UFC 160 could be the night of the Kiwis.
Just days after New Zealander Mark Hunt reached terms to step into a major heavyweight battle against Junior dos Santos, his countryman James Te Huna has also agreed to step into a hole on the same night, accepting a challenging matchup against rising contender Glover Texeiria.
The UFC confirmed the matchup on Monday night.
Te Huna replaces Ryan Bader, who was forced out after a knee injury.
Te Huna (16-5) comes in riding a four-fight win streak, with his most recent win coming over Ryan Jimmo just less than one month ago. The powerful striker has lost only once in his last 10 fights, and that was a submission win over ranked contender Alexander Gustafsson.
In Teixeira, he’ll be hoping to sidetrack one of MMA’s surging talents. Teixeira is unbeaten in his three octagon starts, with two finishes. In his most recent bout, he earned a decision victory over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Teixeira (20-2) also owns one of the longest win streaks in MMA, having won 18 straight fights dating back to 2005.
Though not confirmed for the main card, the bout between the dueling power strikers seems a lock for a pay-per-view slot.
The May 25 event takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and the night’s action is headlined by a heavyweight title match pitting Cain Velasquez against challenger Antonio Silva.