UFC president Dana White tried to generate excitement for the upcoming UFC Nashville event.
This Saturday, the UFC returns to Tennessee for UFC Nashville, featuring a main event between heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Tallison Teixeira.
Before his fight, Lewis worried fans about potentially missing weight after saying he ate as much as a family of four.
Despite this, during the weigh-in on Friday, `The Black Beast` hit his lowest weight in 11 years, even showing a hint of abs on the scale.
White Highlights Two Underrated Fights
Since it`s just a Fight Night event, some fans feel the card isn`t packed with big names throughout.
The co-main event features the return of Stephen Thompson, one of the most exciting strikers in UFC history, facing Gabriel Bonfim.
To draw attention to some less-hyped matchups, UFC head Dana White used social media to promote fights he felt were being overlooked.
Dana White quoted: “Here are a couple of fights you might not know about. After competing as a heavyweight, knockout specialist Junior Tafa debuts in the light heavyweight division. Junior appears in excellent condition; let`s see if he maintains his power. All six of his victories are KOs.”
He added: “Junior fights Tuco Tokkos, an athlete known for knockouts. Eight of his 10 wins are finishes, six by knockout. I anticipate a very violent and exciting fight.”
White also mentioned: “Calvin Kattar vs Steve Garcia. Kattar has faced top opponents for years, known for high-volume striking. Garcia is on an impressive run, earning him a fight against a top-15 contender. We`ll see if he earns a ranking after this bout.”
White Responds to Fan Criticism Over Promoting Nashville Fights
While White promotes every event, one fan was unimpressed, commenting: “Seriously Dana trying to sell a Fight Night… (Dead).”
White responded directly: “Not selling you anything. Letting you KNOW what you didn’t KNOW.”
Fans are hopeful that even if the card looks weak on paper, it could still feature exciting finishes, building momentum for the highly anticipated UFC 318 on July 19.
Jack Thornley