Check out our full “Fight Day” preview for UFC Fight Night 85: “Hunt vs. Mir,” which takes place TONIGHT (Sat., March 19, 2016) live on FOX Sports 1 from the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia, featuring former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir taking on fan favorite, Mark Hunt.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads “Down Under” this evening (Sat., March 19, 2016) as the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia will play host to the UFC Fight Night 85: “Hunt vs. Mir” event, live on FOX Sports 1.
Catch all the action LIVE with a main card start time of 10 p.m. ET (for up-to-date UFC Fight Night 85 results click here).
Below is everything you need to know to stay on top of the Fight Night event.
Who: Mark Hunt vs. Frank Mir
What: UFC Fight Night 85
When: Sat., March 19, 2016, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass
Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia
How To Watch: Main card at 10 p.m ET on FOX Sports 1; FOX Sports 1 “Prelims” at 8 p.m ET, and UFC Fight Pass early “Prelims” under card at 7 p.m ET
Live UFC Fight Night 85 results: Play-by-play coverage stream right here
Why It Matters: While a ton of casual mixed martial arts (MMA) fans may find it difficult to point out any fighters they know other than the Heavyweight legends in the main event, UFC Fight Night 85 is absolutely a significant event.
UFC brass is keen on making MMA a beloved sport worldwide, and that means taking their production to every corner of the Earth.
Australia is quickly becoming a hotbed for MMA talent — just look at the prospects fighting this evening for proof — and the fans there deserve high quality events every so often from UFC.
While UFC Fight Night 85 isn’t a blockbuster event by any means, it does feature several Australians, two Heavyweight legends, and a very intriguing Welterweight co-main event.
What’s Hot: How can you not love Frank Mir vs. Mark Hunt?
The Heavyweight main event in Australia pits two of the most exciting, beloved, and tough fighters that have ever graced the Octagon against each other.
Mir — the submission ace and former Heavyweight champ — battles the heavy-handed Hunt in what should be an absolute war for as long as it lasts.
While Mir has been less consistent in the final stages of his MMA career, there is no question he still packs a punch, and is as dangerous as ever on the mat in what will be his record-tying 27th UFC appearance.
Mir will not only have to battle Hunt inside the Octagon, but he will also face off against the Australian crowd, who will undoubtedly be rooting for the “Super Samoan” as he looks to win his seventh UFC fight.
What’s Not: Overall UFC Fight Night 85 is a solid card, and there isn’t much to nitpick.
My only qualm is in regards to the six-fight main card, as fighters like Steve Bosse and Bec Rawlings do not deserve a main card slot.
FOX Sports 1’s pacing is notoriously horrendous, and when you consider how many fans are watching on the east coast, the event likely won’t end until 1 a.m.
Original Card vs. Actual Card:
UFC Fight Night 85 nearly went off without a hitch, but once fight week arrived, fighters started dropping off like flies.
First was the loss of thrilling Flyweight prospect Justin Scoggins, as the American Top Team product withdrew from his scheduled fight against Ben Nguyen. Without much time to find a replacement, Nguyen was unfortunately pulled from the card as well.
When Abel Trujillo was removed from the event due to visa issues, a cascade of changes were made by UFC brass.
Chad Laprise was called up as Trujillo’s replacement to face off against Ross Pearson, leaving Alan Patrick — Laprise’s original opponent — without a fight.
UFC newcomer Damien Brown opted to take the fight on short notice, and he will now fight Patrick in the evening’s first bout on UFC Fight Pass.
New Blood:
Damien Brown (vs. Alan Patrick): UFC brass didn’t have much time to find a new opponent for Alan Patrick, so they opted for Australian native Damien Brown on short notice. “Beatdown” started his career 10-8, but has since reeled off five straight victories and four straight finishes. Not only is Brown taking this fight on short notice, but he is not even one month removed from his last TKO victory.
How The “Prelims” Look: Overall, pretty solid.
Outside of Mark Eddiva vs. Dan Hooker, every fight on the “Prelims” provides some intrigue in my opinion.
The most noteworthy fights are both the Fight Pass and FOX Sports 1 “Prelims” main events.
Early on in the evening, Ross Pearson will battle Chad Laprise in what should be an exciting affair. Later on, knockout artist Alan Jouban returns to the Octagon, as he faces off against Brendan O’Reilly.
Interest Level: 7/10
Nothing on UFC Fight Night 85 is “must watch” material per se, but I would be remiss to say I wasn’t thrilled to watch Mark Hunt and Frank Mir go to war. Both men are absolute legends in the sport, and have accomplished incredible things both inside and outside the Octagon.
With both men’s career undoubtedly in their final stages, relish this fight however it may turn out.
The rest of the event is littered with intriguing battles, including the return of Hector Lombard as he takes on the streaking Neil Magny.
Overall, this is a great FOX Sports 1 event that should provide for an excellent night of MMA.
Check out the full UFC Fight Night 84 fight card right here:
FOX Sports 1 Main Event:
265 lbs.: Mark Hunt vs. Frank Mir
FOX Sports 1 Co-Main Event:
170 lbs.: Hector Lombard vs. Neil Magny
FOX Sports 1 Main Card (10 p.m. ET):
155 lbs.: Johnny Case vs. Jake Matthews
185 lbs.: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Daniel Kelly
185 lbs.: Steve Bosse vs. James Te Huna
115 lbs.: Seo Hee Ham vs. Bec RawlingsFOX Sports 1 “Prelims” (8 p.m. ET):
170 lbs.: Alan Jouban vs. Brendan O’Reilly
145 lbs.: Mark Eddiva vs. Daniel Hooker
170 lbs.: Viscardi Andrade vs. Richard Walsh
155 lbs.: Damien Brown vs. Alan PatrickUFC Fight Pass “Prelims” (7 p.m. ET):
155 lbs.: Ross Pearson vs. Chad Laprise
135 lbs.: Rin Nakai vs. Leslie Smith
For more information on UFC Fight Night 85, including the full fight card, results, news, and more, click here.