Hyun Gyu Lim – image via www.mfight.co.kr
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has added a pair of bouts to it’s upcoming show in Japan with a featherweight fight between Rani Yahya (17-7) and Strikeforce fighter Mizuto Hirota (14-5-1), as well as a welterweight match between Marcelo Guimaraes (8-0) and ‘The Ace’ Lim Hyun-Gyu (10-3-1).
Both bouts were added to the official event card at UFC.com.
UFC on Fuel TV: Silva vs. Stann (aka UFC on FUEL TV 8) is expected to take place on March 3, 2013 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The television event is headlined by a light heavyweight match between fan favorites Wanderlei Silva and Brian Stann, who move back up to 205-lbs for the match.
Yahya is 2-1 since moving over to the UFC from the WEC, picking up a first round submission win this past August in his last fight by forcing opponent Josh Grispi to tap to a north south choke at UFC on FOX 3. Yahya’s previous Octagon appearances include a decision loss to Chad Mendes at UFC 133 and a decision win over Mike Brown at UFC Fight for the Troops 2.
Hirota moves to the UFC after just one appearance with the Strikeforce promotion, a decision loss to Pat Healy last July at the Rockhold vs. Kennedy event. The defeat ended a two fight win streak which saw the Japanese fighter win, and defend, the DEEP lightweight title. Hirota has almost exclusively fought in Japan with his Strikeforce appearance the only match outside of the island nation.
Guimaraes and Lim had been scheduled to face one another this past November at the UFC Macau event but both fighters were eventually forced off the event. Now the two have a second chance to meet inside the Octagon.
Guimaraes made his Octagon debut this past July, dropping down to welterweight for the bout. At the UFC on FUEL TV 4 show, the Brazilian earned a split decision win against opponent Dan Stittgen. Previous to that he earned six straight wins competing in his native Brazil.
Lim hails from South Korea and earned the PXC welterweight title in his last fight this past July. ‘The Ace’ was to have faced Guimaraes and then replacement fighter David Mitchell at the Macau event but was pulled from the event at the last minute after UFC physicians declared Lim unfit to compete. Lim is currently riding a five fight win streak.