Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has assembled an interesting bantamweight matchup for the upcoming UFC Vegas 71 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, scheduled for Sat., March 11, 2023 at The Theater inside Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Raphael Assuncao vs. Kyler Phillips.
Assuncao (28-9), once considered one of the top bantamweights in the world, has since fallen out of the division Top 15, losing four straight fights — three by way of knockout or submission — before rebounding with a unanimous decision nod over Victor Henry at UFC Vegas 62 last October.
The Brazilian turns 41 in July.
Phillips (10-2), still just 27 years old, cut his teeth on Dana White’s “Contender Series” back in summer 2017 and eventually joined the promotion in early 2020. In five trips to the Octagon, “Matrix” is 4-1 with two finishes, including last February’s submission victory over Marcelo Rojo at UFC 271.
That’s not all.
UFC Vegas 71 will also feature the heavyweight collision between Lukasz Brzeski and Karl Williams, while JJ Aldrich and Ariane Lipski hook ‘em up at 115 pounds. Elsewhere on the card, Sedriques Dumas and Abu Azaitar trade leather in the middleweight division.
Expect more UFC Vegas 71 fight card announcements in the coming weeks.