Dennis Bermudez is getting the step up he was looking for.
The New York-native will meet Clay Guida (31-14) on the main card of UFC on FOX 12 on July 26 in San Jose, Calif. FOXSports.com first reported the featherweight fight news on Friday.
Last week, Bermudez (13-3), a winner of his last six fights in a row, told MMAFighting.com that he wanted to fight Dustin Poirier next, but it appears as though the UFC has other plans for Poirier. And while this will mark the first time Bermudez has fought on a main card during his winning streak, he didn’t seem bothered by the fact he wasn’t dominating the MMA headlines.
“I was talking to my manager [Ryan Parsons] the other day and he said, ‘We need to create a buzz around you. It seems like when you’re fighting you get a bit of a buzz, but when you’re not fighting no one cares about you.
“I think I’m funny. I think I’m interesting. I try to do cool things and share it with my social media. I was kidding around [with Parson and suggested], Maybe I should get arrested? He was like, No, we don’t want to go that avenue.
“I’m not talking smack, not that I’m afraid. I’m trying to be more professional with the sport. I don’t want it to be like WWF. I just want to go in and fight. That’s what I want to be remembered for, a great fighter.”
Bermudez’s streak has consisted of wins over Pablo Garza, Tommy Hayden, Matt Grice, Max Holloway, Steven Siler and Jimy Hettes. He now faces the veteran Guida, who’s coming off a unanimous decision win over Tatsuya Kawajiri last month in Abu Dhabi, by far his most dominant win in years.
Already announced for the event, which will take place at the SAP Center, is Anthony Johnson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Josh Thomson vs. Michael Johnson.