UFC Fight Night 166: Blaydes vs. dos Santos fight card, preview, India time and TV info

Heavyweight clash in UFC Raleigh main event

Bengaluru, January 23: After witnessing Conor McGregor finish Donald Cerrone in the decade's first event in Las Vegas last weekend, the Ultimate Fighting Championship are all set for the promotion's first visit to Raleigh, North Carolina this week.

The promotion's first event in North Carolina since UFC on FOX 27 in 2018, will be headlined by a pivotal clash in the heavyweight division as No. 3 ranked contender Curtis Blaydes takes on former UFC heavyweight champion and No. 4 ranked Junior Dos Santos.

In the co-main event, former UFC lightweight champion and number 5 ranked welterweight contender Rafael dos Anjos takes on Michael Chiesa.

Also on the main card features a flyweight bout between Jordan Espinosa and. Alex Perez, a women's strawweight bout between Hannah Cifers and Angela Hill and finally a light heavyweight bout between Jamahal Hill and Darko Stosic.

In the preliminary card, we will see the likes of Arnold Allen, Nik Lentz, Justine Kish, Lucie Pudilova, Montel Jackson, Brett Johns, Sara McMann, Lina Lansberg and more in action.

Here is all you need to know about UFC Fight Night 166:

? in Raleigh. pic.twitter.com/CWBhJlHoUx
— UFC (@ufc) January 22, 2020

Fight location, date, start time and telecast information

When and where does UFC Fight Night 166 take place?

The event takes place on Saturday (January 25) at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. Due to time difference in India, the event will take place on Sunday (January 26) morning.

What time does UFC Raleigh start?

The main card begins at 6.30 AM IST (January 26), 1 AM GMT (January 26) and 8 PM ET (January 25), while the prelims kick off at 3.30 AM IST (January 26), 10 PM GMT (January 25) and 5 PM ET (January 25).

How to watch UFC Fight Night 166 in India?

Sony TEN 2 and Sony TEN 2HD will show the main card live in India, while Sony LIV will also live stream the main card. The preliminary card, however, can only be streamed using UFC Fight Pass in India.

RAZOR BLAYDES ?@RazorBlaydes265 | #UFCRaleigh | Saturday - LIVE on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/6eQzDTTKsC
— UFC (@ufc) January 22, 2020

Blaydes vs. dos Santos: Main event preview

Blaydes, who holds the record for most takedowns in UFC heavyweight history returns to action following a dominant victory over fellow top-ranked contender Shamil Abdurakhimov in September. Razor Blaydes already holds a number of impressive victories over legendary names such as Alistair Overeem and Mark Hunt. He now looks to secure the first title shot of his career by taking out a former champion.

Former champion and perennial fan favorite Dos Santos, on the other hand, looks to get back into the title conversation with another signature knockout victory. Cigano Dos Santos, who holds the record for the most knockdowns in UFC heavyweight history, has wins over some of the biggest names in the sport, including former champions Fabricio Werdum, Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir, as well as current champion Stipe Miocic. He now aims to secure his 16th victory in the Octagon and stake his claim as the next title contender.

While things at the very top of the division are still unclear, this is a crucial battle to maintain position in the ever-shifting heavyweight landscape. Both men will look to pushing themselves for championship gold soon, so expect a feisty contest to close out the night at PNC Arena on Saturday.

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/swzLw5dVKp
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2020

Dos Anjos vs. Chiesa: Co-main event preview

The welterweight division clash in this weekend's penultimate pairing between Dos Anjos and Chiesa will be a very tough test for both men who come into the fight with a mixed record.

The Brazilian veteran RDA has just won one in his last four fights, but judging Dos Anjos on his record alone would be foolhardy, as those three setbacks came against current champ Kamaru Usman, recent title challenger Colby Covington, and streaking British standout Leon Edwards.

Despite his poor record recently, Dos Anjos, who has been a top conender since arriving in the division, remains a dangerous opponent for anyone that desires to reach the top of the division. And the same applies to Chiesa this weekend.

Chiesa moved to the welterweights after failing to make the 155-pound limit for his UFC 226 fight with Anthony Pettis and in his first two appearances in that weight classs, the former TUF winner won two in two. After submitting Carlos Condit in his welterweight debut, Chiesa followed it up with a one-sided decision win against Diego Sanchez in July.