‘Hippo’ Perosh Draws UFC Newcomer Penner for March 3 in Sydney

Five-time UFC vet Perosh and promotional newcomer Nick Penner of Canada have verbally agreed to meet at UFC on FX 2, UFC Managing Director of International Development Marshal Zelaznik told Wide World of Sports on Wednesday.

The event, which takes place March 3 at the 18,000-seat Allphones Arena (formerly Acer Arena), will be headlined by a welterweight tilt between strikers Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann, and will also feature the semifinals of the inaugural UFC flyweight title tournament.

Perosh, 39, will enter the bout on a two-fight hot streak, having submitted Cyrille Diabate and Tom Blackledge via rear-naked choke in 2011. The wins were the first inside the Octagon for the Sydney-born “Hippo,” who went 0-2 during a 2006 stint with the UFC and fell to Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic upon returning in February 2010.

Penner, who hails from the small town of Blumenort, Manitoba, reportedly signed with the UFC last fall, but was unable to debut immediately due to contractual issues with a Canadian promotion. The 31-year-old rides an eight-fight winning streak which stretches back to 2008, his most recently victory coming against Albertan Tim Chemelli in September.