‘Countdown to UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes’ Debuts Tonight on Fuel TV

Jose Aldo

Show previews Saturday’s card in Rio

The UFC is back in Brazil for Saturday's UFC 142 card, and Fight Week gets underway Tuesday night with the promotion's regular "Countdown" series.

"Countdown to UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes" debuts Tuesday night on Fuel TV at 9 p.m. Eastern, and the show will run regularly the rest of the week on Fuel and FX, both members of the Fox network. The show, which regularly is produced for UFC pay-per-view events, goes behind the scenes of the training camps of the main and co-main event fighters on the card.

UFC 142 features a main event featherweight title fight between Brazilian champion Jose Aldo (20-1, 2-0 UFC) and unbeaten challenger Chad Mendes (11-0, 2-0 UFC). And in the co-main event, Anthony Johnson (10-3, 7-3 UFC) moves from welterweight to middleweight to face Brazilian legend Vitor Belfort (20-9, 9-5 UFC).

For the first time in UFC history, every fight on the card will feature a Brazilian fighter. Brazil is considered by many to be the birthplace of modern mixed martial arts thanks to the Gracie family and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Also on the main card, which airs live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, are a middleweight bout between Rousimar Palhares and Mike Massenzio; a welterweight bout pairing up Brazilians Carlo Prater and Erick Silva; and a lightweight bout between unbeaten and fast-rising Brazilian Edson Barboza and England's Terry Etim.

UFC 142 takes place at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, which is the same site as August's UFC 134 card. That event was the promotion's first trip to Brazil since 1998.