The UFC has announced the dates, cities, and venues for three upcoming fight cards. The first will be a yet-to-be-named Fight Night card that takes place July 15 at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. This will mark the promotion’s first trip to San Diego since a 2010 Fight Night card that saw Jon Jones dispatch of Vladimir Matyushenko in the first round, although a Strikeforce card was held at this venue in 2011 that saw Paul Daley take on Nick Diaz in the main event, which was one of the first events Strikeforce held under Zuffa control. The second Fight Night card, which hasn’t been given a title yet either, will be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on August 8. This is the organization’s first trip to Nashville since a January 2012 Fight Night card that saw Jim Miller submit Melvin Guillard in the main event. There aren’t many native Tennessee fighters in the UFC, so it remains to be seen who will headline this upcoming fight card, but the UFC always finds a way to make cards work so don’t expect any less from this one. And the third is a global pay-per-view card, UFC 192, that will take place October 3 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. This will mark the organization’s first trip to Houston since UFC 166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos 3 and further confirms the UFC’s commitment to holding fight cards in Texas. Following this past weekend’s UFC 185 card, UFC president Dana White told media that the UFC considers Texas one of its more important destinations in the U.S. and that the promotion plans on visiting the Lone Star state more often. Considering how stacked from top-to-bottom that UFC 185 was, fans can certainly expect another stacked PPV when UFC 192 happens later this year. Since the card is still over six months out there are obviously no fights scheduled yet, but former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks has expressed interest fighting on this card and he very well might take on the winner of the upcoming Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald title fight in the UFC 192 headliner. But it’s so far away that it’s impossible to say at the moment. Still, I expect this card to be stacked. In past years the UFC would never announce events this far out, but they are doing it now and from a fan’s perspective I like it a lot as it prepares you for what’s coming up. Now, let’s just hope the promotion brings another event to Toronto.
