A middleweight bout with serious title implications has been added to the UFC 176 lineup, as Ronaldo Souza will lock horns with Gegard Mousasi in the evening’s co-headliner.
The Los Angeles Daily News first reported the bout, and the pairing was subsequently confirmed by UFC officials. UFC 176 takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 2 and features a featherweight title tilt between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.
“Jacare” and Mousasi first met at the Dream Middleweight Grand Prix Finals in 2008, with Mousasi winning via knockout after landing an upkick 2:15 into the opening round.
A former Strikeforce middleweight champion, Souza has defeated Chris Camozzi, Yushin Okami and Francis Carmont in his first three UFC appearances. The X-Gym representative also owns notable triumphs over Robbie Lawler, Tim Kennedy, Jason Miller, Matt Lindland and Alexander Shlemenko during his professional career.
Mousasi, meanwhile, is an ex-Strikeforce 205-pound title holder. “Dreamcatcher” debuted with the Las Vegas-based promotion as a light heavyweight, cruising to a unanimous verdict over short-notice foe Ilir Latifi at UFC on Fuel TV 9. After dropping to middleweight, Mousasi dropped a five-round decision to current No. 1 contender Lyoto Machida in February. The 28-year-old notched his first 185-pound triumph in the UFC on May 31 with an impressive first-round submission of Mark Munoz.
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Originally Posted by Luke
