The UFC had another busy week of fight announcements, and you may have missed a few that have come along. We will try to recap all the fights made over the past several days for you to get caught up on what the UFC has in store.
The UFC has added bouts to eight fight cards this week going through the end of the year. Let’s take a look at what action is coming your way.
UFC Fight Night 75, September 26
- Uriah Hall vs. Gegard Mousasi
Roan Carneiro was supposed to be Gegard Mousasi’s opponent in the co-main event in Japan, but he will be unable to compete with an injury. Uriah Hall stepped in on short notice after his victory at UFC Fight Night 73 over Oluwale Bamgbose. The bout remains the co-main event of that fight card.
UFC Fight Night 76, October 24
- Aisling Daly vs. Ericka Almeida
Aisling Daly will get to compete in front of her friends and family as the UFC has booked her opposite Ericka Almeida for their next Dublin trip. Both fighters are coming off losses. This fight will be placed on the prelims but should be a fun 115-pound scrap in Ireland.
UFC Fight Night 77, November 7
- Alex Oliveira vs. Piotr Hallmann
This is a bit of curious matchmaking by the UFC. Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira has won back-to-back fights, but Piotr Hallmann is a loser in three of his last four. Regardless, this fight was booked for the November 7 card in Brazil, and “Cowboy” has quickly become a fan favorite on undercards. This will be Oliveira’s return to the 155-pound division.
UFC 193, November 15
- Brendan O’Reilly vs. William Macario
- Stefan Struve vs. Jared Rosholt
The news came from Australia when the UFC added Brendan O’Reilly to the Melbourne card opposite William Macario. O’Reilly is returning from a win over Vik Grujic, but Macario has lost two straight. His job could be on the line. On the other end, heavyweights Stefan Struve and Jared Rosholt look to state their case for a big time heavyweight matchup with a win. Rosholt has won back-to-back fights, and Struve is coming off a victory over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
UFC Fight Night 78, November 21
- Hector Urbina vs. Bartosz Fabinski
- Valmir Lazaro vs. Michel Prazeres
These two bouts were added to the Fight Night card this week but largely went under the radar with other big matches announced. Welterweights Hector Urbina and Bartosz Fabinski are both working their way up the ranks. Urbina has won two straight, and Fabinski is on a five-fight winning streak.
Lightweights Michel Prazeres and Valmir Lazaro should put on an exciting contest. Lazaro is coming off a split decision won over James Krause, and Prazeres returns after losing to Kevin Lee in February. This fight is not getting a lot of attention but could steal Fight of the Night on this fight card.
UFC Fight Night 79, November 28
- Benson Henderson vs. Thiago Alves
- Mirko Cro Cop vs. Anthony Hamilton
- Dong Hyun Kim vs. Jorge Masvidal
- Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alberto Mina
The biggest news of the week came with four key bouts announced for the UFC’s debut in Seoul. First, the UFC announced Benson Henderson vs. Thiago Alves for the main event. Shortly after that dust settled, the UFC tacked on two more great fights: Cro Cop vs. Anthony Hamilton and Dong Hyun Kim vs. Jorge Masvidal. Also added was the return of Yoshihiro Akiyama.
This Fight Night card for Seoul is already shaping up to be a fantastic debut for the UFC in South Korea.
The Ultimate Fighter: 22 Finale, December 11
- Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes
The most high-profile fight made this week could very well be the five-round main event between Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes. In what will likely turn out to be a title eliminator, Edgar and Mendes will put on a highly technical and exciting showcase in the main event.
Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor will tussle shortly after this fight card at UFC 194, and it will set up another big fight for the featherweight division. Edgar has been on the outside looking in after narrowly missing upsetting Aldo for the crown, and Mendes has come up short against both Aldo and McGregor. This is a magnificent fight scheduled to headline a TUF Finale.
UFC 194, December 12
- Joe Proctor vs. Magomed Mustafaev
The stacked UFC 194 added its eighth fight this week when the UFC booked Joe Proctor vs. Magomed Mustafaev. The lightweights will be on the preliminary card of a phenomenal final pay-per-view of 2015. Proctor is coming off a victory in June over Justin Edwards, and Mustafaev is currently on an 11-fight win streak.
UFC on Fox 17, December 19
- Nik Lentz vs. Danny Castillo
- Nate Diaz vs. Michael Johnson
- Alistair Overeem vs. Junior dos Santos
UFC on Fox 17 already had a strong start with a lightweight title tilt, but the UFC tacked on three more bouts this week. Nik Lentz comes back to 155 to take on Danny Castillo in a fight between two skilled wrestlers. Also in the lightweight division, Nate Diaz returns against Michael Johnson. Diaz was away for one year after beating Gray Maynard but lost to Rafael dos Anjos after coming in overweight. He left again for a year. It is unknown what Diaz will show up against the Blackzilian contender. Johnson is coming off a contentious decision loss to Beneil Dariush this summer.
The big fight that was made, however, was the long awaited battle between Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos. This has been a tilt many have wanted to see for years, and now, it is finally on the books. Both Overeem and dos Santos are angling for a future title shot, and a win at UFC on Fox 17 would put them right in the thick of things in a shallow heavyweight field.
More fights will be added continually, so stick around here at Bleacher Report for full coverage. The UFC will round out the fight cards with more exciting matchups, and we will be here to cover them all.
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