On Sunday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced a lightweight matchup for next months UFC 130 event featuring “TUF 12″ alum Cody McKenzie (12-1) and Bart “Bartimus” Palaszewski (35-14).
The announcement was made at UFC.com, noting that both fighters have only made verbal agreements at this time.
The master of the McKenzietine, TUF 12 alum Cody McKenzie, will get a tough test on May 28 in Las Vegas when he squares off against WEC vet Bart Palaszewski in a UFC 130 lightweight bout that was verbally agreed to today.
UFC 130: Edgar vs. Maynard III is scheduled to take place on May 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card will air on pay-per-view featuring a lightweight title rematch between champ Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard.
McKenzie suffered his first professional defeat this past January at the Fight for the Troops 2 event, after opponent Yves Edwards choked him unconscious with a rear-naked choke in the second round. Despite the stoppage, both men were awarded the “Fight of the Night” bonus. The loss also ended McKenzie’s streak of eleven straight wins by first round guillotine choke. The former “TUF” fighter made his UFC debut last December, submitting Aaron Wilkinson at the “TUF 12 Finale” with, you guessed it, a first round guillotine choke.
WEC veteran Palaszewski will make his UFC debut against McKenzie after a 4-3 run with the WEC promotion. He comes in with a split decision loss on his record to Kamal Shalorus at last December’s WEC 53 event. He’s fought such names as Clay Guida, Jim Miller, Chris Horodecki, and Anthony Pettis over his 49 fight career.