Chad Mendes
A featherweight matchup appears set for this December in Australia when former contender Chad ‘Money’ Mendes (12-1) steps into the Octagon against Brazilian Hacran Dias (21-1-1).
Officials with the promotion recently announced the matchup.
UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson is expected to take place on December 15, 2012 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In North America, the live event will actually air on December 14 due to the differences in time zones.
Mendes will look to make it two victories in a row when he takes on the highly touted Dias, coming off a knockout finish of Cody McKenzie last July at UFC 148. That was the first bout for ‘Money’ following a KO defeat at the hands of division champion Jose Aldo at UFC 142 in Brazil last January. The loss was the first for Mendes after eleven straight wins.
Dias was one of the first 300 applicants for “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” but was instead signed directly by the UFC to a three fight contract. Dias debuted in June at the UFC 147 show in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, earning a unanimous decision over Yuri Alcantara. That victory made it nine straight, with his only loss coming in July 2009.