A potentially explosive matchup between two exciting featherweights is on tap for January.
Buckle up, because this matchup has Fight of the Night potential.
Following a report from MMA Empire, New York featherweight Shane Burgos announced on his Instagram story that his next fight will come against Hakeem Dawodu at UFC 257 on January 23rd. The night’s main card airs live on pay-per-view, with prelims on the ESPN family of networks.
Burgos (13-2) boasts a 6-2 record inside the Octagon, although he is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Josh Emmett in what was UFC Vegas 3’s Fight of the Night. Prior to that defeat he had rattled off three straight wins over Kurt Holobaugh, Cub Swanson, and Makwan Amirkhani. Burgos is known for his exciting striking style and an emphasis on body shots.
Dawodu (12-1-1) is one of Canada’s rising stars in the sport. He made his UFC debut back in 2018 after an undefeated run in World Series of Fighting, but disaster struck when he was choked out by Danny Henry in 39 seconds. Since then he’s won five straight, including split decisions over Julio Arce and Zubaira Tukhugov. This is a considerable step-up for Dawodu considering Burgos is ranked #12.
UFC 257 does not have an official venue, although Dana White is targeting Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main event is a rematch between former two-division champion Conor McGregor and ex-interim lightweight champ Dustin Poirier.