A lightweight contest pitting bonus aficionado Diego Sanchez (24-6) against undefeated prospect Myles Jury (13-0) has been scheduled for the fight card of UFC 171.
UFC officials announced the bout on Thursday.
A day after the announcement of his new multi-fight UFC contract, Sanchez, 31, returns to action after scoring his fourth ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus in five contests, and seventh overall, in a thrilling three-round brawl against former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez at UFC 166.
Though Sanchez ultimately lost the bout, marking his second loss over his last three fights, the absurd determination and grit he displayed, capped off by an incredible back-and-forth third round, pushed the contest among the top options for 2013’s Fight of the Year.
Meanwhile Jury, 25, looks to extend his unbeaten 4-0 UFC record following a split decision victory over Mike Ricci at UFC 165. A veteran of both TUF 13 and TUF 15, Jury also holds victories over Chris Saunders, Michael Johnson and Ramsey Nijem over the course of his UFC tenure.
UFC 171 takes place March 15, 2014 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will look to defend his belt against Glover Teixeira in the night’s main event.