Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Chicago, IL on Saturday, July 23rd with UFC on FOX 20: Holm vs Shevchenko. The 12-fight card kicks off with UFC Fight Pass prelims at 5pm ET, with FOX Sports 1 prelims to follow at 6pm ET and main card action kicking off at 8pm ET. If interesting in wagering on any of the bouts for this fight card, all betting lines will be made available at Several Bookmakerss. Women’s strawweights will be getting the evening’s main card started and a barn-burner is expected when Invicta FC veteran Felice Herrig takes on the Hawaiian Kailin Curran. This will be a rare “winner vs loser” match-up at 115-pounds, with Herrig coming off a unanimous decision loss to Paige Van Zant and Curran having defeated Emily Kagan via second round submission her last time out. Herrig and Curran are expected to get the nationally broadcasted UFC on FOX 20 main card started on a high-note and fight fans look forward to watching these ladies go to battle. It’s been over a year since Herrig last stepped foot inside the Octagon, while it’s been seven months for Kagan. Jitters could be a factor for both ladies but are clearly much more likely with Curran. Heavyweights take center stage for the next bout on the evening’s main card, as Francis Ngannou looks to go 3-0 in the UFC by taking out promotional newcomer Bojan Mihajlovic. These two were originally scheduled to square off at UFC Fight Night 86 back in August, but Mihajlovic was removed from the card due to injury and replaced by another promotional newcomer in Curtis Blaydes. Ngannou defeated Blaydes via TKO and now turns his sights back on the Serbian. The 36-year-old will be making his Octagon debut fighting on U.S. soil for the first time in his professional mixed martial artist and hopes to make waves in the UFC’s heavyweight division by taking out the much hyped 29-year-old prospect Ngannou. This fight should be a treat for the fans and is one scrap that is not expected to go the distance, much less out of the first round. The co-main event of the evening has ‘Fight of the Year’ potential written all over it and will likely be the front-runner for the evening’s ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus. Action is certainly expected when former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez takes on vicious Muay Thai specilist Edson Barboza. The 34-year-old Melendez is on a two-fight skid inside the Octagon and will be looking to get back into the win column by taking the dangerous Brazilian, who is coming off a unanimous decision victory over former UFC 155-pound champ Anthony Pettis. Despite the fact that Melendez has dropped back to back fights and Barboza isn’t on an amazing winning streak, both fighters have the name value and talent to put them right in the title picture with an impressive victory in this co-main event contest scheduled for three rounds. Headlining UFC on FOX 20 in Chicago will be a five round woman’s bantamweight contest between former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm and Russian kickboxer Valentina Shevchenko. This will be Holm’s first bour since losing her title to Miesha Tate and Shevchenko’s return to the Octagon following a unanimous decision loss to current UFC women’s 135-pound title holder Amanda Nunes, who defeated Tate for the crown. Fireworks are expected when these two skilled strikers go to war in the main event of the evening, and despite both women coming off a loss, a title shot is rumored to be at stake.
