Ernest Chavez drops to featherweight, meets Mirsad Bektic at UFC Fight Night 49
The UFC’s featherweight division has a new competitor, and a new fight for August’s card in Tulsa.
Ernest Chavez (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will drop from lightweight to featherweight and meet Mirsad Bektic (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 49. UFC officials announced the new booking Thursday night.
UFC Fight Night 49 takes place Aug. 23 at BOK Center in Tulsa. The main card airs on FOX Sports 1 with a lightweight headliner between former champion Benson Henderson and Rafael dos Anjos.
Chavez makes the drop to 145 pounds following a loss three weeks ago in Brazil. The Californian who started his career undefeated, including a win in his UFC debut earlier this year, was tapped out by Elias Silverio in the third round at the TUF Brazil 3 Finale. In February, he won his first UFC fight when he took a split decision from Yosdenis Cedeno at UFC 170.
The American Top Team-trained Bektic will look to stay unbeaten when he meets Chavez. In April, the 23-year-old from Nebraska made his UFC debut and took a majority decision from Chas Skelly at UFC on FOX 11 in Orlando. The RFA veteran has six stoppages in his eight career wins.
With the addition, the latest UFC Fight Night 49 card includes:
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Benson Henderson
Thiago Alves vs. Jordan Mein
Timothy Elliott vs. Wilson Reis
Tom Niinimaki vs. Chas Skelly
Mirsad Bektic vs. Ernest Chavez
