Sarah Kaufman meets Shayna Baszler at TUF Nations Finale in April
Former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman (16-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will meet fellow vet Shayna Baszler (15-8 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in April at the TUF Nations Finale.
UFC officials today announced the women’s bantamweight bout.
The event, which serves as the live finale for “The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia†reality series, takes place April 16 at Colisee Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It’s expected to air on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
It’s not clear where Kaufman vs. Baszler will be placed on the lineup.
Kaufman fights for the first time since a narrow decision loss to Jessica Eye at UFC 166 (which was recently overturned when Eye flunked a drug test). It marked the promotional debut for the 28-year-old Canadian, who went 6-2 with Strikeforce. The losses came in title fights against Marloes Coenen and Ronda Rousey, both via submission. Prior to signing with the UFC, Kaufman picked up a split-decision victory over Leslie Smith at Invicta FC 5.
Baszler, an 11-year pro, recently concluded a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 18,†where she suffered an upset submission loss to eventual show winner Julianna Pena in the quarterfinals. Although the 33-year-old wasn’t medically fit to compete at the show’s live finale, UFC officials assured the EliteXC and Strikeforce vet that she’s get an official UFC fight. She now fights professionally for the first time since a January 2013 loss to Alexis Davis at Invicta FC 4. Prior to the defeat, Baszler was on a 5-1 run with four submissions.
The latest TUF Nations Finale card now includes:
Michael Bisping vs. Tim Kennedy
Patrick Cote vs. Kyle Noke
TBA vs. TBA – “TUF Nations†middleweight-tournament final
TBA vs. TBA – “TUF Nations†welterweight-tournament final
Mark Bocek vs. Evan Dunham
Shayna Baszler vs. Sarah Kaufman
K.J. Noons vs. Sam Stout
Mitch Gagnon vs. Tim Gorman
