MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: Robert Whiteford has already made Scottish MMA history once before, when he became the first Scot to fight in the UFC.

And this weekend he hopes to rewrite history again by becoming the first Scot to win a UFC bout when he takes on Daniel Pineda at UFC 171 in Dallas, Texas.

Whiteford, 30, lost by submission due to a triangle choke to Jimmy Hettes in the second round of their meeting at UFC Fight Night 30 in Manchester last October.

The loss, while disappointing for the southpaw, did little to damage his future prospects as he took it on short notice and performed well in the opening round, causing Hettes problems with his aggressive striking.

With a professional MMA record of 10-2, Judo black belt Whiteford would make real waves with a win on American soil on Saturday night.

Pineda has won three and lost three of his UFC bouts so far and is potentially facing the axe should he fail to beat Whiteford.

Whiteford, who represents the Dinky Ninja Fight Team and trains at its Griphouse Gym in Glasgow, is also affiliated to American Top Team in Florida, where he has been preparing for Saturday's featherweight (145lb) clash.

The man from Fauldhouse, West Lothian, got the UFC ball rolling as far as Scottish MMA is concerned and has seen his Dinky Ninja colleague Joanne Calderwood also snapped up by the world's biggest MMA promotion.

She will appear of the UFC's reality TV show, The Ultimate Fighter, in the summer - meaning Whiteford still has the chance to claim Scotland's first ever victory in the UFC.

Scores of fans made the trip to Manchester to see his UFC debut, but they face huddling around their computer screens to see him fight on Saturday, as his bout is first up on the preliminary card.

The main card is, as usual, on pay-per-view in America and broadcast in the UK on BT Sport.

But the preliminary card is being broadcast online only, via the UFC's Fight Pass service, at around 11pm UK time.