, 40, looks to get back in the win column in his home state. Training out of Knoxville, Tenn., Saint Preux played football at University of Tennessee prior to his MMA career. Saint Preux has twice competed under the UFC banner in his home state with split results.
“OSP” most recently competed in February when he was finished with strikes in 49 seconds by Philipe Lins. The defeat was his fourth in six outings.
Cutelaba, 29, snapped a three-fight skid in April when he spoiled the light heavyweight debut of Tanner Boser in Kansas City, Mo. In 2:04, Cutelaba finished Boser with strikes.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Aug. 5 includes:
- Tatiana Suarez vs. Virna Jandiroba
- Asu Almabaev vs. Ode Osbourne
- Jake Hadley vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
- Said Nurmagomedov vs. Kyler Phillips
- Damon Jackson vs. Billy Quarantillo
- Tanner Boser vs. Aleksa Camur
- Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
- Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ludovit Klein
- Ion Cutelaba vs. Ovince Saint Preux
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for the UFC Fight Night card Aug. 5.