Ivan Menjivar
A bantamweight scrap has been booked for the Bell Centre in Montreal this November as Canadian based Ivan ‘The Pride of El Salvador’ Menjivar (24-9) takes on debuting Russian ‘Tough Guy’ Azamat Gashimov (7-1).
Officials with Canadian department of the UFC Tweeted (@UFC_CA) the news Friday evening.
– Bantamweight @Ivanmenjivar returns home to fight in Montreal at #UFC154 where he will now be taking on Azamat Gashimov on November 17
UFC 154 is expected to occur on November 17, 2012 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Fans will see a welterweight unification bout in the main event as champion Georges St-Pierre returns from a year layoff against interim title holder Carlos Condit.
Menjivar had a three fight win streak come to an end this past July after a decision loss to Mike Easton at UFC 148. ‘The Pride of El Salvador’ had been scheduled to face Renan Barao, but the Brazilian was pulled to fight Urijah Faber for the interim bantamweight title. Menjivar’s three victories were over John Albert at UFC on FUEL TV 1, Nick Pace at UFC 133 and Charlie Valencia at UFC 129.
Gashimov was expected to debut against Alex Soto last May at UFC on FUEL TV 3, but was forced off the card and replaced by Francisco Rivera. The Russian has won two straight with six finishes in seven bouts. When he debuts in December, it will be his first fight in sixteen months, having only seen action in July 2011 at a local event in Russia.