Two of the best strikers in the bantamweight division will square off in August when former title contender Michael McDonald meets Brad Pickett at UFC on Fox Sports 1-1 in Boston.
The new fight was announced via UFC Tonight on Tuesday evening:
#BREAKING: Also booked for 8.17 on @foxsports1 @maydaymcdonald vs. @one_punch!
— UFC Tonight (@UFCTonight) June 5, 2013
At just 22 years of age, McDonald has more fight experience than many competitors much older than him. Fighting since he was a teenager, McDonald made his rise through the local fight scene in California before finally making his WEC debut in 2010.
McDonald eventually moved to the UFC along with the rest of the WEC fighters and continued his winning streak with four more victories, including a blistering performance putting away former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres.
The win streak earned McDonald a shot at the interim bantamweight title, but unfortunately, he lost in his bid to snatch the gold from champion Renan Barao back in February.
Now back on his horse, McDonald will look to jump right back into the deep end of the bantamweight division with another perennial top-10 favorite.
Brad Pickett will welcome McDonald to the cage on August 17 when the two bantamweights square off in Boston.
A longtime favorite of UFC president Dana White, Pickett always tends to put on exciting fights and has one-punch knockout power in both hands.
Throughout his UFC and WEC career, Pickett has faced the best of the best at 135 pounds, including Renan Barao, Eddie Wineland and Demetrious Johnson. Most recently, Pickett defeated Mike Easton by split decision in a Fight of the Night effort from both competitors.
The two bantamweights are expected to fill part of what is becoming a stacked undercard for the upcoming UFC on Fox Sports 1-1 card in Boston.
The show will be part of an entire day of programming for the launch of the new Fox Sports 1 network—a 24/7 sports channel by Fox similar to ESPN.
More bouts are expected to be announced for the upcoming UFC on Fox Sports 1-1 card in the coming days, with a final bout order and main card yet to be determined.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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