On Tuesday morning, it was announced (via Yahoo! Sports) that Benson Henderson will unify the UFC lightweight championship with the Strikeforce lightweight championship, as he will meet Gilbert Melendez at UFC on Fox 7. Shortly after, it was confirmed that Daniel Cormier and Frank Mir will meet in a heavyweight battle on the same card.
We’ve got our main event and our co-main event. Now, we’ve got our probable Fight of the Night winner.
MMAweekly.com confirmed on Tuesday evening that welterweight favorite Dan Hardy will return to the Octagon against hard-hitting slugger Matt Brown on April 20. It is assumed that a fight of this caliber will make place on the main card, although that has yet to be confirmed.
Hardy most recently appeared in a September victory against Amir Sadollah. It was the second consecutive win for the Brit, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
A four-fight losing streak left him without a victory in 2010 or 2011. Prior to the skid, Hardy earned a title shot against Georges St-Pierre by besting the likes of Mike Swick and Marcus Davis.
The outspoken “Outlaw,” who fights out of Nottingham, England, has long been one of the most popular fighters to step foot into the Octagon. The trash talk between Hardy and Davis remains one of the most entertaining feuds to ever hit the Internet.
Going 4-0 in 2012, Brown picked up notable wins against Swick and formerly undefeated kickboxer Stephen Thompson, which put him on the map as someone trying to break through the glass ceiling. His current winning streak is the longest of his 27-fight career.
Many expected Brown to be released toward the end of 2011 after being submitted in four of five contests. Keeping him proved to be a good move, because at this point in time, Brown is pulling a freight train of momentum behind him.
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