The second UFC on FOX Sports 1 card is starting to shape up quite nicely, with the news that Donald Cerrone and Rafael Dos Anjos have agreed to fight as the co-main event, according to Indystar.com and the UFC’s official Twitter.
The second fight card on the soon-to-launch all-sports channel takes place on August 28 at Bankers Life Playhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
UFC on FOX Sports 1 2 will be the inaugural Wednesday-night fight card, part of the landscape of the new channel that was announced a couple months ago. Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampman serves as the main event.
Cerrone looked impressive in his last outing. He defeated KJ Noons via unanimous decision in a lopsided and bloody affair at UFC 160. It proved to be a nice bounce back into the win column for the “Cowboy” after a devastating TKO loss to Anthony Pettis at UFC on FOX 6.
Dos Anjos most recently won a controversial split decision over Evan Dunham on the UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold card, his fourth win in a row. He has won his last three by decision.
This will most likely be the toughest and most important fight in the 28-year-old Brazilian’s career. He is currently ranked No. 10 in the UFC lightweight rankings and needs a breakout win and performance to catapult him further up the list.
A loss by the No. 6-ranked Cerrone would be devastating. With TJ Grant challenging Benson Henderson for the lightweight strap, a win may very well set up a title shot or at least, perhaps, a fight vs. Gilbert Melendez to decide who faces Henderson next.
The last time the “Cowboy” was in the title-shot discussion, he was left battered and bruised by Nate Diaz at UFC 141, losing by unanimous decision. He won his next two before the loss to Pettis and needs to stay consistent to get back on the track to a title shot. Two of the top-10 ranked lightweights face off in what is known as a shark tank of a division on August 28.
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Michael Stets is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report
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