Uriah Hall wanted one fellow New York resident for a fight. He’ll have to settle for another.
The former Ultimate Fighter standout will take on Rafael Natal at UFC 187 on May 23, the UFC announced Thursday. Hall has been petitioning for a fight with Costas Philippou ever since a signed bout in January between the two of them fell through when Philippou got hurt.
Hall (10-4) has won three in a row, the latest a first-round TKO (doctor stoppage) of Ron Stallings at UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver in January. The native of the country of Jamaica, who grew up in Queens, N.Y., tore through TUF 17 before falling to Kelvin Gastelum in the finals. Hall, 30, still owns some of the nastiest knockouts in the history of the show. He also owns a TKO of veteran Chris Leben in his UFC career.
Philippou has been booked against Gegard Mousasi in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Faber on May 16 in Manila.
Natal (19-6-1) has put together two straight wins after a loss to Ed Herman last May. The Brazilian, who now resides in New York and trains at Renzo Gracie Academy, is coming off a dominant unanimous decision win over Tom Watson at UFC 183 on Jan. 31. Natal, 32, has been in the UFC since 2010 with a 7-4-1 record in the promotion.
UFC 187 is headlined by a light heavyweight title shot between champion Jon Jones and Anthony Johnson. The co-main event will pit middleweight champion Chris Weidman against Vitor Belfort.