FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: John Stouffer Monday, Jan. 23, 2017 [email protected]

BROADCASTERS SET FOR SATURDAY’S FOX UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHEVCHENKO VS. PENA

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Cormier Serves as Desk Analyst with No. 1- Ranked Bantamweight Cruz and No. 7-Ranked Strawweight Waterson

LOS ANGELES – FOX Sports has set its broadcast team for UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHEVCHENKO VS. PENA on FOX, FS1 and FOX Deportes on Saturday, Jan. 28 (8:00 PM ET). UFC light champion (@DC_MMA) works as analyst with former champion and current No. 1-ranked (@DominickCruz) FOX Sports desk in for Friday and Saturday’s coverage. Curt Menefee (@CurtMenefee) is desk host for the FOX shows, while Todd Grisham (@GrishamMMA) joins the desk crew as host on the FS1 programs along with additional analyst No. 7-ranked strawweight Michelle Waterson (@karatehottiemma). Reporter Megan Olivi (@MeganOlivi) interviews fighters on-site.

Retired Brian Stann (@BrianStann) joins blow-by-blow announcer Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) to call the fights live from Denver. Plus, UFC bantamweight Erik "Goyito" Perez (@Goyito_Perez) and Victor Davila (@mastervic10) are the Spanish language broadcast team on FOX Deportes.

FOX UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHEVCHENKO VS. PENA is headlined by No. 1-ranked Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko (13-2) and No. 2 “The Venezuelan Vixen” Julianna Pena (9-2) in a five- round main event bout. The two bantamweight contenders are looking for a win to secure a shot at the title.

“These are two of the scariest women in the division,” says FOX UFC analyst Kenny Florian. “Shevchenko is a world champion in Muay Thai and a devastating leg kicker. She’s an excellent striker who tends to get stronger as the fight goes on. Pena has excellent takedowns, ridiculous ground and pound and has improved striking. But more than anything, her mentality is of a fighter. She will not quit.” Watch the extended preview from last week’s FS1 UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW here.

Plus, it’s a homecoming for one of the UFC’s best, as No. 5-ranked and Denver- raised Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (32-7, 1NC) fights No. 12 (31-11). The No. 7- ranked heavyweight (25-13, 1NC) and No. 10 (9-1) square off, while Alex Caceres (12-9, 1NC) and (18-2) open the main card with a battle.

The three-hour UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS on FS1 and FOX Deportes begin at 5:00 PM ET and feature six bouts. Veteran middleweights Nate Marquardt (38-16-2) and (29-8, 1NC) collide. The No. 4-ranked bantamweight Raphael Assuncao (23-5) takes on No. 7 (12-1), while Bobby Nash (8-1) fights (11-4) in a welterweight tilt. Henrique da Silva (12-1) battles Jordan Johnson (6-0) in a light heavyweight scrap. Plus, Eric Spicely (9-2) and Alessio Di Chirico (10-1) tangle in a middleweight fight. Marcos Rogerio De Lima (14-5-1) and Jeremy Kimball (14-5) open the PRELIMS with another light heavyweight bout.

Saturday’s coverage begins on FS1 (4:30 PM ET) with the FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW hosted by Grisham, with Cormier, Cruz and Waterson. The action wraps up after the main event with the FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT POSTFIGHT SHOW on FS2. The FS1 UFC WEIGH-IN SHOW takes place on Friday, Jan. 27 (7:00 PM ET) on FS1 with the same studio crew.

On Wednesday (9:00 PM ET, FS2), UFC TONIGHT hosts Cormier and Florian preview FOX UFC FIGHT NIGHT and interview Shevchenko about her second straight headliner.

On the popular FOXSports.com podcast Fight Society, host Damon Martin interviews headliner Shevchenko, as well as Cerrone, Masvidal and Sterling. It’s available on iTunes and Soundcloud. Follow @UFConFOX on Twitter for live updates throughout the #UFCDenver fights this Sunday.

For notes, coverage, bios, photography and more, visit the FOX UFC page on FOX Sports Press Pass.

FOX SPORTS UFC PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE

DATE TIME EVENT NET* Wednesday, 9:00 PM ET UFC TONIGHT FS2 Jan. 25 Friday, 7:00 PM ET FS1 UFC WEIGH-IN SHOW FS1 Jan. 27 Saturday, 4:30 PM ET FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW FS1 Jan. 28 Saturday, 5:00 PM ET FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS FS1 / FOX Jan. 28 Deportes Saturday, 8:00 PM ET FOX UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHEVCHENKO VS. FOX / FOX Jan. 28 PENA Deportes Saturday, 10:00 PM ET FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT POSTFIGHT SHOW FS2 Jan. 28 *All programs also available on FOX Sports GO

--FOX SPORTS--