TUF Brazil star Daniel Sarafian will make his welterweight debut in June. The UFC announced on Tuesday night that the Brazilian will cut down from middleweight to take on Japanese veteran Kiichi Kunimoto at UFC 174 in Vancouver, Canada, on June 14.
Sarafian (8-4) has decided to cut more 15 pounds after going 1-2 under the UFC banner with losses to Cezar Ferreira and C.B. Dollaway. His lone victory in the UFC was the first-round submission of Eddie Mendez.
Kunimoto (16-5-2, 1 no-contest), who has only one loss over the last 13 fights, returns to the Octagon after getting his first UFC win when Luiz Jorge Dutra Jr. was disqualified after landing several illegal elbows to the back of the head in Singapore.
The UFC 173 card in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 24, has a new bout, as the promotion announced the return of lightweight veteran Anthony Njokuani against knockout artist Vinc Pichel.
Looking to build his first win streak in the UFC, Njokuani (16-7, 1 no-contest) enters the cage 13 months after a knockout victory over Roger Bowling. Fresh off a decision win over Garett Whiteley at UFN 35, Pichel (8-1) looks to add the eight knockout victory to his MMA record.
The third bout announced by the UFC on Tuesday night was a lightweight clash to the UFC Fight Night 42 card in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on June 7. After going 0-3 in the UFC, Bobby Voelker (24-11) will have another chance in the cage against Lance Benoist (6-2), who lost his last couple fights in the Octagon.