July’s UFC Nashville card continues to grow, and with the card’s heavyweight main event recently announced, promotion officials have confirmed more bouts – including Jake Matthews vs. Chidi Njokuani at welterweight.
News of the bout, and several others, was revealed in a press release issued on Tuesday. The event takes place on July 12, 2025 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN with Derrick Lewis and Tallison Teixeira headlining.
Once the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, Australia’s Matthews (21-7) is now thirty, and riding high on a two-fight win streak. The Nashville date will come just past his 11th anniversary with the promotion, where he made his debut in June 2014 following a stint on The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia.
In his last two trips to the UFC octagon, Matthews has notched wins over Phil Rowe and Francisco Prado.
Chidi Njokuani (25-10, 1NC), a Bellator MMA vet, is likewise on a win streak, having seen his hand raised on three consecutive occasions. Most recently, he finished Brazilian vet Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.
Also confirmed on Tuesday, Max Griffin welcomes Chris Curtis back to welterweight, while Junior Tafa faces Tuco Tokkos at light heavyweight.
July 12’s UFC Nashville card currently consists of the following reported/announced match-ups:
- Derrick Lewis vs. Tallison Teixeira
- Lauren Murphy vs. Eduarda Moura
- Fatima Kline vs. Melissa Martinez
- Vitor Petrino vs. Austen Lane
- Calvin Kattar vs. Steve Garcia
- Robert Valentin vs. Ateba Abega Gautier
- Tuco Tokkos vs. Junior Tafa
- Chidi Njokuani vs. Jake Matthews
- Chris Curtis vs. Max Griffin
