The big men will headline the UFC’s debut event in Croatia, officials today announced.
Former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos (17-4 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and surging contender Ben Rothwell (36-9 MMA, 6-3 UFC) are set for the five-round main event.
UFC Fight Night 86 takes place April 10 at Zagreb Arena in Zagreb, Croatia. It airs on FOX Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
Rothwell is No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings, and Dos Santos is No. 8.
Rothwell recently upset former champ Josh Barnett at UFC on FOX 18, where he picked up a “Performance of the Night” bonus and extended his winning streak to four bouts. Both of his recent wins – over Barnett and Matt Mitrione – have come via gogo choke. A bout prior, the 34-year-old knocked out former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem.
He now could be fighting for a title shot when he takes on Dos Santos, who won his first nine UFC fights, which included a brief title run. However, the 32-year-old Brazilian is just 2-3 since then, and in his most recent bout, he suffered a TKO loss to Overeem.
The latest UFC Fight Night 86 card now includes:
For more on UFC Fight Night 86, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
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