Two exciting welterweight matchups added to UFC Nashville fight card

The upcoming UFC Nashville fight card just got even better with the addition of two fantastic welterweight scraps.

In one of those matchups, we will see former middleweight contender Chris Curtis drop back down to 170 pounds for a fan-friendly clash with Max Griffin. The fight was first reported by X user MagicM, and confirmed by MMA journalist Marcel Dorff.

Curtis competed as a welterweight years ago, but has spent the duration of his UFC career competing at 185 pounds. After back-to-back losses to Brendan Allen and Roman Kopylov, he has evidently decided to try his old division again. He will get a tough welcome in Griffin. The Sacramento native was submitted by Michael Chiesa in his last fight, but holds wins over the likes Mike Perry, Carlos Condit, and Tim Means, and is known for his power and durability.

The second new welterweight fight on the UFC Nashville bill will see fan favorite Australian Jake Matthews take another step toward the rankings in a fight with knockout artist Chidi Njokuani. Dorff confirmed that matchup too. Matthews is riding wins over Francisco Prado and Phil Rowe in his last two fights. His last loss came against Michael Morales, who is now one of the top contenders in the weight class. He took the Ecuadorian knockout artist to a decision.

Needless to say, it’s already been a big week for welterweight fight announcements.

UFC Nashville will be headlined by a heavyweight clash, as veteran knockout artist Derrick Lewis takes on fearsome new contender Tallison Teixeira. The card will also feature an appetizing clash of featherweight strikers, as Calvin Kattar takes on Steve Garcia. Dorff also reported that Junior Tafa will take on Tuco Tokkos on the card.

The event goes down on Saturday, July 12.