Matt Brown vs. Miguel Baeza set for UFC’s May 16th card

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The Immortal appears primed to be staving off a hungry young wolf in Jacksonville next week.

Longtime UFC fan-favorite Matt “The Immortal“ Brown has had a penchant for exciting fights and almost unmatched tenacity, and he’ll be able to ply his trade against Florida’s own Miguel Baeza next Saturday, May 16th. The promotion made the fight official on Monday.

Brown (22-16) will be returning after decimating Ben Saunders in December at UFC 245. He was scheduled to face Baeza back on March 28th in Columbus. Given the current coronavirus pandemic, this and many other fights were postponed, and it should be an exciting bout for sure.

Baeza (8-0) made his way to the UFC after competing on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he defeated Victor Reyna by decision. Having gone undefeated as both an amateur (5-0) and a professional, and turned some heads after staggering and finishing Hector Aldana back in October.

While Baeza’s a good young upstart fighter, he’s facing some serious challenges here with Brown, who has fought a who’s who of welterweights and isn’t afraid to make a fight as ugly as possible to get ahead. Brown has the cardio, the clinch and the slick submission game off his back that many fans and opponents tend to forget. Baeza’s got youth and athleticism on his side, and can possibly outwork Brown by staying busier while choosing his offense very carefully and keeping Brown’s hands off from the back of his head.

This bout is reported to take place next Saturday at the UFC’s Jacksonville venue, with more information to come. The main event is a heavyweight matchup between Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris.