FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015

TOP-RANKED HEAVYWEIGHTS BATTLE AT FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT: BARNETT VS. NELSON ON SATURDAY NIGHT

No. 8 Ranked Middleweight Michael Bisping and Brian Stann Serve as Analysts

LOS ANGELES – UFC heavyweights take center stage at FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT live on FS1 and FOX Deportes on Saturday, Sept. 26 (10:00 PM ET) when perennial contender and current No. 11 Roy “Big Country” Nelson (21-11) looks for another big finish against former UFC champion and current No. 8 Josh “The Warmaster” Barnett (33-7). With his past 10 wins coming by , season 10 winner Nelson has dynamite in his fists. When he meets Barnett, though, he squares off against a motivated contender eager to impress in his first fight back in in more than five years.

“These are two very technical heavyweights,” says FOX UFC analyst Brian Stann. “ has massive power in his hands, but people forget he’s also a black belt in jiu-jitsu. Barnett is also a black belt and is known for his amazing . This is going to be a very big and heavy chess match. They both go into fights to please the fans and put on a performance.”

Also featured on the main card is an exciting middleweight battle between No. 6 ranked Gegard Mousasi (37-5-2) vs. THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER season 17 finalist Uriah Hall (12-5). Top- ranked No. 7 Kyoji Horiguchi (15-1) and No. 13 Chico Camus (14-6, 1NC) look to move up the standings, while No. 8-ranked Takeya Mizugaki (20-9-2) faces George Roop (15-12-1). The main card also features another exciting bantamweight clash as Kid Yamamoto (18-6, 2NC) battles Matt Hobar (9-3), and kicks off with a matchup between returning Mizuto Hirota (17-7) and UFC newcomer Teruhito Ishihara (7-2).

Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) and Kenny Florian (@KennyFlorian) call the fights on FS1 and FS2 live from the historic Super Arena in Japan, while Víctor Dávila and Erik Perez make the call in Spanish on FOX Deportes.

The two-hour FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS on FS2 and FOX Deportes begin at 8:00 PM ET and feature four bouts, including Katsunori Kikuno (23-7-2) and Diego Brandao (23-10) in a featherweight clash. Welterweights Keita Nakamura (14-3-2) and Li Jingliang (10-3) keep the action rolling, while lightweights Nick Hein (12-2, 1NC) and Yusuke Kasuya (9-1) face off. Naoyuki Kotani (33-12-7) and Kajan Johnson (20-12-1) get things started on the PRELIMS with a showdown.

Saturday’s coverage begins on FOX Sports 2 (7:00 PM ET) with the FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW hosted by veteran combat sports journalist Karyn Bryant (@KarynBryant), with analysts Brian Stann (@BrianStann) and eighth-ranked middleweight Michael Bisping (@Bisping). Caroline Pearce (@CarolinePearce) interviews fighters on-site in Japan. Coverage wraps up at 1:00 AM ET Sunday night on FS1 with postfight coverage on FOX SPORTS LIVE.

The FS1 UFC WEIGH-IN SHOW takes place on Friday, Sept. 25 (11:00 PM ET) on FS2 and features Bryant alongside Stann and Bisping on the desk, with reporting by Pearce in Japan.

Leading up to Saturday’s main event, FOXSports.com offers comprehensive coverage of UFC FIGHT NIGHT with fight analysis and interviews with the featured fighters. Fans can monitor FIGHT NIGHT action with the live blog and minute-by-minute commentary via @UFCONFOX on Twitter and use the hashtag #UFCJAPAN for the latest updates.

The live FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT: BARNETT VS. NELSON action and related studio programming on FS1 and FS2 are available to customers of participating pay TV providers via FOX Sports GO app and on the web through FOXSportsGO.com. FOX Sports GO is currently available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Windows devices. Fans can download the mobile app for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store and Windows Store.

Action continues the following week when UFC light heavyweight champion and FOX UFC analyst defends his belt against No. 2-ranked Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192. FS1 telecasts the FS1 UFC 192 WEIGH IN on Friday, Oct. 2 and FS1 UFC 192 PREFIGHT, FS1 UFC 192 PRELIMS and FS1 UFC 192 POSTFIGHT SHOWS on Saturday, Oct. 4.

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, 8:00 UFC TONIGHT FS1 Sept. 23 PM ET Friday, 11:00 FS1 UFC WEIGH-IN SHOW FS2 Sept. 25 PM ET Saturday, 7:00 FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW FS2 Sept. 26 PM ET Saturday, 8:00 FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS FS2 / FOX Sept. 26 PM ET Deportes Saturday, 10:00 FS1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT: BARNETT VS. NELSON FS1 / FOX Sept. 26 PM ET Deportes Saturday, 1:00 FOX SPORTS LIVE FS1 Sept. 26 AM ET

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: BARNETT VS. NELSON Fight Card

Fighter Record vs. Fighter Record Class No. 8 33-7 No. 11 Roy Nelson 21-11 Heavyweight No. 6 Gegard Mousasi 37-5-2 Uriah Hall 12-5 Middleweight No. 7 Kyoji Horiguchi 15-1 No. 13 Chico Camus 14-6, 1NC No. 8 Takeya Mizugaki 20-9-2 George Roop 15-12-1 Bantamweight Kid Yamamoto 18-6, 2NC Matt Hobar 9-3 Bantamweight Mizuto Hirota 17-7 Teruhito Ishihara 7-2 Featherweight Katsunori Kikuno 23-7-2 Diego Brandao 23-10 Featherweight Keita Nakamura 14-3-2 Li Jingliang 10-3 Welterweight Nick Hein 12-2, 1NC Yusuke Kasuya 9-1 Lightweight Naoyuki Kotani 33-12-7 Kajan Johnson 20-12-1 Lightweight Shinsho Anzai 8-2 Roger Zapata 4-1 Welterweight

--FOX SPORTS--