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A battle of top-15 bantamweights is on tap for August.
The UFC has added another compelling bantamweight fight to its August 15th pay-per-view.
MMA Junkie reports that veteran John Dodson and Republic of Georgia native Merab Dvalishvili are set to battle at UFC 252 in Las Vegas. The night’s main card airs live on pay-per-view, with prelims split between ESPN and ESPN+.
Dodson (21-11) snapped a two-fight losing streak with a big third-round TKO finish of prospect Nathaniel Wood at UFC Rio Rancho in February. The former flyweight title challenger has been at 135 lbs since 2016, compiling a record of 4-4, although his losses include current champ Petr Yan and former title challenger Marlon Moraes.
Dvalishvili (11-4) has won four straight since a controversial technical submission defeat to Ricky Simon. The 29-year-old has bested Terrion Ware, Brad Katona, Casey Kenney, and most recently short notice replacement Gustavo Lopez. His powerful wrestling and nonstop motor will certainly make his style hard for most to deal with in the division.
UFC 252 is headlined by a heavyweight championship trilogy between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. In terms of the bantamweight picture, Frankie Edgar vs. Pedro Munhoz and Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera are also slated for this show.