UFC books Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov headliner for Nashville

The UFC’s return to Nashville, Tenn. has a main event and it turns out the rumors were true.

After weeks of rumblings of a bantamweight contender fight between Cory Sandhagen (16-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) and Umar Nurmagomedov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC), promotion president Dana White announced it officially for the UFC Fight Night event Aug. 5 at Bridgestone Arena.

In the promotion’s last visit to the state, it held an event on March 23, 2019, at the same venue. UFC on ESPN+ 6 featured a welterweight main event between former title challenger Stephen Thompson and former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.

Sandhagen, 31, enters the fight on a two-fight winning streak that includes victories over Song Yadong and Marlon Vera. The upcoming bout will be his third three-round fight since September.

Nurmagomedov, 27, is the younger cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The bout will be his first main event and comes on the heels of a quick knockout of Raoni Barcelos.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Nashville includes:

• Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
• Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez
• Said Nurmagomedov vs. Kyler Phillips
• Ion Cutelaba vs. Ovince Saint Preux
• Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ludovit Klein
• Damon Jackson vs. Billy Quarantillo
• Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
• Asu Almabaev vs. Ode Osbourne
• Jake Hadley vs. Tagir Ulanbekov