Tony Ferguson meets Katsunori Kikuno at UFC 173 in Las Vegas
Another “Ultimate Fighter†winner has been added to the UFC’s Memorial Day weekend card in Las Vegas.
A lightweight bout between “TUF 13″ winner Tony Ferguson (14-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Katsunori Kikuno (22-5-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is the latest addition to the UFC 173 lineup. UFC officials announced the new booking on Monday, saying verbal agreements are in place.
UFC 173 takes place May 24 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
The card now features three “TUF†winners in Ferguson, Michael Chiesa (“TUF 15″) and Chris Holdsworth (“TUF 18″), plus “TUF 14″ finalist T.J. Dillashaw.
Ferguson got back in the win column this past October with a “Submission of the Night†D’Arce choke victory over Mike Rio at UFC 166. That fight was his first in nearly 18 months. Following a decision loss to Michael Johnson in May 2012 that shut down a six-fight winning streak, Ferguson was on the shelf for an extended period with a broken arm he suffered in that fight.
Kikuno had a successful UFC debut earlier this year in Singapore at UFC Fight Night 34 when he took a unanimous decision from Quinn Mulhern. That was the Japanese fighter’s sixth straight win. The former DEEP lightweight champion has never fought outside of Asia, with all of his fights coming in his native Japan except the fight in Singapore.
With the addition, the latest UFC 173 card now includes:
Champ Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida – for middleweight title
James Krause vs. Jamie Varner
T.J. Dillashaw vs. Takeya Mizugaki
Michael Chiesa meets Francisco Trinaldo
Chris Holdsworth vs. Kyung Ho Kang
Doo Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia
Tony Ferguson vs. Katsunori Kikuno
