(photo courtesy of Zuffa/LCC via Getty Images)
After their first fight ended in controversy, UFC figthers Leonard Garcia (15-6-1) will step back into the octagon to face “TUF 12″ fighter Nam Phan (16-8) in March at UFC Fight Night 24.
MMAWeekly.com was first to report the featherweight rematch on Monday afternoon, citing a source close to the fight.
Both men met last month at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale on December 4th in Las Vegas. The bout would go all three rounds with many fans scoring the fight in Phan’s favor, but the judges would see it the other way, giving Garcia the split decision win. The bout would earn both men the “Fight of the Night” bonus, as well UFC president Dana White would also award Phan his win bonus despite the official loss.
Garcia is 2-1-1 in his last four fights having fought to a split decision in each bout. He was given the split decision over Phan in December, lost to Mark Hominick at WEC 51 in September, earned the nod in his “Fight of the Year” bout against Chan Sung Jung in April at WEC 46, and fought George Roop to a split draw in WEC 47 in March.
Phan sports a 1-3 record over his past four, fighting for four different promotions. The veteran was featured on last seasons “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show, fighting as a member of Team Koscheck. Phan would lose in the semi-final round to housemate Michael Johnson. The Vietnamese-American fighter has won 7 bouts via (T)KO, 5 by submission and 4 by decision over his 24 fight career.
UFC Fight Night 24 has yet to be officially announced, but it is expected to take place at the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington. Headlining the event is a light-heavyweight match between Antônio Rogério “Lil’Nog” Nogueira and Tito Ortiz.