SALT LAKE CITY — There are a lot of roads that lead to a UFC fight.

For Rony Jason, who will face No. 8-ranked Dennis Bermudez in a featherweight bout, the road has been long.

The Brazil native will look for his first win in the United States when he faces Bermudez at Vivint Arena at 3:30 p.m. MT Saturday. Jason is coming off a nine-month-long suspension after testing positive for a banned substance following his win over Damon Jackson at a UFC fight in May 2015.

“I always try to take a positive out of a negative,” said Jason, one of five fighters at Thursday’s public workout at Vivint Arena. “I spent a lot of time with my family, and that was good.”

UFC Fight Night in Salt Lake City will be the organization’s first event in the Beehive State, but Saturday will also be the first foray into the United States for Jason (16-5).

“The trip is a lot longer, but we adapted to it and it’s fine,” he said. “It’s just another opponent.”

Jason then quickly interjected over his translator.

“But the friends — no good,” he quipped, with a smile.

Welterweight UFC veteran Court McGee’s journey to Vivint Arena has been just as long, even though the Layton native lives in Provo and trains in Orem.

He showed plenty of enthusiasm for performing in front of his hometown crowd, though, during Thursday’s pre-fight workouts at the arena. McGee strapped on gloves and vigorously sparred with California-based coach John Hackleman, who also coaches all-time UFC great Chuck Liddell.

“I’m really excited,” McGee said after posing for dozens of photos and selfies with fans in Salt Lake City. “You never grow up thinking you’ll become a famous fighter overnight. But when it happens, and you have a lengthy career, and this is one of those times where everybody gets to experience it with me.”

McGee said he has friends and family who have texted him excitement over the fight, some buying up tickets 10, 20 or even 50 at a time.

It’s safe to say he will have a substantial crowd when he takes on Dominique Steele this weekend.

“I got asked if I felt like I had more pressure, and it really isn’t,” he said. “My fans, friends and family get to feed off this. We get to do it together, and I get to represent the mixed martial arts community in Utah. I’m honored to go out and give them hell.”

Miami-based Alex Caceres (12-8), who will headline Saturday’s main event when he fights Chicago’s Yair Rodriguez (8-1), isn’t completely unfamiliar to Utah — he took a road trip to Bryce Canyon with friends recently. But he’s just as excited to fight in a full five-round bout as he is to be in the “beautiful” Beehive State with “a lot of good hiking.”

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There are a lot of important numbers in mixed martial arts fighter Court McGee’s life. The 31-year-old former Layton High wrestler 18-5 in his mixed martial arts career, including back-to-back wins in his first bout with the international organization Oct. 23, 2010. But there is one number that stands out to the 10-year fighter nicknamed "Crusher:" 3,764 days of sobriety.

“Being the main event doesn’t put more importance on the fight,” he said. “I’m just glad I get to be here (against Rodriguez). Our styles match up well, and it’s going to be a five-round battle. That’s what I’m more excited about.

“I feel like I come alive more in later rounds, so it’ll be beneficial for me to fight five rounds. I’ve been dying to do it, and it’s something I wanted to do for a long time.”

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