Mike Easton – photo via UFC.com
With UFC bantamweight Renan Barao stepping up to face Urijah Faber in an interim title bout, Barao’s former opponent Ivan ‘The Pride of El Salvador’ Menjivar (24-8) was without a new opponent until Saturday.
Stepping up to face Menjivar at UFC 148 will be Mike ‘The Hulk’ Easton (12-1).
FoxSports.com broke the news on Saturday after speaking with UFC president Dana White.
“Easton is one of the bantamweight division’s rising contenders who’s now going after the biggest win of his career, but he has to get past the incredibly dynamic and much more experienced Menjivar,” UFC president Dana White said. “Both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout.”
UFC 148 is expected to take place on July 7, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Easton steps into the fight on a seven fight win streak which includes two in the Octagon. ‘The Hulk’ had been scheduled to face Yves Jabouin last week at UFC on FUEL TV 3 but was forced to withdraw due to injury. Easton earned a majority win against last minute replacement, and UFC newcomer Jared Papazian, at UFC on FX 1 in Easton’s last bout.
Menjivar is on a three fight win streak since rejoining the UFC, with his most win coming by first round submission against John Albert at UFC on FUEL TV 1 in February. His other two victories were against Nick Pace at UFC 133 by decision, and versus Charlie Valencia at UFC 129 by TKO.