Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans (UFC)
Half-hour program previews Saturday’s pay-per-view in Atlanta
The buildup to UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans continues Tuesday night with the debut of “Countdown to UFC 145.”
The promotion’s regular special, which previews pay-per-view cards, will premiere at 9:30 p.m. Eastern on the Fuel TV cable network. The “Countdown” special will serve as the lead-in to new episodes of the network’s Tuesday night series “UFC Tonight” at 10 p.m. and “UFC Ultimate Insider” at 10:30. Replays of “Countdown” air throughout the week on Fuel.
UFC 145 is set for Saturday at Philips Arena in Atlanta. The main event is the highly anticipated light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones, defending the belt for the third time since winning it in March 2011, and former champion Rashad Evans. The two fighters, as has been prominently documented, are former friends and training partners at Greg Jackson’s camp in Albuquerque, N.M.
UFC 145 also features a co-main event welterweight bout between rising contender Rory MacDonald, a training partner of UFC 170-pound champion Georges St-Pierre, and England’s Che Mills. Traditionally, “Countdown” episodes also feature previews of the co-main event.
The “Countdown” special joins plenty of other Jones vs. Evans coverage that has dominated the UFC’s TV, online and print coverage in the weeks leading up to the fight. A three-part “UFC Primetime” series finishes its three-week run on Friday night. Jones and Evans have been featured in a “Counterpunch” segment exchanging words on “UFC Ultimate Insider.” Both have done national media spots. Jones is the current cover of UFC Magazine. And the UFC has released numerous “hype” videos in the lead up to Saturday’s fight.
The six-fight main card for UFC 145, which also includes a heavyweight fight between Ben Rothwell and Brendan Schaub and a bantamweight contenders fight between former champion Miguel Torres and Michael McDonald, airs Saturday at 10 p.m. Eastern on pay-per-view. The FX cable network will have a four-fight preliminary card live broadcast at 8 p.m.. And at 7 p.m., the UFC’s Facebook page will live stream a pair of prelims.