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Makhmud Muradov will take on grappler Antonio Carlos Junior at UFC Brasilia, in March.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt Antonio Carlos Junior did not go too long without an opponent for his bout at UFC Brasilia. After ‘Cara de Sapato’ lost his original partner, Brad Tavares, due to an ACL injury, the UFC announced that heavy-handed middleweight Makhmud Muradov would be the one to face the Brazilian in hostile territory.
Currently on the worst run of his UFC career, Antonio Carlos Junior (10-4-1 NC) will try to snap a two-fight skid after defeats to Ian Heinisch and Uriah Hall in 2019. The 29-year-old’s last victory happened in April 2018, when he tapped out veteran Tim Boetsch via rear-naked choke. That gave Junior a five-fight win streak at the time; with four submission wins.
Still undefeated in the Octagon, Makhmud Muradov (24-6) will look for his third straight UFC win. He beat Alessio Di Chirico, by way of unanimous decision in his debut, and followed it up with a one-punch knockout of Trevor Smith back in December. The 29-year-old’s last loss happened in December 2016, when an injury made Muradov lose via TKO to David Ramires at X Fight Nights 2.
Now, Antonio Carlos Junior is expected to take on Makhmud Muradov at UFC Fight Night 170, in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 14. So far, no main event has been officially announced for the card.