A match-up between top-15 ranked middleweight contenders Mark Munoz and Gegard Mousasi is scheduled to headline the UFC’s inaugural trip to Berlin, Germany on May 31, UFC officials announced Thursday.
The show, dubbed UFC Fight Night 41, is expected to take place at the 17,000-seat O2 World arena.
Both Munoz (13-4) and Mousasi (34-4-2) are looking to rebound from losses to top middleweight contender Lyoto Machida in their most recent outings.
Munoz, ranked No. 7, has dropped two out of his past three contests, losing to both Machida and Chris Weidman via violent knockouts, while also sandwiching in a dominant win over Tim Boetsch.
Overall, it marks the worst stretch of Munoz’s 12-fight UFC career, and comes directly on the heels of an impressive four-fight win streak over the likes of Demian Maia and Chris Leben, among others.
For Mousasi, ranked No. 12, last February’s decision loss to Machida served as the first time the Dutchman has tasted defeat since a 2010 setback against Muhammed Lawal in Strikeforce.
Following a lengthy run at light heavyweight, Mousasi’s unsuccessful return to the middleweight division opposite Machida snapped a seven-fight unbeaten streak over notable names such as Ovince St. Preux, Mike Kyle, and Ilir Latifi.