As reported on MMAWeekly.com this morning, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cheick Kongo have been added to the UFC 149 fight card that will take place in Calgary on July 21.
The Calgary Sun cited anonymous sources in announcing the news, but the fight was verified via the UFC Canada Official Twitter feed. The announcement came on the same day that UFC President Dana White hinted that Brazilian featherweight Champion Jose Aldo would most likely be pulled form that same card.
Aldo was originally announced as the headliner for the debut Calgary event with a challenger to be named later. The UFC announced via press conference yesterday that the Silva-Sonnen rematch that was tentatively set for UFC 147 in Brazil will now take place at UFC 148 in Las Vegas. This move leaves a big hole on the Brazil card, and many feel it will be filled by Aldo.
Nogueira (33-7-1) is currently recovering from a broken humorous he suffered after refusing to tap to a kimura lock in his last fight with Frank Mir at UFC 140 in December of 2011. Nogueira has had a tough time in the UFC with a 4-3 record.
Kongo (17-7-2) is also coming off a loss via TKO to Mark Hunt at UFC 144 in Japan.
If the Aldo fight is indeed moved off the Calgary card, the Canadian fans could be in for a very nice replacement as White has already mentioned that Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson is the leading candidate to fill that slot.
UFC 149 Fight card To Date: (Subject to Change)
Thiago Alves vs Yoshihiro Akiyama – welterweight
George Roop vs *Antonio Carvalho – featherweight
*Nick Ring vs Court McGee – middleweight
Bryan Caraway vs *Mitch Gagnon – featherweight
*Mitch Clarke vs Anton Kuivanen – lightweight
Cheick Kongo vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
* Canadian Fighter
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA, MMA Editor at CKSN.ca and guest blogger for Sportsnet.ca.
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