‘The Dirty Bird’ will stay close to the nest for his next fight, as Tim Means gets a fight at home against Ramazan Emeev.
Tim Means will be fighting at home next month. The Albuquerque Journal was first to report that longtime welterweight Means, who last appeared at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C. back in December, will face Ramazan Emeev at UFC Rio Rancho in February. Means later confirmed his addition to the event on social media.
It’s a card Means (29-11-1, 1NC) expressed interest in following his win over Thiago Alves at UFC DC. Submitting Alves via guillotine, ‘The Dirty Bird’ fought out his contract that night. The UFC has opted to retain the 35-year old’s services, so it’s onward and upward for Means.
Born in Oklahoma, Means has fought out of Albuquerque, New Mexico for years. He first joined the UFC in 2012, and is currently on his second stint with the promotion. 2-1 in his past three, Means promised to “sell the sh*t out of tickets” when asked about the Rio Rancho card last month.
Ramazan Emeev (18-4) will enter the fight off the first loss of his UFC tenure. Emeev got off to a solid start in the octagon, winning three straight, including his 2017 debut against Sam Alvey at middleweight. He dropped to welterweight after the Alvey fight, continuing to find success until he ran up against Anthony Rocco Martin at last year’s UFC Moscow.
Rio Rancho will mark Emeev’s first fight on U.S. soil.
UFC Rio Rancho (UFC Fight Night 167) takes place February 15, 2020 at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. A rematch between light heavyweights Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz tops the card.
