Donald Cerrone vs. Edson Barboza set for UFC on FOX 11 in Orlando
Donald Cerrone said he wants six fights in 2014. After putting one in the books nine days ago, he now has No. 2 teed up.
Cerrone (22-6 MMA, 9-3 UFC) will fight Edson Barboza (13-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in April when the UFC returns to Florida for UFC on FOX 11. UFC officials announced the fight Monday afternoon.
UFC on FOX 11, the second FOX event of 2014, takes place April 19 at Amway Center in Orlando. The event’s main card airs on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
The card’s main event is between heavyweights Travis Browne and Fabricio Werdum, with the winner expected to be the next challenger for Cain Velasquez’s title. UFC on FOX 11 also will include a bout between the first two UFC women’s bantamweight title challengers as Miesha Tate meets Liz Carmouche.
“Cowboy†Cerrone is coming off a “Knockout of the Night†head-kick win over Adriano Martins at UFC on FOX 10 in Chicago. It was his second straight win after an upset loss to Rafael dos Anjos this past August. In November, he rebounded from that setback with a “Submission of the Night†win over Evan Dunham at UFC 167 in Las Vegas.
The bonus win for Cerrone at UFC on FOX 10 broke the UFC/WEC combined record of 12 that he shared with Anderson Silva and Joe Lauzon. He had five “Fight of the Night†wins in the WEC and now has eight bonuses in his 12 UFC fights over three years.
Barboza had a perfect 2013, going 3-0. After an upset loss to Jamie Varner in May 2012, the first setback of his MMA career, the Brazilian striking standout got back on track with a dominant wins over Lucas Martins and Rafaello Oliveira. In December, he won a majority decision against Danny Castillo at UFC on FOX 9, getting a “Fight of the Night†bonus in the process. Barboza started his UFC career as a bonus hog, just like Cerrone. He had four bonuses in his first four UFC fights.
The fight has the potential to be an important one in the pecking order of the UFC’s lightweight division. Cerrone is ranked No. 12, while Barboza is No. 14 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings.
