Officials with the Ultimate fighting championship added two more bouts to their inaugural event on Fuel TV for this coming February as TUF 12 winner Jonathan Brookins (12-4) meets Vagner Rocha (7-2) in a featherweight bout, and a bantamweight fight between TUF 14 finalist T.J. ‘The Viper’ Dillashaw (4-1) and ‘The Gazelle’ Walel Watson (9-3)
Verbal agreements are in for two bouts showcasing the best of the bantamweight and featherweight divisions February 15 in Omaha, UFC president Dana White announced today.
T.J. Dillashaw will jump from the finals of last season’s Ultimate Fighter into the UFC’s bantamweight division by taking on the crafty Walel Watson on the FUEL TV card.
Also at that event, two great grapplers will battle it out as TUF 12 winner Jonathan Brookins takes on BJJ black belt Vagner Rocha. Rocha was originally scheduled to face Mike Brown in January; however Brown was injured and forced to withdraw from that event.
UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger (aka UFC on Fuel TV 1) is expected to take place on February 15, 2012 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska.
Brookins had a four fight win streak stopped this past September at UFN 25 after losing a decision to Erik Koch. The bout was Brookins second Octagon bout and marked his return to featherweight after defeating Michael Johnson in the TUF 12 final as a lightweight.
Rocha had been scheduled to meet Mike Brown at the UFC on FX 1 card but as noted Brown was forced out due to injury. The Brazilian is 1-1 in the UFC earning a submission win over Cody McKenzie at UFN 25 last September and losing a decision to Donald Cerrone at UFC 131 in Rocha’s debut match.
Dillashaw was a member of Team Bisping on season 14 of “TUF” earning his way into the final versus John Dodson. ‘The Viper’ would lose via first round TKO and suffer the first pro loss of his career.
Watson is 1-1 in the UFC, losing a close split decision to Yves Jabouin at UFC 140 earlier last month at the Toronto show. He debuted at UFC on Versus 6, winning the bout versus Joseph Sandoval via first round TKO.