A heavyweight featured bout has been added to the upcoming Ultimate Fighter season 17 finale show headed to Las Vegas on April 13.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and former title contender Gabriel Gonzaga will look to extend his current two-fight win streak in the UFC when he faces off with Travis Browne at the finale show.
UFC President Dana White announced the news via Twitter on Monday:
Following a very brief retirement from MMA in 2010, Gonzaga made his way back to fighting almost exactly a year later. And following one victory, he got the call to return to the UFC.
Since that time, Gonzaga has made the most of his return with two wins, both by submission, including a guillotine choke victory over Ben Rothwell at UFC on FX 7 last month in his home country of Brazil.
Facing Gonzaga at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas will be heavyweight prospect Travis Browne, who will look to bounce back from the first loss of his career when he gets back in the cage in April.
Browne lost by TKO in his last fight when he took on Strikeforce transfer Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC on FX 5 last year. During the bout, he suffered a torn hamstring that hampered him greatly, as he fell to defeat for the first time. But now, with a healthy leg and some much-needed time off, he’s ready to wash the bad taste of loss out of his mouth.
White did not specify where the Browne vs. Gonzaga fight would fall on the Ultimate Fighter finale show, but it’s likely to land on the televised main card, which airs on FX on April 13.
The show will also feature the middleweight finals of the reality show, which is currently airing on Tuesday nights on FX, with coaches Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen leading the way.
Two weeks after the finale, Jones and Sonnen will meet as the main event for UFC 159 in New Jersey.
Damon Martin is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.
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