A pivotal lightweight affair is coming to Las Vegas at the end of the year.
Fan favorites Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz will be meeting inside the Octagon in a bout that has “Fight of the Night” written all over it.
MMAJunkie.com has recently confirmed the bout with multiple sources close to the event, UFC 141, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 30.
The main event of the evening will feature a battle between former heavyweight champions Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar, though Cerrone and Diaz could very well steal the show.
“Cowboy” Cerrone was last seen inside the cage just this past Saturday when he met with perennial contender Dennis Siver on the Spike TV prelims special for UFC 137. Cerrone bested the striking specialist on the feet, knocking the German down early with a head kick. A later barrage of strikes sent Siver to the mat again, where Cerrone settled for the first round rear-naked choke finish, which earned him “Submission of the Night” honors for his efforts.
Diaz recently returned into the thick of the lightweight pack when he took on former Pride champion Takanori Gomi this September. The two heavy hitters met at UFC 135, where The Ultimate Fighter winner dropped Gomi early with a flurry of strikes. Staggered, Gomi eventually took Diaz to the mat, where the Cesar Gracie protege eventually locked up a fight-ending armbar finish, earning him “Submission of the Night” for his performance.
Both Cerrone and Diaz have a penchant for exciting and aggressive fights and this bout should be no different. The winner of this bout, with an impressive performance, could be primed for a shot at the title. With Frankie Edgar in need of a new challenger, either Diaz or Cerrone would provide the right kind of exciting battle that will captivate some real fan interest.
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