(Hey, right back atcha buddy. / Photo via @Cowboycerrone)
Though he was considering a drop to featherweight following his recent submission win over Evan Dunham at UFC 167, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will remain at lightweight for his next Octagon appearance, which will take place at UFC on FOX 10: Henderson vs. Thomson (January 25th, Chicago), just two months after his last fight. It was confirmed over the weekend that Cerrone will face Adriano Martins, a Brazilian veteran and former BJJ world champion who won his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 32 with a Submission of the Night-earning armbar of Daron Cruickshank.
Prior to the Cruickshank win, Martins scored a decision win against Jorge Gurgel at Strikeforce’s final show in January. Those are fairly impressive victories for a fresh UFC prospect, but a meeting with Cerrone is a major step up in competition. We wouldn’t go as far as to call it a squash match, but it’s certainly an unexpected booking for Cowboy, who has consistently faced well-known opponents throughout his UFC career. Still, it’s unlikely that you’ll hear him complain about it. The man loves to fight, and he has to pay for bull-feed somehow.
In other booking news…
Part of the new wave of Russian fighters who have been wrecking shit in the UFC this year, welterweight Adlan Amagov will return to action at UFC Fight Night 35: Rockhold vs. Philippou (January 15th; Duluth, GA) where he’ll face Jason High. Amagov went 2-0 in the UFC in 2013, with wins over Chris Spang and TJ Waldburger, while High is riding his own two-fight win streak in the Octagon, most recently dominating Anthony Lapsley to a unanimous decision victory at UFC 167.