For the third time in UFC history and first since 2012, the promotion returns to Minneapolis with UFC on ESPN 3 and two fights at the top of the bill that very well could be title eliminators in their respective divisions.
In the main event, a finish is almost a guarantee as heavyweight knockout artists Francis Ngannou and Junior Dos Santos clash. And in the co-main event, Joseph Benavidez and Jussier Formiga compete for a potential shot at the flyweight title.
Take a look at the UFC on ESPN 3 event info, lineup with start times below and key storylines:
What: UFC on ESPN 3
When: Saturday
Where: Target Center in Minneapolis
TV: ESPN
Full fight card, start times
MAIN CARD (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET)
- Francis Ngannou vs. Junior Dos Santos
- Joseph Benavidez vs. Jussier Formiga
- Demian Maia vs. Anthony Rocco Martin
- Vinc Pichel vs. Roosevelt Roberts
- Drew Dober vs. Marco Polo Reyes
- Paul Craig vs. Alonzo Menifield
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 6 p.m. ET)
- Journey Newson vs. Ricardo Ramos
- Eryk Anders vs. Vinicius Moreira
- Jordan Griffin vs. Vince Murdock
- Jared Gordon vs. Dan Moret
- Justin Ledet vs. Dalcha Lungiambula
- Amanda Ribas vs. Emily Whitmire
- Junior Albini vs. Maurice Greene
Key storylines
- Francis Ngannou calls foul on Junior Dos Santos’ jiu-jitsu black belt: ‘I don’t believe that’
- Joseph Benavidez believes win over Jussier Formiga means Henry Cejudo will be next
- How UFC’s Emily Whitmire changed after a chance encounter with her homeless mother
For more on UFC on ESPN 3, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
